No More Pretzels

[YVINTERN]

You're not an SA4 til the computer says you are, and if you're flying around SA ANYTHING you're still NON REV and therefore have no right trashing MY airline. Not yours.

If trash talking makes you feel like part of the family, I suggest you find a backup airline before your bridges are burnt.

I'm not trashing YOUR airline...it's not even YOUR airline it's OURS. I don't trash talk I state the facts, this went out in a CBS and company wide too Shannon. I'm not making this up.

I've already accepted the facts that we need to cut costs...I personally hope the pillows and blankets go next domestically. Maybe we should even charge employees to nonrevenue like Delta does for their own employees...Who knows? We're all screwed...customers...employees...even the shareholders.

 

[LGA777]

I think US is guilty of "half-stepping"...the 75's with winglets may be "economical" to run the shorter NA routes, but how's the pax "experience"?...if we are running a 75 against everyone's 76,330,777, or 74-400...we are losing the game on the INT'L front.

We actually run less 75's across the pond than those two little airlines, CO and DL. I believe we run a similar amount than NW, and a few more than AA. So we are actually right in line with the domestic competition. And BA's new open skies division starts 757 next month in that little market, I think it's Paris to New York.

LGA777

 

[InternationalShannon]

I'm not trashing YOUR airline...it's not even YOUR airline it's OURS. I don't trash talk I state the facts, this went out in a CBS and company wide too Shannon. I'm not making this up.

My blood sweat and tears have gone into this airline for a long time, how long have you been working here? Oh, okay then. honestly..all you want to do is call people idiots all the time, well then fine, but don't get off a free flight and then call the airline ba$tards. It's just not cool, and i'm not the only one that thinks this .

 

[SolidCactus]

I honestly do not care whether I receive a free bag of mini pretzels or one tiny Biscoff. However, are they going to replace the free snack with one customers can purchase on short-haul flights? I do not mind having the option to buy a snack.

What concerns me more is that cutting free coach snacks is not going to solve the greater issues that this company is facing. The product is transportation and the fares should be more reflective of the current economic times.

Amen on both counts. I dont mind paying $3 for a can of pringles, nor do I mind paying $3 for a coke when I'm thirsty. My main concern is not about the cost of the pretzels, it is about just what Beth says - the cutting of snacks is not going to solve the issues that US is facing. It is like they have embraced a flawed model, and refuse to see that this model will never work. If they were charging the flying public MORE than what it costs them to do these routes, then they would make a profit.

WN is expensive by comparison to US where I fly. I am a last minute flyer. I decide to go the day before, or the day I want to fly. I ALWAYS check WN and there is NEVER a seat if you wait this long. I can always get on US. While I appreciate this, this shows me that they have too much capacity. WN will be making a profit when oil is $200 a barrel because they know how to manage capacity and they price their product accordingly.

 

[YVINTERN]

My blood sweat and tears have gone into this airline for a long time, how long have you been working here? Oh, okay then. honestly..all you want to do is call people idiots all the time, well then fine, but don't get off a free flight and then call the airline ba$tards. It's just not cool, and i'm not the only one that thinks this .

You know what...I'm not going to argue back. I know all the sacrifices people have had to make over the decades with Mohawk, Allegheny, Piedmont, USAir, US Airways(Rakesh/Wolf Days), America West too, and now US Airways Inc. To say that I don't know the pain and suffering one attains working in this industry is ignorant. I'm not here to give my credentials and yes Shannon...I haven't worked at US Airways Inc.

I don't call people idiots all the time nor bash anyone on here specifically...no...I'm just expressing my free opinion and if you can't respect that...I can respect your opinions/feelings toward my ideology here on USAV it's just a message board sure but I do mean what I say when the team tempe isn't addressing the real problem with revenue by putting in under priced fares...instead of raising fares they cut/slash amenities then in the long run those will be gone and the fares will increase without no doubt it becomes a lose/lose to the customers and employees in the long run.

Oh and those flights aren't really free if I'm paying $65-$300 for each trip. I understand and I won't be calling the airline ba$tards anymore it's not even cool and I know you're not the only one who feels this way...others have an more eloquent approach and they do it so diplomatically instead of attacking my ideology on this board. Night Shannon

 

[elixir]

We actually run less 75's across the pond than those two little airlines, CO and DL. I believe we run a similar amount than NW, and a few more than AA. So we are actually right in line with the domestic competition. And BA's new open skies division starts 757 next month in that little market, I think it's Paris to New York.

LGA777

Well, good. I know we run the 5's alot...I just don't know what the competition runs against us...if we're close...so be it.

This is not a 75 bash...I only hope to fly it before they or I go out...

I just hope we'te fighting "fire with fire" here...

