In regards to new service, I believe we will see increased Caribbean frequency, new long-haul service from Boston to the West Coast, if the company can obtain service from Washington National and LaGuardia (requires government approval) to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and other long haul transcon flights.
Potential new markets are: Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Reno, Portland, Panama City (Panama), San Salvador, and Caracas.
In regards to the formal reorganization, I believe most informed people recognize the company that emerged from bankruptcy bought US Airways more time to restructure, but time is beginning to run out. The inability of the network carriers to provide meaningful revenue improvements and the dramatic LCC growth has changed the game. The LCC’s will run this industry for the next several decades and they are on US Airways’ doorstep. It costs the LCC’s one-third less to operate their system as compared to what it costs our company. This is an unignorable fact and one that some of our employees have chosen to ignore. Unless we embrace change the simple fact is the LCC's will put US Airways and the other network carriers who do not adapt out of business in fairly short order.
Therefore, instead of us sitting here with hatred, I believe we should evaluate the rumored plan due out next month and then in order to stay in business, look for mutually acceptable ways for management and the unions to collectively make this company profitable. Not only does common sense dictate this, so do the covenants of the ATSB loan guarantee.
In my opinion, when would now be a good time for management and the employees to work together to put this company into a secure position where it can compete with the successful carriers in our market place? Moreover, when would now be a good time to do this instead of later when our backs are once again up against the wall?
Finally, there would be an extremely important intangible benefit to finally having a competitive cost structure that would eliminate a lot of employee stress. What would that be worth?
Regards,
Chip