Ideas on what we can do to cut costs at US airways …or generate revenue 2

[freedom]

I didn’t sleep well last night , perhaps it was people calling me at off hours , or perhaps it was stress , but I woke up this morning and I’ve been rethinking my original thought in this thread . When I originally posted the cost cutting idea of charging non rev’s I did so only to be provocative so we could encourage discourse on cost cutting ideas and what not …I’ve got a sick feeling in my stomach , because today I know that I was correct with my half thought out idea …. This actually IS something that we need to do ..It brings me no joy whatsoever to advocate this , but some part of me demands that I do so …. I’ll be hated at work … I’ll miss the free flights myself , but there is simply too much at stake not to ignore the positive benefits of doing this for our company .

I’m making this as a business decision , also one of self preservation .I was reading in another thread how some of the folk in BOS are getting their jobs cut in june … I believe by instituting this policy people will willingly quit the job .. I don’t WANT to make people quit , but I would rather have those who aren’t in this for their bread and butter walk out the door than lose people who need this job to support their families .

Perhaps something inside of me snapped the night I saw the price of a barrel of oil go from 127 -133 in a single day .. I dunno … it didn’t help when I picked up an issue of about US and read that our oil costs would increase by something like 1.5 billion this year …

In doing this we will make money or save money by having less weight on the planes …

Too many of you won’t understand why I’m advocating this …. But I’m seeing this as things will be 6 months a year from now , and we must go to close quarters in this fight , we must take down every single cost and raise revenue through what ever means lay at our disposal … Some of you think we will just go through the BK merry go round again , I find it highly unlikely in this new climate we find ourselves … one or two of the major airlines will have to shut their doors for GOOD this time ..also the investment capital is drying up as everyone cuts back on loans and credit …


My most sincere apologies to all of you my fellow co workers .. I’m sorry but my self interest doesn’t stop me from seeing the truth ,we must do this ….


Freedom ….

 

[Harry Callahan]

Freedom:
Take away the last benefit(if you can call it that anymore) that most of us have & if you think morale is bad now(or maybe it's not bad in PHX) wait till you see what happens. Non-rev is the last benefit we have. While I hardly use mine I know others that do all time & it would hurt. As for me all I would do if I ever have to pay on US will be go to another carrier either as rev or non rev. US will not get one dime from me to non-rev.

 

[freedom]

I know coach … I’m sorry ..

I’d rather morale suffer than everyone go to the curb in a year and a half’s time ..at least that’s how I see it … I hope I’m wrong .. I don’t know much if anything at all about how wall street works , or how the numbers play out in business and economics .When I pull up the yahoo stock page for our company , I don’t understand 95% of the things on it , all I see is the falling line .. I understand what is written about the subject , and I listen to the emotions of people when they speak to me about these different issues that affect us , I know what little information I can glean about our company from this website , so I’m simply listening to my intuition when I say we should do this … that’s all …

 

[YVINTERN]

I know coach … I’m sorry ..

I’d rather morale suffer than everyone go to the curb in a year and a half’s time ..at least that’s how I see it … I hope I’m wrong .. I don’t know much if anything at all about how wall street works , or how the numbers play out in business and economics .When I pull up the yahoo stock page for our company , I don’t understand 95% of the things on it , all I see is the falling line .. I understand what is written about the subject , and I listen to the emotions of people when they speak to me about these different issues that affect us , I know what little information I can glean about our company from this website , so I’m simply listening to my intuition when I say we should do this … that’s all …

I'll tell you what it means...THAT falling line is US Airways's way of getting the stock cheap enough for a freaking BUY OUT.

 

[mike33]

Freedom:
Take away the last benefit(if you can call it that anymore) that most of us have & if you think morale is bad now(or maybe it's not bad in PHX) wait till you see what happens. Non-rev is the last benefit we have. While I hardly use mine I know others that do all time & it would hurt. As for me all I would do if I ever have to pay on US will be go to another carrier either as rev or non rev. US will not get one dime from me to non-rev.

Absolutely,

Charging nonrevs' is not going to preserve your job in the long run. What freedom is suggesting is that all those senior people who commute will up and quit. That's what is really meant. I doubt that anyone in phx really knows who freedom is?

"I’ll be hated at work … I’ll miss the free flights myself , but there is simply too much at stake not to ignore the positive benefits of doing this for our company ."

