Siegel Resigns

[cavalier]

Where is all this surprise coming from people?

Couldn't have stated it any better!


Take Jerry Glass and all the others on the hatchet team with him and give labor something to hope for other than what they gave us, all the lies, deception and hard line tactics that only pissed everyone off.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

If U guys want the new CEO to run an airline, and continue to run it, it has to make money.

Even with the concessions taken by all the U employees, I still believe that the U has the highest labor seat-mile costs of any US airline. The DAL pilots may be close to the U pilots in seat-mile cost, but if they are that's no consolation as DAL is loosing it.

To survive, the U has 3 options.

1:
If the labor seat-mile cost remains higher than other airlines, the U will have to provide superior services to other airlines to justify the higher ticket prices required to make money.

2:
If the labor seat-mile costs are reduced to the average seat-mile costs in the industry, then the U can make money by providing better customer service, which is possible, but difficult. From what I've read both JetBlue, and SWA, for example, both provide excellent customer service, and their seat-mile costs are lower than the U.

3:
If the labor seat-mile costs are reduced near the bottom of the airline industry, then the U can make money by being a low-fare carrier-undercutting AirTran, Independence Air, SWA, etc. The product doesn't have to be as good as the others if the price is right.

Is option 1 likely to work?

If not, then the U will have to significantly lower the labor seat-mile cost.

It seems like a lot of pilots (and other employees) wanted to get rid of the CEO because he wanted to cut costs. Is there any other choice, if the U is to survive?

I do realize that all the labor groups at the U have taken serious pay concessions up to this point.

I also hope that ya'll can pull it together and survive.

CLiff
DTW

 

[nycbusdriver]

With Dave's resignation, does it really change the end game at all? Does it lessen the need for concessions? Does it increase the employees willingness to conceed? The players have changed (new ALPA reps, new CEO, etc) but the game is still the same.....we are fighting for survival.

Will this change anyones view on concessions?

Short answer: Yes

 

[Dea Certe]

Mark,

You're right. Time is short and US needs some sweeping changes. I figure Siegel's resignation has been in the works for several weeks at least so there's a chance some ground work has been laid.

Fingers crossed!

Dea

 

[wench]

Good Riddance to bad rubbish..

Just PROVED HE WASN"T up to the job!!..

Huzzah!!!!

NEXT?

 

[USFlyer]

Wow! Well, the new guy will need to implement a quick "First 100 Days"-type plan. Luckily, he already knows US fairly well. And, hopefully, everyone will keep an open mind. The next 3-6 months really need to work out for US.

Now, my only fear ... Bronner will want to cut his losses, and the new guy was brought in to replace Dave to ultimately break the carrier up in the short term.

 

[nycbusdriver]

No justification for optimism exists. Reject LOA 91 and you demonstrate a requirement for respect, then things might change.

If the pilots overwhelmingly reject LOA 91 then the new guy will understand that he has to fix the 200+ grievances (some of which have already been arbitrated in favor of the pilots, yet Mgt is still refusing to abide by the binding arbitration.)

If the pilots keep rolling over then they shouldn’t be surprised when they have to keep rolling over.

PHX -

I agree that there's no cause for optimism yet. That's why it's still in the "praying" stage.

AS far as LOA 91 is concerned, in its present form it is still a non-starter for me. A definite NO vote due to the nebulous language.

 

[skyguy]

gee - doesn't this sounds familiar - two years ago we were all heralding Siegel - just to get rid of Wolf and Gangwall -

I've said it many times - any CEO at USAirways could have probably saved the ship, if only they had stayed around long enough - but here is another example of somebody coming in making their mark (florida shuttle, metrojet, int'l first class, etc) then walking away. I've not been here long in the scheme of things - but it's getting harder and harder to get behind somebody.

Plus, this just gives the unions the mentalitly that "we run another one off". My crystal ball sees this scene repeating itself in a couple of years.

 

[USAirBoyA330]

I am doing cart wheels in my living room right now....I think I see balloons and confetti coming from the airport area! This is the best news I have seen yet.....the best 4.5 million we could spend. Welcome Mr. Lakefield 😉

 

[the turtle]

what if Seigel is simply the first rat off the sinking ship?

 

[Phoenix]

Short answer: Yes

The new water boy of the BOD is part of the plan.

If you guys buy one more promise from the new BOD water boy, without waiting to see him perform with the opportunities that he already has in place (that neither Wolf nor Seagull took advantage of) then you are truly gullible and should not be entrusted with the care and safe operation of an airplane.

If you guys don’t have the cajones to require the new water boy to increase aircraft utilization, and fix the 200+ grievances immediately then nothing will change and MDA will effectively replace USAIR. Count on it.

 

[Phantom Fixer]

...I would like to view todays news as a positive for one major reason. Bronner is NOT running around Willy Nilly talking about liquidating the company.

The fact that Siegel is gone..and the above statement rings true for the moment , says a lot...maybe just maybe Bronner see's nothing to gain by cutting his losses and just letting us die?

Maybe just maybe?....Bronner came to terms with the absolute fact that Siegel and crews tatctics with labor weren't going anywhere fast?

I know we have a long tough row to hoe...but getting Siegel and hopefully his armada of hinchmen the hell out of Dodge should at least bring some hope and promise for positive change.

Let's hope that Lakefield has a better read on the pitches...and a much keener eye on the ball. Then it's all about swinging for the fences instead of striking out , bunting or poppng out at every time at bat.

 

[etops1]

you guys are terribly mistaken if you don't think this new guy is not gonna ask for the same things siegel was asking for. any ceo who comes to this airline is goona say the same . "we need to cut costs" why . because we do .. i do hope that he has a better approach than siegel does though.

 

[ojxux]

Dave is going to cash out his chips while they are still worth something. Its probably a bad sign.

 

[Winglet]

D-day was a year ago. It's too little, too late. Siegel's incompetence squandered whatever hope U had.

BTW, what's this new guy's exit package worth?