Generating Revenue

[700UW]

Lufthansa is starting Charlotte to Munich flights.

LH has approached US to work the flights, meaning ramp, customer service, cleaning and maintenance.

All which would be a new revenue stream as LH would pay US for our services.

US Airways turned them down and said no.

I can't believe since we are becoming a member of the Star Alliance we are just gonna give the work to Signature and not generate new sources of revenue for US.

Ashby needs to get involved.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

Lufthansa is starting Charlotte to Munich flights.

LH has approached US to work the flights, meaning ramp, customer service, cleaning and maintenance.

All which would be a new revenue stream as LH would pay US for our services.

US Airways turned them down and said no.

I can't believe since we are becoming a member of the Star Alliance we are just gonna give the work to Signature and not generate new sources of revenue for US.

Ashby needs to get involved.

That's just By-God brilliant on the companies behalf

We need to be seeking revenue in any form that presents itself..not turning our backs on it.

I hope the Star Alliance looks on this as a weak member continuing to be a weak member...and thinking like one.

I could see where a conflict might present itself if this was like the old days of both U and LH competing on the CLT-FRA route...but U does not serve MUC from CLT at all. This is blowing off a chance to make money that we definitly need. heck it might save a few jobs along the way to..or is that the real rub on this issue?

 

[700UW]

Management was questioned and the standard answer was given, we don't have enough employees to work the flights, I say that is horse manure.

The so-called leaders of this company have proven they can't lead anything.

 

[76200]

It would've been nice if we could service the CLT - MUC flight

with our mainline 76 or 330.


76200

 

[diogenes]

So the Place would rather keep a few employees furloughed, as opposed to making some money?

Seems that's been the plan all along.

On the lintel above the Palace,

"abandon hope, all ye who enter here"

 

[Harry Callahan]

Management was questioned and the standard answer was given, we don't have enough employees to work the flights, I say that is horse manure.

The so-called leaders of this company have proven they can't lead anything.

How about lets getting enough employees to work the flight!
Another lost opportunity WOW!

 

[tadjr]

On the surface it seems bad I agree but when your drowning in a sea of red ink, the few thousand dollars a month in profite relative to the time spent to earn it wouldn't make a dent cost profit/wise.

Now if you factor in items like building a relationship with a SR Star Alliance partner then that's different. And the same goes for rebuilding morale then doing this seems more plausable.

So a few thousand saved here and a few thousand saved there isnt going to matter. Thats the problem with the company. It does matter. So the manager has to work a little more to figure out a skd, if it BRINGS IN MONEY, DO IT. Do you think WN says a couple thou here doesnt matter? Look at it systemwide then say that. We have 1 airline in TPA that is handling 2 carriers with late evening flights. This is time we have to have people for our late flights, but most of the time they arent that full so we're standing around twiddling our thumbs while the DL agents are working, but I guess I dont want to be TOO productive now. :down:

I would think it would also be better from a Star prospective to have your partner airline who should be familiar with your system and standards working your flight instead of the contractor who might work you today and someone else tomorrow.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Bob & tadjr,

For what it's worth, I think you both have valid points. This $1000 (or whatever) is not going to make or break the airline, but why leave it on the table if you can pick it up.

The decision should have been a dollars & cents decision. Do we have the spare people to work their flight (confirm with CLT). If yes, then take the job. If no, then 1 flight a day probably wouldn't be worth hiring someone.

As to how the decision was actually made - I have no clue.

Jim

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

US Airways turned them down and said no.

I can't believe since we are becoming a member of the Star Alliance we are just gonna give the work to Signature and not generate new sources of revenue for US.

Ashby needs to get involved.

"Shocking, but not surprising".
So someone else (Signature Flight Support, or whoever )is going to hire people to do the work. I don't know LH schedule in CLT and how it compares to UAIR's feast or famine schedule in CLT but it seems that some creativity could have solved this problem. Certainly if the work could have been done with curent staffing levels, the contract would have been "pure gravy", but ground handling contracts don't come cheap and the money should be able to pay for a few added part time shifts.

It does seem that US could be more aggressive in seeking ground work for other carriers. Does anyone know where they do handle others? I think Tadjr mentioned a wile back that US once did work other carriers in TPA. As stated above, it is very lucrative if no or little addtional staffing is needed.

