There is nothing new here, but...

[Art at ISP]

Callaway,

You help prove my point. Doug is a finance guy. Nothing more. He should be CFO, not CEO. Everything in this company is done on the cheap...and winds up costing MORE in the end. And as 700 points out, he didn't even arrange the merger or the financing, it was done for him. He tried to buy Delta and look where that got him.

I had high hopes for this merger. In fact I was actually quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that I thought it would be a good thing, and thought Doug would actually want to run an airline. How wrong I was!
You cannot go on treating employees and customers like crap for years and years and expect to run a successful company.

EBW, I really don't wish for the demise of US...I really don't. I have become very close to many employees and I would never wish them to lose their jobs. At the end of the day I hope they are hired by whatever successor there might be, although I fear in any transaction some of my friends will lose out.

And I am beyond trying to get a management change at US. I really don't care--because I don't fly US. I haven't in more than 2 years. And I never will as long as the top two remain..

And for the record Callaway, FFOCUS is very successful at what we do....advocate for flyers rights, and work quietly behind the scenes to help people with customer service issues....and we're batting about .950 in getting successful resolution for customers who come to us with issues.

Callaway you must be part of US management--your apparent arrogance gives you away.

I wish you well however....

 

[john john]

Callaway you must be part of US management--your apparent arrogance gives you away.

I agree I was thinking the same thing

 

[CallawayGolf]

Callaway,

You help prove my point. Doug is a finance guy. Nothing more. He should be CFO, not CEO. Everything in this company is done on the cheap...and winds up costing MORE in the end. And as 700 points out, he didn't even arrange the merger or the financing, it was done for him. He tried to buy Delta and look where that got him.

I had high hopes for this merger. In fact I was actually quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that I thought it would be a good thing, and thought Doug would actually want to run an airline. How wrong I was!
You cannot go on treating employees and customers like crap for years and years and expect to run a successful company.

EBW, I really don't wish for the demise of US...I really don't. I have become very close to many employees and I would never wish them to lose their jobs. At the end of the day I hope they are hired by whatever successor there might be, although I fear in any transaction some of my friends will lose out.

And I am beyond trying to get a management change at US. I really don't care--because I don't fly US. I haven't in more than 2 years. And I never will as long as the top two remain..

And for the record Callaway, FFOCUS is very successful at what we do....advocate for flyers rights, and work quietly behind the scenes to help people with customer service issues....and we're batting about .950 in getting successful resolution for customers who come to us with issues.

Callaway you must be part of US management--your apparent arrogance gives you away.

I wish you well however....

First off, I’m not in management at US. I just get rather sick of posters bashing US management when the facts are that they have been very successful at running the airline through exceedingly difficult times. If you were in management you would know that it is impossible to fully satisfy everyone that your organization comes in contact with. In the aggregate of millions of PAX every month, customers want lower fares, employees want higher wages, both want a lower load factors and more seat pitch. PAX want free bags, free food and drink, coat closets, the freedom to not show up for a flight and not to pay a fee for inconveniencing the airline at a cost. It’s human nature to want more and to never be satisfied, especially in the highly commoditized world of moving PAX. If a management team fools itself into thinking it can have 100% customer satisfaction and 100% employee satisfaction, and 100% satisfied shareholders, and have 100% good press, then they really don’t belong in the executive ranks. This is simply not possible in our fallen world.

US has goals and objectives as a company and you can bet that each division head also has goals and objectives that filter down into each area of the business. The goals that US has set for profitability, operational performance, and the like have largely been met by this management team. Doug, Scott, and the rest would be quick to tell you that they aren’t satisfied they have achieved all they can. Every good manager wants to strive for continuous improvement. That’s just how business works.

If you think Doug likes having unhappy customers or unhappy employees you would be wrong. If you think Doug doesn't understand what these groups would like to have to make them more satisfied you would also be wrong. If he id give them what they asked for they would only ask for more (never satisfied) and he would lose his job in a heartbeat because either the airline would go bankrupt or the sharehholders would remove him from his position.

