Butpau - what an interesting post. Are you satisfied with having an industry dragged down to it's lowest level by management that is determined to run an airline like a bus service?
You sound bitter and I will agree that without deregulation there would be far fewer jobs in the industry and these would be taken by the "O" club set from ye olde squadron. But senior pilots generally have to put up with a lot of sh## in a startup airline, low wages, lots of hours, uncertain future, etc. Ryanair almost cratered under the Ryan family until MOL stepped in. Where MOL has failed, however, is by not instilling a corporate culture that is vital in a service industry - a culture of service that treats employees as being as special as customers. If you think I am spouting cheese then read 'Nuts', the story behind Southwest Airlines, the airline FR and others are trying to emulate. Its the people at the airline that make the business run. Herb took care of his people and they have taken his business plan and run with it. MOL and his ilk do not understand this. They worship at the alter of low costs above all and fail to see that you need the revenue generated by happy customers more than you need the ultimate in low costs. FR has a huge CASM advantage over the old line carriers but if they can reduce costs AND keep customers happy then they will win back passengers. And if they can't then someone else who will provide a better service will.
Pilots have always worked for sh## wages, paying their dues instructing, flying freight or charter or even towing banners with the hope that one day they COULD make 130k per year. And for a profession that has more opportunities to have your license taken away each year (checkrides, medicals) than any other profession you need that payoff. You only have so many years to make some money before you are involuntarily retired at age 60. If lawyers and politicians had to do so as well do you think we would have as many restrictions on our profession as we do?
Unions exist because of bad management. A good manager would never have to face the threat of industrial action. Pilots are notoriously poor union members. We have traits of independent thinking and direct action that are essential skills in our jobs. But you come to a point in time where you have no choice but to band together. Ryanair pilots are at that point.
Sorry, couldn\'t resist adding one more post on the importance of employee morale.
The followiing is an article on this subject:
Job stress beginning to take toll on some airline workers
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Workers at major airlines are showing signs of strain from salary and benefit cuts, threats to their pensions, demotions, layoffs and bigger workloads. And travelers are starting to pay.
No love lost: Members of the Association of Flight Attendants voice their opinions of the airlines they work for.
By Gene J. Puskar, AP
In the past month, the FBI launched an investigation into whether employees punctured US Airways jets. Strike talk spread among flight attendants at United, US Airways and other carriers. And unusually high numbers of workers sought counseling services.
Psychologists and management experts say a demoralized workforce anxious about their pay, personal lives and job safety doesn\'t bode well for passengers during the busy holiday travel season. That\'s especially true this season, as airlines carry a record number of passengers and lines at security checkpoints lengthen because of tougher requirements.
Stressed-out employees and irritated passengers "create a time bomb for explosive interaction," says Richard Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych, an employee assistance provider. As of September, ComPsych received about 20% more calls than last year from baggage handlers, flight attendants, pilots and other major airline workers. The uptick — even greater at more-troubled carriers — indicates higher levels of stress, unhappiness and uncertainty, he says.
Even though fliers have come to expect less from their major-airline flight experience since the Sept. 11 attacks, research shows they\'ve noticed a difference this year.
Their No. 1 gripe? Less-courteous flight crews, says Jonathan Barsky of Market Metrix Hospitality Index.
The index, based on surveys of 35,000 fliers, shows satisfaction falling since January, after reaching a two-year high. Similarly, the University of Michigan\'s American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that satisfaction with major carriers fell this year after rising last year.
"Customer satisfaction and financial performance tend to go hand in hand," Barsky says.
The airlines know that and are trying to counter the intense resentment felt by some employees, many of whom have worked 15 or more years for a carrier. Those people, in particular, feel overworked, underpaid, underappreciated and uncertain about their futures, Chaifetz says.
The USA\'s six big traditional carriers will lose an estimated $8 billion this year — more than the $5 billion previously projected — in part because of low-fare competition and record-high jet fuel prices. This month, Continental became the last of the six airlines to seek labor givebacks. The other carriers in the group — American (AMR), United, Delta (DAL), Northwest (NWAC) and US Airways — might not be finished squeezing employees yet.
"You have carriers still in bankruptcy and in precarious financial situations," says airline consultant Dave Emerson of Bain & Co. "There\'s no guarantee there won\'t be more pay cuts and layoffs going forward."
Morale\'s costs
While the bad news continues, some carriers are revamping employee incentive programs and trying to improve communication with workers.
There\'s little dispute that employee morale is "hugely important," says Lee Macenczak, Delta\'s senior vice president of customer service.
"While self-service has grown in popularity, at the end of the day, it is about dealing with people ... and morale definitely plays into that," Macenczak says.
Poor morale has risks. It:
•Hurts productivity. Some employees might not work as hard at a time when 110% effort is needed to diminish airlines\' financial losses. The big airlines are handling about the same number of passengers as they did four years ago when they had as many as 40% more employees. Seriously troubled companies sometimes see a short-term boost in productivity as employees try harder, says Claes Fornell, director of the American Customer Satisfaction Index. But it fades as their sense of determination turns to hopelessness.
