'revenue Synergy'

[whlinder]

CCY sure as hell under-estimated how well you guys could use the media.

l4pi, it is very sad and pathetic how US hasn't contacted you. That is embarassing.

 

[Art at ISP]

It's sad and pathetic they haven't contacted ANY of us.

 

[longing4piedmont]

CCY sure as hell under-estimated how well you guys could use the media.

[post="272599"][/post]​

You may be right about that. When CCY made it clear that they no longer wanted to discuss issues that we thought needed to be addressed, I and others made it just as clear to them that future communications would in fact take place in the press. For example, I had no burning desire to start a lipstick campaign, but when it was apparent that management was going to continue ignoring the conditions of the facilities and aircraft, there was no other choice. I’m not going to take credit for the announcements that took place within weeks of the press starting to talk about how dirty the planes were and we then get this new initiative to clean the place up. Coincidence? You decide.

When we hinted at a “clean a plane day†CCY went into action again. I will not share the details here, but let’s just say we got their attention.

If nothing else, Mr Chiames is well aware of who I am. I'm sure he gets tired every other week of hearing from a reporter "l4pi said......."

l4pi, it is very sad and pathetic how US hasn't contacted you. That is embarassing.

[post="272599"][/post]​

Not really. My comment was made with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I did find it humorous and quiet frankly flattering to get the phone calls as a result of the article. The call from the local airport director was actually soliciting advice on how to make the flying experience out of HKY more enjoyable. I’m not sure he appreciated all of my comments about ASA, but I can tell you he promised to get answers on a couple of issues raised during the phone conversation. As he said, you can’t fix what you don’t know is a problem. And BTW, 95 % of the conversation was extremely positive.

I did not expect any communication with US. They have made it abundantly clear they have no desire to hear from me ever again. And that is ok too. I made it clear several months ago that the best they could hope for was that I just went away quietly. That hasn’t happened so far and is not likely to change in the near future. I will speak my mind and if the press happens to pick it up and run with it, so be it. If they don’t, that is ok as well.

Now with that said, I want to state once again, my issues are with the management of this airline. Not the front line employees. You are the best.

 

[whlinder]

So, dare I ask, is FFOCUS dead?

 

[longing4piedmont]

So, dare I ask, is FFOCUS dead?

[post="272623"][/post]​

You know better than that. You can't kill a cockroach.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

We're not even on the respirator. Look for details on RoachFEST '05 - Friends Don't Let Friends Fly Southwest shortly

[post="272670"][/post]​

Ah! So, we can expect a 'Roach Invasion' of the new America West/US Airways! PineyBob, I am going to suggest that the FFocus group contact the AWA marketing people ASAP. Why? I ultimately expect those people to be in charge of the marketing of the new company. Tell them your story, open dialogue with them. These folks are a lot savvier than that doofus Chiames.

 

[bofie]

Doghouse?

What exactly did CCY do to you guys?

 

[jimcfs]

When we hinted at a “clean a plane dayâ€￾ CCY went into action again. I will not share the details here, but let’s just say we got their attention.

[post="272610"][/post]​

Why not mention it? It was simple. One of our members took a bottle of 409 with her on a business trip. The seat she was in had a filthy tray table. So, she took out her 409 and some paper towels and cleaned her area.

It really caught CCY's attention when her exploits were put in the media.

 

[firstamendment]

'Revenue Synergy'
Is Key for US Air
And America West
By SUSAN CAREY
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
May 23, 2005; Page B4

Crucial to the success of the planned merger of US Airways Group Inc. and America West Holdings Corp. is the "revenue synergy" expected to flow from knitting together two largely regional route networks, offering more choices for consumers and being able to compete for new corporate travel contracts.

But the reality will amount to winning back business from road warriors such as Art Pushkin and Greg Johnston, two high-mileage US Airways customers who recently defected to rival airlines.

Regaining their goodwill will depend on service. But potential employee unrest over possible furloughs, a shrinking of the combined airline and the tricky business of integrating union seniority lists might make good service hard to come by. The companies have said they need to lose 5,000 of the combined 42,000 jobs -- through attrition, they hope -- and shrink the fleet by 15%.

Mr. Pushkin, a regional sales manager for a digital printer maker, flies 150,000 miles a year and holds US Airways' most elite frequent-flier status. But lately, the Long Island, N.Y., resident has been traveling on UAL Corp.'s United Airlines. "I get frustrated because [US Airways] does things that don't make sense," Mr. Pushkin said last week, the day the merger was announced. "I don't feel they're paying attention to their high-volume customers."

Mr. Pushkin said he traveled on United last week because he was going to the West Coast, where US Airways, currently in bankruptcy-court reorganization, has closed its airport clubs. The sales manager gives US Airways credit for having "by far the best rank-and-file front-line employees in the industry," but said poor management decisions such as the ones that caused a Christmastime staffing shortage and lost-luggage meltdown are "inexcusable."

Mr. Johnston, a sales manager for a furniture company in Hickory, N.C., who takes 300 flights a year, said he gave up on US Airways three months ago, and has switched to Delta Air Lines. "I defected for a number of reasons," he said. "Filthy planes. Filthy airports. The front-line staff are good, but management gives them nothing to work with."

Both men, members of a consumer advocacy group called Ffocus that is made up of US Airways frequent fliers, said they think the marriage of US Airways, a bigger East Coast carrier, and America West, a smaller, low-cost West Coast airline, could result in a viable carrier with a better route network.

"It's an absolutely wonderful proposition -- with new management," said Mr. Johnston. "I'd very much like to see this thing go through. We've been holding up America West's business strategy to US Air management for three years."

The merged airline, which would be run by Doug Parker, America West's chief executive officer, contemplates $600 million in annual synergies resulting from route restructuring, cost savings and additional revenue. The plan envisions $150 million to $200 million by cutting unprofitable flying, matching aircraft size to route demand and adding flights to Hawaii. It sees a like amount in additional revenue coming from improved connections between the two route networks, flying the planes more hours per day and enhancing its position in secondary markets where neither currently has much presence.

"We should be able to generate higher yields than the two of us do independently by getting a better business mix," Mr. Parker said Friday. "If we can price and schedule the airlines as one, that will bring out these revenue synergies." Once the deal closes this fall, the two, flying under the US Airways banner, will immediately integrate their managements, scheduling, pricing, marketing and frequent-flier plans, which will deliver "99% of the synergies very quickly," he said.

But some analysts were quick to cast doubt on the expected synergies and raise concerns that integrating the two company's unionized workers will be more difficult than the two airlines are saying. "We believe the magnitude of revenue growth will be much smaller than expected," Goldman Sachs airline analyst Glenn Engel said in a research note Friday. And "with the most junior captain at US Airways having a tenure of 19 years, versus the most junior [America West] captain having a tenure of seven years, management will have an uphill battle with pilot unions as AWA pilots could potentially lose seniority."

Write to Susan Carey at [email protected]

[post="272213"][/post]​

 

[Art at ISP]

First,

Were you going to make a comment???

 

[firstamendment]

First,

Were you going to make a comment???

[post="273018"][/post]​

Hey Art,

First, I thank you for sticking with US, but undrstand your defect. I sit here perplexed at the entire MESS we at US are in. I don't want special treatment. Just leave me alone and let me do what I do best!! But NO!!, ther is ALWAYS nand ax to grind. US mangement cares NOTHIBF ABOUT HER EMPLOYEES!!! i AM on your side. I have had it. Doug Parker better have a great solution or he will bring ANOTHER airline down. I am tired and NO LONGER CARE!! Call me bitter, but these "bean counters have done this". I know longer could give a good GD!!