Moderators From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 459 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 6390 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Dear All,
in order to consolidate the AA/US merger threads (and after input from users, which we highly appreciate) the moderators decided to start separate threads each discussing one aspect of the AA/US merger and its impact to both the industry and the two airlines involved.
Please continue discussing this hot news in their individual official threads:
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16246 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 6283 times:
Quoting g500 (Reply 1): " just when I thought things couldn't get any worse here at American, we're about to merge with USAirways". Morale is off to a rocky start
Is he aware their Unions have been the driving force behind merging with US, especially the pilots union?
sonomaflyer From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1171 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 5950 times:
I think that F/O is worried about his/her spot on the seniority list. Three different groups are merging onto one list and no matter how you look at it, people will be bumped down the list with the mergers.
JoePatroni707 From United States of America, joined Dec 2012, 190 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 5747 times:
The vast majority of employees will slide across to the new airline with seniority intact. However, that does not change the fact that approximately 10-12,000 employees will be furloughed. The vast majority being AA management and supervisors.
delta2ual From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 575 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 5595 times:
Quoting STT757 (Reply 2): Is he aware their Unions have been the driving force behind merging with US, especially the pilots union?
While true, I'd like to know if the unions actually talked to their membership. I know it is anecdotal, but every friend of mine at AA (mostly F/A's) do not want this merger. My friends from my HP days (now at US) do not want this merger. I only know of one person who is salivating over this merger and he is a US F/A on this board. He was the same way when the takeover of DL was announced back in '06. I'll leave it at that.
I really hope my friends don't get screwed.
From the world's largest airline-to the world's largest airline. Delta2ual
EASTERN747 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 376 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 5459 times:
I have a friend at AA that started at North Central as a F/A, then got merged into Ozark, then got merged into TWA, then AA, furloughted again as a FA, recalled after some time based in DC, lives in ORD and is now a supervisor in inflight...looking forward to retirement. Now this. I haven't flown US in years so can't comment. All I know is there is still bad blood at AA with TW folks. Now this.....Pity. We are back to deregulation days. If you don't think there is collusion among the airlines, look at the fares between ORD-LHR. No competion as all fares are the same except BA, which is always more.
PHX787 From Japan, joined Mar 2012, 4938 posts, RR: 15 Reply 8, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 5461 times:
Talked to some employees recently. They're scared sh*tless because of this thing and all the speculation about the PHX hub going away. I know for a fact it won't but people are still scared.
womenbeshopping From United States of America, joined Jun 2012, 21 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 5422 times:
Quoting g500 (Reply 6): You guys are forgetting that US Airways is the ugly girl at the party, and AA was left to dance with her.
Haha I get what you mean, but that was a few years ago, Now US is more like the ugly girl who went away for the summer and developed into a really good looking girl.
silentbob From Vatican City, joined Aug 2006, 1635 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 5386 times:
Quoting sonomaflyer (Reply 3): Three different groups are merging onto one list and no matter how you look at it, people will be bumped down the list with the mergers.
USAPA will be submitting one straight Date of Hire list for US pilots, there will not be three lists. At least, from what I have been told that will be the case. Naturally, this would be a serious complication to the process, if true.
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 8): Talked to some employees recently. They're scared sh*tless because of this thing and all the speculation about the PHX hub going away. I know for a fact it won't but people are still scared.
The wholly owned subsidiary employees should be scared as well. I think they will be combined and spun off, likely into oblivion.
jfaubel From United States of America, joined Apr 2012, 9 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 5324 times:
The unionized employees will be taken care of one way or another, couldn't care less. I'm interested in what will become of the corporate jobs at the respective HQ's (i.e. leadership, structure, culture, etc.).
AA94 From United States of America, joined Aug 2011, 356 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 5097 times:
Quoting delta2ual (Reply 5): While true, I'd like to know if the unions actually talked to their membership. I know it is anecdotal, but every friend of mine at AA (mostly F/A's) do not want this merger. My friends from my HP days (now at US) do not want this merger. I only know of one person who is salivating over this merger and he is a US F/A on this board. He was the same way when the takeover of DL was announced back in '06. I'll leave it at that.
