Reality Check Time

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Okay, folks. Time for a reality check. I know it's a tough swallow, but I'm going to point out some cold, hard facts about US Airways:

Your airline is an EMBARRASSMENT

1. The CEO openly admits he intends to unload the airline
2. US Airways is hanging on solely because of O/D traffic at their hubs...and that is fleeting. Customers are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice their dignity to fly direct.. much to the chagrin of the Tempe folks.
3. Customer Service is the poorest I've ever experienced as a customer (Someone please tell me another airline that's worse) and I know plenty of you customers agree with me
4. Why not? If I worked for such an awful employer, I'd be pissed off too and I'd treat a customer like a dog as well.
5. The airline is shrinking, not growing...replacing mainline with RJ's is called SHRINKAGE.
6. Employees are stealing bags and allegedly committing payroll fraud for God's sake.
7. CEO has called your PHL hub (the employees) "an embarrassment"
8. The service to China...US will be long gone by the time that service will even potentially start
9. The hubs in CLT and PHL are irrelevant on a national scale
10. The hubs in PHX and LAS will easily be taken over by Southwest
11. There is not ONE REASON to fly US Airways over another carrier...even when comparing a US direct flight versus a connection on another carrier
12. It's not going to get better.
13. Those Airbuses...aren't ever going to be delivered...
14. The potential "buyer" will be shutting US down...not keeping the dead dog running...it's about capacity reduction, as Doug Parker has said to you guys NUMEROUS times. One of the few things Doug hasn't lied about...break it up and sell the pieces.
15. The Airline constantly tells everyone (employees and customers) that everything above is not true, even though it really is.

Okay, that being said... Why the hell are you working for US Airways and still flying them? You US cheerleaders...you're all being played like a fiddle...so before you bash me and tell me how you're thinking about the company's future by looking on the bright side, etc....remember, you have no future...and mark my words on that. Anyone who stakes their good name on a piss-poor carrier who treats people (customers and employees alike) like this has no regard for their credibility and will have a difficult time getting past this when the carrier finally folds (and it will).

It's not about East versus West...US Airways is ONE AIRLINE....formed from two....joined together at the back facing opposite directions desperately trying to tear each other apart. The management are just trying to buy themselves enough time to unload the carrier (and you guys with it) with all of their cheerleading. They have no intention of growing anything. They have no long-term strategy and no intention of making it work.

If you really cared about US Airways, truly cared, you'd not stand for what the management was trying to do to the workplace that you America West and US Airways people worked at for so many years. You'd be doing everything in your power to put a stop to their ridiculous plans to market the carrier for a buyout. You, east and west together, need to demand better: BETTER COMPUTER SYSTEM, BETTER INFLIGHT PRODUCT, BETTER FRONT LINE EMPLOYEES, ETC. Instead, you're rallying behind these clowns who are ultimately going to lead you all to your demise. It's truly sad how you've all been manipulated. There is no plan coming out of the current management team that is going to lead to anything but implosion. If this isn't abundantly clear by now...I don't know what is. You need to take a stand and do it fast.

The synergies between America West and US Airways could be realized and you could be one great carrier if you had competent management who would be willing to fully exploit them and provide a competitive product, not use them as a way of marketing the carrier to potential buyers.

The point of my post is informative...and to say, be ready, folks. Be ready for the end if you do nothing.

As for me...I'm flying US less and less, but I'm still there when I can be. I just can't count on anything anymore. I do like a lot of you guys on the front-line and I enjoy those friendly faces, even though the seats are falling apart, there's no food in first class...wine in a party cup, etc. I still remember when things were good and I'm praying for a miracle. You guys are beaten down and don't need to hear this from me to know the airline is a disaster.

Ultimately, you guys, THE EMPLOYEES are going to have to put a stop to this before it brings us all down The airline has made it abundantly clear that they do not care what customers think. Customer relations no longer answers the phone. We just file DOT complaints now. From what I read, they care even less about what you guys think....but you are the guys who put the planes in the air. We're held hostage in many cases by the route structure. The customers are your PAYMASTERS folks...WE pay the bills...NOT Doug Parker. And you need to realize that the product you are providing at your management's dictation is not acceptable.

Please, guys, do something.

-Bryan
DM Preferred Gold

Should this not be best addressed to management. People who work here are trying to do the best they can w/ what they have. To lay managements defecincies? at the feet of the employees and to chastize them for wanting to improve things is misguided. Should we go on strike to register our displeasur as some euro companys do? After two BKs the threat of not being around anymore has lost it's punch. I would if I were a costumer vote with my money. That would be the most sure fire way of getting managements attention. To berate and belittle the people who have suffered the most from this company's past and present mistakes is mean spirited and I say again, misguided.

 

[Tiger 1050]

No unfortunately that is incorrect. I get crappy and unreliable service for the high fares that US charges me out of PHL.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha... Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha... :unsure: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha ... :blink:

I got news for you. There is no such thing as a high fare anymore.

 

[US1YFARE]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha... Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha... :unsure: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha ... :blink:

I got news for you. There is no such thing as a high fare anymore.

you obviously know nothing....i'd say that $1300 to MIA from PHL is high. I'd say $900 to BOS from PHL is high. I'd say that $1700 to DFW from PHL is high. so, yup, you know nothing about what you speak.

 

[Tiger 1050]

you obviously know nothing....i'd say that $1300 to MIA from PHL is high. I'd say $900 to BOS from PHL is high. I'd say that $1700 to DFW from PHL is high. so, yup, you know nothing about what you speak.

