United closing Seattle FA base in January 2015
Oct 15, 2014, 7:54 am
#31
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I thought sCO opened up bases, like DEN, after the merger, to match the equipment flying. Similar to how sUA has IAH as a base now.
Oct 15, 2014, 8:25 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: EWR, BDL
Posts: 4,471
Yes sCO has 5 satellite bases in LAX, DEN, SFO, IAD & DEN. LAX is subdivided into 3 separate bases (LAI - International, LLS - Language Speaker, LAX - Domestic) IAD is subdivided into 2 separate bases (WTA - International, IAD - Domestic) This is on top of the 3 original CO bases of EWR subdivided into 3 separate bases (NTA - International, NLS - Language Speaker, EWR - Domestic), IAH subdivided into 3 (HTA - International, HOS - Language Speaker, IAH - Domestic) & CLE. There's also the GUM base for sCMI FAs but they are on a separate contract and seniority list then the mainland based FAs.
Oct 15, 2014, 9:31 am
#34
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Oct 16, 2014, 8:37 am
#36
Join Date: May 2006
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UA to close SEA FA base, affecting 264
http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...ndantsxml.html
I wonder how important this is:
I wonder how important this is:
United has been the main loser as rival airline giant Delta has ramped up capacity at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport over the past year, going head to head with dominant local carrier Alaska Airlines.
For this year through August, Sea-Tac passenger traffic data show United’s share at the airport was down 7 percent compared with the previous year.
In January, United canceled its transpacific nonstop from Seattle to Tokyo, ceding the route to Delta and to its Star Alliance partner airline, All Nippon Airways of Japan.
Last month, United also announced steeper than usual cuts to its domestic services during the winter months ahead.
For this year through August, Sea-Tac passenger traffic data show United’s share at the airport was down 7 percent compared with the previous year.
In January, United canceled its transpacific nonstop from Seattle to Tokyo, ceding the route to Delta and to its Star Alliance partner airline, All Nippon Airways of Japan.
Last month, United also announced steeper than usual cuts to its domestic services during the winter months ahead.
Oct 16, 2014, 9:13 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SEA
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Posts: 850
Coincidentally, it happened on the day I decided to jump ship to AS. The cutbacks in flights, IRROPS, customer service, and MP changes (award redemption inflation and RDMs by spend) convinced me.
Oct 16, 2014, 10:31 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Orygun
Posts: 461
However, AS is just a victim of DL trying to establish a foothold on the west coast to counterbalance UA's dominance in SFO on the TPACs.
The unfortunate thing for the pmUA SEA and PDX flyers and employees is that the new UA is calling uncle and retreating as quickly as they can away from the Pacific NW.
In the end, AS will be OK because of incredible customer loyalty (and a few key corporate accounts in SEA and PDX) and because they are a solid, well run airline. Time will tell if DL's aggressive moves will pay off.
Oct 16, 2014, 10:40 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2011
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I'm struggling with m&a 101. Pre merger UA or CO operated X(UA)+Y(CO) routes for A+B profit(relative to industry). Post merger it looks like .75(X+Y) + Z(new routes) routes for less than former A+B profit(relative to industry).
Basically they are shrinking and removing routes that may or may not have been profitable. This has resulted in less total profit share (relative to industry) than the two former airlines made separately.
Would UA be even less profitable if they did not cut routes?
Another issue with route/frequency cuts is IRROPS. Concentrating more frequent flights at fewer hubs leaves more options. There are now less total flights from any single destination to a single hub than before. But there are often more routing/hub possibilities. This is OK if you are at the spoke city. If you get stuck at a hub, I find myself wishing for pre merger UA or CO schedules to places like SEA/BOS/DFW/SAN. I'm getting rebooked on dl/aa/as a lot due to 2-3 flights a day (often RJs that are late) vs 4-5 former flights (mostly mainline). SEA seems to be one of the main cutbacks.
Basically they are shrinking and removing routes that may or may not have been profitable. This has resulted in less total profit share (relative to industry) than the two former airlines made separately.
Would UA be even less profitable if they did not cut routes?
Another issue with route/frequency cuts is IRROPS. Concentrating more frequent flights at fewer hubs leaves more options. There are now less total flights from any single destination to a single hub than before. But there are often more routing/hub possibilities. This is OK if you are at the spoke city. If you get stuck at a hub, I find myself wishing for pre merger UA or CO schedules to places like SEA/BOS/DFW/SAN. I'm getting rebooked on dl/aa/as a lot due to 2-3 flights a day (often RJs that are late) vs 4-5 former flights (mostly mainline). SEA seems to be one of the main cutbacks.
Oct 17, 2014, 2:48 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
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no, this has nothing to do with the front line employees working the counter/gates/ramp.
Oct 17, 2014, 10:17 am
#43
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
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johnden, in three words: "Shrinking to grow"?
There also was this: [United spokeswoman Megan] "McCarthy said the goal is to shed at least 2,100 of the airline’s 23,000 flight attendants." But at this point, anyone pmUA left at United must be among the best in the industry, or any industry, at rolling with the punches. (She didn't say that.)
On another track, but perhaps another reflection of your comment's theme, one can go way back. Time was when UA = Boeing. Or actually the other way around. Then UA picked up and moved to Chicago. Now, with its heart in Houston (think a .......ization of Tony Bennett's most famous song) SEA is another step removed.
Rolling with the punches must include feeling like the adopted child, parents dead, having to move to another city.
ETA: Delta, after appropriating Northwest ('s presence at SEA) is moving in the opposite direction. And growing to grow.
There also was this: [United spokeswoman Megan] "McCarthy said the goal is to shed at least 2,100 of the airline’s 23,000 flight attendants." But at this point, anyone pmUA left at United must be among the best in the industry, or any industry, at rolling with the punches. (She didn't say that.)
On another track, but perhaps another reflection of your comment's theme, one can go way back. Time was when UA = Boeing. Or actually the other way around. Then UA picked up and moved to Chicago. Now, with its heart in Houston (think a .......ization of Tony Bennett's most famous song) SEA is another step removed.
Rolling with the punches must include feeling like the adopted child, parents dead, having to move to another city.
ETA: Delta, after appropriating Northwest ('s presence at SEA) is moving in the opposite direction. And growing to grow.
Last edited by Firewind; Oct 17, 2014 at 10:35 am
Oct 17, 2014, 2:02 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ, PDX
Programs: UA 1 MM, AA, DL
Posts: 929
Is there any way for FT to express disappointment/thanks to the SEA FAs because of the closing of there base? I was pleased to read after my initial post that so many others agreed with me about their service for so long. It must have been a senior base, and this closing's gotta cause some "disruption."