From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 03:26:14 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 23:26:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Competition continues for US Airways facilities Message-ID: <20061003232606.X26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 3 October 2006 ; Charlotte Business Journal Competition continues for US Airways facilities http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2006/10/02/daily14.html --- US Airways Group Inc. Chief Executive Doug Parker came to Charlotte in a charitable mood this week, raising money for the airline's foundation and giving $100,000 to the local United Way. But Parker says it's too early to say if he's going to hand Charlotte an even bigger gift -- a 600-employee flight operations center. Charlotte is vying with Pittsburgh and Phoenix for the $25 million center, which will consolidate existing offices in those two cities. During an interview Tuesday, Parker said the airline's big hub and maintenance operations in Charlotte are a major advantage. But US Airways also has large facilities in Pittsburgh and Phoenix, so it's a very competitive decision, he added. Initial proposals are due to US Airways by Oct. 15. Officials of the airline (NYSE:LCC) will then visit the three cities before making a final decision early next year. The three cities are expected to offer various tax abatements and other incentives to attract the center. Previously, Charlotte has not provided specific incentives to US Airways, which operates more than 500 daily flights at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport and has more than 5,000 employees here. Charlotte/Douglas is the Arizona-based carrier's largest hub. Parker attended a US Airways-sponsored golf tournament Monday at Highland Creek Golf Club, then took part in two United Way events Tuesday. Parker, a board member of United Way's Phoenix organization, said US Airways wants to become a bigger force in Charlotte's charitable community. US Airways opened its Pittsburgh center 10 years ago to monitor the schedules and fueling of its East Coast and international flights. Salaries at the center average about $40,000 per year. Asked about industry consolidation, Parker said the merger of America West Holdings Corp. and US Airways has shown the benefits of acquisitions. During the past 18 months, the stock-market value of the combined carriers has mushroomed to $4 billion from less than $300 million. He declined to speculate on the most likely airline combinations ahead. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Parker approached Delta Air Lines about a possible merger, but was turned down by the Atlanta-based carrier, which is now under bankruptcy court protection. Parker also says US Airways is making progress in its informal contract negotiations with its pilots' union, "though not as much progress as we'd like." US Airways can't merge its two carriers' work forces until pilots from both airlines agree on a single new contract. But pilots are pushing US Airways for better pay and benefits, having lost more than $6 billion in previous concessions because of the airline's past bankruptcies. While US Airways would save money through merged operations, airline officials say the benefits aren't large enough to require a rushed decision on its pilots' contract. The recent promotion of veteran airline executive Scott Kirby to the president's post isn't changing Parker's work, the CEO said. "We elevated Scott to his rightful position as our No. 2 executive," Parker says. America West acquired US Airways last year in a $1.5 billion deal and took the US Airways name. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 21:11:54 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 17:11:54 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways to face picketers Message-ID: <20061004171146.F26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; Charlotte Observer US Airways to face picketers http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/15673122.htm --- FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PILOTS TO LIST GRIEVANCES "Informational" efforts seek support during contract negotiations By STEVE HARRISON US Airways flight attendants are planning "informational pickets" at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport and other hubs on Halloween to list their grievances against management while contract negotiations continue. US Airways Group is trying to merge remnants of the old US Airways and America West into a single airline, possibly by next May. The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline had a blouster second quarter, posting a $305 million profit. CEO Doug Parker, in Charlotte on Tuesday for charity events, said the airline will likely post a smaller profit for the third quarter. Flight attendants, and other labor groups, have a united message: We want to share in the good times. "The revenue environment has changed significantly since bankruptcy," said Mike Flores, president of the US Airways flight attendants union. US Airways pilots say they also will hand out leaflets listing their grievances at airports Nov. 16. Flight attendants in the old US Airways are under contract until 2011, while America West flight attendants have a contract that's currently amendable. Both groups are trying to negotiate together. Like the airline's pilots, flight attendants say they want much of their pay and benefits restored after they were slashed during the old US Airways' two bankruptcies in 2002 and 2004. Flores said he has taken a nearly 20 percent pay cut since 9-11, with his hourly flight pay down from $45 to $37 an hour. The new US Airways is trying to reinvent itself as a low-cost airline, and management has been reluctant to restore much of the cuts made when the airline was foundering. Pilots and flight attendants are