Another Agonizing Week at United-

"It’s been another bad week to be a United customer. The airline abruptly cancelled more than 300 flights on Saturday, about 250 on Sunday and at least 240 on Monday. Sunday’s cancellations were due in part to bad weather, but the other dropped flights were a result of the airline’s severe crew shortage and its inability to come to contract terms with disgruntled pilots. United’s reaction to its latest woes was typical: an official statement saying management was "agonized by the pain and suffering" inflicted on passengers; off-the-record comments shifting the blame for the airline’s collapse on the pilots; and the pre-emptive cancellation of about 3,900 flights in September and October. And rather than bring management’s full attention to bear on its current service problems, United instead chose to assign at least 20 top executives to a team planning for the proposed merger with USAirways. Leading the transition team? Chris Bowers, senior vice president of North America. He apparently has plenty of extra time on his hands now that United has canceled all those flights."

-Joe B


AND:
The Secretary of Transportation met this morning with top leaders of United Airlines and its pilots union in an effort to resolve the current labor dispute with the pilots.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/busin...ted-slate.html

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 08-11-2000).]