AirTran in Trouble = Paycuts, just what we need??
 

AirTran swings to 2Q loss: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Pay cuts??? As if they are not paid less than everyone as it is...

Earlier this month, AirTran said it wanted to cut its overall employee pay by about 10 percent to help offset soaring fuel prices

And then we will lower ticket prices by 10%!

Fornaro said Tuesday that the airline's mechanics recently voted down the pay cuts related to them. The union representing the airline's pilots has not put it to a vote, he said. About 50 percent of AirTran employees are represented by unions.

Good for the mechanics... hopefully the pilots will learn from them!

Fornaro told The Associated Press that the dissent among some employees regarding pay cuts does not put the company in a jam at this time. He did note, however, that pay cuts are part of the airline's plan to cut costs.

EASTERN???

"Quite frankly, if we are going to ask vendors and partners for concessions, we feel it is important for people at AirTran to (give) some as well," Fornaro said.

Then he went on to say..."How do you expect me to get my raise unless you all bleed?'

Just maybe if AAI had not got greedy in the wake of Delta's cuts in BK from 2001-2005 maybe they would not be in the mess they are in??

Jiffy...

No one cares about Air Tran employees around here like they do if you are a NWA/DAL or AA employee....SWA is a given....That is why there are three threads and no reply's.

Yes, my group at FL rejected the pay cut as did the MX's.....when does the Pilot group vote or report...what is taking so long...

You guys schould follow the lead of your mx guys and to have pax get a cheap ride off the backs of the employees is well just WRONG to say the
least.
Heres a novel idea --Raise fares to break even levels:eek:

Or better yet, raise fares to above break even levels and produce PROFIT!!!

So AirTran now wants you to buy the gas....that is awful nice of them to offer that to you.

Here's a thought.....now it is cutting edge.....outside the box/cube thinking......

CHARGE THE CUSTOMERS!!!

I'm all about squeezing your goose as she lays golden eggs and giving her a comfy place to sit when she's not doing so well.....however....this is ludicrous.

No wait, have the employees pay the airline for the privledge to work there...

Yet another that doesn't understand what's going on...

And what is going on...explain.

Move to the head of the class! :)

SilverandSore, it appears that what is going on is what is commonly referred to as a 'royal shafting', unless I'm missing something. What exactly is going on? Last time I checked, if you had expenses outpacing revenue, you cut costs...and/or charged more for your product.

The answer is no if you ask the guys around here if their willing to take a pay cut. So I'm not to worried about it or the loss they announced. If management wants to cut costs why doesn't our CEO stop giving himself $5 million dollar bonuses. Whatever money they lose in concessions they are taking they get back in bonuses. But what about the real employees. Where are our bonuses?? We have been taking concessions ever since our contract expired. Enough is enough.

don't take cuts.... if management can't manage their money..then Shutter down boys.

A little off the thread, does anyone have the hire date of the most senior Flt Attd on the furlough list. A PM is fine...back to your regularly scheduled program.

FF

The airline industry being profitable......what does that mean????

I think we all know our passengers cant pay for fuel! Next time your boarding up, stand in the doorway and check out some of these individuals getting on the aircraft. Our pax try to steal the XM out of the armrest for god's sake! Now you want them to pay for the services we are providing, you guys are crazy!

You may laugh, but it was a common theme among the regionals in the mid to late nineties.

Discuss......

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the FAs might be safe.


AirTran's pilot buyout falls short, making cuts likely

By KELLY YAMANOUCHI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/01/08

AirTran Airways, which is shrinking its work force as it tries to cope with high fuel costs, said Tuesday it may not have to furlough any flight attendants but that some pilots may have to be let go.

AirTran, which is based in Orlando and has its hub in Atlanta, announced in July that it planned to cut 300 flight attendants and 180 pilots to reduce its annual costs by about $16 million. Employees had until Thursday to apply for a leave of absence or an early-exit package.

AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said the company generated enough requests for leaves — offered to flight attendants — to likely avoid furloughing any of them. But it attracted fewer applications for voluntary exit packages offered to employees with five years of seniority across the company, including pilots.

