Reality Check

[JS]

They keep talking about rationalizing the fare structure, yet it has not been done. I am driving to Boston tomorrow because I can't justify the amount of money they want for me to fly. I have spoken directly to senior management on this issue, and they have as much as admitted they can rationalize the fares but they are basically afraid to. They can't think outside the box--yes they will lose the gravy run fares (which more and more of us are refusing to pay by the way), but with RATIONAL fares they will notice as other airlines have, that AVERAGE fares will go up, therefore overall revenue will go up.

Therefore revenue will go up? You skipped over the part where you assume total number of tickets sold remains constant.

Tell me which is greater:

100 tickets times $200 average fare

75 tickets times $250 average fare

 

[usfliboi]

Then perhaps we should give that poster all of the respect deserved based on that behavior. If there was ever a poster who deserves to be completely ignored, uza is it!

My advice to all is to treat uza as a classic troll. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS!!!

Why would you treat anybody like a troll? Do you treat these mech who insight near riots like trolls? No because its there opinion, even though thte namecalling gets old. Just let them vent and move on. At least this person isnt using foul names.

 

[mweiss]

Why would you treat anybody like a troll?

Because this person is carefully responding only to those messages containing strawmen. It's an old tactic, but one that seems to be quite effective on this sort of forum. It does nothing to facilitate an exchange of ideas.

 

[mweiss]

Therefore revenue will go up? You skipped over the part where you assume total number of tickets sold remains constant.

The evidence to date suggests that the hypothesis is correct. Though I'm not sure whether the average price per ticket has risen, the RASM has at least. And that's the number that really matters.

 

[BoeingBoy]

mweiss and js,

I think you're both saying the same thing - just different ways (and I agree).

Fare rationalization works by increasing ticket sales, raising average fares actually paid (as opposed to offered), or both. No matter why, what seems to result is more revenue (either total or per ASM).

Jim

 

[mweiss]

Bob,

Save your breath and ignore uza...that poster is an illusion.

 

[TheLarkAscending]

Bob,

Save your breath and ignore uza...that poster is an illusion.

Not what I hear mweiss,

Rumor has it he lives in a "GLASS" house, nod, wink, smirk

With the emphasis placed on the last three letters 😀 , of course.

 

[mweiss]

In the end, it really doesn't matter who's on the other side of the keyboard if you aren't able to engage in any dialog. Clearly, this person is here with a very particular agenda, and is unwilling to let even the remotest semblance of discussion get in the way of it.

I strongly disagree with many things that USA320Pilot, usfliboi, and PITbull say, but at least they engage in dialogue. uza engages in monologue.

 

[ClueByFour]

I strongly disagree with many things that USA320Pilot, usfliboi, and PITbull say, but at least they engage in dialogue. uza engages in monologue.

Why do you think that webcast tomorrow is one-way, in front of 75 prescreened employees, only taking questions e-mailed beforehand?

It's endemic of this management team.

 

[youngblood]

Uza,

I am not going to bother quoting because everyone on this thread probably knows your posts by heart.

You ask why some of us are still here even though we are prepared or are preparing for life after UAIR. Well, believe it or not I actually like my job and the people I work with on a daily basis. That is first and foremost. On the other hand my job is becoming more and more difficult with the all the media attention and doom and gloom expressed. I deal with the public directly. Some asked me a year ago "What if UAIR goes under?" and I answered with conviction, "We won't."
They ask me the same today and I just don't answer because I don't know. So I weigh my options, look at everything on the table, and decide more just isn't worth it. Let me break it down for you. I make approx. $12 and hour, pay $123 a month for med benefits (it's not even the best plan), state taxes just went up, and my benefit costs will continue to rise. Logically, I am already living at poverty wages. I stuck it out this long because I imagined myself hitting top pay someday.
I will continue to stay until I am forced to leave - be it of my own volition or not. In the meantime, I am storing my nuts and preparing for the future.

You have seen a multitude of viable suggestions spew forth from the employees, yet management seems to look past them. I will add my own.

