New CEO
10-08-2019, 05:52 AM
#61
Banned
Joined APC: Jan 2019
Posts: 271
seatback tv's are stupid. Thats how I feel.
Maybe, just maybe, our revenue difference is due to the lack of direct flights (seems like everything HAS TO connect thru either Dallas or CLT) combined with inability to price our seats correctly vs what Delta does.
I have not researched the following at all: We also, have higher labor costs. Everyone and his brother is in a union where Delta has lower overall labor costs. That high priced mainline labor at all levels is what is driving AA to keep regional aircraft where at Delta they have brought some of that flying in house.
Maybe, just maybe, our revenue difference is due to the lack of direct flights (seems like everything HAS TO connect thru either Dallas or CLT) combined with inability to price our seats correctly vs what Delta does.
I have not researched the following at all: We also, have higher labor costs. Everyone and his brother is in a union where Delta has lower overall labor costs. That high priced mainline labor at all levels is what is driving AA to keep regional aircraft where at Delta they have brought some of that flying in house.
10-08-2019, 06:20 AM
#63
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2011
Position: A320 Capt
Posts: 5,293
Originally Posted by Surprise
Did he reply?
This one was precipitated by an unpaid fatigue call, after a summer of hell. It was passed on and I received a call from a VP.
Isom did a good job at US. I agree with him on a lot, we are just not pulling it together here. That's why I came to the conclusion I did.
10-08-2019, 07:01 AM
#64
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: Narrow/Left Wide/Right
Posts: 3,655
Originally Posted by AAfng
seatback tv's are stupid. Thats how I feel.
Maybe, just maybe, our revenue difference is due to the lack of direct flights (seems like everything HAS TO connect thru either Dallas or CLT) combined with inability to price our seats correctly vs what Delta does.
I have not researched the following at all: We also, have higher labor costs. Everyone and his brother is in a union where Delta has lower overall labor costs. That high priced mainline labor at all levels is what is driving AA to keep regional aircraft where at Delta they have brought some of that flying in house.
Maybe, just maybe, our revenue difference is due to the lack of direct flights (seems like everything HAS TO connect thru either Dallas or CLT) combined with inability to price our seats correctly vs what Delta does.
I have not researched the following at all: We also, have higher labor costs. Everyone and his brother is in a union where Delta has lower overall labor costs. That high priced mainline labor at all levels is what is driving AA to keep regional aircraft where at Delta they have brought some of that flying in house.
10-08-2019, 07:31 AM
#65
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Posts: 774
Originally Posted by Erroneous
You, Sir, are not management material!
Our philosophy seems to be customers (merely numbers/not human) will come back due to the price and route needed. So we need only be a better product than The other low cost carriers. While I have not flown on any of them I can’t imagine it to be that much worse an experience. So our managers are doing a fantastic job keeping us just a touch better than the bottom. Just imagine if they put this much effort into being good.
Our philosophy seems to be customers (merely numbers/not human) will come back due to the price and route needed. So we need only be a better product than The other low cost carriers. While I have not flown on any of them I can’t imagine it to be that much worse an experience. So our managers are doing a fantastic job keeping us just a touch better than the bottom. Just imagine if they put this much effort into being good.
I wouldn't buy a TV for an unreliable car, I would get it reliable. They need to spend their TV money on beating Delta's A14 and cancellations, then when the house is in order, talk about TVs.
10-08-2019, 07:43 AM
#66
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2014
Posts: 480
I personally really enjoy the seatback tv. I don’t wanna hold my phone all flight and for me when I prop it or my iPad on the tray table looking down to watch it usually makes my neck start hurting. Also I enjoy being able to text and do other things on my phone while I’m watching something. While most people do have a personal device to watch stuff on, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a family of 4 with 4 iPads...
10-08-2019, 07:58 AM
#67
Gets Summer Off
Joined APC: May 2009
Position: AA
Posts: 667
Originally Posted by WakeWash
I personally really enjoy the seatback tv. I don’t wanna hold my phone all flight and for me when I prop it or my iPad on the tray table looking down to watch it usually makes my neck start hurting. Also I enjoy being able to text and do other things on my phone while I’m watching something. While most people do have a personal device to watch stuff on, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a family of 4 with 4 iPads...
Also it’s impressive that the whole discussion of what ails AA has been distilled down to whether or not we have an IFE system.
10-08-2019, 09:57 AM
#69
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,094
A good place to get a read on how business travelers think is Flyertalk.com. Here is a recent post:
One striking thing I find is the lack of negative threads under the Delta forum and the magnitude of negative threads under the AA one.
I think (at least on FT) there are 2 issues. First, is the operational reliability of AA and it's ability to recover from (usually from external forces) IRROPS. This impacts all flyers. The $10K FL suite might be nice but what good does it do if that CK/EXP/Premium paid flyer constantly arrives late and therefore creates headaches for the flyer that AA needs most. This is probably one of the biggest drivers of AA's lackluster financial performance compared to it's 2 major peers. Not to mention it leaves front line employees de-moralized constantly taking the blame and flak from angry and frustrated flyers.
The second is the "flyer experience." Admittedly Parker has not totally neglected the bread and butter business traveler. ACs have been updated and food enhancements made (albeit many would argue a number of major cities still lack an AC). The International J seat is very competitive. He's put money into FLs. On the flip side, the Oasis project produced an inferior domestic F product while the number of SWUs earned from achieving EXP (now requiring $15K EQDs per year) has gone from 8 to 4.
The jamming of more seats into planes a la the ULCC business model is happening everywhere. DL did a little bait and switch by promoting their AVOD while they were cramming more seats into their planes. The US3 have introduced BE fares and other smaller carriers have followed suit or plan to do so. The jamming of adults into a seat made for an eight year old isn't going away, neither are the wide array of fees. And therefore the mixed business model will live on.
An effective leader can address Issue Number 1. Issue 2 is the state of the airline business, as sad as it's become. The thing about Parker is that he doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency with curing what ails AA's financial and operational performance. There's no publicly announced plan to effect change. Yes he can blame the unions and Boeing for the Max but in the end he and his team are paid to deliver comparable if not better performance than like peers.
The second is the "flyer experience." Admittedly Parker has not totally neglected the bread and butter business traveler. ACs have been updated and food enhancements made (albeit many would argue a number of major cities still lack an AC). The International J seat is very competitive. He's put money into FLs. On the flip side, the Oasis project produced an inferior domestic F product while the number of SWUs earned from achieving EXP (now requiring $15K EQDs per year) has gone from 8 to 4.
The jamming of more seats into planes a la the ULCC business model is happening everywhere. DL did a little bait and switch by promoting their AVOD while they were cramming more seats into their planes. The US3 have introduced BE fares and other smaller carriers have followed suit or plan to do so. The jamming of adults into a seat made for an eight year old isn't going away, neither are the wide array of fees. And therefore the mixed business model will live on.
An effective leader can address Issue Number 1. Issue 2 is the state of the airline business, as sad as it's become. The thing about Parker is that he doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency with curing what ails AA's financial and operational performance. There's no publicly announced plan to effect change. Yes he can blame the unions and Boeing for the Max but in the end he and his team are paid to deliver comparable if not better performance than like peers.
10-08-2019, 09:59 AM
#70
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,764
Originally Posted by aa73
...
That’s why, for example, if a flight is in danger of cancelling due to lack of crew, Delta will go to great lengths to get it crewed using Green Slips, etc... whereas AA would rather DH reserve crews across the country or even cancel in order to prevent from having to pay any extra $$$ to a crew.
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