Management at US and UA--The Good the Bad and the Ugly

[Bag4Now]

To those of you who don’t know CLTRAT and myself we’re baggage handlers , and we just recently had our election for our new contract ,the vote passed …. On this message board I was outnumbered and slammed day in and day out by folks like CLTRAT here (who didn't want to pass the contract ), and now you have the GAUL to call ME the idiot when YOU lost ? ....

How's the "Let's Charge Non-Revs A Fee To Fly" campaign going? If I remember you were outnumbered and slammed on that one too....

 

[Travelpro72]

Let's not make this personal and keep the thread open. It DOES amaze me how people can view an issue so differently. Astounding. I don't think passengers or potential customers would give a rats behind who was running the company.

 

[freedom]

More like inaccurate and without merit



I don't think the general public is really gonna sit around researching the history of our CEO's. And if they did care, the airline industry these days is considered about as highly as the oil industry. I don't think anyone's gonna get in an uproar about an ex oil executive "tainting" our highly thought of company.

Your right , most Americans aren’t going to research our airline CEO’s history .. But not to fear , they won’t HAVE too … You see those of us here in labor with half a brain will know that we’ll be able to make the connection between the problems that everyday Americans are facing due to the high cost of GAS and our CEO … he will become so unpopular and such a liability it might be possible to force him out of his position ..The general public KNOWS why airlines are rising their rates , OIL OIL OIL …

Face it , NO ONE likes oil executives , even EX oil executives ..


LIABLITY :

disadvantage: something that holds somebody back or causes trouble


somebody who is a burden: somebody who prevents a successful outcome or causes social embarrassment

 

[cltrat]

you won a tainted vote congratulations ,I don't remember your name being mentioned in the saying about idiots do you feel guilty ? and it is gall g-a-l-l gall

 

[freedom]

Here’s an interview with our boy Doug parker ..


http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/ec...o-airlines.html


how to merge two airlines , an interview with doug parker

Here’s a snip of the article

There's been talk about the need for consolidation in the airline industry for years, maybe decades. Has the time finally come?
I think there are three things that make this the time. It probably sounds self-serving, but one is the financial success of the USAirways-America West merger that we did. A lot of people were skeptical of that at the time, but we've shown that putting two airlines together can work. Part 2 was our attempt to acquire Delta out of bankruptcy [in 2006]. What that showed is there's a lot of interest in mergers in the industry. It forced them to say, "We can do better as a stand-alone." Well, now their stand-alone numbers don't look as good as what we offered. When you turn down an offer and tell your owners you can do better on your own, you need to do that. The third thing is oil prices. Our 2008 projections show that oil prices will be 25 percent higher than in 2007. For us, that represents $800 million worth of expenses.

 

[Art at ISP]

Here is a FACT: About 20% of an airline's top flyers contribute more than 44% of the total revenue. Most airlines with GOOD BUSINESS SENSE are marketing to and trying to retain their higher yield business travelers because they fly more often and their AVERAGE fares are higher. FACT. Even the brain trust in the castle doesn't dispute this fact.

So I am at a loss to explain why in town meetings Doug and Scott have spoken out specifically against high yield Chairmans and other Elites (I will post the actual words when I find them).

Sorry Freedom, you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on DP and company. I know many of them, and I like them, but they are way over their heads.

They are a regional airline management trying to run a large international airline with a regional airline mentality. Penny Wise and Pound Foolish. Worst customer service, worst DOT record, and first on time at the expense of connecting and late arriving customers.

You think Doug Parker is a brilliant leader, MOST people disagree. That part is a fact. Whether he is or isn't is objective, but just because he had a couple of profitable quarters (while almost everyone else did too), does not make him a great leader.

Yes you have a job, and I hope you keep it. However to spout off diatribes against fellow employees and customers here like you have been doing does not say much for you or the corporate culture and koolaid you are apparently ingesting.

Oh--and while the industry is changing and oil is affecting everyone, CO and other carriers are still managing to put out a decent product and offer exception customer service without gaining the anymosity of both employees and customers.

Oh--and they use the right version of SHARES--one which IS capable of running an international airline.

The simple fact is that neither Doug Parker OR Glenn Tilton are qualified or capable of running a mega carrier the size and complexity of a new US/UA combination. That is FACT...like it or not.

 

[28L_or_10R?]

Actually I’m pretty impressed with the way he does town hall ….all most town hall’s really are , are just bitching fests where the workers come up to him and go “I’m suffering! Please please give me more money! Why won’t you give me more money!!!†and it doesn’t matter WHICH work group it is , they all cry … lol I know cause I used to sit in on town halls from time to time and cry too ….


