Us Airways And United Airlines News

[USA320Pilot]

Busdrvr:

What’s your point?

I knew of the United B767-200 retirement earlier, but I did not want to post just this fact. In addition, I understand United ALPA has been telling its members the 200s will be removed from service by the end of 2004.

Regards,

Chip

 

[USA320Pilot]

ACrazy8:

ACrazy8 asked: Is it just you and/me? It does seem like "something" is coming our way. Esp. with what Dave said in his weekly message. What "good" news is around the corner for US???

Chip answers: I do not know, but I am not real excited about another merger.

ACrazy8 asked: Is MDA going to be renamed and/or have video in every seatback?

Chip answers: No, but today the company announced the A320s will. Today the company announced on theHub.com Verizon JetConnect -- a new inflight communications service -- is scheduled to debut on US Airways flights beginning in February. US Airways has completed Verizon JetConnect installations on almost 80 percent of the narrow-body Airbus aircraft equipped with Verizon Airfones. JetConnect will allow customers to send and receive e-mail, instant messages and text messages while inflight. The service also offers updated news, weather and sports information, stock listings and computer games. Customers need a laptop computer with a modem and an RJ-11 phone/modem cable to access JetConnect from the Airfone at their seat. Customers may log on and off as many times as they want during a flight for a single charge. The service will be available to US Airways employees at a discounted rate.

"With 62 of 78 aircraft installations finished, we are ahead of schedule, thanks to careful planning and close cooperation with the line maintenance stations and Verizon," said John Walters, manager of Line Maintenance Planning. Installations are being completed at maintenance stations in Charlotte, LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Orlando and Pittsburgh during aircraft overnight visits. Prior to the planned launch date on Feb. 1, 2004, US Airways' JetConnect team will complete system tests onboard aircraft. The team includes representatives from Marketing, Inflight, E-Commerce, Maintenance, Engineering, Purchasing and Fleet Planning. Additional details and information about employee discounts will be available later.

ACrazy8: Is MDA going to be our version of "Song"??? Whatcha think?

Chip answers: Yes, but unlike Song and probably Ted it will be profitable.

Regards,

Chip

 

[Busdrvr]

Actually Chip, we were told they'd be taken us of service in 2003, then supposedly a "heavy hitter" (corporate contract) insisted they stay around and on the NYC-LAX route (premium seating). In all honesty, I don't even think GT has a completely firm grasp on what the fleet plan will be in 2004 and beyond. It all depends on lease rates. But you reported it as "news". Will we read your posts tomorrow and find out that the British are comming, fort Sumter has been attacked or Sherman takes Atlanta?

 

[Busdrvr]

"Chip answers: No, but today the company announced the A320s will. Today the company announced on theHub.com Verizon JetConnect -- a new inflight communications service -- is scheduled to debut on US Airways flights beginning in February. US Airways has completed Verizon JetConnect installations on almost 80 percent of the narrow-body Airbus aircraft equipped with Verizon Airfones. JetConnect will allow customers to send and receive e-mail, instant messages and text messages while inflight. The service also offers updated news, weather and sports information, stock listings and computer games. Customers need a laptop computer with a modem and an RJ-11 phone/modem cable to access JetConnect from the Airfone at their seat. Customers may log on and off as many times as they want during a flight for a single charge"

Email on EVERY JET. No way Ted will have something that fancy!!!

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031110/cgm053_1.html

United Airlines Completes Verizon Airfone JetConnect Installation on Entire Domestic Fleet
Monday November 10, 2:00 pm ET

 

[ACrazy8]

So, let's see.....UAL has JetConnect by Verizon and soon US will too. Maybe it's because of the Code Share and a good deal was had from Verizon and nothing more........So I won't read anything into it.....hmmmm. :huh:

 

[tadjr]

Tadjr:

Do you believe everything you are told? Furthermore, I did not say there would be a merger in this thread.

Regards,

Chip

That's a riot. Maybe I shouldn't be the only one being asked this question. Sorry I don't read every post so given the title of the thread, I figured this was another US/UA merger topic.

 

[delldude]

I do not know the contents of a meeting and I am not trying to say anything is happening, but I was told today by a former senior vice president, along with our crew, that United executives met with members of the US Airways board of directors.

Regards,

Chip

Merger: CWA'ers questioned whether recent public statements by CEO Dave Siegel about industry consolidation indicated that management is looking to sell or merge the airline. We asked specifically if there were any merger or sale discussions or approaches going on. The answer from the executives was an unequivocal “Noâ€￾.


So who do we believe?

what they tell you is one thing...you and i ,no matter what level we hold with our respective unions are not in the"loop"...and furthermore it is on a need to know basis...and as far as they are concerned..you and me don't need to know.

 

[ClueByFour]

Jetconnect will make some of the business crowd happy. Of course, the problem is that:

It is only going to be on Airbus narrowbodies. That leaves what, like 142 of 279 aircraft without it?

It's not IFE without the laptop to hook up to it, and even then you have to use proprietary software (I can't wait to bang US out of a refund when I boot my laptop to the linux partition and can't use it).

No news of it on any of the 100+ RJs on order.

No news of it on any of the contract carriers.

The true LCC either forgo IFE (LUV, Airtran) or turn it into a value add for their core target market (Song and B6 both have TV/movies/games, which are of some use to everybody, with a laptop or without).

