Midwest Airlines Midwest Miles - The Simple Truth is Everybody Got Screwed

Midwest committed the biggest sin of all. It provided a better product, for less. They were an endangered species from that point on. Self serving executives sold out to investors whose only goal was to shut the thing down. And people wonder why the country is in the shape it is. The many very fine employees I encountered during my occasional use of the airline, clearly deserved better. Milwaukee residents should vote with their feet.

Puleeze. Those same "self serving executives" built the airline. They gave all those very fine employees their jobs to begin with. They came up with the idea of better service at lower prices and got the 717's for all those employees to fly around. They bought even more MD-80's so they could hire even more fine employees. If anything, manaagement's mistake was getting a bunch of nice planes that they could not afford to fly for what they were trying to do.

The executives did "sell out." But, that was forced by airTran and its hostile takeover attempt. And if you think airTran really, really cared more for the employees than Midwest--than think again. And when things got even worse and the airline needed concessions, the unions balked. The union representing all the fine employees. Still balking and now are out of jobs.

Everyone in life deserves better, but it does not mean you will get better. Maybe it just didn't work no matter how hard any--or all--the employees tried.

I vote with my feet. I fly the airline as much as possible on its non-stop routes. If you want the fine employees to ever have their jobs back again, you would too.

They do not care what happened to the over 3,000 "Midwest" and Skyway employees or their families. What people care about is price and product. With Southwest and Airtran matching price and expanding non-stops out of Milwaukee with a superior product, the Republic experiment will not last long. Do not under estimate the number of customers that will book away from "Midwest", because it only takes one flight to figure out the bait and switch tactics Republic is using. Then figure in the customers who actually cares about the plight of the real Midwest employees and you can see how toxic the "Midwest" brand will become. The days customers paid a premium to fly on "Midwest are over. The Republic sales people should attend a networking event in the Milwaukee area. They will run across the growing number of small business people including myself who book away from "Midwest". I care who I do business with.

Huh??? If the new Midwest has a price and product that works best for me, and I book them because of that, I lack human decency??? If I now fly the airline, I do not care what happened to the old employees???

... And when things got even worse and the airline needed concessions, the unions balked. The union representing all the fine employees. Still balking and now are out of jobs.

Everyone in life deserves better, but it does not mean you will get better. Maybe it just didn't work no matter how hard any--or all--the employees tried.

To be sure not every American executive is unethical, nor is every American company is unethical.

Too often unions are treated as speedbumps to greedy exceutives lining their pockets. IMO lot of the decline can be traced to leveraged buy-outs and takeover firms.

The Midwest saga is very sad and yet another chapter in Amercian corporations post millenia.

To be sure not every American executive is unethical, nor is every American company is unethical.

Too often unions are treated as speedbumps to greedy exceutives lining their pockets. IMO lot of the decline can be traced to leveraged buy-outs and takeover firms.

The Midwest saga is very sad and yet another chapter in Amercian corporations post millenia.

I agree with this. those who were financing airTran's takeover attempt were not thinking of the good employees of Milwaukee. Nor, I believe, was TPG.

All were thinking of making a profit. That is why these businesses exist.

They will run across the growing number of small business people including myself who book away from "Midwest". I care who I do business with.

You wax poetic about Midwest employees but you don't care about Republic employees? Are those people not worth as much?

It's water under the bridge, now, but I personally think AirTran was sincere. At the time, they needed more 717's, and it would have been cheaper to get them that way (Boeing had killed off the type, so it didn't compete with new versions of the 737, thus they couldn't be bought new). My guess is that flight crews would have been kept. My further guess is that NWA, at that point, made the decision to get control, and blunt AirTran, which was threatening their high fare, low service operation. TPG provided cover, so the regulators could look the other way, and senior management went along, for obvious reasons. Thus, the original shareholders, the employees, and by extension, Milwaukee area air travelers, all got screwed.:)

The YX we knew and loved has been dead for many years. While certainly Tim protected his hiney, it's difficult to tell whether he was a willing accomplice in its demise or another victim. YX was essentially killed off the moment is strayed from its core values and service.

That said, I believe there is a place for Republic to rebuild but it may be too late.

The E190 and E170 had potential to revive the old YX -- leather seats, two across (albeit a bit smaller) for everyone. Chef catered meals which could be purchased with the ticket. No baggage fees. Flexible change options. Outstanding customer service.

I think Republic could counter the LCC's by offering reasonable fares with a meal purchase option and exceptional service. Would you rather fly cattle car Southwest or your hometown airline, etc.?

Career employees, no baggage fees, 32-33 inch leg room. Southwest is no cattle car. "Midwest", carpet bagger employees, 31 inch leg room, and baggage fees.

News flash, "Midwest Airlines" is not based in Milwaukee anymore and will not be an airline with the return of the last real "Midwest" airplanes and operating certificate. The only thing that will remain of "Midwest Airlines" is a severly diluted brand name and the blue paint on the Republic regional jets. Milwaukee has no hometown airline anymore.

Career employees, no baggage fees, 32-33 inch leg room. Southwest is no cattle car. "Midwest", carpet bagger employees, 31 inch leg room, and baggage fees.

News flash, "Midwest Airlines" is not based in Milwaukee anymore and will not be an airline with the return of the last real "Midwest" airplanes and operating certificate. The only thing that will remain of "Midwest Airlines" is a severly diluted brand name and the blue paint on the Republic regional jets. Milwaukee has no hometown airline anymore.

+10^