The Pilots' War At United

United, and for that matter all U.S. airlines, have severe service issues. My last flight back to Japan from SF I booked what was scheduled to be an ANA flight, plane and crew, it was changed last minute to United, myself and several others in business class tried to change flights because the service and food are that bad. I felt, throughout the entire flight, as if I was inconveniencing the flight attendants. When I wanted a glass of water, I had to get up to request it and was given an attitude. U.S. airlines, needs to take a lesson or two from their international counterparts, particularly ANA, JAL, Emirates, & Singapore Airlines - they know how to provide service and great food. Most importantly though they smile, what a novel idea for a flight attendant.

With all the problems in the FAA I am unsure if they have the time to do anything smart like check the airlines for problems. They have so many of their own problems.
With irritating people like me haunting them about contingency plans to keep the U.S. safe. Check out faahope.com It is amazing to me that what they have on paper as contingency plans has never been practiced. I know: I am married to an air traffic controller.

I am a 1K (top-tier) customer. I agree with their message 100%. However, in disparaging Tilton by using his name for their website, the pilots no longer appear professional and credible, but merely appear spiteful and petty. This can only help the position of those on Tilton's team.

Very, very, very disappointing.

Seriously, which “corporation" or "command economy" does the poster above (the one who questions the pilots professionalism) align themselves with?

My students would be asked to question the above post and poster. Why question it? The reason would be to increase their critical and creative thinking skills (necessary for future successful business entrepreneurs/investors/executives). Economic and personal freedom requires the analysis of powerful written words in cyberspace. In this post, there are succinct silencing punch phrases. Even though a short post, it was consciously and powerfully written. Therefore, it is a good example to note, analyze, question. Let us go deeper …

Accusing a group of individuals who hold our lives (and our loved ones) in their hands as appearing “unprofessional” in the performance of their work is not logical (especially if you are a “seasoned flyer). Why would the writer wish to create feelings of insecurity? An entire industry as well as the individual flying customer is based (however intuitively) on being safe in the sky and on the ground. When men and women go into their cockpits as professional aviators, they use all their hours of training to make us feel “intuitive safe.” Customers take for granted our pilots are going to do their job. They believe the managers who hire and work for the airlines have made good “professional” decisions for those who fly the planes (such as making their pilots feel safe in their own lives through decent wages and work rules) for their customers.

Why Is this poster trying to both discount what these individuals do for others in their life’s work? (Sorry, but I want a seasoned pilot who by law must be professionally trained to fly my family safely rather than anyone off the street who thinks the plane can be flown by anyone...NOT...)? Why try to scar them by discounting or eliminating their ability to express their freedom of speech? Authoritarian leaders do this (pedophile parents and ruthless dictators) by silencing "voices" that could stop their behavior. When a Tilton said that "morale is not his problem" and he would take away any benefits/salaries from his employees until their "were no scraps left on the table" he had every right to do as he too, was exercising his "freedom of speech."

Is the poster really a "paying 1-K traveler or perhaps indeed travels "stand-by?" Why would he try to take away the credibility of a group who safely takes him/her to his destination of loved ones? Hmmm...Just the tenured professor of business in me my questioning the motivation of a "silencer..." They are the greatest threats to marketplace innovation and change and profitablity...Change however painful...is the first theory taught in Business 101...It is called the "Risk/Return" trade-off...

Julie Ann Brown MBA/MPPA

The professor above might wish to re-read my statement, which is quite succinct and specifies support for the pilots' position. I am hardly "accusing the pilots of appearing unprofessional in the performance of their work."

Pilots, precisely because of the nature of the job, must display to the public a collective appearance of trustworthiness and dignity. Without these, the public will not fly. The issue is the use of the name of an executive for their protest website (instead of, for example, boot-out-ua-management.com). Doing so comes across as infantile rage, and thus undermines their image as professionals.

The professor might wish to read all the words, not just the ones convenient to her self-promoting agenda.

