US/UA Merger Master Thread

[zethya]

Jeez...

Parker and Kirby will not find it difficult at all to move to Chicago to run the 2nd largest airline. That is their ambition and their goal. They (or any one else I would think) will happily relocate to any city in the world for this opportunity. Believe me they find this VERY appealing and the people of Chicago consider their location appealing.

Also, Chicago is a great, vibrant city and attractive to young professionals.

I would seriously bank on HQ in Chicago. It is United's historical home with all of the necessary facilites, labor resources and knowledge bank to try to get this merger to be different. ...

Since I do not personally know Parker's and Kirby's professional and social preferences or their ambitions, I cannot comment on whether they would not find it dfficult to move to and live in Chicago.

The expressed purpose of the merger is "Consolidation" and it's intended result of long term profitability. It would be an exercise in futlilty if the planned outcome was to retain (as you appear to suggest) the huge existing (expensive), real estate base of United and not consider the far more conservative facilities of US - otherwise, why merge? If the HQ remains in Chicago, based on the proven MO of Parker/Kirby, it will not be at anywhere near it's current levels. I am very well aware of the absolute size and financial details of UA and speculate that the combined carrier will eventually need to shed 15-25% of their pre-merger expenses to sustain profitability in the current environment. It would appear to be naive to assume most of this reduction will be from US resources with Parker/Kirby at the helm. Having lived in Chicago for 3 years, I agree it it a vibrant city and IMO an interesting place to live - Apr through June and Sep through Nov.

 

[Flyz4food]

Since I do not personally know Parker's and Kirby's professional and social preferences or their ambitions, I cannot comment on whether they would not find it dfficult to move to and live in Chicago.

The expressed purpose of the merger is "Consolidation" and it's intended result of long term profitability. It would be an exercise in futlilty if the planned outcome was to retain (as you appear to suggest) the huge existing (expensive), real estate base of United and not consider the far more conservative facilities of US - otherwise, why merge? If the HQ remains in Chicago, based on the proven MO of Parker/Kirby, it will not be at anywhere near it's current levels. I am very well aware of the absolute size and financial details of UA and speculate that the combined carrier will eventually need to shed 15-25% of their pre-merger expenses to sustain profitability in the current environment. It would appear to be naive to assume most of this reduction will be from US resources with Parker/Kirby at the helm. Having lived in Chicago for 3 years, I agree it it a vibrant city and IMO an interesting place to live - Apr through June and Sep through Nov.

Silly question perhaps. Besides the city, the senators, the money for all the outside services generated, why should an EMPLOYEE care where his corporate hq is? I work where I am, if I never see corporate so be it. You seem to believe that they care what you think.

 

[cubfan02us]

Jeez...

Parker and Kirby will not find it difficult at all to move to Chicago to run the 2nd largest airline. That is their ambition and their goal. They (or any one else I would think) will happily relocate to any city in the world for this opportunity. Believe me they find this VERY appealing and the people of Chicago consider their location appealing.

Also, Chicago is a great, vibrant city and attractive to young professionals.

I would seriously bank on HQ in Chicago. It is United's historical home with all of the necessary facilites, labor resources and knowledge bank to try to get this merger to be different. If they could tear down Crystal City (alot of knowledge bank was lost) they will close Tempe or use the buildings differently but HQ will not move out of Chicago.

He will not p*ss off his largest constituancy (the United employees) and it makes no financial sense to let go of the expertise that the United people have. You have to have some sense of how big they really are to see how costly it would be to relocate or rehire and retrain people to run the merged airline from here in PHX. It would be a debacle.

As far as politically well it is likely the next President will be from Arizona or.......Illinois.

When Doug says he is going to do this one differently I would bank on that too. In this situation....size matters.

You make some good points...I remember reading not long ago that United was interested in getting
out of Elk Grove (this along with a reduction of in-house mtc.) but I don't know if that would
effect the HQ staying downtown...

 

[freedom]

The state of Arizona will do ANYTHING , and I mean ANYTHING to keep us airways flying here and headquartered here … Chicago has a lot of big time business , but Arizona , not nearly so much , and the impact on the state economy, of our operations diminishing here will be felt like a tsunami ….

Arizona is the right place for the new UNITED to be based out of , our costs , for everything , be they taxes , to electric or worker salary are just about lower than any other state in the union …. Not to mention the attitudes of the work force here are much improved over other parts of the country ….If we’re going to remain cost effective , this is where we need to be … and if we truly want to give this airline a new “spritâ€￾ then like the name of our city code , we will rise like a PHOENIX from the ashes (the ashes of multiple mergers lol )

 

[Flyz4food]

The state of Arizona will do ANYTHING , and I mean ANYTHING to keep us airways flying here and headquartered here … Chicago has a lot of big time business , but Arizona , not nearly so much , and the impact on the state economy, of our operations diminishing here will be felt like a tsunami ….