I generally agree with this statement. The "union" lobbied hard for the merger, but what does "union" really mean? I suspect that it means union leadership want the merger, not union employees.
Quoting womenbeshopping (Reply 9): Haha I get what you mean, but that was a few years ago, Now US is more like the ugly girl who went away for the summer and developed into a really good looking girl.
I'm not sure about that ... I agree that US has become somewhat more attractive, but they're still not a really good looking girl. US brings a lot of baggage (no pun intended) to a combined carrier, the same baggage that AA has finally gotten rid of. We're going backwards progress-wise here, not forward.
Choose a challenge over competence / Eleanor Roosevelt
crAAzy From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 572 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 4744 times:
Quoting JoePatroni707 (Reply 4): The vast majority of employees will slide across to the new airline with seniority intact. However, that does not change the fact that approximately 10-12,000 employees will be furloughed. The vast majority being AA management and supervisors.
You're kidding right? I'd love to see your source for this one ... LOL.
You realize that this is not a US buy out of AA right?!?
It will be a merger and while there will be some management changes, I HIGHLY doubt anyone on AA or the AA Board would authorize a merger where one airline would essentially be gutting the management and supervisors of the other airline ... especially for Doug Parker and his gang.
PHX787 From Japan, joined Mar 2012, 4938 posts, RR: 15 Reply 17, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 4695 times:
Well here's something to throw a wrench in things-
PHX Spotters Jason Bong posted on the page that US Airways is HIRING here in PHX! HIRING! He asserts that PHX is going to be fine in terms of employees.
ABQopsHP From United States of America, joined May 2006, 832 posts, RR: 3 Reply 18, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 4657 times:
Quoting EASTERN747 (Reply 7): North Central as a F/A, then got merged into Ozark,
Nope, NC merged with SO (Southern) to become RC (Republic). Ozark was a stand-alone company until its merger with TW in 1986.
JD CRP
PS. GOOD LUCK, to my friends at both AA and US. Thankfully none of them went into management, after the HP/US merger. So they may get thru this w/o loosing out. The pilot and F/A group I do worry about tho.
PHX Spotters Jason Bong posted on the page that US Airways is HIRING here in PHX! HIRING! He asserts that PHX is going to be fine in terms of employees.
Well now, if Jason Bong says everything will be fine in PHX, then it must be true.
US Airways always has openings in PHX. In fact, if you take a look at their career page, they currently have a lot of openings for management positions at HQ. Until the merger is officially approved by both boards, US still has to operate as a standalone carrier which includes posting and back filling vacant positions just in case the merger falls apart.
ckfred From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 4650 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 4587 times:
Quoting JoePatroni707 (Reply 4): The vast majority of employees will slide across to the new airline with seniority intact. However, that does not change the fact that approximately 10-12,000 employees will be furloughed. The vast majority being AA management and supervisors.
Whose to say that after the merger, there isn't a reduction in headcount that is split between the two carriers? For one thing, a lot of US management may decide that they don't want to leave Phoenix for the Metroplex. That often happens, when two companies with HQs some distance apart merge.
My father used to work for a company that was bought out by another company. The two HQs were about 8 blocks apart in downtown Chicago. Corporate for each company had about 600 employees, and the CEO of the acquiring company expected corporate would have about 600 employees, when the dust settled.
When asked if the employees at the acquired company should be fearful, the CEO said no one was safe. There would be a review of peformance reviews, and the best 600 would be staying, regardless which company they came from.
I can't see Parker giving pink slips to a lot of AA managers and moving everyone from Phoenix to DFW. This is an opportunity to get rid of the "deadwood" at both AA and US, as well as accept resignations from US employees who don't want to move.
F9animal From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 4730 posts, RR: 30 Reply 21, posted (3 months 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 4557 times:
Anyone have any idea how flight attendants from US West will fair with all of this? Especially the ones with 5 or less years seniority? I have a friend based in PHX with about 5 years, and my worry is she may be facing a harsh road. She seems very excited, and feels she will be secure if this happens.
I have another friend just recalled back to AA. She is a former TWA. Several years of seniority. Think she will be okay?
I don't think anybody ( not even the CEOs) have an idea how things will play out for any group.
