No More Pretzels

[SS255]

It just amazes me that everything else goes up, price to mail an envelope, food at the grocery store, utilities, GAS, rent, EVERYTHING but airfares cannot for the legacy carriers.

Yes, the airfares CAN be raised.....but no airline wants to be the first one to arrive at this party. I'll bet if one airline actually raised their fares, the other airlines would follow suit. The trouble is that the leisure set is already back-pedalling on their travel expenditures, so ticket sales are already down from last summer. There is no more slack left in the system (price-wise) as far as the leisure travelers go.

Too bad that US driven away their former business travelers.

 

[Itestwell]

Hi all!

Remember me? Well, I gotta say, remember when I said "sit tight", the other legacies will follow USAir's drastic cuts, including pretzels? I defended Tempe's decision to kill the pretzels? (I think I said it about 100 times in as many threads......) Well, now, not only is AA charging more for everything, including the first checked piece of luggage, they are forecasting the layoff of a lot of good, hardworking, employees. Employees who work hard everyday, are paying alot of $$ for food and gas and childcare. They are telling them to "hang tight" for 4-6 weeks while they decide what positions and facilities will be closed and eliminated! If US did this, you would be up in arms!! So, I expect all of you to get over to the AA board and raise holy he!!

Now, carry on about the pretzels. At least there is glassware and sundaes on AA still !

Good luck to every AA employee who has to "standby" for the next 4-6 weeks..... craziness...

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

CO will never face anything similar!

Great wine with fewer employees!

 

[Singleflyer]

While I carry on my one bag, this current change won't effect me at all.

However as a business traveler I would find it a pain in the rear end.

It is now one more item i need a receipt for while traveling and then to my expense voucher to receive re-imbursement.

Not well thought out IMHO.

I guess AA is trying to Pi$$ of the business travelers just like US has done

 

[Itestwell]

I guess AA is trying to Pi$$ of the business travelers just like US has done

Correct. That's why they are announcing potential massive employee layoffs, parking planes, and charging for the FIRST bag, something even rotten old FF hating USAir has not even done. Just to piss off their elites. Nothing to do with $130/ bbl oil.

Employees are losing their jobs, their livelihood, at AA, and probably more airlines, and you are still convinced that they are just trying to make the elites mad.
:blink:

 

[WMUaviation]

Date: Friday, 16 May 2008 19:13 ET
To: USAALLMX.F/A
From:
Subject: Main Cabin Service Change

To All US Airways Flight Attendants:

All of us within the InFlight Services organization are aware of the
importance of providing our customers with the best possible service. In
addition, we appreciate the tremendous effort you put forward day in and day
out to serve our customers and help us earn their repeat business. That is
whyit is difficult to share with you the recent decision to remove the current
complimentary main cabin snack from our aircraft. This change is made after
consideration of several factors and in an effort to help us reduce our
current operating expenses.

Part of our onboard strategy over the past year has been to enhance our
premium products, First Class and Envoy, as well as to develop and implement
an equipment modernization plan for our fleet. To that end, we have:

* Ordered or received over 8,000 light weight carts meal/beverage/trash
* Ordered or received over 75,000 drawers
* New Galley configuration for 757 ETOPS aircraft
* Introduced new First Class menus for our domestic & Caribbean markets
* Launched a new Envoy Business Class product
* Introduced a new transatlantic main cabin service
* Redesigned our buy on board program

We remain committed to these programs and believe our investments in these
areas are the right thing to do for the long term. That said, rising fuel
costs are having a profound impact on our economy as well as our industry. We
are seeing fuel costs rise at alarming rates forcing our competitors to cease
operations, file chapter eleven, ground aircraft and reduce flying. Our
financial strength positions us better than most other carriers to deal with
the economic realities of the current environment. However, we simply cannot
ignore the situation. It is vital that we focus our efforts to reduce our
expenses and increase revenues wherever possible.

Although this is a very difficult decision, we believe it is a necessary one
and hope that you understand why it is necessary and will support it to the
fullest. We are in this challenge together and be assured we are committed to
doing everything possible to ensure the long term success of our company.