encouraged by the airline's statements that a new contract doesn't have to be "cost neutral." "Our goal is to have a contract that allows us to attract and retain more people like these," Parker said, referring to US Airways employees in Charlotte at a charity event. "We also need to stay competitive." Parker touted the benefits of a new profit sharing plan for employees, in which 10 percent of the airline's full-year pre-tax profit will be paid out. Parker played golf with Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory in a charity event Monday, and the two discussed the city's efforts to land the airline's flight operations center that could bring 600 jobs. Pittsburgh and Phoenix are also vying for the center. Proposals from the cities are due Oct. 15. Parker gave little insight into the airline's plans. "We're just trying to do what's best for our employees," he said. Local officials say it makes sense to bring the center to Charlotte because US Airways' largest hub is at Charlotte/Douglas. Parker and about 200 other US Airways employees Tuesday competed to pull an Airbus jet 15 feet to benefit the United Way of Central Carolinas. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 21:13:17 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 17:13:17 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways, AT&T ink $7M pact Message-ID: <20061004171310.I26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; Charlotte Business Journal US Airways, AT&T ink $7M pact http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2006/10/02/daily19.html --- US Airways Group Inc. has signed a $7 million networking-equipment contract with AT&T Inc. Under the agreement, AT&T (NYSE:T) will provide the airline with hardware and network infrastructure to be used more than 230 airports. "We are committed to offering our customers and employees the best tools and services available," says Joe Beery, senior vice president and chief information officer at US Airways, which operates its largest hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. "AT&T has provided us with excellent solutions in the past to meet this goal. We look forward to a great continued relationship with AT&T." The agreement extends a decadelong relationship between US Airways and AT&T. Texas-based AT&T is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies. The company holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which has 57.3 million wireless customers. US Airways (NYSE:LCC) operates 3,800 flights per day to more than 230 destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. America West Holdings Corp. completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of the airline in September 2005. The combined carrier, which took the US Airways name, is based in Tempe, Ariz. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 21:14:27 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 17:14:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] U.S. Airways picks RealLife HR to manage employee benefits Message-ID: <20061004171418.D26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; Baltimore Business Journal U.S. Airways picks RealLife HR to manage employee benefits http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/10/02/daily20.html --- RealLife HR will provide employee benefits help for the 50,000 employees and retirees of U.S. Airways Group Inc. Hunt Valley-based RealLife HR, which provides employee benefits management software and services, said U.S. Airways chose it for the relationship after an extensive national search. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Starting this fall, employees of Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways (NYSE: LCC) will enroll for benefits through a personalized Web portal. A. U.S.-based employee service center will support the system and help serve U.S. Airways employees and retirees who don't have computer access. RealLife HR changed its name from RewardsPlus last year. As RewardsPlus, the company soared during the technology boom, then shrank and regrouped to survive the bust. Today, privately held RealLife HR counts Magellan Health Systems (NASDAQ: MGLN), Bombardier, AT&T (NYSE: T) and the North Carolina Office of State Personnel among its clients. US Airways and its subsidiaries operate about 3,800 flights per day, serving more than 200 cities in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 21:15:20 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 17:15:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Group Sets President's Pay Message-ID: <20061004171512.I26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; Houston Chronicle US Airways Group Sets President's Pay http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4235509.html --- WASHINGTON -- US Airways Group Inc. said it will pay a $490,000 salary to J. Scott Kirby, the airline's new president. US Airways said in a filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Kirby also received 75,000 stock appreciation rights and three performance-based awards whose amount will be determined based on the company's total shareholder return, versus those of competitors. Kirby's stock appreciation rights carry a $46.11 exercise price _ the market price on the date of the grant _ and vest in equal installments over the next three years, the company said. The Tempe, Ariz.-based company announced last week that it promoted Kirby, who had served as executive vice president of sales and marketing, to the position of president. As executive vice president, Kirby received $395,833 in salary for 2005, according US Airways' most recent proxy. Separately, US Airways said it increased Chief Financial Officer Derek J. Kerr's salary to $315,000. The company didn't provide Kerr's previous salary in Tuesday's filing. For 2005, Kerr received $275,000 in salary, according to the company's proxy. