planeluvr

But that is not what you posted.

Captain Flush

Well, perhaps, but your original argument was effectively that advertising inflight is the only way to avoid $3,000 fares and limited competition on routes. That suggests that advertising has a causal effect on competition, in that US putting ads on tray tables keeps other carriers in business and competing head-to-head with US. I think the point you're driving at is that if a particular airline would fold without a given cost-cutting measure in place--in this case, tray table advertising--having that carrier disappear would decrease competition on its (former) routes and lead other carriers to jack up prices. While I see your point, I still think it's a bit of a quantum leap to go from a tray table advertisement to decreased competition and a $3,000 fare.

And while part of me agrees that tray-table advertisements aren't that big of a deal, I still remember the feeling I got the first time I saw an ad on a US tray table in Y . . . and it wasn't a pleasant one. Not too pleased about the prospect of having them pop up in F.

Captain Flush

If someone told me that placing advertisements on tray tables was the missing piece of the puzzle in terms of getting back some frequent flyer benefits, I'd give the ads a hearty ^ ^ ^ . But for some reason I'm just not convinced that the reason Tempe has chipped away at elite FF benefits is because they've been waiting for increased revenue from tray table advertisements in F.

Bobster

I look at the ads in the inflght magazine and Sky Mall catalog trying to find something that interests me. But I ingored the ad on the tray table. So how does this one extra ad generate more revenue that the magazine and catalog? There isn't much reason to pull down the tray table when there's no food, and if there is food the tray table is covered up by the tray (duh!) so you can't see the ad. I don't get it. The ad should be on the food tray.

trvlr64

Brand Connections, the New York marketing company that provides the laminated tray table ads for US Airways, plans to expand the ads to first-class seats, starting this spring


Well both TEMPE and BRAND CONNECTIONS will be getting a lot of packages from me when I start ripping the tray table ads off and mailing them back to them.

Add another LOW CLASS feature to this airline......or subway train in the sky.

Keep it up Dougy. You've taken a "world class carrier" and turning it into crap. But hey, you've made yourself and Wall Street a lot of money. Or have you?

FrequentHopper

It's part of what I posted. There's no simplistic "single issue," but if you want nonstop flights from Charlotte to places like San Francisco and London, you're going to be paying high fares for O&D there -- fares that would be even higher if not for other revenue coming in the form of connecting passengers, mileage sales, and yes, in-flight tray-table ad stickers.

FrequentHopper

Much as I am critical of the changes to the FF program, etc., I also have to roll my eyes at the people declaring that Parker has "taken this world class carrier and turned it into crap."

Were you guys flying the same US East that I was flying in 2003 and 2004? You know, the one where when you got on the plane, you always wondered if the carrier would be around to fly you back home later that week?

The one that was literally hours away from shutting down at some points, and flying planes without cleaning them, and getting fined by the FAA for making numerous transatlantic flights without proper engine checks?

Say what you will about Parker's changes and their match with your frequent traveler needs -- but there's absolutely *no* question that without the HP merger, there'd be no US Airways to complain about today.

Honestly, if the tray-table ads are that big a deal, do what I'm considering doing and switch to another carrier who doesn't have them. And if you live in a hub like Charlotte, count your blessings that someone is willing to operate a major hub in a smaller market -- with or without tray-table stickers.

If US was to shut down tomorrow, nobody else would come in to get you a nonstop flight to London or Paducah -- tray-table-ad or no tray-table-ad.

kinglobjaw

Are you actually allowed to rip off these things?

If you do mail them, make sure you use Signature Confirmation/Delivery Confirmation Services.

FrequentHopper

I'm more than willing to bet that ripping them off could get you in serious hot water. In fact, with the new FAA regulations, you could end up in big trouble indeed, depending on how nasty a prosecutor wants to get.

Seriously, if it's that big a deal, book away from US and onto another carrier.

warbo

I'm all for US Airways increasing revenue, and tray table advertising is widespread amongst budget airlines here in Europe. As US positions itself as a more low-cost carrier, I feel this is acceptable.

