Amazing video about United from 1979 - "DIAMONDS IN THE SKY - 2, RUNNING AN AIRLINE"
Oct 22, 2009, 6:02 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP 100K, Amtrak peon, Colbert Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 4,534
Thanks for sharing that video! I loved it. It was particularly interesting that the narrator's perspective on UA 1 was that it was not luxurious. Based on travel today - it was extravagant! (His coach meal was my F class meal recently.) I wonder how he would have felt about a BOB box that the customer has to pay for now during that same 9 hour flight in coach.
Interestingly, the employee headcount and fleet numbers quoted from 1978 are nearly identical to today (excluding regional employees and RJs). Yet the 40 million annual passengers a UA official discussed appears to be about half of what UA carries today. Besides all the outsourced flying, I guess it helps that they're no longer flying 737s to pick up one dude in Ely, Nevada!
Oct 22, 2009, 6:05 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: UA 1K MM, Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA PLT
Posts: 1,082
Wow - good observation...and very eery.
Oct 25, 2009, 12:40 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Austin TX USA
Programs: UA life 1K, 2MM; AA Life Pt 3mm; DL nada now!; AS nada now; BA, FD, CX, LH, DD, Amex Pt, Diners
Posts: 950
This was great
Why don't UA show this instead of the stupid short features? Minus the smoke in the cabin scene perhaps!!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Nov 4, 2009, 6:57 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YHM (BUF/YYZ/YTZ in practice, formerly LHR)
Programs: rapidly diminishing
Posts: 974
Anyone signing up for Movember ought to check out the impressive moustache at around the 26:30 mark - it's the finishing at the ends that deserves special mention.
Nov 4, 2009, 7:26 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,275
2 things that really stuck out to me... the Las Vegas segment with all the people smoking. And the Flight Attendent (Stewardess) graduation. Wow. Pretty emotional!
Aug 17, 2012, 7:39 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,731
Just found this video. Posting here since I hope Jeff (or more importantly the board) will watch over the weekend. Great stuff and brings a tear to my eye given recent experiences on UA.
Here is the YouTube link btw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5_VZL5Obc4
Here is the YouTube link btw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5_VZL5Obc4
Aug 18, 2012, 6:07 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
The most fascinating part of this is the focus on stress in the system from the spike in passengers following the deregulation-induced cut in fares during the summer of 1978.
In many ways it's similar to the current stress of the SHARES conversion...
1) 11:30 in...Ferris admitting the hold times and service levels are not up to snuff, though not offering any real solutions. Then the front line reps talk about how poorly prepared they are with 30 min+ hold times.
2) 29:15....
The management team meeting where they are briefed on deteriorating customer service metrics. The UA Insider equivalent notes the increasing number of complaints from 'full fare' travelers as a result of the system being stressed by leisure low fare travelers.
Then she talks about how 'casual' travel has become ,etc.
If flyertalkers were around then they would be calling for the imminent demise of United after seeing these segments.
And that 747 to Hawaii...first class pitch doesn't look any better than coach. We'd be calling that the ghetto bird today.
Great stuff - think about it before calling the sky falling today.
In many ways it's similar to the current stress of the SHARES conversion...
1) 11:30 in...Ferris admitting the hold times and service levels are not up to snuff, though not offering any real solutions. Then the front line reps talk about how poorly prepared they are with 30 min+ hold times.
2) 29:15....
The management team meeting where they are briefed on deteriorating customer service metrics. The UA Insider equivalent notes the increasing number of complaints from 'full fare' travelers as a result of the system being stressed by leisure low fare travelers.
Then she talks about how 'casual' travel has become ,etc.
If flyertalkers were around then they would be calling for the imminent demise of United after seeing these segments.
And that 747 to Hawaii...first class pitch doesn't look any better than coach. We'd be calling that the ghetto bird today.
Great stuff - think about it before calling the sky falling today.