I think if parker gave a direct answer , such as I like to , that he’d piss a lot more people off … I think he tries to be diplomatic when answering questions … personally I think it would be more fun to watch him say something like “quit your whining , you want more money ? Well guess what so does everyone else , so sit down and shut up .†lol

He at least makes the EFFORT to reach out to his workers by giving them the opportunity to see him face to face and ask them questions … that’s some damn fine leadership in my book !

Bill Franke, DP's predecessor, used exactly this language to fleet service agents and thus causing fleet to finally organize. It really didn't go over well, at all.

Doug Parker hasn't had a town hall in a long, long time. He obviously doesn't want to talk to the little people, anymore.

Yes, I remember you "crying" to Doug at a town hall. I am sure that you wouldn't have appreciated that sort of reply and neither would anyone else.

 

[freedom]

Eh , I detach emotionally when I write online , there’s nothing I can do about that , it’s some sort of character flaw I have …

I call it like I see it .





Actually I can tell he’s intelligent and a good leader by

1. Experiencing the vast improvements hand over fist here in PHX throughout the years and

2. Listing to him speak… I know , some will say WHOHA there , you can’t judge intelligence by listing to people speak , but I digress , having heard the man’s town halls and quarterly reports I’m certain that he’s got a sound head on his shoulders , and that he’s the right man for the job …

Sorry ART , but I’m in this for our business and our jobs .. You’re an outsider who doesn’t work here and has nothing invested here … your what some would describe as a “fan boy “ … smart corporations don’t let “fan boys†make the relevant decisions .






more about DOUG PAKER , also it's more current ...click here for LINK

 

[Bag4Now]

Sorry ART , but I’m in this for our business and our jobs .. You’re an outsider who doesn’t work here and has nothing invested here … your what some would describe as a “fan boy “ … smart corporations don’t let “fan boys†make the relevant decisions .

Keep up the fight, Tiger

 

[freedom]

it's not meant to be an insult , it's current terminlogy


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanboy

get with the times .

 

[Singleflyer]

Freedom,

If Parker was such a good leader, why weren't the losses less than they were for the first quarter, like under 100 mil. I don't expect the a profit in the first qtr (while it would be nice) but on a % basis is should have been less if he was a great leader, and knew the business inside and out.

Like Art, I will agree to disagree about Parker's long term ability to manage a business to consistant profits.

 

[freedom]

i think single flyer it has something to do with this ... here check it out


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_price_inc...es_of_2004-2006


look at the oil spike between 2007 - 2008 ... wooha!

 

[dexter]

I believe Doug will prevail in this new merger. There is still plenty of money to spare. Economists for our Company have planned this all out and that is what they get the big bucks for.

 

[Art at ISP]

Freedom,

I DID have a vested interest in US until your crack management team drove me away by making bad decisions.

I am no fan boy--never was. I was a concerned customer who was not afraid to get involved and advocate for customers AND employees. I had (and still have to most carriers) enough influence to get face to face meetings with senior management, and the organization that Piney Bob, other loyal customers and I started 6 years ago has been an effective voice for both--and we now number well over 1000 members.

You choose to be blind to the truth--I respect that. Believe whatever you want to make you feel warm and fuzzy. Doug Parker is not the brilliant leader you think him to be, and neither is Scott.

I am not going to prolong this discussion, and continue arguing with you, but I will end this by saying that Doug and company consider the employees and the customers a liability rather than an asset. They can say whatever they want but their actions speak louder than words.

The only way ANY company will succeed today is to prioritize as follows:

EMPLOYEES FIRST -- Make the employees happy and they will go the extra mile-they'll be more productive, reducing costs, and will go out of their way to make the customers happy.

CUSTOMERS SECOND -- Customers pay the bills. When you take care of the FIRST, the SECOND is much easier. Happy customers keep coming back--brings in more revenue, makes the company more profitable...therefore

SHAREHOLDERS THIRD -- When you take care of FIRST and SECOND successfully, THIRD takes care of itself......

Until Doug realizes this there is no way he can succeed long term.

He should learn from REAL leaders like Gordon Bethune, Herb Kelleher and Larry Kellner.

Nuff said.

 

[Bag4Now]

I believe Doug will prevail in this new merger. There is still plenty of money to spare. Economists for our Company have planned this all out and that is what they get the big bucks for.

Fantastic post. Well thought out and well worded. You've added intelligence to this conversation.

Your "friend" should taste foot in his mouth...but won't even realize it.