PHX F/A & Pilot Crew News Sessions: August 11, 2011

[john john]

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[Move2CLT]

Wish I was still 21.

Why's that?

 

[SparrowHawk]

Yep, the professional victims back east will not be happy with anyone, its not their culture, neither is making a profit.

US Airways was extremely profitable for many many years, Very few in recent memory however.

I agree that altering the culture is critical. I don't think Doug is up to it. Doug Parker is a very very fine finance guy. One of the best in aviation IMO. However as a Leader I think he leaves a lot to be desired.

Gordon Bethune is the classic example of how strong leadership can transform a company. Doug doesn't have those skills and if you look around not to many do. Bethune had a "money guy" that lurked in the background who was great. IMO that's a role that Doug could excel at.

As a speaker he's never going to remind anyone of George S. Patton and because of that he doesn't have the ability to inspire.

If I was out of the blue appointed CEO of US Airways the first thing I'd do is beg Parker to be my CFO. Second thing I'd do is walk down the hall and immediately boot Scott Kirby and replace him with Andrew Nocella. Isom would stay put.

 

[Move2CLT]

Wall Street doesn't like ops guys running an airline. Wall Street likes money guys running the show. Your thinking is dated. Times have changed.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

US Airways was extremely profitable for many many years, Very few in recent memory however.

I agree that altering the culture is critical. I don't think Doug is up to it. Doug Parker is a very very fine finance guy. One of the best in aviation IMO. However as a Leader I think he leaves a lot to be desired.

Gordon Bethune is the classic example of how strong leadership can transform a company. Doug doesn't have those skills and if you look around not to many do. Bethune had a "money guy" that lurked in the background who was great. IMO that's a role that Doug could excel at.

As a speaker he's never going to remind anyone of George S. Patton and because of that he doesn't have the ability to inspire.

If I was out of the blue appointed CEO of US Airways the first thing I'd do is beg Parker to be my CFO. Second thing I'd do is walk down the hall and immediately boot Scott Kirby and replace him with Andrew Nocella. Isom would stay put.

Yeah, until Southwest came and kicked their asses out of BWI and PIT fell apart. US couldn't figure out how to compete, they were the big, fat, slow moving slug, staying alive in slot restricted airports. But, some genius came up with MetroJet! Get over the fact that Gordon isn't in the biz. Doug is, and he is doing a good job keeping this airline that all the easties predicted would be dead years ago. America West was a survivor airline, every time we were counted out, we came back, too bad we got saddled with the rotting slug.

And, your deep seated hatred of Kirby is creepy, because of it he owns you, you just don't see it.

BTW, many an airline had slick, good speakers, but they were disasters. Doug is a numbers guy, and its all about numbers. Its not about big seats free drinks, travel bags, decks of cards, free food, and all that. Those days are over. People whine about service, but if a flight is $3 less online, they choose it.

 

[cynic]

I agree that altering the culture is critical. I don't think Doug is up to it. Doug Parker is a very very fine finance guy. One of the best in aviation IMO. However as a Leader I think he leaves a lot to be desired.

If the age 65 rule had not been changed, the company would be well on its way to a major culture change. A lot of problems would have gone away with significant upward movement.

 

[Iclubbabyseals]

Doug is, and he is doing a good job keeping this airline that all the easties predicted would be dead years ago. America West was a survivor airline, every time we were counted out, we came back, too bad we got saddled with the rotting slug.

I don't recall anyone from the east ever saying that A&W would be dead. Did I say, ever? Some of us said that A&W was a blessing, always providing a "bottom line" for carriers to work for.

This time the east got saddled with the rotting slug. Pawning off un-airworthy aircraft on their employees as well as the traveling public is hardly the work of an efficient carrier. They only way "they" have gotten away with it is because of the tremendous amounts of money they make (despite losing "reports). The only "work" corporate has to do is the hide the money from the employees, something they were successful at until the east called bs.

And, your deep seated hatred of Kirby is creepy, because of it he owns you, you just don't see it.

Some hate others and are owned by those they hate. Others, us, don't hate Kirby. We just see him as part of the disgusting, drunken filth in tempe.

BTW, many an airline had slick, good speakers, but they were disasters. Doug is a numbers guy, and its all about numbers. Its not about big seats free drinks, travel bags, decks of cards, free food, and all that. Those days are over. People whine about service, but if a flight is $3 less online, they choose it.

Wrong. Mr. Parker, to you, I hear, is really good at shuffling his shoes, looking down at his feet and shucking off responsibility for his screw ups (What ever happened to that half billion in cash he gambled away? - Sweeping the loss under the carpet, one quarter at a time). Heck, he has had a lot of practice trying to talk cops out of DUIs. I guess your "wall street" is a lot more gullible than a regular cop. So, what is this about being a "great speaker"?

Management whining about perceived price inelasticity is a negotiating tactic and nothing more. Marketing influence seems to have a lot more to do with positive load factors. We all know how prices fluctuate. The fact that you over-simplify a corporate talking point shows either you do not spend a lot of time in corporate or you are just being disingenuous.

 

[Hope777]

Yeah, until Southwest came and kicked their asses out of BWI and PIT fell apart. US couldn't figure out how to compete, they were the big, fat, slow moving slug, staying alive in slot restricted airports. But, some genius came up with MetroJet! Get over the fact that Gordon isn't in the biz. Doug is, and he is doing a good job keeping this airline that all the easties predicted would be dead years ago. America West was a survivor airline, every time we were counted out, we came back, too bad we got saddled with the rotting slug.

And, your deep seated hatred of Kirby is creepy, because of it he owns you, you just don't see it.

BTW, many an airline had slick, good speakers, but they were disasters. Doug is a numbers guy, and its all about numbers. Its not about big seats free drinks, travel bags, decks of cards, free food, and all that. Those days are over. People whine about service, but if a flight is $3 less online, they choose it.

Exactly the point. If Gordon wasnt kicked out to the street by good old uncle Ed, things at USAirways may have been much different. Remember Piedmont had a god foothold in EWR and it was Gordon that once he was out, built EWR what it is today for CO. He was the one that brokered the deal between CO and US for the Eastern Assets in LGA having US go away in EWR. With Gordon at the Helm, who knows if Southwest would have been able to complete with the newly merged PSA and where that would have left America West in the early 90's. BUT this is all the past, we NEED to get our Crap together or we are all going to be with the like of EASTERN, PAN AM giving Doug what he claims the industry needs, Market Consolidation.