Siegel''s CNBC Interview-6/9

[PITbull]

I too, watched the segment on CNBC.

I was disturbed and saddened by Siegel's comments on where we are today and what the future holds.....more uncertainty.

JetBlue CEO appeared very confident with where his airline is going. Every response back to Maria was prefaced with "we pay our employees well, incentivise the employees, and we are very efficient. We are a single fleet airline with fairly new planes, and for our customers, we provide a nice experience." He expressed that they have TV on the planes etc...he was parading his airline with pride. Stated that they are growing, 80% more than last year.

Damn, JetBlue is increasing capacity and U is decreasing, yet Siegel states there is too much capacity and we are down 30%.He expressed that Pittsburgh Hub has a problem making money. How could it be that Pittsburgh was very profitable for U at one time, but Dave comes here and now its problematic? I remember his statments last year to the MEC when he said that in his personal opinion, CLT was a base on "steroids". Now, he wants it to be the "Mecca". Ok Cybil, whatever.

With regard to Chip Munn's statment with crossing over jobs....f/as clean planes. Everyone should know that. Its contractual. We have 34 cities that we are responsible for, and we do it for free, cause we're not on the "clock". We DO NOT CLEAN OVERNIGHTING PLANES. It would be highly irregular after a 14 hour duty day.

The problem the way I see it is this management does not know how to increase revenue in this environment. Hell, they went into BK, got free from unwanted, unsecured debt, operating costs carved out to the tune of $2 billion (per Siegel) ATSB etc.. just what mrplanes wrote in another thread. U has everything in place to make it work, but yet our CEO puts out the sentiment that the future holds for us, "uncertainty".

I was saddened by his comments. It is ironic that our CEO makes comments comparing us to Northwest, United, Delta in his responses to Maria, and ignores the fact that he is sharing the segment with our "true" comparison, JetBlue.

Hey Dave, look out your window....we're not big, anymore.

 

[PITbull]

With regared to JetBlue CEO salary, he makes $200,000 yearly and had a $150,000 bonus for 2002.

Wonder if JetBlue sits with 33 Vice Presidents? Wonder what the ratio of VPs are to employees in JetBlue and then U? Does anyone know how many employees JetBlue has? U has approx little over 27,000 now.

 

[wings396]

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On 6/10/2003 8:55:24 AM A&P Tech wrote:

I know several mechanics who jumped ship to accept positions with JetBlue. All are very impressed with their management style, they are treated with respect and their salary is equal to and in some cases a bit more than they made at U. They enjoy the fact that at Blue they are treated more like an asset than a liability. Their CEO is focused on running and expanding the company and not threatining liquidation every time something does not go his way.

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This is the difference between them and US. This company lost sight of the happy employee = productive employee way of thinking long ago. Take 20+ year dedicated workers, and cram $13 an hour Express rates down their throats, but be glad you still have a job theory. And then still expect 100% out of them afterwards....good luck on that fellas. Do you think that JB will Mainline Express 1/2 their workforce with their new 100 seat A/C? Neeleman is much smarter than that. What is making his Airline prosper, is eating ours alive do to a lack of it. They will be what we once were, and we will fly an interstate RJ shuttle within Pa...

 

[LavMan]

Chip, we only have utility at eight stations on first, second and third shift the remaining 10 stations have utility on third shift only, we fly into 89 mainline stations, do the math, plus we are the lowest paid classification of any organized group at US.

You want to save money? Go ask the company how they saved money by laying off over 261 utility workers and then pay fleet service workers on overtime to clean airplanes at the stations where US eliminated utility? (Fleet Service workers make two dollars an hour more then utility).

 

[ITRADE]

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On 6/10/2003 11:48:02 AM PITbull wrote:

With regared to JetBlue CEO salary, he makes $200,000 yearly and had a $150,000 bonus for 2002.

Wonder if JetBlue sits with 33 Vice Presidents? Wonder what the ratio of VPs are to employees in JetBlue and then U? Does anyone know how many employees JetBlue has? U has approx little over 27,000 now.

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While I won''t get into the symantics of your 33 VP claim (US has less than 30 - fewer than airlines like Continental), the number of VPs will also be affected by issues such as: alliances, subsidiaries, and routes served. Basically every major carrier has a VP of Express or VP of commuter affiliates; basically every major has a VP for international; basically every major has a VP for alliances if its involved in 1W or * or SkyTeam.

 

[PITbull]

Wings,

I think you made "the statment" that reflects exactly what this mangement is ALL ABOUT:

"U treats their employees as if they are liabilities, and the JetBlues, and Southwests treats their employees as ASSETS. That is why in no matter what economic environment there is, their airlines will profit.

Competitive or not, you've got to respect them.

 

[A319FA]

Sorry about getting off the topic, but wanted to answer Pitbull question about JetBlue.

