Originally Posted by
tallpilot
That's why they have leased the 321s. It's amazing how fast they are showing up.
As mentioned every single data point indicates that we either need a strategy shift or to simply admit that we like 3rd place. It's embarrassing.
Originally Posted by
biigD
I've been here over 11 years and not once have I felt management cared about our position relative to Delta and United. There was a time where I was optimistic we'd see the money being made by Delta and try to emulate their strategy, but that hasn't been the case. And finally I figured the Board would get tired of the incompetence and make a change, but that doesn't seem to be happening either.
I've got just under 20 years to go, and now I'm resigned to being like Quint in Jaws, just hoping my increasing seniority outpaces management's incompetence.
It's amusing how many "experts" have already pre-determined this for us. The focus is always UA vs. DAL, with AA just existing in the background. Numerous aviation experts, analysts, and websites have essentially written off AA as a hybrid of an LCC and an international carrier, not even considering us in the same league as UA and DAL. At this point, it might be more strategic to operate in that manner, rather than emulate UA and DAL's spending habits while providing a product comparable to Alaska/JetBlue/Hawaiian. We've become a lot like US Airways, and I realize it's tough for some to accept that we're not on par with UA and DAL, but that's the reality, and it's unlikely to change. I wouldn't be surprised if the next bankruptcy results in contract/pay cuts, with the justification being, "We don't operate in the same category or business model as UA and DAL."