PLEEEEEEESE !! Get over yourself

 

[Iheartflying]

I didn’t sleep well last night , perhaps it was people calling me at off hours , or perhaps it was stress , but I woke up this morning and I’ve been rethinking my original thought in this thread . When I originally posted the cost cutting idea of charging non rev’s I did so only to be provocative so we could encourage discourse on cost cutting ideas and what not …I’ve got a sick feeling in my stomach , because today I know that I was correct with my half thought out idea …. This actually IS something that we need to do ..It brings me no joy whatsoever to advocate this , but some part of me demands that I do so …. I’ll be hated at work … I’ll miss the free flights myself , but there is simply too much at stake not to ignore the positive benefits of doing this for our company .

I’m making this as a business decision , also one of self preservation .I was reading in another thread how some of the folk in BOS are getting their jobs cut in june … I believe by instituting this policy people will willingly quit the job .. I don’t WANT to make people quit , but I would rather have those who aren’t in this for their bread and butter walk out the door than lose people who need this job to support their families .

Perhaps something inside of me snapped the night I saw the price of a barrel of oil go from 127 -133 in a single day .. I dunno … it didn’t help when I picked up an issue of about US and read that our oil costs would increase by something like 1.5 billion this year …

In doing this we will make money or save money by having less weight on the planes …

Too many of you won’t understand why I’m advocating this …. But I’m seeing this as things will be 6 months a year from now , and we must go to close quarters in this fight , we must take down every single cost and raise revenue through what ever means lay at our disposal … Some of you think we will just go through the BK merry go round again , I find it highly unlikely in this new climate we find ourselves … one or two of the major airlines will have to shut their doors for GOOD this time ..also the investment capital is drying up as everyone cuts back on loans and credit …


My most sincere apologies to all of you my fellow co workers .. I’m sorry but my self interest doesn’t stop me from seeing the truth ,we must do this ….


Freedom ….

NO! NO! NO!
and in case you didn't hear it the first few times....NO!

 

[freedom]

I have no intent to screw the people who commute from other states to get to work , those are not the ones I would want to see leave , it’s the ones who have second “real†jobs , who are ONLY here solely for the free flight benefits , and I know that sounds terrible , I don’t WANT those people gone , I’m only saying , if it comes down to choosing , I want to save the people who rely on this job to survive . Commuters should be exempt , I mean this from pilots down to fleet …

Yes your right mike , if this ever occurs It won’t be because of me , I want everyone to know that , I have no ability to tell CHQ what we should or should not do , I’m simply sounding logic ….it’s just this is THE most controversial idea at our company , it’s even taboo to suggest this .


Bob , I feel ya about morale it will drop , will be less productive etc… but I think the monies we would generate from this would be sufficient to cover the drop ..and surpass it …

Sandcastle logic …. Bob , I respect the fact that you care about quality and service , and while I do as well , my main goal is keeping my job alive , if we have to become the Ryanair of the united states , as long as we pay our workers decent , then by all means oh well …
\

Like I said I’m wall street uneducated , I’m going solely off of intuition here .. sorry ..

 

[700UW]

Last time I checked, Parker and Kirby get paid their millions to figure out how to run the company and make a profit, not the rank and file, since they dont listen to the employees who actually do the work.

A novel idea would be to actually charge the passengers the price it costs to fly them and then some to actually generate revenue.

The employees have told this company over and over again the innefficiencies and it falls upon deaf ears.

And face it, cutbacks, layoffs and talks of concessions will be coming, I would bet Hemenway is burning the phone up to his mentor Jerry Glass on how to screw the employees once again, this company only knows how to make money out of the employees wallets.

 

[Iheartflying]

I have no intent to screw the people who commute from other states to get to work , those are not the ones I would want to see leave , it’s the ones who have second “real” jobs , who are ONLY here solely for the free flight benefits , and I know that sounds terrible , I don’t WANT those people gone , I’m only saying , if it comes down to choosing , I want to save the people who rely on this job to survive . Commuters should be exempt , I mean this from pilots down to fleet …

Yes your right mike , if this ever occurs It won’t be because of me , I want everyone to know that , I have no ability to tell CHQ what we should or should not do , I’m simply sounding logic ….it’s just this is THE most controversial idea at our company , it’s even taboo to suggest this .


