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United downsizing - will cut 1,300 Houston jobs, IAH-AKL dead, no 787 in Houston
Buyouts, transfers or pink slips oh my! I still don't understand how LUVs Latin America expansion has anything to do with UA's Auckland route :( bye bye 787 (www.chron.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
LOL they never were going to fly IAH-AKL on the 787...smoke and mirrors and the blame game. It was a fake route to make Houston feel good despite the HQ moving to Chicago and the inevitable layoffs. This plan was in action a long time ago.
So UA is planning on laying people off YEARS before the Hobby expansion and competition on a handful of routes? And the NZ route thing has what exactly to do with anything but their own business model? Sounds like an obvious attempt to blame somebody else for what they were gonna do anyway since the merger. That's pretty shallow water - which makes it very easy to see right through.
You're right and I don't know why they're playing this game. They can't possibly thing we're stupid enough to fall for this.
Everyone knew that this was the entire point of the merger from day one.
Everyone knew that this was the entire point of the merger from day one.
Sad part is, most of us that followed it knew it, but we apparently are in the minority as it is newsworthy to some folks and a complete surprise. They(UA mgt.) are probably thinking it will go largely ignored or a little rhetoric for a couple of days so a politician will look good and then die down.
Chip, I actually think UA's management DOES believe its customers are stupid.
Tilson and his followers have got to rank among the worst of US managers who have no clue as to their own business or how to run it. Start with pricing for example -- these clowns can't price their own product properly, not that it has much in the way of "value proposition" anyway... They have forgotten the basic model of business that customers pay for value and profits flow from that.
I basically am done with flying on UA for reasons that I am sure every flyer in this community can understand and probably articulate themselves; even if it means buying a more expensive ticket or a longer routing: at least I don't have to put up with UA anymore.
Tilson and his followers have got to rank among the worst of US managers who have no clue as to their own business or how to run it. Start with pricing for example -- these clowns can't price their own product properly, not that it has much in the way of "value proposition" anyway... They have forgotten the basic model of business that customers pay for value and profits flow from that.
I basically am done with flying on UA for reasons that I am sure every flyer in this community can understand and probably articulate themselves; even if it means buying a more expensive ticket or a longer routing: at least I don't have to put up with UA anymore.
You know, it just seems that United has been in the toilet for years as far as customer service and unable to do well financially, for whatever reason, but you have to lay most of that at the feet of management. When you are at the top, you either get the crap or the glory for whatever happens. That being said, it seemed like, or at least the impression was given, that CO was taking them over and would put things in place to cure all those ills. The first shock was the HQ moving to Chicago and with that, it seems that the United folks, and their losing ways, have become the dominant force in this merger. If that be the case, then what was once a sucessful looking merger and good for the industry, will just land us with another legacy in Bankruptcy somewhere down the line. IMHO
Very interesting comment Preacher.. i'm starting to believe that the legacy carries are simply unable to consistently make a profit, as some people in the financial world have been saying for years. Especially in this era of discount airlines like WN and big nationalized airlines handling so much of the international traffic to US airports. It's a sad thought for someone like me, who deep down inside wants to root for the mainline US carriers, Boeing, etc.
What gets me about the whole thing, DAL and CO by itself were doing pretty decent. AMR will come out strong if left alone and even US Air is limping along bit by bit, but with very few transfers out of Houston on the corp move, It just left a bunch in charge that were already in the loser category. Even a losing side in a merger generally gets something minor so as not to feel left out but in this case it seems like the UAL folks got the lions share, hence not much change and a further downhill slide.Again,IMHO
Smart points again. In a merger (or takeover if you will) involving two big old airlines, that both have big hubs in the central time zone, there's going to be redundancies that get the ax. It seems that civic leaders in places like Houston are naive to welcome the new merged company with open arms; but on some level i can't blame the management for making what is, at least to them, the right business move.
Speaking of US Air, they are (somehow) the big dog in my town. They've really had to make the shift to a discount airline--they cannot compete in the same way as the Big 3 because of economies of scale. It's sorta sad to see what was once a decent airline turn into a cheapo one. Customers have extremely high dissatisfaction levels, but hey i see lots of full planes because the price is right. Even with their international service, which is very bare bones (their A330s are nicer, but man their int'l 767s and 757s have seen better days), they do really well with loads cause it's so cheap. Perhaps this is the direction all the US airlines are going?
Speaking of US Air, they are (somehow) the big dog in my town. They've really had to make the shift to a discount airline--they cannot compete in the same way as the Big 3 because of economies of scale. It's sorta sad to see what was once a decent airline turn into a cheapo one. Customers have extremely high dissatisfaction levels, but hey i see lots of full planes because the price is right. Even with their international service, which is very bare bones (their A330s are nicer, but man their int'l 767s and 757s have seen better days), they do really well with loads cause it's so cheap. Perhaps this is the direction all the US airlines are going?
In my experience AWE has had crappy customer service for years. They are about my last resort.
No argument there. Back, say, 15 years ago i felt like they were decent, but over the past 10 years things have really gone downhill, just based on my own experience with them.
Y'all must be younguns. At one time Eastern and American were the big domestic dogs and Allegheny which later became U.S. Airlines was a feeder that carried the short hauls with Mohawk. Back then they were known as "Agony Airlines" and after the became U.S. Airlines were AKA "Usless Air" They have always been a cattle car operation and have flirted with bankruptcy numerous times. In the 60s you didn't buy a ticket with them you took a chance. They have never had a top drawer reputation. The look good now because all the others have come down to their level.
Obviously, flights between Latin America and Houston Hobby (in 2015) have nothing to do with next year's previously scheduled launch of 787 service between IAH and AKL. UAL had likely decided long ago that they weren't going to be operating this route; notably it was never in the schedules or available for sale, unlike the 787 service of DEN-NRT.