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 4 21:16:13 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 17:16:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways September Traffic Declines Message-ID: <20061004171607.Y26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; MSN Money (AP) US Airways September Traffic Declines http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20061004&ID=6077255 --- TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - US Airways Group Inc. said Wednesday its September passenger traffic declined 4.8 percent on a weaker performance on both its US Airways and America West flights. The air carrier logged 4.76 billion revenue passenger miles during the month, from 5 billion a year ago. A revenue passenger mile equals one paying passenger flown one mile. Domestic revenue passenger miles fell 5.3 percent, while international RPMs slipped 2.5 percent. Traffic at America West dipped 7.1 percent in September and edged down 0.6 percent at US Airways. Overall capacity dropped 4.2 percent to 6.6 billion available seat miles, from 6.88 billion last year. Load factor, or occupancy, sagged 0.5 points to 72.2 percent during the month. Year to date, traffic slipped 6.8 percent to 48.14 billion revenue passenger miles. Capacity sank 9.3 percent to 61.06 billion available seat miles. Occupancy grew 2.1 points to 78.8 percent. Shares of US Airways added 51 cents to $48.17 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 5 01:14:12 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 21:14:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Passenger disrupts US Airways London flight Message-ID: <20061004211406.T26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 October 2006 ; Business Journal of Phoenix Passenger disrupts US Airways London flight http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/10/02/daily36.html --- A female passenger was detained after an altercation and disturbance on a US Airways flight from Charlotte, N.C., to London. US Airways Group Inc. spokeswoman Valerie Wunder confirmed there was a disturbance involving a female passenger. She said U.S. Air Marshals became involved in quelling the disturbance, but could not confirm details of what occurred during the incident. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the woman was charged after grabbing a male flight attendant's backside. US Airways (NYSE:LCC) is based in Tempe. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 5 11:03:25 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 07:03:25 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Complaints highest at US Airways Message-ID: <20061005070316.Y26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 5 October 2006 ; The Arizona Republic Complaints highest at US Airways http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1005biz-airlinerankings1005.html --- Tempe-based airline's rate of mishandled bags also worsened in August; staffing woes a factor By Dawn Gilbertson US Airways continues to come up far short of its competitors in key customer-service measures. The Tempe-based airline, which has been struggling with its operations for several months, had the highest complaint rate among 20 airlines in August and was 15th of 20 in baggage handling, according to the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In both cases, the airline's performance was worse than a year ago. The rate of mishandled bags shot up to 10.33 per 1,000 passengers from 7.16 a year ago. Complaints rose to 1.77 per 100,000 passengers from 1.21, though the actual number of complaints is still tiny, at 88. Last year's numbers are the combined results for America West and US Airways, which hadn't yet merged. The airline notes that the industry's baggage handling suffered in August because of the new security procedures following the London terror plot, but US Airways' rate was still far above the 8.08 industry average. Southwest, the other major carrier in Phoenix, had a mishandled bag rate of 6.12, up from 4.42 a year ago. Executives said they also were encouraged that complaints were down from July. US Airways fared better in on-time arrivals, ranking 12th, but still lagged most of the peers it compares itself with in a monthly bonus program. Employees get a $50 bonus if the airline is in the top three among the 10 largest airlines in on-time performance or fewest customer complaints. A payout hasn't been made since the March figures were released. The baggage problem, which is a key source of complaints, stems largely from a shortage of baggage handlers and support staff over the summer in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C., its biggest hubs. Turnover was higher than the company expected, especially in Philadelphia, where the airline had to resort to giveaways to entice baggage handlers to show up. "When that (the shortage) happened, there aren't enough people to serve every airplane as it comes in to get bags where they need to be," Chief Executive Doug Parker said in a recent interview. "Shame on us for having that." Parker said there are no staffing issues today, though that is partly due to the fact that the busy summer travel season is over. He said the airline is working "extremely hard" to make sure it's properly staffed for the holiday travel season. Hank Goddard, a frequent flier who lives outside Boston, isn't sticking around to see if things improve. He flew US Airways to a family party in Philadelphia last weekend and calls it the "worst travel experience I ever had." He flies every week in his job as managing director of an investment firm. Goddard said his first flight was canceled, and the flight home was delayed. The baggage experience topped it all. The family's five checked bags, including two car seats for his toddlers, didn't arrive on their flight. The car seats showed up on another flight from Philadelphia about 90 minutes after his plane landed. The rest of the luggage came an hour later. He said a US Airways representative told his frustrated wife to avoid Philadelphia whenever possible. He vows not to fly the airline again. He had already transferred a large portion of his business travel to JetBlue Airways but still flew US Airways once or twice a month. Parker said the airline's substandard performance "is a huge concern around here." "It's our Number 1 priority... to make sure we get back to the top third of the industry in those performance metrics," he said. "And I expect we will in 2007." He said America West, which he headed before the two airlines merged, learned its lesson when it had chronic delays and cancellations in the summer of 2000 and lost customers in droves. He said the current challenges are "nowhere near that level." