Too many seats in the market
#11
Whenever the airline industry finds itself in financial distress as it is today, airline management always cry out the words "too many seats in the market." It is nearly impossible to compete in a market in which your competition is some how subsidized by ways that other competitors are not privy to. The rules of international air commerce are always in a state of change, but you can be assured they are not going to be changed in favor of a U.S. publicly owned airline.
As pilots we all want to fly the biggest, highest paid, and glamorous jets. We want to go to the most exotic destinations and stay downtown in the hotels where the rich and famous stay in. And, we only want to do it 9 days a month.
Just like in 1941 the days of the big Battleships were coming to an end. It was the dawn of the Aircraft Carrier that carried a lot of small fighter airplanes. The Japanese (not the Germans) attack on Pearl Harbor made the Battleships obsolete. Today, this virus attack will make the big WB airplanes obsolete. If you have a market that has 500 passengers a day, rather than run 1 airplane you are better of running 2 smaller airplanes on that route. Our customers now have a choice of 2 departure times, and if one flight is cancelled you only ****ed off half as many passengers and only have to pay for half as many hotel rooms. Oh!, and the airline is going to need more pilots.
Over 25 years ago there was an airline management duo that came up with a "Go Forward Plan." Yes, they were the guys that ran the only legacy airline that didn't go BK after 911.
The Go Forward Plan had these four cornerstones.
) Make Reliability a Reality
) Fly to Win
) Fund the Future
) Treat each other with Dignity and Respect
It worked then and took an airline from worst to first. Would it work today? Maybe, but what we are doing now sure doesn't look good.
Now is the time to fund the future for the FNG's. Ditch the old, obsolete, unreliable WB fleet today. Pay the old Pilots enough cash today so that they leave UAL payroll. UAL and ALPA is killing this airline slowly "by death from a thousand cuts."
Fly Safe and do the right thing.
As pilots we all want to fly the biggest, highest paid, and glamorous jets. We want to go to the most exotic destinations and stay downtown in the hotels where the rich and famous stay in. And, we only want to do it 9 days a month.
Just like in 1941 the days of the big Battleships were coming to an end. It was the dawn of the Aircraft Carrier that carried a lot of small fighter airplanes. The Japanese (not the Germans) attack on Pearl Harbor made the Battleships obsolete. Today, this virus attack will make the big WB airplanes obsolete. If you have a market that has 500 passengers a day, rather than run 1 airplane you are better of running 2 smaller airplanes on that route. Our customers now have a choice of 2 departure times, and if one flight is cancelled you only ****ed off half as many passengers and only have to pay for half as many hotel rooms. Oh!, and the airline is going to need more pilots.
Over 25 years ago there was an airline management duo that came up with a "Go Forward Plan." Yes, they were the guys that ran the only legacy airline that didn't go BK after 911.
The Go Forward Plan had these four cornerstones.
) Make Reliability a Reality
) Fly to Win
) Fund the Future
) Treat each other with Dignity and Respect
It worked then and took an airline from worst to first. Would it work today? Maybe, but what we are doing now sure doesn't look good.
Now is the time to fund the future for the FNG's. Ditch the old, obsolete, unreliable WB fleet today. Pay the old Pilots enough cash today so that they leave UAL payroll. UAL and ALPA is killing this airline slowly "by death from a thousand cuts."
Fly Safe and do the right thing.
Solid post. Dunno why anyone is busting chops with decent content. Enjoy a virtual drink on me! Btw- I’d still like about a dozen big bada$$ battleships.
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2019
Posts: 472
Whenever the airline industry finds itself in financial distress as it is today, airline management always cry out the words "too many seats in the market." It is nearly impossible to compete in a market in which your competition is some how subsidized by ways that other competitors are not privy to. The rules of international air commerce are always in a state of change, but you can be assured they are not going to be changed in favor of a U.S. publicly owned airline.
As pilots we all want to fly the biggest, highest paid, and glamorous jets. We want to go to the most exotic destinations and stay downtown in the hotels where the rich and famous stay in. And, we only want to do it 9 days a month.
Just like in 1941 the days of the big Battleships were coming to an end. It was the dawn of the Aircraft Carrier that carried a lot of small fighter airplanes. The Japanese (not the Germans) attack on Pearl Harbor made the Battleships obsolete. Today, this virus attack will make the big WB airplanes obsolete.
As pilots we all want to fly the biggest, highest paid, and glamorous jets. We want to go to the most exotic destinations and stay downtown in the hotels where the rich and famous stay in. And, we only want to do it 9 days a month.
Just like in 1941 the days of the big Battleships were coming to an end. It was the dawn of the Aircraft Carrier that carried a lot of small fighter airplanes. The Japanese (not the Germans) attack on Pearl Harbor made the Battleships obsolete. Today, this virus attack will make the big WB airplanes obsolete.
Battleships became irrelavent because of technological change and over the himorozon capability.
People are still going to travel.
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2013
Position: 737/FO
Posts: 195
People are still going to WANT to travel. The questions unknown now and for some time to come is will they? Will they drive to national parks and family/friends for vacation or fly to Cancun? Will companies embrace telework/teleconferencing? Or will companies still see the need/value of a face-to-face office call? All this is speculation and TBD. I’m in the bottom 20% and the best advice I’ve seen repeated over and again is use this time to prepare a plan B for Oct 1st. Hell I’d say it’s most likely my plan A and staying on property is plan B.
#17
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Dec 2019
Position: B787 CA
Posts: 20
Wow, that sounds great! Any chance we could get rid of domestic crew meals for a while and offer to DH across the ocean in coach “if 1st class is booked full” and heck, while we are at it, take a row in coach for crew rest for a couple of years “to help the company sell revenue up front”! No thanks. I did that once and won’t do so again. I hope your post was in jest. If not, go *widebody*
You sound like one of my junior FO's flying to the UK on the 757 out of Newark. If you were in fact there then you knew how hard it was to vote on whether to go BK like all the other airlines, or be like SWA and take big concessions and keep hiring. Well, we did what we did! We kept our frozen pensions, took more airplanes, stayed out of BK court, and kept you from hitting the street. Aren't we lucky to be here today?
For those of you that hate $cabs. Sorry, I was an early 1987 hire. I grew up under an ALPA contract family. My Uncles rised me and yes I walked the picket lines with them. How many of you hired here in the last 25 years even seen a pick line? Let alone joined one.
Guys, this is going to get real ugly! We have to stick together. There is going to be massive airplanes and jobs leave the industry and it will be many years to get back to where we were 45 days ago. This industry has always eaten it's young. Maybe we should do it different this time. Retire the old to save the young, and move forward.
Pass it on
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2019
Posts: 472
People are still going to WANT to travel. The questions unknown now and for some time to come is will they? Will they drive to national parks and family/friends for vacation or fly to Cancun? Will companies embrace telework/teleconferencing? Or will companies still see the need/value of a face-to-face office call? All this is speculation and TBD. I’m in the bottom 20% and the best advice I’ve seen repeated over and again is use this time to prepare a plan B for Oct 1st. Hell I’d say it’s most likely my plan A and staying on property is plan B.
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