1. Fix the baggage system. Do what you have to do. Stop jamming so much cargo underneath that bags are left behind and later delivered for fees of $10 to $100 a piece. (I actually saw one marked for $125 delivery because the passenger was four hours away!) This would also eliminate reimbursement costs for those away from home.

2. Restructure the fares especially in those markets where planes fly empty seats. Instead of having a $1200 fare last minute from EWR to CLT, lower the cost so some may actually buy the ticket. How about the $600 RT fare in first from PHL to LAS? We have flights sold out in first for the next two months, yet rates took it out of the market. Why?

3. Restructure fare rules so they are more simple to change. You would save your employees much more time and win back a few customers.

4. Don't overbook flights as much in markets that are historically known to be sold out. For instance anywhere to FLL or the entire state for that matter. Flights are overbooked so much agents are giving away RTFCs and $200 voucher for people to bite.

5. Fix the internet site. You want more people to book online then make it easy. I deal with more "Usairways.com" some days than I do with people actually wanting to purchase a ticket. Quite frankly, it's a waste of my time and the companies.

6. Eliminate your dealings with some third party, online travel agencies. Invest in your own site. Beef up the number of people in reservations. (They're more valuable than you think.) BTW give the senior members an early out option. Then hire from the street.

I can go on and on and on but you know we union people have no good suggestions. So why type my fingers to the nubs?

P.S. I do have one more suggestion. Finish the training necessary to give your employees the option of emailing itineraries rather than mailing them. Another decent idea screwed up by management!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bob Owens]

Uza,

I am not going to bother quoting because everyone on this thread probably knows your posts by heart.

You ask why some of us are still here even though we are prepared or are preparing for life after UAIR. Well, believe it or not I actually like my job and the people I work with on a daily basis. That is first and foremost. On the other hand my job is becoming more and more difficult with the all the media attention and doom and gloom expressed. I deal with the public directly. Some asked me a year ago "What if UAIR goes under?" and I answered with conviction, "We won't."
They ask me the same today and I just don't answer because I don't know. So I weigh my options, look at everything on the table, and decide more just isn't worth it. Let me break it down for you. I make approx. $12 and hour, pay $123 a month for med benefits (it's not even the best plan), state taxes just went up, and my benefit costs will continue to rise. Logically, I am already living at poverty wages. I stuck it out this long because I imagined myself hitting top pay someday.
I will continue to stay until I am forced to leave - be it of my own volition or not. In the meantime, I am storing my nuts and preparing for the future.

You have seen a multitude of viable suggestions spew forth from the employees, yet management seems to look past them. I will add my own.

1. Fix the baggage system. Do what you have to do. Stop jamming so much cargo underneath that bags are left behind and later delivered for fees of $10 to $100 a piece. (I actually saw one marked for $125 delivery because the passenger was four hours away!) This would also eliminate reimbursement costs for those away from home.

2. Restructure the fares especially in those markets where planes fly empty seats. Instead of having a $1200 fare last minute from EWR to CLT, lower the cost so some may actually buy the ticket. How about the $600 RT fare in first from PHL to LAS? We have flights sold out in first for the next two months, yet rates took it out of the market. Why?

3. Restructure fare rules so they are more simple to change. You would save your employees much more time and win back a few customers.

4. Don't overbook flights as much in markets that are historically known to be sold out. For instance anywhere to FLL or the entire state for that matter. Flights are overbooked so much agents are giving away RTFCs and $200 voucher for people to bite.

5. Fix the internet site. You want more people to book online then make it easy. I deal with more "Usairways.com" some days than I do with people actually wanting to purchase a ticket. Quite frankly, it's a waste of my time and the companies.

6. Eliminate your dealings with some third party, online travel agencies. Invest in your own site. Beef up the number of people in reservations. (They're more valuable than you think.) BTW give the senior members an early out option. Then hire from the street.

I can go on and on and on but you know we union people have no good suggestions. So why type my fingers to the nubs?

P.S. I do have one more suggestion. Finish the training necessary to give your employees the option of emailing itineraries rather than mailing them. Another decent idea screwed up by management!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoying your job and doing it well is a good thing.