Bob , I feel ya about morale it will drop , will be less productive etc… but I think the monies we would generate from this would be sufficient to cover the drop ..and surpass it …

Sandcastle logic …. Bob , I respect the fact that you care about quality and service , and while I do as well , my main goal is keeping my job alive , if we have to become the Ryanair of the united states , as long as we pay our workers decent , then by all means oh well …
\

Like I said I’m wall street uneducated , I’m going solely off of intuition here .. sorry ..

I think you should keep your intuition to yourself. It's time the company stop asking the hard working employees for give backs. If they want give backs then ask some of the execs that are making millions. Or how about the execs actually start managing the company? I'm sick and tired of people like you trying to take what little money I make out of my pocket. If it were up to you, you would probably work for free. I'm sorry but the company has already bleed most of the hard working employees dry. They have no tools to work with, no pensions and the list goes on. Please go to corporate first and ask them to donate their salaries first to benefit the well being of the company before you come here with this nonsene. This kinda of douchebaggery just makes me ill.

 

[freedom]

That’s a great idea 700 , but you know how this game works , we charge them more than the other guys they stop flying us … sadly collusion is illegal still …

 

[Harry Callahan]

Freedom:
What 700 said. Get over yourself. You can not take more away from the hard working employees & expect this thing to continue on.

 

[InternationalShannon]

If they would allow us to sell bob meals at the gate using credit or online a head of time, we could provide them with a ticket or something and the fas could pick it up instead of cash for those people who didn't have time to stop for cash. if they bought online, maybe it could be $6 instead reserved up to 24 hours prior and then catering would have a good idea of how many to load. They could print their coupon online or it would show somehow in the pnr?

Just a suggestion, some people just don't have the cash. I think that would be easier than using hand held swipers on board like i've heard they're trying...

 

[gaucho99]

The industry needs to find a way to price their product above their cost. Nothing else is going to work. Why punish the employees because management cannot find a way to be profitable? If charging to non rev was the only way to keep the airline afloat, I'd support it for a season. But there would have to be a payback. For instance, once the economy turned around and the airline was profitable again, each employee could get a refund on all the fees they were charged to non rev during the crisis, or an equivelant amount in stock. Our ticket database would have records of all this. Or, instead of charging a non rev fee, we could take a 5 or 10 percent pay cut but only under the provision that all the lost money would be paid back later with interest.

Another option is to look at ways to earn money outside the transportation of passengers. For example, drop the Sky Mall magazine and create your own magazine and profit from that.

Offer temporary furloughs to employees who are only working for flight benefits and let them keep flying. This will lower our labor cost without laying of anyone who needs the income.

We are in a crisis..but..we only lost 200 million or so in the 1st quarter. That seems like a lot, but if each airfare had only been a few dollars more, we would have made money. So, airfares don't need to go up dramatically, they just need to increase a little.

 

[freedom]

I think you should keep your intuition to yourself. It's time the company stop asking the hard working employees for give backs. If they want give backs then ask some of the execs that are making millions. Or how about the execs actually start managing the company? I'm sick and tired of people like you trying to take what little money I make out of my pocket. If it were up to you, you would probably work for free. I'm sorry but the company has already bleed most of the hard working employees dry. They have no tools to work with, no pensions and the list goes on. Please go to corporate first and ask them to donate their salaries first to benefit the well being of the company before you come here with this nonsene. This kinda of douchebaggery just makes me ill.

Lets get REAL , first of all that money isn’t coming out of your pocket , it’s a choice on your part if you take the money out of your pocket or purse , it’s up to you , your CHOICE … while some of you have taken CUTS and been bent over by the company …. You’d get bent over a heck of a lot more by life if we go down …

The exes ? I don’t speak for them … I’m not going to lose my job waiting to see if they donate their money to this company …

Have you ever heard the saying

“save yourself “

I think that applies here …. You want to fly for free? I want to fill my tank up on 1.00 gas like I used to , times change , that’s life … this recession is only going to get worse , we’ve got to get ourselves together faster than the competition … charging a nominal fee non revs is logical … it’s the right BUSSINESS decision … if you were the CEO , you’d do it for your investors AND for your workers , because you’d be trying to do everything within your power to keep your company going and your workers EMPLOYED … will this idea single handily save our company ? No it will not , but we must take EVERY measure that will …

 

[Black Magic]

I agree with 700UW. Just charge the appropriate fare and people WILL still pay. Flying needs to become a priviliage which it once was instead of a "right" of the consumer. Forget all this cheap nickle and diming crap.