Midwest in SFO is one current example (US used to work Hawai'ian and Champion tthere as well. AS and HA are SABRE users, making training needs minimal. Why not seek out AS (also SABRE) with its expanding Eastern markets.

 

[hldgmacey]

UAIR Management has no imagination! They have never seen the benefit of contract work. A dollar earned is a dollar earned. Delta handles LH in ATL. Back in the day PI worked Bahamasair, TWA, American, AmericaWest, Continental and others because we had the gates and would only give these carriers space if we worked them. They subsidized our whole operation, and we could use those gates between their flts for our irregular ops. Many benefits that the bean counters could never see.

 

[Hope777]

Not knowing the whole story BUT............I have seen the rates U wants to charge other carriers, Employees , Ground Equipment you name it it is in the Rate.

My guess is U could get $1000.00 - $1500.00 per flight to handle this. I dont know about you, but that would more then pay for bringing a few folks back PLUS increase Morale by showing we are actually trying to make money. Also with some people going back, you could use them to better serve OUR Customers Too.

In our Station, we have 2 gates we could lease out or do contract work on and OUR Company refuses to make extra money.

 

[N628AU]

Not exactly sure LH came to US and offered the work. I am very good friends with one of the three contractors that was a finalist for this work, and although they already work with LH in many stations in the US, they lost out to Signature. I am sure US was invited to bid, but I am pretty sure the work was not offered and jsut turned down like it is being presented here.

That being said, this company could be more aggressive in getting contract work, but lets get our own house in order first.

 

[GeezLouis]

I am very good friends with one of the three contractors that was a finalist for this work, and although they already work with LH in many stations in the US, they lost out to Signature.

I can't believe anyone lost out to Signature! That's the highest priced outfit in Aviation! It amazes me how they stay in business.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

I'm just amazed at some of the observations on this subject.

Since when is trying to make a profit a distraction? That's a distraction we should be clammering to have for a positive change.

Sure we also need to have our own house in order...that's also a given , but when has providing a littlle line maintenance support , here and there ever been a problem?..and when has "International ground support " ever been an issue in CLT? This is simply saying NO to money that we dearly need. Unless "Employee Give-backs" and furlough's are the only way they seem to know?

U should be making the best of this CLT/MUC LH flight..until we are in a position to make a run at them ourselves , just like we did on the CLT/FRA flights years ago.

I remember the coming of an LH B747-200 or -200 Combi into CLT....and I remember it departing the market when U turned up the heat on them

We just need to wait on more Acft to do it...or for better fleet utilization to facilitate it.

The one and only reason U should say no to LH is this....The potential for liability concerns regarding the "Safety Checks" upon arrival . ...and that should be limited at best considering other parties perform work for us in Europe and other destinations.


When you are bleeding RED you can't be real picky on how you make your money...that is unless you have the ability to bleed someone else...as they obviously seem to think they can.

 

[tadjr]

It does seem that US could be more aggressive in seeking ground work for other carriers. Does anyone know where they do handle others? I think Tadjr mentioned a wile back that US once did work other carriers in TPA. As stated above, it is very lucrative if no or little addtional staffing is needed.

At one time in TPA we used to handle BA/Cayman/Air Aruba at the same time.
Currently we handle no one and the new Cayman agents are actually furloughed US agents.
I got the impression from supervisors (senior ones of course) that they thought it was too much trouble to worry about staffing issues for the 2 agents that Cayman required for checkin and they didnt want to be bothered with it so basically they told the manager it was too much of a problem. Needless to say, they're still enjoying their full time at US while more of the bottom people hit the streets and the rest of us just endured 4 hour shifts for the past few months.
We have 10 agents currently downgraded to part time. Wouldnt it be great for US to bid on working someone and giving those hours to displaced employees? We're already here for US (no extra cost in our benefits) and would love to get some extra hours out of it (that could be charged directly to the other carrier INCLUDING overtime for their delays). No one at US would have to spend a penny more on agents to cover it since it would all come from the other carrier and you'd have some happy agents who can get more than 20 hours a week. And anything over the direct $ cost of the agents working the flight is free $$$$$.