At the end of 2002 we employed 3,359 full-time and 652 part-time Crewmembers. On a full-time equivalent basis, our Crewmembers groups were broken down as follows:

• 509 pilots,
  788 flight attendants,
  1,262 Customer service and ramp operations personnel,
  155 technicians, whom other airlines refer to as mechanics,
  577 reservation agents, and
  532 management and other personnel.
  
  At JetBlue, we operate under the belief that great People drive solid operating Performance which yields continued Prosperity. Our People are the foundation on which our success is built.
  
  Across the board, that type of service at an airline doesn't just come from hiring good people. It's called leadership by example and it starts at the top with the President and CEO.
  
  There is no labor/management dichotomy here because at JetBlue each of us recognizes that we are all on the same team with the same values and goals.

 

[FrugalFlyer]

So which crewmembers dispense the blue kool-aid?

 

[ITRADE]

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On 6/10/2003 1:16:53 PM PITbull wrote:

ITRADE,

I am sorry, but the VPs here are 33. Would you like me to post their names and positions? I have them all ready as I keep track of those things. I make it my business, in light of our decreasing "rank and file" with more workload and less staffing.

I don't particularly like posting folks name and titles on boards, but I will do it if your request it.


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Please feel free. Its public information. Its on their website actually.

Actually, let me take care of it for you:


Officers of US Airways, Inc.

[url="http://www.usair.com/about/corporate/profile/organization/index.htm"]http://www.usair.com/about/corporate/profi...ation/index.htm[/URL]


Subtracting Siegel - since he's not a VP, you have 29. The roles of Lanier, Cohen, Beier, and McDougle at the group level are repetitive and are one.

 

[PITbull]

ITRADE,

I am sorry, but the VPs here are 33. Would you like me to post their names and positions? I have them all ready as I keep track of those things. I make it my business, in light of our decreasing "rank and file" with more workload and less staffing.

I don't particularly like posting folks name and titles on boards, but I will do it at your request.

Again, that is 33 VPs as in Thirty-three...as in T-H-I-R-T-Y T-H-R-E-E.

FYI: JetBlue: 2 Vice Presidents
9 Directors

 

[ITRADE]

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On 6/10/2003 2:36:35 PM PITbull wrote:

ITRADE,

Hey guy, thanks. What happened to Greg Taylor, hired April 8 2002, VP of planning and VP of USAirways Express Division and brought in by Siegel?



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You tell me. You''re the one who "keep{s} track of those things." You''re the one who purportedly, "make{s} it my business." If you don''t know, perhaps you should consider a different business.

 

[PITbull]

ITRADE,

Hey guy, thanks. What happened to Greg Taylor, hired April 8 2002, VP of planning and VP of USAirways Express Division and brought in by Siegel? Does Mid Atlantic Count for something, as well? Are they not part of USAirways, Group Inc?

Are you in the "know"?

 

[wench]

AH the media would love this..wouldn''t they?

Talk about top heavy.

Clean the slate and have the top consolidate THEIR AREA''s.

The employees do it-so can they!

 

[tadjr]

I counted 29, BUT, can someone explain why the following have different people? No wonder no ones knows what the plan is.

Executive VP, Finance and CFO
VP, Financial Planning & Analysis
VP, Finance and Treasurer
VP, Controller

Senior VP, Employee Relations
VP, Employee Relations
VP, Labor Relations

Senior VP, Marketing and Planning
VP, Planning and Scheduling
VP, Marketing and Revenue Management
VP, Sales

Senior VP, Maintenance
VP, Line Maintenance
VP, Aircraft Maintenance

VP, Operations
VP, Customer Service Centers
VP, Customer Service

I realize some of the above VPs might have a different function than their particular title illustrates, but can you honestly tell me that NONE of the positions above cant be consolidated and done away with?

 

[ITRADE]

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On 6/10/2003 2:41:43 PM tadjr wrote:

I counted 29, BUT, can someone explain why the following have different people? No wonder no ones knows what the plan is.

Executive VP, Finance and CFO
VP, Financial Planning & Analysis
VP, Finance and Treasurer
VP, Controller

Senior VP, Employee Relations
VP, Employee Relations
VP, Labor Relations

Senior VP, Marketing and Planning
VP, Planning and Scheduling
VP, Marketing and Revenue Management
VP, Sales

Senior VP, Maintenance
VP, Line Maintenance
VP, Aircraft Maintenance

VP, Operations
VP, Customer Service Centers
VP, Customer Service

I realize some of the above VPs might have a different function than their particular title illustrates, but can you honestly tell me that NONE of the positions above cant be consolidated and done away with?

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I could see the following positions condensed:

Senior VP, Employee Relations
VP, Employee Relations
VP, Labor Relations

That being said, given all the labor wrangling, doesn''t surprise me that it takes an exec position to deal strictly with union issues.


Senior VP, Maintenance
VP, Line Maintenance
VP, Aircraft Maintenance

VP, Operations
VP, Customer Service Centers
VP, Customer Service