These are two airlines that have bad relationships between unions and managements, and now they're merging. Morale at AA has been bad since 2001, and USAirways will always be USAirways, even after the merger
nutsaboutplanes From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 319 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (3 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3957 times:
Quoting delta2ual (Reply 23): Well here's something to throw a wrench in things-
PHX Spotters Jason Bong posted on the page that US Airways is HIRING here in PHX! HIRING! He asserts that PHX is going to be fine in terms of employees.
You have to keep in mind that there is still a BUSY summer schedule to plan for and that means hiring for peak travel demand. It will take 12-18 months for material changes to be made....for now, we have an airline to run......US Airways will exist in its operational form for quite a period of time post-merger as did NW and CO.
US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Northwest Airlines, America West Airlines, USAFR
25 nutsaboutplanes: I would think that buy-outs for flight attendants at mid-high range seniority would be offered (15years +?) if the airline needs to shed in-flight. B
26 rangercarp: That does not mean anything. US will continue operating independently for at least a year before staffing changes start to take place. Take a look at
27 rangercarp: I know the 10-12k job loss number was tossed around months ago (sorry, I do not remember the source), but I question the oft cited logic that most of
28 SPREE34: How can "everyone" get bumpped down? Nobody will gain or lose enough to matter. Their number will change, and it may be a lower or higher number, but
29 learjet1969: Its hard to find a pilot, FA or anybody for that matter at AA that wants this thing to happen. Everyone I have spoken to are all against it. Their mai
30 nutsaboutplanes: Classy. So when all else fails and it looks like the merger is a sure thing, resort to a cheap character assasination.
31 doug_Or: The AA pilots at my crashpad were all giddy with excitement about the prospect of a US merger.
32 LMP737: As a former AA'er I wish everyone, AA and US Air, the best of luck.
34 AllegiantFlyer: Whens AA suppose to hire pilots this year??
35 silentbob: The merger is complete and has been for some time. The pilot and flight attendant groups are not integrated, but that is due solely to a seniority di
36 RyanairGuru: I hope that you are right, but if outsourced flying proves cheaper than Piedmont/PSA/Eagle then I'm not sure what their future is.
37 BDL757: I believe I read that the newest US Airways f/a tentative agreement had a $40,000 buyout contingent upon a merger with AA. Any ideas of how many will
38 AABB777: My questios is if (..or when) this merger is announced tomorrow, in the end how many mid- level US employees will want to re-locate to DFW?
39 rj777: So..... will the US crews and America West Crews FINALLY be integrated into one seniority list with the AA crews?
40 Maverick623: Yep. The crap that USAPA pulled is no longer an option.
41 mah4546: Best news I've heard about this merger, from Reuters: The merged company will have a board of 12 members: four from US Airways including its chief exe
42 Flighty: It's been getting better to customers. What I like about US is their modest footprint. They don't pay people a lot, don't staff up and don't build ex
43 PHX787: I sure hope so. The worst case scenario here is having an East, West, and South (AA) crews.
44 AA94: I hope Doug Parker doesn't undo all of the progress that the new American has made. I flew US last month and hit all the major hubs (save for DCA), a
45 nutsaboutplanes: I guess you guys just ignore the fact that US is now consistently beating AA and UA in customer complaints per the ATCR. US is now #2 in customer com
46 mah4546: I could care less. US doesn't serve meals on flights under 3.5 hours (AA serves meals even on sub-2 hour flights); it doesn't have domestic IFE; it's
47 BDL757: Many analysts and people on here state that the new American will have too many people and buyouts/layoffs will occur. I tend to agree but I think tha
48 NYCAAer: I doubt we'll see any reductions in the pilot and flight attendant head counts at either airline. Pilots have a mandatory retirement age so attrition
49 cageyjames: You guys make me LOL when you talk about current AA culture. I loved that airline but it's been nothing but a disaster in the past couple years. That'
50 aaexecplat: There will certainly be layoffs, but I don't expct them to be announced in big blocks. It will be a slow process of attrition. First, many AA pilots w
51 AeroWesty: An interesting update from the Star-Telegram this morning on the labor issues facing the AA/US merger: American, US Airways unions still have lots to
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