So how exactly does presenting the facts of Doug’s career make me arrogant? Do you have an issue with verifiable facts being used to refute a baseless claim of “ineptnessâ€￾? Perhaps you don’t like the fact that I pointed out that you likely haven’t run a multi-billion dollar company. I do feel confident that those who have that rather rare distinction of being a Fortune 500 CEO are not apt to post such statements as yours on a web message board.

BTW my post never claimed Doug got the financing for the HP/US merger. He was clearly running the show when it came to making it happen and instilling investor and SEC confidence. Do you think Lakefield and Luth were off giggling somewhere saying “look at the piece of junk airline we just saddled Parker with!â€￾?

 

[700UW]

wrong,

Doug was approached by US not HP approaching US.

educate yourself

If they are doing such a good job why are passengers leaving in droves and US isnt making money and is laying off employees?

 

[flyus2]

Let’s see I’m sure you must be right. Let’s look at Doug’s career

Doug graduated with an MBA in 1986 and joined AA for five years before taking a VP job at NW. He spent four years there before taking the SVP/CFO job at AWA. He then spent six years at AWA with increasing levels of responsibility until he was promoted to Chairman, CEO and President of one of the nation’s ten largest airlines. Fifteen years to get to the top and another nine years so far at the top.

Doug had been CEO for ten days when 9/11 occurred and managed to work with creditors and the federal government to avoid bankruptcy – a fate which most the largest carriers were unable to avoid once or even twice during the same time period. He also successfully managed an operational turn-around of AWA and gaining them accolades from local PHX media for going from “worst to firstâ€.

In 2005 he orchestrated the buy-out/merger of US Airways and integrated the operations of the two carriers all while making record profits in 2006 and 2007. When operational performance faltered in 2007 following the death of US’ COO he brought in a new COO and created more focused management teams to address the poor performance areas. Following the changes US ran the best on-time airline in 2008 in comparison to its hub & spoke peers and also made substantial improvements in baggage handling. Those improvements continued into 2009 and 2010 even though the competition was padding their block times in order to compete in the on-time arena.

When fuel prices tripled in 2008 and the economy hit a massive recession, Doug and the management team took the steps necessary to bring in more revenue to cover out-of-control fuels costs and also managed to keep the airline financially solvent when many of its critics had them on death’s door.

So it took Doug nine years to make SVP in airline industry and just six more years until he made Chairman and CEO. He has proven his ability to make a strong profit in the good years and persevere in two of the toughest times ever to hit the airline industry. He has shown he can manage to turn around an operationally struggling airline and put it at the top of its peers. And which CEO of the big five airline plus WN has the greatest longevity in their position?
Doug Parker (US) , 2001
Glenn Tilton (UA), 2002
Gerard Arpey (AA), 2004
Richard Anderson (DL), 2007
Jeff Smisek (CO), 2008
Gary Kelly (WN), 2008

Care to tell us just how successful you have been running a multi-billion dollar corporation? Or perhaps you can tell us just how successful FFOCUS has been in achieving whatever goals and objectives you have. If forcing a management change at US is part of that goal I would say FFOCUS has been a total failure.

Bravo to you! I am so glad someone around here has a brain. All these Monday morning quarterbacks could do so much better than Doug and team. I say, "Go For IT!" Most of the people who post here think there are about 5 departments here: inflight, flight ops, catering, agents and fleet service. They have no idea about what it takes to operate this corporation. I'd love to see some of these people spend "a day in the life" out in PHX....might open their eyes a little!

 

[CallawayGolf]

wrong,

Doug was approached by US not HP approaching US.

educate yourself

If they are doing such a good job why are passengers leaving in droves and US isnt making money and is laying off employees?

