Rough Landing Ahead?

[Todd B]

Time may be running out, financial analysts and airline experts say, for US Airways to cut costs and come up with a new strategy to help it fight the growing threat from discount carriers.

By STEVE HUETTEL, Times Staff Writer
Published February 9, 2004

See Article

 

[delldude]

US Airways' cost per employee last year was $89,278, down 16 percent from 2002 but still second-highest in the industry
DUH......we get $31,278 in bennies? i don't think so.oh,must be them sick daze...now i see why they want a doctor excuse....
flying planes intrinsically different than flying rental cars
In any case, the airline already had cut 17,000 jobs and didn't want to permanently poison relations with labor.
crude attempt at a comedic career...
Labor relations went from bad to worse after Gangwal and chairman Stephen Wolf engineered a merger deal with United that failed in 2001
luckily we have someone who still has a dream....he's been to the mountain...

Siegel, a former executive at Continental Airlines and Avis Rent-A-Car, took over in 2002.
does this mean we can soon rent 737's and airbuses at discount rates?
Pilots and flight attendants accepted concessionary contracts.
no mention of those dastardly mechanics...hmmm
Labor groups reacted angrily when Siegel began talking last fall about coming back for more cuts, this time through changes in work rules. He blamed intensified low-fare competition: Southwest's move into Philadelphia and plans by JetBlue Airways to buy 100-seat jets for smaller markets
no mention of ineptitude at the helm though.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers, already fighting US Airways in federal court for contracting out heavy maintenance of its Airbus jets, declared, "The concession stand is closed." noteoster is biased in this respect...
The pilots union in December called for firing Siegel and chief financial officer Neal Cohen.
its about time.
The pilots remain angry with out a doubt.me too.
But pilots have recently toned down the rhetoric. Their union last week accepted part of what US Airways is seeking. uh oh comes to mind.....
Relations between US Airways and its flight attendants are "chilly," said Dawn Deeks boy you would never have figured that out here...
"There's a lot of lip service about improving relations, but actions speak louder than words." give the lady a ceegar!!
If the airline loses too much money or its available cash dips below about $1-billion, the agency could declare US Airways in default and demand accelerated repayment of the loan. That could sink the airline.
here we go....wheres mr.peabody when we need him?
Company directors met Wednesday to consider bids for assets including the US Airways Northeast shuttle, one of its regional carriers and gates at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
fat lady warming up as we speak...the end is near.....
US Airways holds some aces in Philadelphia. As the traditional dominant carrier there, US Airways has a legion of loyal frequent flier members and contracts with companies for high-volume, discounted employee travel
about time for another media blitz to scare away customers,eh..dave?
The airline also can showcase features Southwest lacks, such as reserved seats, upgrades to first class and an international route network."If they really believe that (the amenities are enough), it's truly delusional,"
someone...an outsider... finally recognizes the management saavy we've seen for years."It's very, very late in the game," he said. "What's needed is a change in the culture of the company. They're going to do that between now and May? The time to start was 1998, not 2004."
this is the guy you want running the company
Darryl Jenkins, a visiting professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, thinks US Airways will make it because pilots understand their future and the airline's are the same. That they will eventually agree to work rules to make them more productive and let the airline shrink payroll let that read senior pilots
"Ultimately," he said, "US Airways will have fewer pilots flying more and that will save the company." ultimate sacrifice for USA320PILOT ???

 

[U 737 PILOT]

AND STILL NO PLAN !!!!!

 

[bluetoad]

I dont see why people keep saying there is no plan.
There is a plan...
1. Co-opt the unions through fear and deception and legal manuevering
2. Cut mainline wages to at or below traditional commuter wages.
3. Out source as many jobs as possible to affiliate companies
4. Set a new (low) standard for mainline wages/work rules
5. Collect large bonuses for management
6. Retire to the Hamptons
7. Watch their work ripple through the entire industry

They are succeeding. It will not be long before the first 4 steps are complete