Arizona is the right place for the new UNITED to be based out of , our costs , for everything , be they taxes , to electric or worker salary are just about lower than any other state in the union …. Not to mention the attitudes of the work force here are much improved over other parts of the country ….If we’re going to remain cost effective , this is where we need to be … and if we truly want to give this airline a new “spritâ€￾ then like the name of our city code , we will rise like a PHOENIX from the ashes (the ashes of multiple mergers lol )

I understand that. It's my point. It all a corporate issue not a employees. It means nothing to the employee where his CO is. There is no value in it for the laborer. Unless of course you like to spend weekends there taking pictures with the tourists in uniform. The cost of doing business is better in AZ up until IL trumps their bid with more bennies.

 

[N965VJ]

Our young friend Grasshopper will be just crushed if the combined UA/US HQ is not in ORD.

He’s been looking forward to going over after school to make Xerox copies and stuff for Scott Kirby.

 

[USCREW]

Silly question perhaps. Besides the city, the senators, the money for all the outside services generated, why should an EMPLOYEE care where his corporate hq is? I work where I am, if I never see corporate so be it. You seem to believe that they care what you think.

The people at HQ care. If it's in Chicago, many employees at Tempe will be out of a job because not everyone can just move. My girlfriend who worked at the Crystal Palace had to quit because she couldn't move her whole family out to Arizona. It looks like the new HQ will be United's though. Tempe and PHX will dwindle, just like PIT.

 

[freedom]

don't forget thou , it doesn't just come down to dollars and cents , there are also the intangibles associated with our operation here , for instance the community “goodwill “ … us airways/america west has done a lot of good for the community here , everything from helping to build homes to taking the local children on north pole plane rides , our name is very well established here , anyone remember the cool jazz trip a day giveaway ? And we have our logo on some of the major sports centers here too …

We need to do as much as possible to keep the management team that we now have intact , face it , they’ve brought in some really great people to get this thing going , but those people have families , and I’m sure that these families are not going to want to uproot if they don’t have too , some of the new guys who’ve just come into town in the last few years will probably leave the company if it comes down to a forced move .

Like that one poster suggested a few pages back , it might be time for a few satellite locations , and personally I think that’s a great idea , what we’ve got here are two huge operations coming together as one … it’s not really that efficient or effective to put everybody under one roof (at least not right away ), with the way communications work these days it makes more sense to keep things decentralized …

your right though fly for food , it’s not going to kill me if they move our HQ’s … but I think zethya’s post was right on … if our goal is to shrink operations then lets actually get away from the beast which is corporate mentality……… Over in ORD , they do things the “united “way , and even if we merge with them , it’s likely that those people will still insist on doing things the “united†way even though the situation screams for change … Here in Arizona I’d say people are pretty accepting of change .

 

[Whatnow?]

We need to do as much as possible to keep the management team that we now have intact , face it , they’ve brought in some really great people to get this thing going .

:blink: OMG, are you serious?

 

[EMBFA]

Good lord, if it happens the headquarters is not going to be in lameass Phoenix. Gimme a break

 

[Elevation]

HQ isn't in Phoenix now Einstein, it's in Tempe.

 

[EMBFA]

Wow, did it just get even lamer in here?

 

[N965VJ]

HQ isn't in Phoenix now Einstein, it's in Tempe.

Is that near Snottsdale?

 

[Flyz4food]

Is that near Snottsdale?

So it's come to, "my town's better than your town" nah nah na nah nah......come on now third graders grow the hell up. A HQ has to go someplace, people will or will not move, will still have a job or not. The ones that won't move will be replaced by someone already in place. Either way, it's again, not the employees that make that decision, it's Corporate. You were hired to do a job, that's it. It's not your family as cute as it seems. When you or your office starts costing the company money you are expendable. Corporate will move to wherever makes the most sense, wherever costs less. The only ones hurt will be the employees you have to understand that. It's business.

 

[Flyz4food]

Is that near Snottsdale?

So it's come to, "my town's better than your town" nah nah na nah nah......come on now third graders grow the hell up. A HQ has to go someplace, people will or will not move, will still have a job or not. The ones that won't move will be replaced by someone already in place. Either way, it's again, not the employees that make that decision, it's Corporate. You were hired to do a job, that's it. It's not your family as cute as it seems. When you or your office starts costing the company money you are expendable. Corporate will move to wherever makes the most sense, wherever costs less. The only ones hurt will be the employees you have to understand that. It's business.