High is a perspective. High is an opinion. High is relative to the competition. If we are so high then tell me what the other carriers charge. If they are lower then by all means go fly their airline...

 

[mga707]

you obviously know nothing....i'd say that $1300 to MIA from PHL is high. I'd say $900 to BOS from PHL is high. I'd say that $1700 to DFW from PHL is high. so, yup, you know nothing about what you speak.

The above fares ARE high. But obviously not TOO high, or else you would not have paid them. Basic capitalism in action...

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

What do other carriers charge for these pairings under similar circumstances?

 

[FenixFlyer3]

Blah blah blah blah blah.

This post gets a F for originality. If you want answers, use the message board's search feature and search for the terms: crappy service, FFOCUS, PHL, lazy, drunk, sandcastle, f- Tempe.

I guarantee you'll find your points being made over and over. Can we move on yet?

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

I guarantee you'll find your points being made over and over. Can we move on yet?

Any suggestions?

 

[nycbusdriver]

(although the other airlines could pick up some extremely qualified and top notch personnel if you all would move on).

Your supportive comments are much appreciated. You are correct about other airlines getting top-notch employees if USAirways employees decided to move on. The airline industry, though, is an odd bird when it comes to lateral moves to other carriers. Due to the unionized workforce, there is virtually no such thing as moving laterally to another company. When you go, you end up at the bottom of another company's seniority list with commensurate pay and working conditions. There is no tangible (i.e. financial) acknowledgement of your decades of experience. You're just another newbie to the next carrier. That's why most front-line employees at airlines are virtually married to that company for their entire career once they've moved up on the seniority and pay scales.

 

[Phoenix]

You got that right- this is a Frank Lorenzo perfect storm- the big boys will be lining up their limos at the bank of their choice, when they sell off the assets. I don't think the next corporate playbook has a merger plan, that's just my gut feeling. Let's not forget the employees will be blamed for the demise. Excuse my naivete, but I never understood why the employees never attempted to own the airline, especially since the loyalty factor, and the experience level of the emoloyess was high at one time.

Ask the United employees about how useful it was to give up all their pay in order to have enough stock to be the "largest employee owned airline in the world". They had no control over the company and couldn't prevent the BOD from bankrupting and confiscating all the stock.

 

[FenixFlyer3]

Any suggestions?

Any suggestions for what? Fixing the airline? Sure, I'll just wave my magic wand and everything will be ok. All of the complainers on this board, along with the kool-aid drinks will all get a nice bottle of warm milk to go to sleep with.

All I'm saying is we're beating a dead horse with these threads. Chances are until the next FAQ, MEC hotline or AboutUS comes out all we're going to do is rehash the same issues.

Has anything been solved by complaining on this board yet? Just curious.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Has anything been solved by complaining on this board yet? Just curious.

I know how you feel. This seems to be the summer doldrums around here until the next BIG event.
If you can look at it as sort of entertainment you might enjoy it more. Some are just full of bombast and love to read how smart they are ,others-the ones who seem to have more substance- who don't seem to post a lot of one liners and wait for an issue to arrive before posting can be more informative. You'll read the same old stuff but occasionally someone will make a good point. It's like being in a bar with all different kinds talking at the same time, drunks,serious talkers,etc.

 

[FenixFlyer3]

I know how you feel. This seems to be the summer doldrums around here until the next BIG event.
If you can look at it as sort of entertainment you might enjoy it more. Some are just full of bombast and love to read how smart they are ,others-the ones who seem to have more substance- who don't seem to post a lot of one liners and wait for an issue to arrive before posting can be more informative. You'll read the same old stuff but occasionally someone will make a good point. It's like being in a bar with all different kinds talking at the same time, drunks,serious talkers,etc.

You hit the nail on the head. There are a few posts where I've wanted to jump in with a response but realize it's the equivalent of yelling at roadkill.
Keep up the comedy!

 

[sharktooth]

We are doing the best that we can with what we have! We are all humiliated on a daily basis! However, we are working to make a change but it doesn't happen overnight! Our management doens't really have a concept of how to run an airline or even deal with customers. They don't listen to us either!

They will not listen as long as you enable them. Why would they? As long as you continue to "try your best", they will continue to make unkept promises and other cooing sounds to placate you to stay the course.

You can change US. You must work with the other unions to achieve your desired result. Many pilots will cite SWA and AA pilots in an attempt to show how well they do. The missed issue is that AA and SWA work with other unions. AA pilots worked with the FAs, the FAS worked with the pilots. It is easy, but it seems, so hard to implement here.

Were the FAs to have a job action not obviously supported by the rampers, the clout would be understood by Tempe. Anyone can do it. It just takes a little honesty.

 

[Career Reserve]

Okay, folks. Time for a reality check. I know it's a tough swallow, but I'm going to point out some cold, hard facts about US Airways:
[ If you really cared about US Airways, truly cared, you'd not stand for what the management was trying to do to the workplace that you America West and US Airways people worked at for so many years. You'd be doing everything in your power to put a stop to their ridiculous plans to market the carrier for a buyout. It's truly sad how you've all been manipulated. There is no plan coming out of the current management team that is going to lead to anything but implosion. If this isn't abundantly clear by now...I don't know what is. You need to take a stand and do it fast.

Please, guys, do something.

-Bryan
DM Preferred Gold

I appreciate your candor.
What would you suggest if you were leading the troups?