America West FlightFund (Pre-2005 US Airways merger) - AZ Republic profile of Doug Parker: Man on a Merger Mission

From today's Arizona Republic: (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0918amwest-parker.html)

Man on a merger mission
Caffeine, catnaps fueling AmWest CEO's frenzied quest

Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic

When he returned to his hotel room late Wednesday after dinner with Pittsburgh power brokers, Doug Parker turned on the Arizona Diamondbacks game and set his alarm for 5:30 a.m.

The CEO of America West Airlines wanted to get up early to work off the three-course meal and mouthwatering macaroons they served at the historic Duquesne Club.

The buzzer went off, but Parker didn't lace up his white-and-orange Saucony running shoes. He crawled back into bed for an hour.

Parker can be excused for hitting the snooze button. America West's pending merger with US Airways has turned him into a traveling salesman with a singular mission: Pitching the benefits of the deal.

The 43-year-old executive, who usually tries to be away from home no more than a few times a month for a night or two at most, has crisscrossed the country this summer to meet with employees, business and political leaders, analysts and the media - sometimes in one trip.

Last week saw him jetting from Tempe to New York City to Pittsburgh and back between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night.

He's seen enough in-flight movies to give Monster-in-Law more stars than XXX: State of the Union and has a new appreciation for America West's frequent fliers.

Parker has had cause to run non-stop. He engineered the merger and will lead the new US Airways, a company with more than double the employees of America West and close to five times the annual revenue. It is the biggest bet of his career, a merger that promises to change forever what is normal for Parker. . .(More) (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0918amwest-parker.html)

thanks great read!!!!!!

Parker has it easy doesn't he? I'd love to have any week as easy as what was laid out in the article.

No wonder the guy has no clue what FF business people value. :rolleyes:

Parker has it easy doesn't he? I'd love to have any week as easy as what was laid out in the article.

No wonder the guy has no clue what FF business people value. :rolleyes:

:D

I was thinking the same thing when I read it. That's a pretty easy travel schedule. I just took it as being written by someone that has never had a truly difficult travel schedule though, no big deal. He should try always flying overnight through LAS when possible so he can spend more time with his family like I do. I still manage to get to work on Monday morning and work all day. ;)

Parker has it easy doesn't he? I'd love to have any week as easy as what was laid out in the article.

That's so funny -- I had exactly the same thought. For him, it was a brutal schedule. For many here, it would be a relatively relaxing week.

It's too bad he didn't need to use his battery-drained laptop somewhere along the way! :D

That's so funny -- I had exactly the same thought. For him, it was a brutal schedule. For many here, it would be a relatively relaxing week.

It's too bad he didn't need to use his battery-drained laptop somewhere along the way! :D
I was noticing that too. He gets to sleep while flying and doesn't have to depend on batteries for his laptop to keep billable...he was prolly flying and wondering...why do they (FFers) need power ports to sleep??? :)

Lance

Think Parker has to call HP a day before his flights to get his upgrades manually cleared like I have to?

Think Parker has to call HP a day before his flights to get his upgrades manually cleared like I have to?

Probably not quite the same you way you have to. ;)

I'd like to hear him comment on the hockey-breadsticks :)

It would be interesting to sit next to him on a plane. I'd figure out a plan to get the most constructive conversation with him for the duration of the flight to ensure I would bring back lots of excellent info back to FT.

Think Parker has to call HP a day before his flights to get his upgrades manually cleared like I have to?

I wonder if DP has ever sat in Y for more than an hour long flight. Has he ever flown in HP's Y cabin at all?

I'd figure out a plan to get the most constructive conversation with him for the duration of the flight to ensure I would bring back lots of excellent info back to FT.

You probably woulnd't get far if you started out with the hockey stick comment. :D

I wonder if DP has ever sat in Y for more than an hour long flight. Has he ever flown in HP's Y cabin at all?

Yes he has! When DP flies on company business he is always in first, unless a last minute trip comes up and first is sold out. I have seen him on flights with his family and they are all in coach. He is a very down to earth person and will be a great leader for US.

Yes he has! When DP flies on company business he is always in first, unless a last minute trip comes up and first is sold out. I have seen him on flights with his family and they are all in coach. He is a very down to earth person and will be a great leader for US.
Yes he is pretty neat. I talked to him in TUS a while back when he came down to Raytheon. He was very nice...a little quiet but personable none-the-less.