Originally Posted by Old UCAL CA

You are correct in your assessment. However, it does go deeper.

Multiple decades ago, United came up on the short end with regard to a couple of descrimination-type lawsuits. Ever since that time HR has been totally obsessed with the concept of "diversity" (not just "ethnicity," age, gender, etc.) hiring. Unfortunately, it has come at the expense of excellence to the point that this company is steeped in mediocrity.

All airlines have to comply with the same rules. Delta and Southwest just do a better job of diversity hiring and maintaining service industry excellence via personality and hiring skill sets. They do a much better job across many labor classifications.

Two contracts (FA's and Tech) would not turn this place. All that would get would be mediocrity without contract issues. Better hiring will.

Just my humble opinion of course...and it's free.

Originally Posted by full of luv

I think the author would've have retorted that indeed the infrequent traveler is lodging complaints to those websites, but will still fly the cheapest airline the next opportunity.
It's really the high value/corporate travelers that he is commenting that had lost faith in UAL mgmt. to make some changes.
They would just change their business and not bother with any complaint websites.
He spent a good chunk of space in the article alone talking about how UAL mgmt. over analyzed the coffee selection, and still made a decision based on cost over quality (their opinion of course).
Since you do everything in your power to make UAL a great airline with top notch piloting skills, I'd think you'd be thrilled if your mgmt. had the same goal instead of just cutting costs to the point where UAL's product is no different than say Frontiers.
I guess you can compete on quality or cost but it's really hard to compete on both.
I hope that Munoz helps lead UAL to greatness. Happy MLK day!

Originally Posted by jetlink

Here's a fundamental difference between pilots like you and I;

I never said anything about my pilot skills, I said; I do my job according to contract with UA. It's obvious, you are a victim of UA ALPA brainwashed indoctrination in Denver TK, or perhaps your parents were telling you that you are a special, one of the kind individual.


"Your management" - well it's OUR management if you work for UA, you are not an independent contractor here; you are operating under the same management as I am. The only difference is that I understand the complexity of managing multilevel corporate network. Average pilot management experience is limited to CA position, and it's far from experience of corporate manager, dealing with complexity of manpower, budget, planning and goals, performance reviews, and yes, corporate politics.

Originally Posted by CousinEddie

The irony is that it is clear that Jeff Smisek would have been an awful airline pilot. The principals of CRM, which have applications in any managerial scenario, were completely alien to his being. He shut down those that questioned him and surrounded himself with yes men and women. This allowed one poor decision after another to be implemented and go unchallenged. The result is that we now work for the weakest major airline in America which will be the most vulnerable to the next industry calamity.

Originally Posted by CousinEddie

The irony is that it is clear that Jeff Smisek would have been an awful airline pilot. The principals of CRM, which have applications in any managerial scenario, were completely alien to his being. He shut down those that questioned him and surrounded himself with yes men and women. This allowed one poor decision after another to be implemented and go unchallenged. The result is that we now work for the weakest major airline in America which will be the most vulnerable to the next industry calamity.