 

[elixir]

Amen on both counts. I dont mind paying $3 for a can of pringles, nor do I mind paying $3 for a coke when I'm thirsty. My main concern is not about the cost of the pretzels, it is about just what Beth says - the cutting of snacks is not going to solve the issues that US is facing. It is like they have embraced a flawed model, and refuse to see that this model will never work. If they were charging the flying public MORE than what it costs them to do these routes, then they would make a profit.

WN is expensive by comparison to US where I fly. I am a last minute flyer. I decide to go the day before, or the day I want to fly. I ALWAYS check WN and there is NEVER a seat if you wait this long. I can always get on US. While I appreciate this, this shows me that they have too much capacity. WN will be making a profit when oil is $200 a barrel because they know how to manage capacity and they price their product accordingly.

Hey cactus...

Quick story to tell...

while I was FUR from USAirways (East) I got a J4J job with RJET based in IND.

I live in PHX.

Twice during training, I went home to PHX to take care of some business over the weekend...

On Sunday, US flights oversold by 30...

I call SWA...a ticket on SWA ONE WAY PHX/IND....$379...

yep...$379...I had to do it twice over a 30 day period.

They are not the cheapest...at all.

But the product is reliable, predictable...and if you can stand a chicken landing in your lap every 30 minutes..it's a good experience.

In the end...you're right...open seats mean improper planning or marketing...

( I'm glad for them though...I'm a commuter)

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

In the end...you're right...open seats mean improper planning or marketing...

( I'm glad for them though...I'm a commuter

So who did you commute on? Did SWA have seats?

 

[elixir]

they sure did...for $ 379 each way.....( chicken in lap....free...)

In order to get a true load from SWA on the phone...I had to buy a revenue ticket....

at the counter, when there were some seats open....I had to travel on my $$$ ticket....it came down to that.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

So you paid $379 as a commuter?

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

they sure did...for $ 379 each way.....( chicken in lap....free...)

In order to get a true load from SWA on the phone...I had to buy a revenue ticket....

at the counter, when there were some seats open....I had to travel on my $$$ ticket....it came down to that.

I'm sorry to hear this but it sounds that you have mismanaged this in some way.

 

[hp_fa]

I honestly do not care whether I receive a free bag of mini pretzels or one tiny Biscoff. However, are they going to replace the free snack with one customers can purchase on short-haul flights? I do not mind having the option to buy a snack.

What concerns me more is that cutting free coach snacks is not going to solve the greater issues that this company is facing. The product is transportation and the fares should be more reflective of the current economic times.

Hi Beth.

The purchased snacks, when compared to the bags of pretzels, will take up much more valuable galley and storage space if they are really trying to make sure there is enough for everyone who wants to buy a snack.

Wait for when they start selling non-alcholoic beverages for a real problem to develop, mostly because of the TSA restriction on carrying beverages through security. So you will have your choice of stuff you can buy past security at their inflated prices, or on the airplane at their inflated prices. And expect the drinks to be a large profit center also. If little old me can buy Pepsi products for about $0.28 a can in a 24 pack, think how much that same can of soda will cost the airline and then their likely charge of $1.00 per can since coin change will be a pain in the rear.

However, think of the unfortunate FA's who will have to account for the sodas and/or the money after every flight. I'm sure that will be a good time.

 

[ALCARLOS]

However, think of the unfortunate FA's who will have to account for the sodas and/or the money after every flight.

Perhaps put the FA's on commission, like they do with the credit cards.

 

[Travelpro72]

Well I think it's only a matter of time before the sale of beverages comes to pass. Again I don't see the difference of paying for it on a train but not a plane. This should really boost sales for the stores in the airport. Hey couldn't the airlines branch out and create a say "Usairways store" to catch sales in the terminal? Hey if it causes problems with folks bringing stuff through TSA security it's on them. Like I said before, I have adapted to a paycheck of about $12,000.00 less a year so passengers will get use to paying for exactly what they want. Others WILL follow with nickel and diming....they already are to a degree.

 

[hp_fa]

Hey couldn't the airlines branch out and create a say "Usairways store" to catch sales in the terminal?

Probably not, at least for a considerable amount of time.

There was a period of time when AWA experimented with snack sacks for free to folks. The idea was, at least in part, to keep the FA workload down and let the passengers grab a snack as they boarded the plane. If I recall properly there were issues that arose from vendors at the airport who claimed that their leases provided that they were the sole source of certain types of food in the terminals for a given area (as in a specific concourse or portion of a concourse). AWA got past this at the time by only dispensing the snack sacks in the jetway, which was their exclusive space.

I have already hinted at where this argument is going, vendors with leases that grant them exclusivity of a product type. The airline could likely wait for the leases to come up and then bid themselves, but that would take a lot of time because the leases would need to come up for renewal and the various municipalities and/or airport authorities would need to go through their bid process, etc. Frankly I don't see this happening ever. There is too much money involved and a good likelihood that the public would reject the idea and leave an even worse PR tastewith the airline for having done this.