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 6 21:06:13 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 17:06:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways unveils Philadelphia Eagles airplane Message-ID: <20061006170553.H26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 6 October 2006 ; USA Today US Airways unveils Philadelphia Eagles airplane http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2006-10-06-eagles-plane_x.htm --- By Dawn Gilbertson The Arizona Republic US Airways is an equal opportunity plane painter. Photo [1] Caption: Eagles take flight: US Airways unveils a plane painted in support of the Philadelphia football team. The Tempe airline, which has an Arizona Cardinals plane and an Arizona Diamondbacks plane in its fleet under sponsorship agreements, on Thursday unveiled a Philadelphia Eagles plane. The football team's cheerleaders and pep band were on hand, as was US Airways Chief Executive Doug Parker. The airline, formed by last year's merger of America West and US Airways, has one of its largest hubs and thousands of employees in Philadelphia. One of the first assignments for the green and white Airbus A319: a United Way jet pull contest. Phoenix passengers aren't likely to see the Eagles plane much, as it mainly will fly shorter routes on the East Coast. The Cardinals and D-Backs planes, Boeing 757s, are used between Phoenix and Hawaii. US Airways has its biggest hub in Charlotte, but don't look for a Carolina Panthers plane. The team doesn't have a sponsorship agreement with the airline. --- [1] http://images.usatoday.com/travel/_photos/2006/10/06/in-eagles-large.jpg From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Oct 7 20:27:12 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 16:27:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways seeks a better view Message-ID: <20061007162606.L26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 7 October 2006 ; Charlotte Observer US Airways seeks a better view http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/15701153.htm --- AIRLINE HAS A PLAN TO REDUCE RUNWAY GRIDLOCK By STEVE HARRISON Each morning begins with a clean slate. Then stuff happens: Perhaps a plane breaks down in New York. There is fog in Nashville. Or dismal weather in Atlanta. And by the time a new bank of US Airways planes begins arriving at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the airline's operations crew is scrambling to keep one set of delays from creating new ones. Perched in a small tower above the airport's terminal, operations employees for US Airways and its subsidiary airlines coordinate the movement of planes on the ramp and tell them where to park. But most important, they make the call about whether a plane should wait for connecting passengers or leave them behind. "Any time you put more airplanes in the air in short times, the bad can get badder much quicker," joked Mike Bryant, the airlines' director of operations and planning in Charlotte. "Things mushroom up much quicker." Because its US Airways Express operations are growing rapidly, the airline is considering building -- or having the airport construct -- a second ramp control tower near Concourse E. The airline is running out of room in the existing tower. And its operations people are having trouble seeing all of their planes because of blind spots. They currently use cameras to see the entire airfield. Charlotte/Douglas aviation director Jerry Orr thinks the airline can make do with the existing tower, built in the late 1990s, when US Airways began handling ramp control. US Airways and the airport have had preliminary discussions about whether a new tower is needed -- and about who should pay for it. The Federal Aviation Administration uses the main control tower north of the terminal to guide planes on takeoffs and landings. Orr said six new gates under construction at Concourse E will have some space to house US Airways operations staff. "Spacewise it would be nice, and we may need it," said Dave Whitmire, the tower's duty manager. "But from a communications standpoint, it's nice to have everyone in the same room." Flight operations staff often shout to one another across the room to alert each other of traffic jams on the ramp. While the airline's operations staff juggles handling US Airways mainline and US Airways Express flights from the single tower, they also must coordinate all of the airport's roughly 520,000 annual takeoffs and landings. Through the first six months of the year, Charlotte/Douglas is the 11th busiest airport in the world based on aircraft arrivals and departures. The vast majority of those flights belong to US Airways. Making sure passengers transfer smoothly at the airline's largest hub is the ramp control tower's biggest -- and most difficult -- job. The ramp control tower can decide whether to hold a plane up to 15 minutes past its departure time to wait for connecting passengers. If the tower needs a longer hold, it must request permission from the airline's main flight