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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:18 am
  #46  
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Originally Posted by garykung
Given all the recent development, I think it is safe to say that he becomes a PNG for many of us.

He is a corporate officer. So he can't be offloaded. That means I have to go.



Is it really a matter when he is the UA CEO? GS or 1K, it is futile.



You are looking at a boss who can fire you onsite. Would you be nervous?
Wasn't there an incident on KE where someone tried to fire some FAs and the purser over the way nuts were served in IFC? The optics looked bad.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:20 am
  #47  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Wasn't there an incident on KE where someone tried to fire some FAs and the purser over the way nuts were served in IFC? The optics looked bad.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_rage_incident

I suspect CEOs who regularly fire people capriciously don't last long. Who'd want to work at a company like that?
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:31 am
  #48  
 
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Riding with Oscar sounds nicer than the time I flew with one of Tilton's guys who had his whole family (wife and at least 4 kids) moved into F on BOS-ORD circa 2006, much to the dismay of the Premiers waiting to be called up to the podium.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:42 am
  #49  
 
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Oscar sat behind me on a ORD-SFO flight a couple years ago. He was the last to board. He and his seatmate chatted regularly through the flight. And when we arrived at SFO, employees were literally running toward the gate to meet him.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:52 am
  #50  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
+1. The problem for Oscar would be that basically every United Y seat except the few remaining 763 would be in the "worst" catigory. I guess the Y seats on the 777s (at x10) are the absolute worst, but none of them (except the few remaining 763s) are very good.

And I am not suggesting that Oscar should routinely sit in Y, but periodically doing so, and just running normally using the upgrade system like everyone else, is both good for optics, but also just to know what it is like to fly his 2 of 5 star airline....
Yep. There was one incident during the last 5 years where, during IRROPS, I ended up in the middle seat in the back row of the plane, and only because I was extremely quick about running to the gate where the next flight to my destination was boarding (departing about 30 minutes later than my flight). I really was surprised at how uncomfortable regular Y was, because I always sat in at least E+ if not F/J. You really have to experience it to know how bad it is, even if you have a memory of it from many years before.

Likewise, the folks who are responsible for the UC food selection ought to have a meal there every now and then.

Originally Posted by garykung
You are looking at a boss who can fire you onsite. Would you be nervous?
Nope. And if the boss was that type of person, I'd have already quit. If they were actually nervous, then that's an indication of a pretty big corporate culture problem.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 11:55 am
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by DWFI
Why? He is just as deserving to be in the front as anyone on this forum.
He's not traveling as a show of face with staff; he's traveling because he needs to be somewhere, probably for work.
He doesn't "work". He "represents".
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 12:52 pm
  #52  
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Originally Posted by STS-134
...If they were actually nervous, then that's an indication of a pretty big corporate culture problem...
I think my choice of nervous was probably the wrong word. They seemed excited. When Oscar made his way to security I was still getting my boarding pass and the agent said "sorry we're flustered but that was United's CEO" to which I said "I know" which got a very quizzical look from her. I am sure Oscar is still surprised at how many "average" customers recognize him. Given that the primary predicate of why he was hired was because of his talent working with front-line union employees at CSX I'm not that shocked that he seems to "walk the line" with employees a fair amount.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 12:55 pm
  #53  
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Pretty sure he cannot fire an agent on the spot. Among other things, they're represented by a union that would offer protocols through which such things are managed.

Beyond that, he is an outgoing and friendly guy. It is genuine from everything I've seen. No surprise it carries over to his presence in the terminal and on board.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 12:57 pm
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
+1. The problem for Oscar would be that basically every United Y seat except the few remaining 763 would be in the "worst" catigory. I guess the Y seats on the 777s (at x10) are the absolute worst, but none of them (except the few remaining 763s) are very good.

And I am not suggesting that Oscar should routinely sit in Y, but periodically doing so, and just running normally using the upgrade system like everyone else, is both good for optics, but also just to know what it is like to fly his 2 of 5 star airline....
Don't worry. Doug "Discount Dougie" Parker over at AA is doing his very best to corner the market on "worst Y seats in the air", with his dense-pack 777 (x10) seats.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 1:51 pm
  #55  
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Originally Posted by STS-134
You really have to experience it to know how bad it is, even if you have a memory of it from many years before.
Uh, thank you. But, no, thank you.

Originally Posted by LIH
When Oscar made his way to security I was still getting my boarding pass and the agent said "sorry we're flustered but that was United's CEO" to which I said "I know" which got a very quizzical look from her. I am sure Oscar is still surprised at how many "average" customers recognize him.
How could that be? Do they really think that people don't ever even casually glance at the safety videos from time to time? I mean, honestly, even if you didn't know he was the CEO, you'd figure even the average non-FTer would realize that he must be someone of importance with respect to the airline.
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 2:01 pm
  #56  
 
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Originally Posted by LIH
When Oscar made his way to security I was still getting my boarding pass and the agent said "sorry we're flustered but that was United's CEO" to which I said "I know"
I'd have said de nada
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #57  
 
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I've met Oscar twice in person (once on Captain Denny's last flight, then again randomly in the ORD PL), and spoken to him once on the phone (he called me on my 4MM day!).

Each time, I pleaded (nicely!) for UA to establish SFO-BKK on the 787-9. That is all
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 2:47 pm
  #58  
 
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Originally Posted by iapetus
Uh, thank you. But, no, thank you.

How could that be? Do they really think that people don't ever even casually glance at the safety videos from time to time?
What you've never been on one of those brand speaking new and hella ghetto "dark" birds with no built in IFE? The ones with WiFi entertainment where the FAs have to do the safety demo?
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 4:10 pm
  #59  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Did the FAs fawn over him or did they practice passive-aggressive behavior?

BTW, it's a DL urban legend that when Anderson was CEO, he flew in coach for domestic trips and took middle seats.
But did they block the whole row?
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 4:12 pm
  #60  
 
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Originally Posted by STS-134
Did he get told that the overhead bins were out of space and he'd have to check his carry-on?
He probably checked his bag so didn't need to make use of the overhead. The question is whether he had to pay a fee for his bag?
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