Webcast Thoughts?!?

[ITRADE]

What about the gentleman representing PDT? I wasn't aware they were looking at buying new. bigger turboprops. Anyone know anything about this?

From an operations standpoint, they're terrific. Low cost and high capacity.

Great for those DCA-PHL runs where a RJ and a big jet burn much more fuel and fly as slow owing to the ATC controls.

The downside is the passenger perception - that if it has propellors it must be a decendant of the B-17.

 

[Crzipilot]

personally, this thing left a real bad taste in my mouth....Love having B.S. shoved down ones throat.

Everyone knows they are looking for more cuts etc...everyone realizes, that yes it might be necessary. What everyone is waiting for is managment.

Management's function is to provide direction and leadership while empowering those below them to do their job, etc.

What out of this webcast was any of this??? My 10 yr old could have read a few net boards and come up with these same damn ideas. They've been floating around for 3 yrs. As many people have said, there is nothing in the contracts keeping management from implementing alot of these things. NOTHING.

Productivity from flight crews and other groups . self imposed, self inflicted??? Well some of it, sure, but with any contract those things are in there to head off the abuse from management in prior years. jet blue pilots more productive...sure...they are paid time and half over 70 or 80 hours..somewhere in there.....try giving that to the flight crews, or other labor groups....Benefit changes??? Hell I think jet blue is a small percentage of what we pay now...

If he would have come out with hard facts.......a solid plan......We are doing this...going to do this.....have decided this....
and not

Well we are going to look under this bush......around this corner.....under this rock... See what's there...see what can be done...what might work..what might not......WTF..... has been going on in CCY for the past 3 yrs........nothing I'd say is worth the "millions" he's going to give up....... Maybe even a side note.....maybe Mr. Dave was convinced it would be in his best interests to accept a lower paying contract until such time he proves he's worth the original money he signed up for. THAT could be interesting....

 

[Air conditioned]

I TRADE,
Are they similar to the old Dash 7's?
How many are they proposing to add?

 

[BoeingBoy]

uza,

"Fact is...I got everyone’s attention didn't I..."

So does a streaker at a football game, and the long term impact is the same - none.

Jim

 

[youngblood]

He clearly stated more furloughs and, yes, once again my group was targetted. The fact is we already make less than SouthWest and for those of you disagree go back in the threads and find the one Tadjr posted about 3 weeks ago. Any idiot can conclude (if they take the time to research) that we make less than WN employees; therefore, seek your cost structure with non labor issues. Why should I give even more? So when the pink slip is handed over I get less in unemployment?

It's a bout darn time he decides it's only right he gets paid the same as WN CEO. We met the costs of their work groups. Now it's time for management across the board to meet the costs of their management and them some until this airline turns around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my challenge. We already know the costs of CWA vs. WN agents (including holidays, hourly, benefits, sick, etc.). I would like to see the same comparisons for every work group. Can anyone give me a hand here.

 

[diogenes]

I,too, was intrigued by the WN strawman.

When W&G wanted to compare WN to U in 99, we said, we'll take their labor contracts. Gangwhal responded, "in order to become WN, we'd have to reduce the fleet to 280 (we had 400 at the time)".

Now dave sez, in order to become WN, we'd have to go down to 100 a/c -currently at 279, or Haji's 'old' number. Things that make you go hummmmmm.

Also, dave says we lost 2 bil in '02, and 500 mil in '03. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't labor and vendors spot U 1.5 bil (for the math impaired, the difference in the '02 and '03 losses)? In other words, other than the concessions, NOTHING CHANGED!

And to go from a 10 Cents CASM to a 6 cents CASM carrier, 2 cents is from the non-labor side. What, pray tell, has stopped U from implementing those savings BEFORE coming to labor? It'd help with credibility, because the way this is being handled, I feel labor is being manuvuered into a corner, as opposed to management doing everything ELSE first, and coming to labor only as a last resort.

True story. In a station I know about, U maintained a lease on some rooms they did not use. When BK came, the manager was asked by the palace to look at ALL cost-cutting measures. Naturally, they chose furloughs, as opposed to dropping the lease on this space.

The employees went, and the space stayed. That in a nutshell, is how U treats labor.

 

[skyflyr69]

I tried to log on and can't. We have a cable modem, but the program keeps opening music match jukebox and not my windows media player. I give up. So much for being able to keep informed.

The $64,000 question remains.. will there be any good news from this??????

KJB

YES, great news DAVE will forgo April parachute and WILL SIGN contract matching LCC's CEO'S costs if ALL GROUPS PARTICIPATE.
you guys now have an opportunity to kick some royal -ss. the U MGT. has stepped up to the plate.
i hope to see more U flights.

 

[ITRADE]

I TRADE,
Are they similar to the old Dash 7's?
How many are they proposing to add?

Its a 2-engined Dash-8 on steroids - holds 70 passengers, incorporates new quieter technology. Horizon flys them and likes them.

US has/had some 300Qs a while ago which were 50 seaters.

http://www.bombardier.com/en/3_0/3_1/3_1_2_6.html


BTW, I proposed this idea about three years ago.

 

[ktflyhome]

Dave says: What are we Going to Change???
1-Competive Product(fly places that our Customers want to fly)
2-Better Website (Internet Technology, easier for Pax's to book flights)
3-More Kiosks
4-Change Fleet ( replace Turbo Props)
5-Inflight Product Change

We are going on the Offensive. Not looking Back.

He is going to start Formal Negotiations in April.
Everyone is going to have to Sacrifice or find a New Job
He is going to change the Culture of this Airline.

Also: 1-reconfigure A/C
2-Increase utilization of A/C
3-Make PHL a aRolling Hub
4-Dramatically increase Internet Site
5-Employee Costs.

As I said, I took notes. 😉

 

[Harry Callahan]

Dave did say more productivity would mean more lay offs.
I hope the concession stand stays closed.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

 

[ClueByFour]

Notice also how much of a personal sacrifice he will make, literally millions, so all you people out there crying how much of a thief and no good wind bag he is, I suggest you take his advice and move on while you’re still collecting a wage.

A good leader would have done just that during the Chapter 11 process.

He's only doing now to save face.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Forget 80’s Tunes; this airline is bad country song material. Here’s some possible tunes:

Coffee, Tea, Stop Beating Me
High Cost of Low Fares
How Did We Get so Ugly Overnight?
I Choked On My Pretzels When I Thought Of Chip
I Flushed You From The Lav Of My Heart
I Gave Him A Paycut, and He Gave Me the Finger
I Still Miss The Profits Baby... But My Aim is Getting Better
I Wanna Whip Your Jumpseat
I Want a Beer as Cold as My Boss Dave Siegel
I'd Rather Pass a Kidney Stone than Be In Another Meeting With You
I'll Alabama You In My Dreams

 

[ktflyhome]

Something, I caught, that I thought was interesting....was this. Dave said he would take a pay cut similar to LCC's but never mentioned the rest of Management at all. :blink: :huh:

 

[skyflyr69]

yup, i agree. as a U passenger sitting with some of the employees watching the computer you now have the opportunity to deliver.
it will be the unions that bring it down.
i like his idea: if employees don't like it here they should start looking for work elsewhere and let those of you who want to stay do so.
good luck on the hard choices.

 

[GadgetFreak]

Okay, improved IFE and an improved web site. Those would be nice. But did he talk much about making more people want to fly US and pay a reasonable price to do so? From what I have read here there wasnt much in the way of getting more people on the planes. Eliminating first class, increasing lines or phone waits by cutting people or adding turboprops doesnt exactly make me want to run out and buy a ticket......