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

And now with this swine flu thing, people are starting to get worried about flying into the U.S., and Americans are starting to get antsy about flying, period. Hopefully this will be cleared up quickly.

However, nothing could top Cigarman, the FAs and execs that served us on Mystery Flight 2!

That loss was essentially unavoidable. Had they not hedged, the consolidated fuel bill from the 2nd qtr 08 through the 1st qtr 09 would have been far greater.

Of course, they could have made or lost somewhat off what their hedge amounted to, but only marginally.

Exactly if he was a numbers guy and he is then he wouldn't of hedged all the fuel bets. To me he didn't do his job. He gambled and lost big time. I think Co should be looking to another leader soon. The stock is not doing good and also the FA's are upgrading non-revs first before the qualified elites. The whole company is in a turmoil. I can truly predict the price of CO stock will hit below the 52 week low before the end of this year due to Larry's gamble and the way he runs CO. Watch and you shall see.

This is laughable. One of the more absurd posts I've seen on FT.

CO's "gamble" in fuel hedges came in mid-08 when fuel prices were at their highest, and even then, they limited their hedging going into 2009. They gambled and lost, yes, but they are reasonably well positioned through the rest of the year in that they will be paying market rates for fuel, still substantially lower than 2008. Comparatively, they hedged better than other carriers, specifically DL.

While it is conceivable that CO's stock could dip below it's 52-week low in the near future, it's because of the industry-wide demand collapse and CO's exposure to the swine flu-stricken Mexico market. Even if that happens, Continental will not be looking for a new leader any time soon.

I suppose you were one of the guys predicting $200+/bbl oil last July?

Nope I didn't predict nothing, Larry did with his fuel bets and lost. So who's laughing now? But I am now predicting CO will go below it's 52 week low before the end of this year due to way CO is ran and the GA's and FA's don't care as told by many FTer's on this forum. It's a shame that this has to happen. How can FA's upgrade non-revs first before A PAYING qualified elite flyer and think they can get away with it is because of Larry and the way he runs CO. We will see how long he stays on. Time will tell.

You make it seem like that is SOP for CO, which it clearly is not. With the PDA site, many of us have been able to keep the GAs and FAs honest, and quickly reported those who were in violation. Why are you so anti-CO?

I PREDICT that CO will emerge as one of the nation's strongest airlines over the next 6-12 months.

Huh?

I think we already are.

I agree, this is totally his fault. :confused:

I was introduced to Larry a couple months back in the FLL PC, and flew with him to IAH. He spent a great deal of time before departure making sure he met and chatted with the entire crew - he only returned to his seat at departure. I certainly got the impression he was very interested in interacting with his employees, but did not disrupt them during the flight.

You wouldn't need the pda site if the GA's and the FA's were trained correctly and was told if caught doing illegal upgrades you will be terminated.

Ran into a GA at CLE that looked an awful lot like LK. Silly me asked the question (Do you get asked the same question I'm asking you now...)

He (the GA; only "met" LK for a few seconds at DO III) was a cool guy. Forgot his name though.

Flew with LK about 18 months ago. After he boarded late and removed my computer bag from the (SMALLER then UA has :rolleyes: ) overhead, he sat in his FC seat.

From about 10 min past takeoff until 10 min prior to landing he stood and talked to the F/A's in the front galley. He knew a brief bio on 2 or so of them. Was refreshing them on CO standards. Even spoke to many pax (me included-traded cards) who chatted him up!!

All-in-all, he seemed like a "people person" with a large calculator! :p

Get your facts straight. GAs do upgrades, not FAs. And many FAs, myself included, will upgrade elites on the list that the GA "missed" (generally, is in such a hurry to close the door one minute early that certain things like taking care of customers are no longer important). You need an attitude adjustment.

I dont need nothing adjusted. Go on the the main forums and see how many complaints about FA's upgrading non-revs with proven facts. Also as to my attitude, it's none of your business. Stick to the issue! I am only pointing out facts that are proven! Unless you can disprove all those topics about FA's upgrading non-revs before qualified elites then you should adjust your own attitude before adjusting mine's. Also the stock price of CO has been sinking like the titanic which is ALSO a FACT. Case close!

I disagree: I've never been 'wronged' on an upgrade that I'm aware of. However, I LOVE the PDA site. I know where I stand in relation to an upgrade and I can also see if I should bother putting a companion on the standby list as my Plat guest.

1. While there are a lot of complaints about upgrade issues, I'd say it's small overall. Granted, even if it's 0.1%, it's too high, but I don't think it's a major issue with CO.

2. Almost every stock has been sinking horribly lately... CO is not immune, nor are others in the travel industry, or chemical industry, or etc, etc.

He was on my flight 2 years ago. IAH - SNA. He was in seat 5C. I noticed that he went out of his way to talk with as many people on the plane. To get their feedback and what not.

You strike as one of the people that is always right and never wrong. In your senseless rant, which you still do not have the ability to distinguish a flight attendant and a gate agent (flight attendants don't do upgrades, gate agents do), you completely ignored the main part of my post which is where I stated I will upgrade you if you are on the list and a F seat is empty and the gate agent shut the door prematurely. Not that you said thank you, but you're welcome.

Is English your native tongue?

The 'issues' you spout are nothing more than unsubstantiated drivel that you try to pass off as reasonable evidence as to why CO's financial performance is subpar.

Please demonstrate to me the proven, as you say, causal relationship between an anecdotal example of slightly deviant GA behavior (that happened to be caught by a FT'er) and CO's declining RASM situation. I can't seem to find it in your post(s).

+1... February 4, 2009 IAH-FLL. Sat in 1E, he was in 3E. He worked a good portion of the flight speaking with the flight attendants, pilots, pax, etc (I did NOT chat him up b/c I knew we'd see him at the DO IV and left him alone). However really I admired his accessibility to his team - and whether contrived or not, his apparent dedication.

+1 - I was on a late evening flight from IAH to ORD with Larry and few others from CO in F. They discussed what looked to be a presentation and spent sometime with the FAs. He stayed behind and thanked the F pax as we deplaned then came off after us. I am guessing he may have been up here to meet with Glenn.