•Drives passengers away. "People don\'t feel good about flying an airline where the employees don\'t feel good about working for them," says ComPsych\'s Chaifetz. Employee attitudes become more important as the airlines extend low fares to compete directly with the discounters. When fares are similar, "I\'ll fly the one I feel I get the better experience on," says consultant Tom Knighton of Forum Corp., a Boston-based firm that trains managers and employees how to improve customer service.
Knighton points to Gallup research that shows that when an airline employee "stands out" in a positive way, a flier is 15 times more likely to fly the same carrier.
•Hampers turnaround efforts. Whether inside headquarters or the hangar, these airlines need employees to give their all, says Kevin Mitchell of the Business Travel Coalition. Bad attitudes hurt efforts to improve customer service, which is critical to survival, he says.
Frequent flier Gary Lockhart overheard ticket agents discussing pay cuts, layoffs and low morale as he waited to board a US Airways flight from New York LaGuardia to Pittsburgh earlier this year. Right then, he vowed to switch carriers.
"I wondered if the pilots felt the same way. ... Not exactly a comforting thought," Lockhart says. "Since then, I fly US Air as little as possible."
Michael Steiner, president of New York-based Ovation Corporate Travel, says his business clients are happy with some changes the airlines have made, such as offering more self-service kiosks. But they complain about "the loss of the personal touch."
Delta frequent flier Karen Lamphier dislikes flying mostly because of the security. But Delta\'s staff makes it bearable, she says, citing a recent case of when the VIP lounge staff went out of their way to help during a flight delay.
"The people still make the difference," says the software consultant from Eden, Utah.
Airline employees say that they will continue to do their jobs well, regardless of pay and benefit cuts.
"I don\'t think that any of the flight crews are taking it out on the passengers," says US Airways flight attendant John McCorkle. "They recognize that the customers are just innocent bystanders caught in the middle."
Discounters shine
Statistics compiled by the Department of Transportation show that from January to September, discounters Southwest and JetBlue received among the fewest complaints per 100,000 passengers of 19 airlines ranked. They placed second and third, behind ExpressJet Airlines, a regional carrier that operates Continental Express flights. All the big six carriers placed in the bottom half of the list, with United and US Airways placing 15th and 16th. Results were similar for the same period last year.
Most passengers might not directly feel employees\' frustration unless they overhear grousing in the galley or at the boarding gate, or talk to employees. But it is rippling into the workplace:
• A small number of United mechanics not typically seen by the public regularly sport caps with two large letters — "F" and "U" — and, in small print, "Fly United."
• This month, leaders of the Association of Flight Attendants — the USA\'s biggest flight attendant union — called for an industrywide strike if US Airways, or any other carrier, succeeds in rescinding labor contracts in bankruptcy court. Flight attendants at several airlines, including US Airways and United, are voting on strike authority. Flight attendants at American, the world\'s largest airline, and Southwest say they support the vote.
• The FBI is investigating whether US Airways employees last month punched small holes in the belly of three jets in Charlotte and Orlando. The damage, described as minor exterior damage, was discovered during routine maintenance checks last month, shortly before a bankruptcy court approved 21% temporary pay cuts. The union that represents mechanics and related employees called it "reckless and irresponsible" to speculate on what caused the damage.
• Earlier this month, US Airways had two instances of higher-than-usual sick calls in Philadelphia. The sick calls, along with baggage belt and computer problems, resulted in some flight delays and cancellations, says spokesman David Castelveter. Also in Philadelphia, passengers last month heard a voice on the speaker system say that, because of 21% temporary pay cuts, baggage would arrive up to an hour and a half late, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Incentives at work
As workers try to adjust to the new reality, the major airlines are trying to soften the blow for their remaining workers.
Some, such as American, United and Delta, are creating programs to reward employees for superior performance. Most are also introducing profit-sharing programs. United says its incentive program is already working. The carrier has met its goals as measured by on-time performance and customer intent to fly United again in each of the past three quarters, and has paid out bonuses, says United spokeswoman Jean Medina.
But until the airlines turn losses into profits, employees can\'t count on profit sharing for bigger paychecks.
US Airways is widely considered to have the worst morale problem of its peers. It has gone to its union-represented employees for two rounds of concessions and is negotiating a third round now with mechanics, flight attendants and customer-service agents. If deals aren\'t reached, it will begin making its case Thursday in bankruptcy court to void the contracts.
To prevent sick calls during the hectic holiday period, CEO Bruce Lakefield said, the airline reinstated an incentive program that it can afford. Employees with perfect attendance through early January, and those who work peak days, will earn US Airways tickets and the chance to enter a lottery for freebies donated by vendors, such as game tickets for the NFL\'s Philadelphia Eagles and NBA\'s Charlotte Bobcats, he says.
"We\'d like to get all this behind us," Lakefield says. "When people have futures, they feel much better about morale and their personal lives."