Since we're playing "show and tell" with prospects of life without US Airways, I thought I'd share the view from my place in the pecking order.
Since I don't know where other posters fit in the pecking order, it is hard for me to compare my position to yours. The one exception is USA320Pilot - while I don't personally know him I do know where I sit relative to him.
Suffice it to say that I am significantly more senior. Likewise I am significantly closer to retirement (2 years 9 months, but who's counting). There is no way that I could start over (in or out of aviation) and come anywhere close to making what I will make if this company survives, even with further concessions. I certainly have sufficient reason to proclaim "Whatever it takes for the company's survival. Throw him overboard if it means keeping my job."
At this point there will be some of you that realize I haven't advocated more "giving" on this forum. Some of you may be thinking I'm about to change my tune. Let me assure all of you that I have not nor will not be advocating more comcessions. Why? There are two basic reasons.
First can be called a sense of fair play. Too many people have given up what was asked, only to be furloughed, expressed, threatened with their jobs being outsourced, etc. Some will say that these things are just the way it is in corporate America today. My reply - that the existence of injustice does not justify injustice. After all, such things as assault, rape, and robbery exist but their existence does not make them right.
Second is the realization that further concessions will not save this company. Immediately before and during bankruptcy, we employees gave over $1 billion a year in concessions. The vendors, suppliers, leasors, etc gave about half that, resulting in $1.8 - $1.9 billion a year. What has that achieved - very little. Prior to bankruptcy, our CASM was 12.25 cents. Last quarter it was 11.70 cents. That's a whopping 4.5% reduction. To get to a 9 cent CASM through concessions would require 5 times what has already been given - over $9 billion. Since our total employee costs are only about half that, we cannot get there from here. If every employee worked for free, we would have CASM about 25% higher than WN.
So what is the answer to oun conundrum? From where I sit, the tools for our survival are the same tools that have been in Dave's hands since he set foot on the property.
Take steps to increase revenue. Simplify the fare structure (as counterintuitive as that sounds), sell last minute upgrades to fc if seats are open, fly the airplanes more creating very low cost (how does under 5 cent CASM sound) seats to sell, etc.
Take steps to increase efficiency. Again, fly the airplanes more (either point-to-point or thru hubs), roll (depeak) the hubs to make them more efficient (and allow the airplanes to fly more), use the gates more frequently (by, guess what - flying the airplanes more), etc.
Until these tools (and others) are utilized, we are doomed. Throwing the employee's money and jobs at the problem will affect the timing, but not the outcome. Therefore, if given the chance, I will vote against any additional concessions. The extra months they might provide is not enough to salve my conscience.
Jim
