AAerSTL

The positive is that they were able to steer LCC through the fuel price run-up, subsequent economic downturn, keep nearly everyone employed (there are still LUS people in certain classifications on furlough, as unlike AA they have lifetime recall rights in the IAM agreement) and were able to orchestrate a merger that increased value to shareholders, offer enhanced job security & industry standard wages for their employees. From that perspective the merger was a success and they delivered. You may not agree, but you should at least be able to understand an alternative point of view that differs from your own.

GNRMatt

Personally, I found US Airways to be a great airline for my needs and the leadership team there did a tremendous job. In all my years of flying them, I never missed a connection or had any major issues. Did I feel like I was being pampered and it was an airline on par with Emirates in terms of service? No (at least not in the airport/plane...but I found their phone agents to actually be quite top-notch). However, I was also comfortable and confident in me getting from A to B in a timely manner. Since the transition, it has been an absolute nightmare at AA. I don't see anything better in terms of the "nice-ness" in flight, and things have just gone straight downhill operationally.

My point being, those that just want to bash the senior team for ruining AA need to look at the fact that this same leadership team actually did a pretty good job with US Airways. I'm just hoping they can turn around what a mess AA is.

rjw242

Yeah, AA stock's been performing like gangbusters....

cmd320

I'm not really sure what you're getting at. I couldn't care less about elite benefits, in fact I don't even retain elite status at AA anymore. I purchase F/J on flights where I want it. I care about two things: product and price. The current management team has proven unable to deliver a product I value hence my disapproval.

no1cub17

And therein lies the rub. LAA and LUS were such fundamentally different airlines. One bare-bones, the other actually served complimentary water. It'll be a minor miracle (or maybe even a major one) if the "new AA" ever reaches it's potential with this leadership team.

beachfan

One down, one to go.

cmd320

Indeed! ^^

AAerSTL

If your primary concern is product honestly none of the US carriers really deliver that, except for VX limited network (while it remains in current form, on paper at least) and B6 Mint. Sure certain elements of AA before the merger were vastly superior to the rest of the US network carriers but let's not kid anyone here. Even the new service aspects and in-flight products set forth by Virasb Vahidi's leadership and Alice Liu's team (she left AA two weeks ago btw) it wasn't on the level of a CX or Gulf carrier nor was it trying to be.

Bottom line is this, as someone purchasing fares and wanting a certain level of product your view and objective of the industry differs from theirs. They run airlines at the end of the day and have for decades; you don't and haven't.

AAerSTL

Guess you haven't wondered through HDQ or heck go most any inflight base for that matter. Even LAA exclusive bases have new LUS inflight management, station management, aircraft maintenance managements its across the board. Tons of LUS managers across the organization have replaced LAA. I don't like it but it is what is.

LtKernelPanic

Indeed. On a recent flight before departure the captain came out to the FC cabin and basically apologized for AA's abysmal performance and (lack there of) customer service as of late.

AANYC1981

They're doing great at inforcing premium cabin service standards :/

cmd320

I agree. That's why I don't fly them outside of where I'm forced to (the US).

Sure it does. They very well may run airlines, but I stand by my assessment that they've done it very poorly, and that this is terrible news for United, which after years of being a garbage dump of an airline, was actually turning around and looking up. Inserting Kirby in there shows the UA board has learned nothing form the $misek era.

DataPlumber

We know, you've said that before along with you avoid AA, etc. I wonder why there is the need to continually drone on and on about it. In practicality few, if no one, gives a damn. I may have spent the last 8 weeks bouncing around UA and DL, and who really cares? [Hint: I most sincerely hope it is no one] If you don't like a product, it is pointless to carry on and on about it. What is your goal in doing so?

ijgordon

Hmm, not sure I buy that -- all of UA's problems over the last 3-4 years are because they added a few domestic hubs and more flights to Asia. ??
I mean, why not just blame it on having to deal with 3-class international flights?

Personally, I think Wall Street is being short-sighted. The sector is still skewed toward hedge fund ownership (and trading). But in fairness, you can have totally different views on strategy depending on what your (investment) time horizon is. I would think most FT'ers skew toward having a longer-term horizon, although given the gutting of the FFPs and elite benefits, more people seem to be switching to free agents (myself included), and so maybe our time horizons here have shortened as well.

LDVFlyer

You are not alone. ^