N227UA

I'm really curious why do they need 110 EMPLOYEES to handle only single daily flight? This seems to me as a complete waste of money and human resource. I heard UA had 100 employees to support only just one daily flight, which was 777-222ER, at AKL back in 2002. I have no idea why they needed 100 employees for themselves. Since both USA and NZ use English as national language, coludn't UA get a contract with a GSA at AKL? Or couldn't they ask Air New Zealand to handle their flight? In my understanding, American carriers get a lot of advantages in getting ground service at international destinations because English in the universal language. For example, Asian carriers have difficulties in getting agents outside their nations since it's hard to find international GSA that speaks their language. However American carriers can get GSA that speaks English anywhere around the world.

Markie

LanChile fly from LAX (2 per day one as LanPeru) and from JFK as well as MIA.

nerd

The JFK service on LAN is to LIM, not to SCL.

Eastbay1K

They also used to have a SCL/LIM flight (I believe it started in MIA) a long time ago.

TakeMeToEZE

If you want to keep everything within *A so that you have useable miles I'd suggest going to EZE and then connecting on the AC flight to SCL. I'm not sure when it departs EZE but I know it's quite soon after the arrival of the flight from ORD. Several times the FAs have asked everyone on the plane to allow those going on to SCL to get off the plane first before everyone else deplanes.

formeraa

There are two parts to this issue. First, SCL is leftover from PanAm's South American routes. These routes date back many years. When UA took them over, these governments required UA to keep ALL the employees -- or else they wouldn't approve the take over of Pan Am's routes.

Second, many, many countries have in the past required the airlines to hire many people. Then, they impose "no layoff" provisions or very difficult layoff rules on these employees. For example, the Israeli TWA employees tried to sue AA -- even though AA discontinued service to Tel Aviv when it took over TW.

icedancer

This isn't unique to airlines, I believe.

Jobs that would require 2 people in the US, 5 people might do in Santiago. In a store, instead of having one sales clerk to ring up your purchase and sticking it in a bag, you'll have one writing out a receipt/invoice for your item, one manning the register, one meticulously wrapping your parcel for you and possibly one other doing some kind of bookkeeping along the way.

CApreppie

The cost of wages in many countries are lower than the US. In Chile, you might be able to have two people for the wages of one person in the US for example. Either way 110 people is a lot for two daily flights if that number is correct. I'm sure it contributed to their decision to ax the flight too.

awc4

The LAN Service goes from JFK with a stop at LIM and then proceeds to SCL. I was just on it recently.

KathyWdrf

I'm only guessing, but perhaps that number included staff at a ticketing office in Santiago, as well as other support staff we don't normally think of?

But as far as "contributing to the decision to ax the flight," what makes you think other US airlines (AA, Delta) that fly to South America don't have the same requirements imposed on them by the governments there?

Again, only a guess, but United might have reduced its presence in South America in order to focus on the Asian market, where economic growth is so much stronger than in South America. All FWIW.

nerd

Me, too - last week.

My point was that the service on that route is not there just because of US-SCL demand, but because of demand to LIM and all connecting cities, which of course includes SCL.

qasr

This is especially true in Chile! When I was there, I was told it was a a Pinochet inflicted idealogoy such that EVERYONE had a job to do. Another suggestion was that the buy a ticket/redeem a ticket thing for a hot dog was to reduce corruption...who knows?

qasr

I think when UA closed SCL, it was one of the rare cases where top tier status was comped.

AA comped all UA 1K's at SCL to EXP on AA.

ExtrAAordinaire

LAX and JFK are one-stop service, however. Only MIA, DFW, and ATL have non-stop SCL service from the United States.

cesco.g

By comparision UA ZRH employs 9 people, 6 at the office in ZRH (sales & admin. only, no ticket counter) and 3 at the airport (taking turns for the 7-day shift).