I just read your link (again) and saw no mention of your claim. Sebury - not mentioned. Luth - not mentioned. Lakefield - not mentioned. US apporaching HP - not mentioned. Your article did assert the following: US Airways was acquired by America West in 2005

Again I never said Doug was responsbile for the financing used to put HP/US together. Why are you having such a difficult time accepting my response on this? Doug provided the management expertise and put together his team who would run the combined airline; he did not secure the financial resources by himself. Do you disagree that Doug became the Chairman, President and CEO of US Airways on September 27, 2005?

 

[SS255]

In the aggregate of millions of PAX every month, customers want lower fares, employees want higher wages, both want a lower load factors and more seat pitch. PAX want free bags, free food and drink, coat closets, the freedom to not show up for a flight and not to pay a fee for inconveniencing the airline at a cost.

I think you've just described WN.

 

[Phoenix]

First off, I’m not in management at US. I just get rather sick of posters bashing US management ...

Art was wrong. You aren't in management.

Your husband is.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Let’s see I’m sure you must be right. Let’s look at Doug’s career

Doug graduated with an MBA in 1986 and joined AA for five years before taking a VP job at NW. He spent four years there before taking the SVP/CFO job at AWA. He then spent six years at AWA with increasing levels of responsibility until he was promoted to Chairman, CEO and President of one of the nation’s ten largest airlines. Fifteen years to get to the top and another nine years so far at the top.

Care to tell us just how successful you have been running a multi-billion dollar corporation? Or perhaps you can tell us just how successful FFOCUS has been in achieving whatever goals and objectives you have. If forcing a management change at US is part of that goal I would say FFOCUS has been a total failure.

Jeez,

Why not list Doug's rap sheet and his accomplishments on the DUI front.

What FFOCUS has or hasn't accomplished I'll leave to their membership. A better question might be "How much MORE customer unfriendly would US be were it not for FFOCUS"?

Success is measured many ways my friend

 

[CallawayGolf]

Art was wrong. You aren't in management.

Your husband is.

Cute. No my wife doesn't work for US Airways. She is a brilliant person so I'll ask her for an opinion on the matter....Well, what do you know - she agrees with me.

 

[Travelpro72]

All of this meaningless chatter. US management simply needs to value their employees and treat them with respect. Ya know, make them feel appreciated. The management style starts from the top and trickles down to middle management. All this BS soup being fed about the recession, fuel prices, Doug and his MBA and fees.....Just treat your employees well and PAY them accordingly and you'll have a company that prospers. The way employees from all groups feel about this management team is due to how they come across to the worker. HORRIBLE. Relations are horrible! ! ! ! Save it.

 

[etops1]

All of this meaningless chatter. US management simply needs to value their employees and treat them with respect. Ya know, make them feel appreciated. The management style starts from the top and trickles down to middle management. All this BS soup being fed about the recession, fuel prices, Doug and his MBA and fees.....Just treat your employees well and PAY them accordingly and you'll have a company that prospers. The way employees from all groups feel about this management team is due to how they come across to the worker. HORRIBLE. Relations are horrible! ! ! ! Save it.

Amen !! Pay attention Doug ,Scott,and Robert...Your employees are upset on both sides of the country. Unhappy employees mean unhappy customers. This cannot continue as it is .

 

[700UW]

Read again:

In January, with fuel prices at a record high and doubts aired about US Airways' survival after its Christmas baggage meltdown in Philadelphia, Lakefield picked up the phone and called Parker, suggesting that "maybe we should begin those talks again," according to Parker.

But America West did not have enough cash to lift US Airways out of bankruptcy. It was up to Luth, the US Airways adviser, to find enough investment money to piece the deal together and give the combined company a fighting chance to thrive in the battered airline industry.

 

[flygirl74]

If anyone really cared about the employees and customers, this topic would not be on here. Let me check....nope, nobody cares. :down:

 

[etops1]

Link:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61M5...0.051966:b31030

(Moderator Note: This is the same link at the top of the thread because I copied it to the first post in the thread. The link to Yahoo Finance which started the thread has expired. However, this article contains a lot of the same information as the Yahoo link. I left this post here also because some who have been following the thread might not see it.)