According to what I've read in various magazines about Southwest's creation, Mr. Herb Kelleher based the airline's pricing philosophy literally on Texas bus ticket prices, in order to compete WITH the bus companies for the same passengers.
Four years ago, a Southwest Captain told me that he was asked by one of his older Flight Attendants about the value of her company stock (her retirement fund). She had been around for either twenty or twenty five years. Based on several stock splits etc, her retirement was then worth about either US $700,000 or 800,000. Could this be good for older employees' morale and attitudes (except on a bad day)?
In order to 'compare and contrast', the former and present beancounters at the other US major airlines probably have trouble with the concept of employee commitment and long-term financial incentives, unless it goes into their own upper management three-piece suit pockets.
Try reading up on Mssrs. Wolf and Gangb**g, woops, I mean Gangwal, at USAirways. The October issue of either "Airways" or "Airliner" magazine (found in the larger US bookstores) had a very interesting article on which airline CEOs seem to be leaders instead of managers. Several were featured. The value of Mr. Wolf's pay/stock portfolio in particular, described within the context of the industry and Wolf's/Gangwal's recent operating philosophy (having both left the ship's bridge for a long sleep with bad weather nearby), based upon their assumptions that USAirways would certainly be sold, appears in my opinion quite gross and shocking. If what the article describes is accurate, maybe the USAirways Board of Directors can recruit a leader, somehow, somewhere. Good luck to y'all.
Would any USAirways employees/mgmt types care to comment?
[ 03 November 2001: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]
[ 03 November 2001: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]