Fly with Larry?
 

Okay...I admit it...I am Continental Geek and think that it would be fun to fly on the same aircraft as Larry Kellner, Continental CEO. I could ask him questions that I didn't have time to at the recent DO Event. I heard that he travels from IAH to SNA often. Since I live out in southern cal, it might be possible, eventually. Has anyone flown on the same flight as Larry?

He used to fly SNA-IAH regularly on Monday mornings (I think), not sure if he still does.

Two years ago I flew in first class with him, IAH-EWR.
We both had aisle seats.
I sat across and 1 row behind him.

Just before the welcome video started I suggest to the FA that since LK was here he could do it person. He thought that was funny.

He spent the flight first reading the WSJ, then working on his laptop (some Excel spreasheet).

I've never flown with Larry, but I flew with Gordon a number of times. I never saw him working on any Excel projects. He seemed to spend most of his time with the FA's. :D

Gordon chats with f/a's and Larry spends his time on Excel.

That's about the best, most succinct comparison of these two I have ever read.

yep but one can get to 'jiggy' with the FAs too :D

The point is Gordon was an awesome people person and that made him a spectacular leader.

Larry is brilliant mind. He understands numbers, RM, LF's, CASM, RASM, etc. better than anyone else. That's why he was such a great CFO.

Mind you, for an accountant, he's not bad. He understands PR, he's got that great smile. But, when push comes to shove, he retreats to Excel instead of working out it with the people.

Gordon always worked it out with the people.

You didn't go all the way and ask Larry himself? Even if he only did the script while standing up in F, the status pax who have seen the video ad nauseum would have one hell of a story to tell.

About 2 years ago, I was on a night flight from IAH-CLE with Larry. He was in an aisle seat in the 'elite section' and I was in my usual 14C. He spent the whole flight in the galleys talking to the FAs. It turned out they had a press conference the next morning in CLE about expansion or something.

It's easy to take something out of context and twist it into a statement validating your agenda.

Larry quietly has built a reputation for having his employees' best interest in mind. He regularly responds to and follows up with concerns voiced by employees in email/voice messages. He has absolutely demonstrated a genuine interest in his people. As much as you'd like to present Larry as aloof and unconcerned with his employees' well-being, this is an outright falsity.

At the same time he has been at the helm of a consistently strong performer in the industry during an exceedingly difficult time. Union rhetoric during contract-renewal time generally is not an accurate barometer of reality.

Upon thinking about this further, I realized hat Larry reciting the safety video would actually be cooler than being on a B6 flight and having had David Neeleman serve me while wearing his "Snack Boy" apron.

I nominate this statement for the understatement of the year award.

In other news, anyone remember that old snicker commercial about the guy who thought he was batman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGACNG7-zsI

Do you want to fly with Larry? Do you want to fly in the Larrymobile.

In other words:

Two years ago, flew with Larry, saw him working on Excel, yadda yadda yadda, we can't standby for free anymore.


Makes you wonder what program erosion resulted from that specific flihgt. :D

Hmmm could of swear CO is losing money quarterly and also business is taking a dump. How brilliant could that be? As for being an accountant, I hope he can digest that huge $136 million dollar lost this past quarter.

actually last Q CO would have had a gain if not for The fuel bets (hedging)

WN also had a loss!

its this new Q that probably has them worried and the next 1s as Rev is slowing up and the bets are still in place