newKnow

Dude,

Do you see that you can't even phrase your proposition without stepping on toes? This will be fun to watch.

mkoffman221

Thanks, Im sure it will be.

III Corps

IF you are going to do a complete study, you're going to have to go back and at least touch on the USAir/PI/PSA mergers to understand a bit more. And the legacy of Colodny/Schofield/Wolf/Seigel, a succession of pathetic CEOs that would have made Olberman's World's Worst.

The rancor generated from that botched deal if converted to energy would make the US energy independent and that doesn't even address the attitude toward ALPA and the dissolution of the pension.

mkoffman221

I do have that in mind. The PSA merger seems to have alot more information as PSA was a popular airline. If anyone knows where I can look for info on Piedmont I would appriciate that.

757upspilot

You could spend a life time on that P&*(K, Wolfe alone. His trail through the airline industry is one of distruction and the infliction of pain. Hope he rots in hell and his children clean toilets in the nine floors.

loungelzrd

Because he goes to ASU, not UNCC.

III Corps

Two sites have some info and the first has a bunch of old Pied-Monsters available. '
JetPiedmont.com || A Tribute to Piedmont Airlines 1948 - 1989 | Official Web Site of The Piedmont Aviation Historical Society

The second has some background.
Piedmont Airlines Barrett’s Book

Piedmont expanded considerably in the 80s adding 727-200s to the fleet along with 767-200ERs for international routes beginning with London. The advertising campaign was 'the up and coming airline'. The airline was airline of the year in 84 or 86 so it too was quite popular.

The problem with the merger was combining three completely different cultures. USAir was typical NE with its dominance in the NE. PSA was anything but a typical east coast carrier (FWIW PSA was studied as a prototype on how to dominate a state with a single carrier, in this case Texas). And Piedmont was a typical southern company. It was a train wreck.

In short order, the USAIr management had abandoned most of the west coast cities previously served by PSA. The marketing dept had completely revised PI's Florida Shuttle which used F-28-1000s. And sold the operating rights from BWI to London to BA.

PI had expanded rapidly in the 80s. USAir had not. The combined seniority list went straight date of hire with NO slotting. It was not uncommon for PI to lose more than 1000+ numbers in the combined list.

The mergers were a prelude to what is happening now between AW and USAirways. And along the way, USAir's ALPA MEC backtracked on a pledge to draw a sign in the land on the pension. That line was washed away fairly easily and the USAir pilots saw their pensions trashed.

Short version.. the USAir guys had been hosed time and time again and they saw, right or wrong (no dog in this fight) the AW-USAir merger as more of the same. Thus 1+1 = ???

mkoffman221

III Corps

Thanks for those links. I will definite look into buying that book and the website not only looks sharp, but is full of information.

III Corps

I once read that trying to merge established companies is like trying to combine tribes. Different policies, procedures, histories, icons, cultures.. it is NOT an easy job and the synergies often touted are not realized. Instead of 1+1=3 it is often 1+1= <1.

Lots of visionaries along the way and more than a few plodders. (FWIW, the difference between a visionary and a leader is a visionary keeps the plans mostly covered. A leader tells everyone what the goal is.)

Beavais at America West and he took them through, what... 2 bankruptcies before heading off. At USAir there was Colodny and Schofield, certainly not leaders. Wolf never worked at an airline that he didn't leave in shambles after walking off with tons of money. Seigel continued the wrecking ball and later went to Gate Gourmet where he treated the employees so badly British Airways terminated their catering contract early with penalty rather than continuing business with "Davy".

PI was a fun place to work. Really. And the PSA guys absolutely loved the life in California.

all4114all

Seabury Group | Seabury Completes Financial Role in US Airways Restructuring/Merger with America West Airlines