Us Airways News - July 16, 2004

[USA320Pilot]

'Legacy' Airlines Get No Lift - Despite Passenger Numbers, Established Carriers Struggle Mightily

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Is the big airline concept a dinosaur?

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Airport authority to tighten reins on Pittsburgh facility

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US Airways arouses fears about pensions

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US Airways CEO to unions: Negotiate new deals now

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US Airways CEO urges unions to strike deals

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US Airways Vacations Now Offers The Venetian Resort and Casino

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US Airways seeks $13M cut in benefits – Flight Attendant’s to begin negotiations with US Airways Tuesday in Washington

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US Airways pilots offer another proposal

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ALPA MEC code-a-phone update - July 16, 2004

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CWA'ers and management will meet to discuss cost-cutting proposals

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US airlines seen losing $500 million in second quarter

NEW YORK (ATWOnline) - US airline industry aggregate losses for the second quarter ended June 30 should total around $550 million compared to $1.2 billion in the SARS- and war-impacted year-ago period, according to UBS analyst Samuel Buttrick.

In a report released yesterday, Buttrick noted that high fuel prices and increasing domestic competition were the culprits. "At prior-year fuel prices…the industry would have been modestly profitable in this year's quarter--all else equal," he wrote.

On the brighter side, high fuel prices "are masking a respectable decline in core costs that is substantially offsetting the revenue dilution from discounters."

Respectfully,

USA320Pilot

 

[mweiss]

The CUTEs mentioned in "Airport authority to tighten reins on Pittsburgh facility" are clearly the wave of the future. If they are built in a standard fashion across airports, it can reduce costs industry-wide and produce all sorts of side benefits.

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

Hey 320, There are a lot of people on these boards who slam you......I will say, you have info that noone wants to hear!! Stick with it, and keep the info coming!! This poster is out of of here!!! Had enough! Just need to "fine tune" the details. GOOD DAY!!!

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

Well, I read the CUTE article, and I have to wonder why the airport authority has waited so long since they took over the baggage system to implement this idea.

Although I would never look to McCarran International as a good example for anything having to do with an airport, I will say that having everyone on the same computer system and baggage system is going to save a great deal of time at PIT. Where the money is going to come from, I have absolutely no idea. But, if the ACAA has a plan, then I think they should go with it.

 

[mweiss]

Well, I read the CUTE article, and I have to wonder why the airport authority has waited so long since they took over the baggage system to implement this idea.

Because this is orders of magnitude more complex. CUTEs are still very new (and cute, apparently 🙂 ), and so there is much less available information on what's involved to implement one.

 

[cavalier]

Hey 320, There are a lot of people on these boards who slam you......I will say, you have info that noone wants to hear!! Stick with it, and keep the info coming!! This poster is out of of here!!! Had enough! Just need to "fine tune" the details. GOOD DAY!!!

Do you always throw gas on the fire!

If it was up to this particular captain we all would do whatever this management team wants of us with no questions asked and bow down and thank GOD we still are privileged enough to even work at the great shrine of U ruled by the GODS of corporate America.

You know where I stand… They can kiss this hunky behind right in the crack.

 

[mweiss]

So what? It's not up to that captain, any more than it's up to you.

 

[WorldTraveler]

CUTE technology is not necessarily what every other airline wants. PIT could alienate alot of other airlines who might consider expanding at PIT. Every airline has developed its own computer systems (or in the case of smaller airlines, bought or lease multi-user systems); not all features available by individual airline's systems is compatible w/ CUTE technology. While CUTE is commonly used by international airports or on the international concourses of large domestic airports, it is not used at domestic stations. Airlines are taking different technological approaches to solving cost, efficiency, and customer service issues so it is dangerous to assume that one kind of technology platform will emerge for all airlines.

Further, building a CUTE platform at PIT will only add to the airport's costs and could alienate airlines that might be considering expansion.

I think PIT needs to worry about finding tenants that are willing to add flights and then build the technology they want rather than assuming they know what the airlines want.

 

[cavalier]

So what? It's not up to that captain, any more than it's up to you.

Here’s the deal Mr. Wizard. I blow off your posts such as they are.... filled with self importance, arrogance and condescending meaningless harangue on business showing the U employees what we don’t comprehend.

Go out and earn your fortune since you're so capable because the U employees sure don't need your drivel.

 

[scot]

Take it to PM if you want to continue this line of discussion. Warning 1 and only.

 

[cavalier]

I think PIT needs to worry about finding tenants that are willing to add flights and then build the technology they want rather than assuming they know what the airlines want.

I also think PIT made one big mistake relying on U and accommodating their wishes, let this be a warning to anyone who is asked by U for their help, this of course includes all U employees.

 

[mweiss]

Airlines are taking different technological approaches to solving cost, efficiency, and customer service issues so it is dangerous to assume that one kind of technology platform will emerge for all airlines.

Integrating disparate computer systems is an area in which I have a great deal of experience. The systems that pass for CUTE in the international terminals are nowhere near the necessary level to address the needs of the domestic airlines.

As a top-of-the-head solution, implementing Terminal Server with a high-speed network would allow for each airline to have the same capabilities they currently have, with a couple of very minor exceptions (gate readers come to mind).

The hardware at the gates isn't particularly complex, and the dramatic decrease in prices for more sophisticated computer technology make the overall expense to the airlines actually lower than before.

As I said above, the area in which I expect to see the greatest difficulty is gate readers. NW uses 1D barcodes. AS uses 2D barcodes. UA uses magstripe. Many other airlines manually enter pax as they pass the boarding door. These technologies are especially incompatible, and thus are difficult to unify.

 

[Whadayano]

Hey mweiss, just out of curiousity what are the gate readers Continental uses? They aren't exactly bar codes, are they?

 

[mweiss]

It's been a couple of years since I flew CO. Last time I did, they were typing the seat numbers in at a terminal by the boarding door. AS allows for that approach, or the barcode, or a touchscreen view of the cabin.