Reducing block hours at this point of the business cycle doesn't make sense. Load factors are about as high as they can get and Delta's growing ASMs at a 5% annual pace. I haven't bothered looking at American due to merger integration. All of the smaller airlines are growing like weeds.

Anyone attend the town hall meeting in ORD today? Just curious if there was anything new on the training center selection or any other exciting rumors to be started...

Not sure what his authority is in this situation, though he is cut from the Obama mold so I guess acting unilaterally wouldn't be out of the realm. As to specifics, I have none.

how about we talk about our poor customer service rating.

Has anyone read comments on United Facebook page? start there....we have a serious issue and I do not understand why this is not #1 on priority list...

Ok talk about it..........GO !

..but on a new thread, not this one

I challenge the "quality and continuity of training experience" considering that L-UAL instructors are trying to teach newbies how the [predominantly] L-CAL crews operate the 756 out of Newark for European destinations. It's borderline comical to see how the newbies are trained.

I also challenge that a "gargantuan amount of experience" was lost from Houston, as well.

We all know that either training center can teach someone to pass a type-rating ride in a Boeing, to the new United SOP, but it's all the personal little things that are way different. I've seen L-UAL Check Airman with IOE newbies that looked nearly as lost as their newbie-counterpart trying to operate the L-CAL fleet over the Atlantic to a destination they may have only seen once, if at all.

I would also make the statement, that if the shoe were on the other foot, and all training was being done in Houston, that a L-CAL instructor wouldn't teach the A-320 nearly as effectively as a L-UAL instructor, simply due to experience on the airframe.

Congratulations on going down the L vs. L road.

Nothing you said was incorrect, but merely unnecessary, as it was the obvious. I made only operational points with regard to the group as a WHOLE.

The whole point is to MINIMIZE the upheaval. By going to ORD, it maximizes this. IAH, a bit less so. Of the three choices, DEN minimizes this as I'm quite sure the FEWEST new instructors will be needed at that location. I think we all want something more than just passing a check ride, don't we?

A modernized version of tk with a cafeteria/restaurants in walking distance. A quality hotel that has restaurants and other entertainment nearby.

....and bring back the Ham Lee picture.