FINALLY!! The pretzlel/snack mix makes a horrible mess in the aircraft!! Do you realize how many ground up packs you find all over the floor? How about dumped in the seat back pocket? Or the unopened packs stuffed everywhere in the aircraft. Now if they could just get rid of the buy on board snack boxes. Those make a mess too. I highly doubt a customer will fly another carrier because they didnt get their snack mix. This is an ever changing industry. AA is now going to charge for the 1st checked bag. The changes are just starting. We havent seen anything yet.

 

[Itestwell]

CO will never face anything similar!

Great wine with fewer employees!

Sante!

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Lets not forget all the fine PAX who leave the clean pillows and blankets(first flight of the day)on the floor or for their feet.

The PAX who use them the rest of the day should be happy if they remove these items.

 

[US1YFARE]

CO will never face anything similar!

Don't be jealous. CO and its employees have worked hard to have the strongest balance sheet of the legacies.

 

[SolidCactus]

Im all for charging people for every checked bag. This extra weight has to cost the airlines a fortune, not to mention how much work it makes at check in. Maybe people will learn how to pack less, and realize that they dont need to take their entire closet on vacation with them. Even better yet, they may ship their bags UPS or Fed Ex. I've done this before because it is less of a hassle than carrying them.

In any case, IF US adopts this - policy PLEASE enforce it. One of my biggest gripes about US is that the gate agents don't stop people from carrying on huge suitcases, and these people get these darn bags onto the plane and cant put them anywhere. Try this on Southwest - they will pull you right out of the line and you'll end up boarding last. Can you imagine the price sensitive customer US has tried so hard to cater to if they charged for every bag??? You're going to have everyone and anyone trying to carry on their monster bags...

 

[Itestwell]

Don't be jealous. CO and its employees have worked hard to have the strongest balance sheet of the legacies.

I thought AA had one of the strongest balance sheets? Sundaes? Glassware? I anticipate CO charging for the first checked piece of luggage by.... next week?
h34r:

 

[US1YFARE]

I thought AA had one of the strongest balance sheets? Sundaes? Glassware? I anticipate CO charging for the first checked piece of luggage by.... next week?
h34r:

Nope...read a little. And, even if they do, like AA elites and full fare paying customers will be exempt. US however doesn't recognize the importance of people paying a full Y fare. Try again. Jealousy is very unattractive$

 

[tadjr]

You're going to have everyone and anyone trying to carry on their monster bags...

The airport in TPA now has new sizer boxes at the entrances to all the airsides endorsed by all the managers. Anyone who has a bag too big to fit in the new agreed upon sizer box is supposed to be sent back to the counter by the screener before they even get on the shuttle to the airside. Hopefully they will enforce this. I find it interesting that all the managers agreed to this (its been tried before and had one airline nix it at a different airport) so hopefully since all the managers agreed they wont have a problem. I guess that with most airlines charging for the 2nd bag and the push for OTP, that the managers realize this is one way to help take care of both AND its technically not the airline enforcing it face to face so no complaints to the airline since its Globe/ATS/Whomever got the contract.

 

[Itestwell]

Nope...read a little. And, even if they do, like AA elites and full fare paying customers will be exempt. US however doesn't recognize the importance of people paying a full Y fare. Try again. Jealousy is very unattractive$

Oh, no jealousy here, just somewhat happy that US, in light of $130/bbl oil, was proactive in implementing the cuts earlier, rather than planning on laying off ALOT of employees to offset the costs, as AA has. Oh, and the best part? The AA employees have to wait 4-6 weeks to hear of their impending furloughs while AA sorts through the mess. Nice...

I am not saying that US won't have to park planes and lay off, just saying that I appreciate them looking to other avenues to generate revenue first.

 

[tadjr]

like AA elites and full fare paying customers will be exempt. US however doesn't recognize the importance of people paying a full Y fare.

I'll have to experiment tomorrow, but I had a guy who purchased a ticket May 8th, not preferred, on a refundable S ticket ($273 TPA-MHT) and he checked 2 bags today and I didnt get the collect it popup. Either we arent charging customers on refundable tickets either or the computer was whacked. Skycap even came in with his CC since the guy was willing to pay for the 2nd bag. I'll try checking some more refundable PNRs tomorrow and report back.