CrankyFlier: Blaming United's problems on Continental (and v.v.) is the problem
#46
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
Let me give you a little history lesson. The FA group is still separated. sCO FAs can only work sCO aircraft and sUA FAs can only work sUA aircraft. That's why FAs still refer to it as sCO/sUA. And where in any thread have I mentioned I haven't gotten over that the Continental name went away?
But I think you have to give the pmUA elites that TOD upgrades and downgraded service quality came with the merger, and we lost our "special handling."
Re employees, its just Sad that Jeff did not focus on getting an agreement done. DAL and AAL could go it, but Jeff was too smug that if he just sat pat, he would get a better deal. Now there is bad blood. It was not there in 2010-11, and only started with the 3/2/12 change over.
#47
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: EWR, BDL
Posts: 4,471
Not sure how it's calculated, but it should be calcualted fairly.
Of course not. I pegged a crossover FA on a CO flight recently (before door close, it was easy, you can tell by how they serve you). When I mentioned it, he was very discrete about saying anything, because the rest of the crew were COers and he feared they would not necessarily agree with his perspective.
It seems these folks may not be comfortable speaking with their CO counterparts.
Yet another problem in the organization's culture, which this article refers to.
Of course not. I pegged a crossover FA on a CO flight recently (before door close, it was easy, you can tell by how they serve you). When I mentioned it, he was very discrete about saying anything, because the rest of the crew were COers and he feared they would not necessarily agree with his perspective.
It seems these folks may not be comfortable speaking with their CO counterparts.
Yet another problem in the organization's culture, which this article refers to.
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
What are they supposed to say? They work us like dogs, but I need the paycheck? That's not going to be received well. Though that's what this one told me.
#49
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K, GE/Nexus, Marriott Gold
Posts: 266
As for not hearing anything negative, of course you will not - it is safe to assume they do not feel comfortable sharing... Would you, if the roles were reversed?
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
This was a very interesting, well thought out, and well written article. I flew Continental and United a few times in the 90s and 2000s and the merged airline one time since then, but have always been a loyal AA and DL (up until last year) flier.
With a few CO flights in the mid to late 2000s I noticed a huge difference in the quality of the airline between early 2008 and 2010. From about the time CO left Skyteam for *A it began a downward spiral and by the time it merged with UA was a shadow of the industry leading airline it had been.
Like many have said, UA on the other had was almost irrelevant after 9/11. There was no innovation, investment in product, or expansion into new markets and the whole demeanor of the airline seemed stagnant and unconcerned. From what I can see, the only three things United brought into this merger were a Pacific network, international First class, and the United name. I'm still left unsure of why CO went into this merger at all.
With a few CO flights in the mid to late 2000s I noticed a huge difference in the quality of the airline between early 2008 and 2010. From about the time CO left Skyteam for *A it began a downward spiral and by the time it merged with UA was a shadow of the industry leading airline it had been.
Like many have said, UA on the other had was almost irrelevant after 9/11. There was no innovation, investment in product, or expansion into new markets and the whole demeanor of the airline seemed stagnant and unconcerned. From what I can see, the only three things United brought into this merger were a Pacific network, international First class, and the United name. I'm still left unsure of why CO went into this merger at all.
#52
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: EWR, BDL
Posts: 4,471
Probably the only 2 things I don't much care for from the UA side is unnecessarily long layovers on certain trips and barebones staffing on certain aircraft. Example rather then taking the 12th FA from the CO 777s the company could've added a 12th FA to the UA 777s even adding at least 2 or 3 FAs to the 747s would be great too.
#53
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
Do you think Brett is the first person to figure this out?
F/a's (even some on here), posters on FT, and even the truck loads of illegals coming over the boarder every day are disillusioned with this airline. Nothings gonna change until things change, if ya know what I mean?
I say we send all the "suits" to Mexico in a foreign exchange program! @:-)
#54
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus(ick)
Posts: 296
While not perfect, this is the very best article I have seen written on what ails United. Better than any industry writer, better than any Wall Street analyst report, better than any single post I have seen here on FT. Balanced, avoids hyperbole, and gets to the main issues. Well done.
And a lot of the comments are pretty good too under that article.
I'm flying UA to burn up my last pile of miles in August.....and I'm already nervous!
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,714
Tulip lovers forget that United, uniquely among US carriers, dumps and changes its livery more often than some of us trade in our cars.
Yeah, we have more than our share of culture warriors right here. It's like two high school football rivals merged into one campus. This sniping is the very thing that's strangling the airline itself.
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
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#59
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
Programs: DL DM, 5.7 MM, UA 3.1 MM, MARRIOTT PLATINUM, AVIS FIRST, Amex Black Card
Posts: 4,479
#60
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
Programs: DL DM, 5.7 MM, UA 3.1 MM, MARRIOTT PLATINUM, AVIS FIRST, Amex Black Card
Posts: 4,479
How about the crossover FA the other day that was crying because 3 CO FA's were yelling at her and only stopped when a passenger was watching. That passenger than bought a Starbucks for the crying FA. That doesn't sound so friendly to me.