It offered the exit packages to try to offset furloughs or layoffs. Most of the job cuts will be in Atlanta because all of AirTran's pilots and most of its flight attendants are based here.
The company's exit packages offered extended health and travel benefits but not a cash payout to those with enough seniority at the company, excluding directors and officers. It attracted only a small group of takers.
"We're a fairly young company, so we don't have a lot of high-seniority people," Hutcheson said. "The majority of our employees were hired within the last five years and didn't qualify for the early exit. It generated some interest, and you'll perhaps see two dozen people leave via the early exit program."
AirTran, which has about 8,900 employees, said it would furlough or lay off workers Sept. 6 to meet its targeted job cuts.

This is about the stupidest statement that I`ve seen reciently. It brings back memories of Charlie Bryant, head of the ground workers at Eastern Airlines. The day after Eastern declared chapter 7 bankruptsy, Charlie`s picture appeared in the Atlanta newspaper (and probably others) holding a sign declaring.... "We Won!".

So at what point does the employee stop being used as the instrument to subsidize passenger fares????...If your product doesn't warrant asking more of the customer then maybe you need to take another look instead of devaluing you employees efforts, after all it takes employees to get customers..

Also Air Tran President Fannaro said they needed pay cuts so they could have a bargaining chip with vendors to get concessions.....well they certainly were not going to go to the fuel company's and ask them to lower fuel cost.....

I say ask the pax to pay their fare share and let the chips fall where they may.

The situation at AirTran is not a "cult of personality" issue like Borman vs. Bryant.

It's management not acting in good faith with ALL the employee groups (union and non-union). The employee position at AirTran is simple. We are telling management if you need higher revenue then you need to get it from passengers not workers.

Matt,

A-M-E-N.

Could not agree with you more after flying at 4 passenger airlines before Brown.

FF

Remember that you are UNDER PAID. That means ask for a raise, not take a pay cut.

That about sums it up!

I agree! Good luck folks, hope things improve really soon...

Airtran guys:

Tell Fornaro and Kolski to go F themselves. Full Pay To The Last Day!

We pretty much did that

So I take it you don't work there... It's easy to say if it isn't YOUR livelihood in question. Pretty selfish..

Good luck to all the guys at AirTran.

should have voted in the contract. joke

I work there and totally agree with EFIScompmon. I will not vote for a pay cut. If they can't manage their money, then "shutter down".

But, they are the best management team in the business (self-proclaimed by Mr. Kolski) so pay cuts shouldn't be a necessity since they are the best, right?

Pay cuts WILL NOT keep people on property, PERIOD! With the cost of goods and services going up across the board, why should I take a pay CUT? My gas and groceries are still going up, how are they more affordable with a pay cut?

Just curious

Our management team probably is the best in the industry when it comes to stupidity and how poorly they think of us and treat us. It's a NO for my vote!

Managements inability to generate revenue and effectively hedge fuel is not my problem.

I agree! It is much easier to get a poorly paying job as a pilot than a multi-million dollar one as an airline executive these days. I can replace my $56K/year easier than Mr. F and K can replace their yearly millions.

If NO means the doors get locked, then I vote NO.

A little off topic. I find it interesting that since the petition to amend the constitution and bylaws came out the union message board has been down for repair.

Huh, how convenient. Maybe, the BOD is negotiating with management to see how much of a bonus they (the BOD) can get by forcing the pay cuts down our throat?

just a thought.

I am not paranoid, everyone is just out to get me!

Let them force whatever they want to. We voted out one BOD already why not two?

Actually, we voted out 2 already, this would make 3.

At what point will it become obvious that we are not capable of managing our own affairs?

Yeah, I'm angry. We have our hands full with mgmt and now the NPA shuts down the forum to silence the dissidents.

The forum was quickly becoming a popular way for the pilot group to exchange information, and in my opinion, build unity. It just wasn't unity in the direction the NPA BOD wanted.

I thought the exact same thing. I rarely post but find it to be the only consistent source of information these days. Since our communication committee is DOA.

O

It is back up as of Monday night......

BEST OF LUCK guys....

I wish everyone could follow my lead and quit this industry! I quit XJT for exactly this same reason - the union & mgt proposing 5% wage cuts, deductions from my retirement matching, and stagnated wages for the next 3-5 years (no upgrades). It wasn't responsible to continue making 30K a year until I was 40 years old. XJT was good times and a good company.... but even as one of the best regionals out there, they fail to pay a reasonable wage as do many "majors".

YOU CAN'T TAKE PAY CUTS - HISTORICALLY THERE IS NO SNAP-BACK OR RESTORATION OF PAY/BENEFITS. IT IS A ONE WAY STREET.

I signed the paperwork today with CBP, I'm a free man!