The difference is that US' business model is a low-cost carrier with amenities such as a FF programme, First Class etc. I do feel if tray table adverts are introduced into First, the product will be unnecessarily cheapened and devalued (still further). If you pay for a First ticket, you should not be confronted with ads everywhere you turn, and certainly not when you lower your table for a meal (if you get one!) I can see how this practice would be OK in coach, but in First.. very tacky.

ClueByFour

US East has a huge (huge) RASM premium to Southwest.

It's the cost side that, despite murdering the employees wages, still sucks. Ads are not going to solve that. The gulf is too great.

DWilliamson5002

How many "world class carriers" are making money in this industry? Last time a checked............NONE unless you consider WN world class...

US is one of the few that is figuring it out, to an extent, how to adapt in this volatile market. Why would you be in business if you were just going to lose money?

FrequentHopper

They aren't going to solve it, but they are going to help.

As for US's ads in first class "cheapening" first class further, have you priced a first class North American itinerary on US Airways recently?

I priced a full-fare first class itinerary with stops in Charlotte, Phoenix, Calgary, New York, Mexico City and San Francisco in full-fare coach and in full-fare First for comparison's sake. The first class "premium" was under $1,200 for the whole busy itinerary.

I doubt anyone's really paying a huge premium for US first. I wouldn't do it personally, but my employer might if it's on a very long flight (such as Calgary to Mexico City).

ClueByFour

Hours from shutting down? Days, at best.

Flying dirty planes? Check.

Fined by the FAA? I believe they had their ETOPS cut back to 120 minutes for about 6 weeks. It's happened to other people.

One does not beget the other.

Parker is a brilliant finance guy. He can't run an airline. He convinced other people to finance the buyout of a high RASM carrier whose CASM had just been slaughtered in BK. It would have made money had DL bought it. Or UA bought it. Or if someone had bought it and left it alone.

Parker is trying to continue to reduce capacity because he knows that the East revenue premium is going to erode as they HP-ify the East operation. People on the shuttle, for instance, are not going to look at tray table crap and have nowhere to hang their coat--they are going to roll over to the DL shuttle.

Honestly, if the tray-table ads are that big a deal, do what I'm considering doing and switch to another carrier who doesn't have them. And if you live in a hub like Charlotte, count your blessings that someone is willing to operate a major hub in a smaller market -- with or without tray-table stickers.

Depends upon which city you happen to fly to. Parker's grabbing US and subsequently approaching Delta proves one thing: somebody thinks there is a ton of money to be made on the eastern seaboard.

FrequentHopper

Say what you will about Parker's ability to run an airline, but it's better than the prior US management (and yes, US was hours away from shutdown at a couple of points in the dark days of 2004 -- some of my roundtrip flights to and from Europe on US at that time were real leaps of faith!).

As for the east coast being a bastion of profitable, premium passengers who are willing to pay massive fares in exchange for premium services, I'm sure not seeing it.

I'm seeing Delta losing $2 billion last quarter, US cutting fares (and cheapifying the operation), Continental's growth at EWR focused on international expansion (and pruning domestic operations), and United focusing on connecting IAD to more cities in Asia and South America.

Meanwhile, discount low-fare carriers like Southwest, jetBlue and AirTran are going gangbusters.

If anything, the direction of the industry suggests that easterners *aren't* willing to pay a fare premium when given a choice, unless they're in a smaller market like CLT that wouldn't have the choice if not for a hub. If I was running Delta or US Airways, I'd be busy figuring out how to get my costs and fares down to a competitive level, and planning more international expansion at lower fares (and costs) to prepare for SWA or jetBlue deciding to procure some widebodies and start flying to my European profit centers too.

Now, I'd make sure that folks who *are* still paying a premium (loyal FFs) get better service than they get today, but would I let $12 million in annual revenues from advertising slip through my fingers in order to maintain a pretense as a "premium" carrier? Nope.