Jetconnect is a cellular modem. I could do that with the airfone if I wanted to pay thru the nose. The Tenzing software is nothing more than an e-mail proxy server run over the sat link I have a feeling that the average business traveler will simply wait until Connexion is more widely available. Connexion is sat broadband, so you can get mail, surf the net, fire up your VPN, download porno, whatever. Far more of a real offering, and something that people might actually pay for in large numbers. Take a walk thru PIT and see how many people are enjoying the free wireless versus those slaved to the phone banks, and you will see what I'm talking about.

Once again, US is doing something half-assed, and trying to play it off as revolutionary.

 

[767jetz]

I did not say there would be a merger in this thread.

No, you just referred to ALPA merger policy twice.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!...


Dude... you crack me up!

 

[phllax]

Chip, this brings up a few questions.

First, with UA accelerating 767 retirements, is the possibility still alive of US getting some of UA's 767's that were leased controlled by Alabama? I know UA was the launch customer for the 767, so some of these 200's are the same age as Christine. Does anybody know what shape they are in?

Second, how many of the 321's actually have airfone's installed in them? Are they going to complete installation on the entire 321 fleet? I have been in 2 with them, one of which ran US 11 on 11/10. Forgot to look at the certificate to see what the ship number was.

 

[iflyjetz]

Chip, this brings up a few questions.

First, with UA accelerating 767 retirements, is the possibility still alive of US getting some of UA's 767's that were leased controlled by Alabama? I know UA was the launch customer for the 767, so some of these 200's are the same age as Christine. Does anybody know what shape they are in?

Phllax, while Chip has discussed this scenario multiple times (RSA taking 75/767s from UAL and leasing them to U), you'll notice that U is retiring its 767s. Why would U turn around and acquire ancient 767s from UAL? Chalk it up as wrong again.
As for the shape that the UAL 767s are in, it's been a few months since I've been on one, but it was in good shape. Heck, even UAL's 727s were in fairly decent shape when they were retired.

 

[burghlaw1]

US Airways management meets with the board without employee board members. In addition, Bill Pollock was in Mexico last week.

It's not uncommon for company's to exclude union members from strategic decisions. That occurred with the last United - US Airways merger when UAL ALPA MEC Chairman Rick Dubinsky reported to the United pilots that he stepped off a flight at Dulles only to have his pager go off informing him the United board had voted to acquire US Airways, while there were simultaneous reports from US Airways DCA employees US Airways board members were flying into Washington.

In fact, Dubinsky was not informed of the board's final decision and he had the merger MOU faxed to him immediately before the US Airways board vote.

I find this practice highly suspect. Unless the employee groups with board representation agreed somehow to be left out of board meetings regarding sensitive subject matters (by contract or US bylaws), I am not aware of any law that would allow US to exclude employee board members from board meetings.
:blink:

 

[delldude]

well they were trying to get PIT IAM reps in for a meting while not requesting ALL reps in....they play games with contract verbage.my point is they seem to do as they please,contracts be damned and we'll deal with the consequences later.

 

[Busdrvr]

All of the 767-200 being parked are OWNED. They are the Oldest of the old an sport differant engines than the other 767's and 747-400's (JT-9's?, were also used in the now retired 747-200's). If U wants them, I'm sure they'll sell them CHEAP! It's that or beer cans....

 

[bigbusdrvr]

ACrazy8:

ACrazy8 asked: Is it just you and/me? It does seem like "something" is coming our way. Esp. with what Dave said in his weekly message. What "good" news is around the corner for US???

Chip answers: I do not know, but I am not real excited about another merger.

ACrazy8 asked: Is MDA going to be renamed and/or have video in every seatback?

Chip answers: No, but today the company announced the A320s will. Today the company announced on theHub.com Verizon JetConnect -- a new inflight communications service -- is scheduled to debut on US Airways flights beginning in February. US Airways has completed Verizon JetConnect installations on almost 80 percent of the narrow-body Airbus aircraft equipped with Verizon Airfones. JetConnect will allow customers to send and receive e-mail, instant messages and text messages while inflight. The service also offers updated news, weather and sports information, stock listings and computer games. Customers need a laptop computer with a modem and an RJ-11 phone/modem cable to access JetConnect from the Airfone at their seat. Customers may log on and off as many times as they want during a flight for a single charge. The service will be available to US Airways employees at a discounted rate.

"With 62 of 78 aircraft installations finished, we are ahead of schedule, thanks to careful planning and close cooperation with the line maintenance stations and Verizon," said John Walters, manager of Line Maintenance Planning. Installations are being completed at maintenance stations in Charlotte, LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Orlando and Pittsburgh during aircraft overnight visits. Prior to the planned launch date on Feb. 1, 2004, US Airways' JetConnect team will complete system tests onboard aircraft. The team includes representatives from Marketing, Inflight, E-Commerce, Maintenance, Engineering, Purchasing and Fleet Planning. Additional details and information about employee discounts will be available later.

ACrazy8: Is MDA going to be our version of "Song"??? Whatcha think?

Chip answers: Yes, but unlike Song and probably Ted it will be profitable.

Regards,

Chip

chip having news,stock quotes, games etc "IF YOU BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP" is not even close to "LIVE TV" please don't fall into the B BALDANZA trap of business travelers. We carry mom n pop n the kids get it. they want to feel like at home!! get it 'LIVE TV" This will be another classic USAIR snafu ....just like business select.... how predictable. sorry our days are numbered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!