RatherBeOnATrain

US railroads stopped transporting livestock back in the 70s.

LordHamster

Nevertheless, there is hope... the train hasn't left the station. If we are lucky, he can get United back on track. Lets just hope he doesn't lose steam before turning things around.

dergon darkhelm

One of the first posts on my FB feed today was from a family friend who spent a lifetime in the railroad industry:

"Oscar is a man of competence and high integrity and he will demand the same from his reports."


It gives me hope

UNITED959

I get it's still 7:30a CST, but I would have hoped to wake up to an email from Oscar explaining what's going on and how he's going to make UA an airline that people will want to fly.

Again, it's still early, so I will reserve judgment until later this morning.

aacharya

Why do we expect in this day and age such sudden and immediate results/postings/etc? Social media and streaming will be the death of us all - if we expect literally overnight results/changes/announcements. Considering what Friday is, I don't know that the new CEO will post anything until Monday.

TonyBurr

Sure we know that, they put them in Y on UA with us.

skidooman

What really amazes me is that in this day of age a large company would seek to get a break on a rent by flying a plane to a money losing destination so as to please a political hack.

... on second thought, makes perfect sense in this day of age!

Say Vandelay

One government official and the person who appointed him.

artvandalay

Mr. Smisek is not being rewarded for his leadership. There's no 30 day or longer notice. He's out the door, today.

There's no sadness among this group of savvy, over-entitled HVFs about the elimination of someone whose "leadership" was systematically shaming two once-proud airlines. In fact, it is a cause for celebration.

His departure is, if anything, late. How fitting.

Colo1K

I am grateful to Jeff Smisek - not!

He released this former longtime !K from the shackles that bound me to my beloved classic UAL, lowered my travel expectations and caused me to learn to choose flights based on price and schedule, not loyalty.

Smisek leaves UA rich, and UA is left all Jeffed up

UNITED959

Announcements about changes decided upon overnight are not expected. But to your point, because of social media (and I guess streaming?) and the multiple communications channels today, it's in Oscar's own best interests to issue a letter to stakeholders that essentially does the following:

• Tells customers he's the new CEO
• Refer them to the IR portion of united.com for information about current proceedings
• A brief background about his UA/CO involvement and his greatest success at CSX
• Three things he wants to bring to the organization that will make UA better
• What he plans to do over the next 90 days (meet with customers, leadership, front line, fly on competitors, announce a new J seat that's so desperately needed, etc.)
• Hugs and kisses, Oscar

There, I just gave Oscar an outline, and he should be able to whip this up in an hour or so.

Sending out a piece like this from the horse's mouth will help discredit the speculative blog posts and articles authored by journalists who really don't even understand the airline industry, yet have the authority to write about it anyway.

Vulcan

32 pages! Virtually all about Jeff (as it should be) and some on Gordon. As far as I can see, zero on Larry Kellner. Say what you want about CO/UA, LK was the ONLY one of the 3 that cared about hearing things from the customer side (the four DO's). I can remember the first DO and walking next to him when attendees told him what CO was really doing and him saying "We really are doing that?" and reaching for a piece of paper to write down all the things he was hearing for the first time.
We need a leader with that kind of mindset, one who realizes that UA is like Washington. Things are substantially different outside the Beltway (and UA).
Hopefully, we get someone who thinks like this in the intermediate term.

ZZYZXROAD

What does back on track mean for 2016 and beyond? What really needs fixing? Mismanaged expectations? Other airlines offer those expectations but you won't switch? Some statements are not adding up. If another airlines meets your expectations why aren't or didn't you switch? Loyalty? You want the 'old CO' or 'old UA' back.

What is or was the number one issue today with new UA and how did SMI/J screw it up? No more BKK? Dark 739? Limited to no Upgrades on the most overcrowded elite system in the world? Slim line seats? Seat width? BOB in the back? PNR splitting?

LASUA1K

Does anyone really think things will change? We will have no tulip, no GF, no new seats, no new system, no new nothing.

What I would love for now, is some more smiles from front line employees, and better customer service.

dkc715

When asked about the Delta/United gate swap related to the JFK closing on last night's conference call, Oscar did not have a clue. Completely unfamiliar with the issue, from my hearing the background conversation on the call. I am not really faulting him, even tho 90%+ of FT readers probably could have told him.

As a Board member, how are all the members not familiar with the closure of JFK and the slot exchange? This was a major decision and should have been reviewed by Jeff's Board. Certainly, an independent Board Chair would have helped. I wonder what other key strategic decisions the old management team made that were not reviewed by the Board.

Happy about the change. Disappointed that is was for the wrong reason.