Originally Posted by
UA-NYC
You think I'm referring to the "integration", but I'm actually referring to business processes & strategic decisions mainly.
"Integration" is mostly complete from the passenger POV (except for that pesky pilot/FA, etc. thing). SHARES still stinks of course, but at least things are directionally better (miles posting, TODs maybe dropping off, call times down, etc.)
However, I do think it is "business as usual" when it comes to their business practices - elite levels have been compressed, they're doing their best to dismantle 1K, "loyalty" is valued much less than before, they'll do everything to sell the smallest benefits, etc.
The merger isn't a "failure" - they've merged, mostly successfully. My point remains (as does the poster I was replying to and agreeing with) that they could have truly made it a leading global airline, but their strategy instead appears to make it just a really big one. I think many of us wanted to fly PMUA; we're more now resigned to flying COdbaUA (or slowly/quickly moving away from it).
No, I think you're missing the point completely. "Business practices" for the new airline barely exist yet. They have cobbled together a mixture of processes from the two merged companies and are working under those at the moment. A medium and long term strategy includes revisiting those processes after the dust has settled and look at their efficiency, areas for improvement, etc. Are you suggesting that has already happened? It certainly doesn't seem to have.
A great example is the announcement a few days ago about the revised strategy for aircraft retirement and the maintenance tweaks to improve reliability. You can't address items like that while you're in the integration process - you go with what you have, and then afterwards take a step back and look at what you want as a longer term strategy.
I think the only area where we have a different opinion is that I don't believe much of that type of decision has been made, or announced yet, whereas you're looking at the placeholder business processes and determining that you don't like what you see.
The very fact that you call it COdbaUA indicates that you've made a judgement on what you see the airline operating as, and are assuming that's what you're stuck with.