Offering to help fix things is a good thing.

However giving up wages and benifits in order to make up for bad management is a bad thing.

Do your job, and do it to the best of your ability but dont ever treat it as anything more than a job. You are a hired hand, nothing more. Your real stake in the company is the hours you put in. Your claim is limited.


You have to realize that the fate of the company is not in your hands. Your well being is of no consequence to the people who run the company despite all the "we love you" speaches. Management is only responsible to the stockholders, not to the employees. And the stockholders dont know or care in the least who you are. They could care less about the fate of USAIR, if liquidation would result in more money in their pockets the company is gone, period. No tears, no memories nothing, just a sum on a check.

The company is not a cause, or a religion. It is a business that has one sole purpose, to make the people who own it money. It is not there to provide jobs, or benifits, or a good wage. It is there to make its owners money.

Once you realize these truths then you will also realize that giving concessions is not the way to go. If the company is going under, if the only way that they can make money is by not paying you, then you are better off to let them go under and let someone else in who can pay good wages and make their owners money hire you.

 

[uza]

If the company is going under, if the only way that they can make money is by not paying you, then you are better off to let them go under and let someone else in who can pay good wages and make their owners money hire you.

We are not paying poverty wages, look around and see what poverty really is.

Words from a man who doesn’t work at this company and couldn’t care less and in fact would love to see you gone creating elbow room for the company he works at. He only has his personal agenda and his membership in mind, nothing more.

To all the “Tâ€￾ defenders. Look up to the “Tâ€￾ and fall on your sword while she uses her two degrees to move on and you struggle to survive. Before she came to office what big accomplishments did she perform, professionally or personally that make her anything more than a screaming voice of irrationality? Anyone can yell and scream and throw fits of rage, true leadership doesn’t include these traits.

Good luck to all you hardliners wanting to save everything but yourselves. People like Bob here who doesn’t even work at U cannot wait till you lose you job and make room for his concerns.

 

[Bob Owens]

Words from a man who doesn’t work at this company and couldn’t care less and in fact would love to see you gone creating elbow room for the company he works at. He only has his personal agenda and his membership in mind, nothing more.

To all the “Tâ€￾ defenders. Look up to the “Tâ€￾ and fall on your sword while she uses her two degrees to move on and you struggle to survive. Before she came to office what big accomplishments did she perform, professionally or personally that make her anything more than a screaming voice of irrationality? Anyone can yell and scream and throw fits of rage, true leadership doesn’t include these traits.

Good luck to all you hardliners wanting to save everything but yourselves. People like Bob here who doesn’t even work at U cannot wait till you lose you job and make room for his concerns.

How would you know what I feel and what I want? You have some nerve saying that I wish for USAIR to go under. I dont wish for any such thing, however I do not wish for this sickening spiral that airline employees have been thrown into to continue.

I was removed from office by our International because the the actions I participated in trying to get our members to reject concessions and my criticism of the International afterwards.

Its not as if I'm over here saying one thing and saying something else to the people I work with. I say the same thing everywhere and thats "No concessions". I realize that we are all connected whether we like it or not. Do you see the oil companies lowering the price of fuel to prop up the airlines or did our paycuts give them the political opportunity to sqeeze a little more? What happens at USAIR will affect AA and vise versa. Thats why I'm here.

The fact is that I've never hid anything, including my motives while you on the other hand choose to make your accusations from behind a pseudonym.

 

[usfliboi]

In the end, it really doesn't matter who's on the other side of the keyboard if you aren't able to engage in any dialog. Clearly, this person is here with a very particular agenda, and is unwilling to let even the remotest semblance of discussion get in the way of it.

I strongly disagree with many things that USA320Pilot, usfliboi, and PITbull say, but at least they engage in dialogue. uza engages in monologue.

Well thank you I think 🙂

 

[usfliboi]

Uza Im following you in a couple of points, however if you are truly management, your message is being lost here by the lack of people skills. The same problem pitbull has !!!! Her message gets really loast in her bitterness, and yours bleeds thru. Calm down , and just state the facts without getting all rialed.