Rumor control
 

United brethren,

On the Cal forums there is a silly rumor starting that Smisek was on a UA flight deck and started spouting off some really anti-pilot stuff.
I don't want to repeat because it seems as a rumor and I want to crush it now. One quote was shrinking Den by 60%. I put this out just to make sure we are talking the same rumor.

Can any of you UA guys confirm this as false or truth? Prefer no friend of uncle's goat stuff.

Sounds about right, anywhere SWA starts flying UA runs! But seriously, management will pit labor against labor, if we let them.

Why? Delta pushed back in SLC, and NWA pushed back in MSP. Imma looking forward to the Battle Royale coming in ATL. Clark Howard can go suck an egg.

"rumor control" -- an oxymoron

Wish I could tell you "why", although look at UA history for the past decade - Shuttle by United, Ted, and now Denver and the west coast. Much of that flying has been outsourced, but passengers are savvy enough to preference a SWA 737 over an RJ in these markets.

Ok then rumor confirmation or destruction. I just want to stop the stupidity as quick as possible.

Based on his history, this doesn't sound like rumor at all. Heard from a DEN commuter that he even mentioned a couple months ago that DEN might not remain a hub. CAL likes to run. They don't even put up a token fight on anything. RJs everywhere other airlines are running MD80s, 737s, or bigger planes. With SW and Frontier in DEN I am not hopeful the new United will continue to put up any fight at all. Then again, I could be wrong. Redwood starts flying to ORD and all of a sudden we sweeten the pot for our frequent fliers to SFO/LAX.

A flight attendant told me the same thing. Must be true. I find any story starting with "So and So came to the cockpit and said ........" very suspect.

DEN is already a ghost-town :(

I flew in there today and they were using 25 for departure, with a line up of 25 (which I actually counted).

I saw 5 Southwest, 4 United and untold numbers of Skywest, Republic and Great Lakes.

Awesome.

I can't wait until Age 65 hits and we hire a lot of those regional pilots. I came over 5 years ago and know how important scope is - they will too.

No doubt. With the new United having a significant hub presence on the east, west, north and south borders of the US, the future of DEN as a hub is probably already determined somewhere in the halls of Willis Tower.

Additionally, the two guys running marketing and flight ops respectively (Jim Compton and Fred Abbott) have never been shy about optimizing segments, equipment and routing. Out of IAH, we've been doing DEN-SEA, DEN-FLL, and DEN-EWR for a month or so in 737-800/900 equipment. There may be other hub segments through DEN. I'm just not aware of them.

When one additionally considers that legacy carriers have been ceding domestic market share to low fare/small jet carriers for years, the future of DEN will probably not be as one remembers the past, unfortunately.

Why hire those guys? Just contract for more RJ flying and they can stay there!

Plus they would have to give up too much in pay and seniority.

So copy this post down and put it in your wallet 'cuz I'll bet you 3 beers and a dinner that come 2015 Denver will still be a hub for 3 reasons:

1) UAL invested billions and the payoff doesn't work unless you stay.
2) SWA and Frontier are VERY active in that market
3) As UAL controls more than 80% market share the yields are good.

So like I said take this post and copy it and if we fly together in 2015 and I'm wrong dinner and drinks are on me ;)

Joe Peck
UAL IADFO-76/75

It may still be a hub, I don't disagree with that. It just might lack the "gravitas" that it has had in the past...especially if we consider your number 2 and the "full compass" US coast influence the new United now has.

I'll buy no matter the outcome. It'll have to be earlier than 2015 though...I'm already "gummin" and 2015 is closer to 70 than 60. Ditto;)

I'd tend to agree, especially since Frontier is bleeding money right now and they are already mentioning "efficiency initiatives" to turn around the operation. Bedford's great experiment is going to come at the cost to the employees.