I Make US fly!

[murphy]

CLT and PHL flights being in the schedule would be a big thing to look for! Unfortunately they often werent there.

The flights were in there. There was a bug in the javascript that creates the dropdown. I'd bet a lot of money that the thing worked fine throughout testing, and then someone made a "small change" at the last minute that broke it.

The fact that someone could make a change like that is a major process failure, but it happens more often than you'd guess. Especially in web developmment. That's why the term "software engineer" always makes me laugh. If engineers built airplanes the way developers build software, none of us would ever fly.

As far as the US website goes, of course there was some testing. It clearly wasn't good testing, though. Good software testing is hard. So is good project management. In general, in-house IT departments aren't good at either one.

 

[USCREW]

sky high states: Anyone remember the last time the company sent VIDEO TAPES to the FLIGHT ATTENDANTS? During contract negotiations and the threat of CHAOS. I forgot her name, now gone, she pleaded on the tape for the F/A group to sign a contract. LOL, half those tapes ended up in the crew lounge, stomped on, broke and left for management to see.

I dont think a video tape will make anyone feel valued. A tape?.....not good enough! :down:

What tape?

 

[USCREW]

What kind of t-shirts were they wearing?

Green, white, and red kind. VIVA ITALIA!

 

[N965VJ]

Green, white, and red kind. VIVA ITALIA!

Odd, I thought they might have had some snazzy slogan like “I make US fry!" or something like that.

 

[murphy]

It's physically impossible to write software without testing. Period. Testing is different than a public or closed beta. I think I've been pretty clear in my opinion that it was a poorly conceived, poorly executed project. The testing of the website was clearly poor. It's possible they had little or no regression testing. But to claim that there was no testing is flat out wrong. You just can't code that way. To claim otherwise is to not understand how software development works.

 

[700UW]

I beat you any amount of money it was tested. How throughly it was tested is the question. To make a statement that it "was never tested" is just irresponsible. The questions that need to be asked is: Did those testing know what to look for? Did they have the field experts involved (i.e. res agents). Engineers design aircraft, but anyone in maintenance knows that most products are not designed with maintenance in mind. I would say it's obvious that IT and Res did not work closely enough together...not that the system wasn't tested.

Eric,

Stop being the Management Excuse Maker

When the two largest hubs in your system fail to show up for flights to be sold, it is a big red flag that it was not tested in real time.

The lists of problems was tremendous that it even made national media of the problems.

Stop apologizing for the inept management and realize it was not tested.

 

[USCREW]

Odd, I thought they might have had some snazzy slogan like “I make US fry!" or something like that.

AZ(FRYER) is working on that. Our Costomers are Cacky Keen!

 

[N965VJ]

The t-shirts should say “I make US fry!â€￾ on the front in reference to:

<SNIP> It could be worse...you could be learning how to flip burgers and when to drop the next batch of fries to go with that shake!

On the back there should be several permutations of the phrase “You’re lucky to have your job!â€￾ That seems to be a common phrase here.

Could you pick me one up in extra large? Suspended means suspended, and I’m not taking my time off to go to some pep rally.

 

[USCREW]

I will video tape the pep rally so that you can add it to your collection. I'll get you two shirts, one with all the international flags as a background, and the other with the NASA logo all-over.

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on the tape so I can overdub the audio and have some fun!

 

[barbeetantrums]

I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on the tape so I can overdub the audio and have some fun!

I'll have to pull out my old video player. It's in a box next to my reel-to-reel and my beta video player.

 

[jerseyfinn]

Jetsetter,

Thanks for your earnest reply. I don't doubt your personal committment. It certainly falls within management prerogatives to attempt to unify the workforce, for a failure to create unity ultimately ends up having a delirterious effect upon pax perceptions/satisfaction and the viability of the product.

I do however remain puzzeled by corporate's weaving and dodging and the contorted message that they send out to your elites ( I'm a US1 ).

"You would be amazed at how many employees still think they are a legacy carrier when we are actually the largest Low cost carrier."

OK, I think this is a legitimate corporate vs. employee perspective given the conflicted thoughts/opinions expressed here by many employees as this consolidation/transition continues apace.

But does Tempe grasp how DM eilites presently view this statement? Afterall, US continues to tout the DM program as a quasi traditional FF program for those folks who stick it out with US. But it is beginning to look and feel as if DM is a Potemkin village behind which there is not much substance for those FFers who stake their money and loyalty to the product. Now I continue to remain patient with this transition ( mainly because of my most usually positive experiences with the East folks and the Chairmans desk ). But I'm still unclear how this hybridized mostly-LCC / partly traditional-looking TA airline is going to function for me & the 10+ TAs and several domestic trips I fly each year.

It's time for US to get a clear, unified message out to both employees and pax so everyone knows what is going to be and what is not going to be. Everyone has decisions to make

Barry

 

[Barbell]

It's time for US to get a clear, unified message out to both employees

Which is precisely the purpose of the "I Make US Fly" campaign. It is designed to educate the workforce on what kind of carrier US wants to be when it grows up. The hybrid Legacy/LCC that is US's primary goal is not widely known, nor understood, in today's environment. The goal is to explain a clear direction to employees, where it will become more clear how to treat customers in a friendly and helpful manner, knowing that they are empowered to provide the best customer service in the industry. That intangible combined with a stronger route structure, solid business plan, and cash reserves to hold off buyout from a competitor while bringing a level of stability and job security, will make US a leading carrier in terms of customer service.

Albeit, there is a bit of a pep rally feel to it. Jetsetter2Ord was excited about it, and the usual players tried to bring it down. If you're not into the propoganda, that's OK. No one really cares. What is important is that we all understand the direction the company is headed, and the different campaign materials should make that clear.

FWIW the cost of development and materials was covered by Coca-Cola, and distribution costs are being handled by Budweiser. It goes to reason, then, that if you feel you deserve a raise because of the money spent on "I Make US Fly", then you need to petition the management of those companies.

 

[whlinder]

I know that Tempe has hired some people from the humongous disaster known as Independence Air. They failed miserably there, and are now in our marketing and media relations department.

Deja-Moo.

I think I've heard this bull before.

Oh please do tell us more!

(Considering in another thread you mentioned the FlyI VP of marketing was your buddy, you've got to have some good stories)

 

[USCREW]

Oh please do tell us more!

(Considering in another thread you mentioned the FlyI VP of marketing was your buddy, you've got to have some good stories)

Yepper. Eric, the ex-VP's wife is my best friend. I know some from FlyI who just got hired in Tempe. One is a scoundrel--too juicy to post here. Let's just say that her new brainchild, "the barf-bag ads", are very appropriate.