Leadership when it fails, mirror the falling of dominoes...Dominoes that fall so fast that sadly, they have worn out any breaks that can no longer slow or stop their descent...
However, when leadership does its job well, it creates brand loyalty. This type of brand loyalty will exist both within their current and future customers and stockholders.
United Airlines “Upper Management “needs to study the management decision making at Google. The individuals at the helm of Google can teach them how to successfully manage a company. Google can also help them to learn how to create customer satisfaction for customers, employees and owners.

Google has created a feast for its customers and stockholders (vs. Tilton's "no scraps left on the table). For example, I myself was more excited at the thought I was a stockholder on the first day Google sold stock to her customers than what my future potential profitability would be... I wanted to be a part of the energy of a company that I knew would exist long after, alas, my own earthly sojourn would be done…

As I was in a state of “business bliss” through my Google stock purchase, I told others…I found that many of my colleagues and students said that even though they did not own stock in Google, they hoped that the company would succeed…Once again, it was evident that Google created brand loyalty not just in its current advocates…but those who would be in her future!

Even though I have long ago sold my Google stock (profitably I may add) I still have warm fuzzes for Google and those who "pilot" her course...

For those who hold specific United Airlines leadership positions, I hope that they have not been forever "defiled" by the leaders who have easily sold their own souls for a few pieces of silver…Hopefully, the good , the just and the true souls in power at U.A.L. will get out in time or turn “injustice” into “justice.”

As Sister Margaret Mary taught me many years ago in Business 101, “… remember that when we all are to leave from this earthy sojourn, it is the way we make those around us "feel,” that will long be remembered... “ Ultimately, whether we are stranger, family, friend, colleague, or foe, it is our legacy that will be what others remember and discuss about us...Our reputation and our story are indeed elements of our reflected immortality in those most like us…our mentors, our friends, and our family members.
Oh, poster… my agenda is to model the phrase…”If we do not stand for something...we will FALL for anything...”

I am a million mile flyer with UA and was a consistent 1K flyer for many years. However, I have to agree with the author of this article; the only way to fix UA is dismantle it and sell the pieces to someone who actually knows how to run an airline.

I am no longer a 1K flyer with UA today and probably will never be a 1K flyer with them again. Their on-time performance and abysmal service will ensure that I book my flights with almost any other airline if I have a choice.

Hey everyone-I work at U.A. and you are all wrong. But only because you don't work there. Not your fault. It would take a long,long time for me to tell you everything, but the first part of the problem is the consumers wanting alot of frequency at low prices and the aviation system is overburdened. Also,the schedule is set up the same nearly every day of the year and does not take into account any irregularities such as weather across the system,or general safety issues. Thousands of take offs and landings scheduled every day set up in a perfect world. But it's not a perfect world,so bad stuff happens every day. As an employee, many co-workers and I often say that all airlines should stop. Just give up trying to satisfy the consumer, and this insane competition between each other and cease altogether. We say,make everyone (us included) take a different mode of transportation. It's not worth all the insanity that happens internally or externally. Of course that won't happen but most believe and feel it's the worst industry. I have an idea to all of you complainers-stop coming to the airport. Shut up, go away, take the train, drive, walk or just stay home. We hate you ingrates with a passion. And the next time you have a complaint, don't walk right by the Captain and be a coward! Tell them how you feel-after all,they are CAPTAIN and have made a lot of money. So,try complaining to them. Stop letting them of the hook. Oh, or better yet, don't let yourself get all worked up, just don't fly anymore. Problem solved. You'll no longer be considered an ingrate. And that's exactly what you are.

I still don't understand how United is still struggling. They have fantastic hubs, O'Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington Dulles for international flights and yet they only run a handful of international flights out of them. Delta's done a great job at taking their 767's and 757's to higher revenue international flying. Why can't UA do the same?

The pilots are right on in their critique of UAL's management failures.

Another great site for United investors, analysts and the like is
UitedAirlinesInvestorAlert.com