operations center in Pittsburgh. Staff members weigh myriad factors when deciding whether a plane should stay and wait for connecting passengers or leave them. A plane might be held if the weather is nice at its next departure, increasing the chances the pilots could make up the lost time in the air. A plane might be released if it's bound for a city that is north of Charlotte and the airport is using southbound departures, because it will take a few extra minutes to take off and turn around. If a connecting passenger arrives at one end of Concourse E and his or her next flight is at the end of Concourse B -- a lengthy walk -- the ramp tower may give the green light to go. The ramp tower will even see where connecting passengers are sitting on their late flight. If they are sitting in the back, the airline may not wait for them, because it will take an extra five or seven minutes to get off the plane. "The question is: Who are you inconveniencing the most?" Bryant said. "Is it four people trying to get a connecting flight or 100 people waiting?" At Charlotte/Douglas, 89 percent of the flights scheduled to depart between 8 and 9 a.m. left on time in August, according to federal government statistics. That plummeted to 59 percent between 6 and 7 p.m. as delays across the country and in Charlotte took their toll. Similar erosions of schedules are seen at other hub airports nationwide. Complicating the decision is luggage. There are times passengers can hustle and make their connecting flights but their bags can't. Sometimes the ramp tower releases a plane without a passenger's luggage. Other times, it bends over backward to match bags and passengers. On flights to Myrtle Beach, the airline knows passengers often have a 10:30 a.m. tee time after a 10 a.m. arrival. "They'll want their golf clubs more than their clothes," Bryant said. Flights to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are also critical for luggage, because so many passengers are going on cruises. The airline can't deliver late luggage to a boat in the Caribbean. The Charlotte/Douglas ramp tower is under pressure from the airline's Tempe, Ariz.-based corporate office to improve baggage handling. In part due to complications from the merger of US Airways and America West, US Airways' poor baggage record has gotten worse. The airline in August had 10.3 reports of mishandled luggage per 1,000 passengers -- the highest of any domestic mainline airline. "(US Airways) CEO Doug Parker has said luggage is a priority," Bryant said. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sun Oct 8 14:06:00 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 10:06:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Why US Airways is big at losing Message-ID: <20061008100331.X26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 8 October 2006 ; Philadelphia Inquirer Why US Airways is big at losing http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15703953.htm --- By Tom Belden and Craig R. McCoy Inquirer Staff Writers For people who fly US Airways out of Philadelphia, there may be no scarier moment than this: the instant when their bags slip out of sight on the conveyor belt. Unless it's the wait for the bags to pop up on the carousel after landing. In between, the bags go on a perilous journey. On the way to the plane, they fall off carts onto the airport tarmac. Other US Airways luggage trucks drive by. Nobody stops. Outbound luggage circles pointlessly on US Airways' underground conveyor system while planes lift off half-loaded. Why? The system's optical scanner can't read a third of all destination tags. Shorthanded crews fall behind when unloading suitcases. Sometimes, it's because some US Airways baggage handlers just "rolled" another flight, their term for ducking out on the job. This is the world of US Airways in Philadelphia, where a demoralized workforce, decrepit and scarce equipment, and revolving-door management have combined to cripple the simple task of getting bags on and off planes. Now US Airways says it is spending more than $20 million to turn things around. Its chief executive, Doug Parker, says he knows service has been dreadful. "It is not acceptable. It's not up to our standards. It's an embarrassment," Parker said this week during an interview at The Inquirer. "And we are going to get it fixed." Parker did not dispute the deep-seated nature of the problem. Consider: The Philadelphia baggage operation's performance is by far the worst in the US Airways system, with a lost-luggage rate about four times the airline's as a whole, The Inquirer has learned. The Philadelphia numbers are so bad that they drag down the entire airline. According to federal figures released this week, US Airways had the worst score in mishandled-bag reports among all major airlines for 2006. The airline's rate was 7.6 lost or damaged bags per 1,000 passengers, versus an industry rate of 6.1. Lost bags aside, the airline is often painfully slow delivering bags to the carousels. "The fact is the other carriers don't take as many minutes to get bags from the plane," said Charles J. Isdell, the city's airport director. The local leaders of the union for baggage handlers are off the job and facing criminal trials. Police arrested them in May on charges of beating up organizers from a rival union. Even before the arrests, US Airways fired the 22 union leaders, shop stewards, and other local members charged in the brawl. Some passengers have become so angry that US Airways has called the police. In one such incident, police in August threw an irate passenger onto a moving carousel, five witnesses said. The 24-year-old man had been yelling after a wait of more than an hour for bags. Many workers appear to be just as unhappy. In the dark and dank catacombs beneath the public's luggage carousels, and even in the bright sun on the tarmac, US Airways employees at Philadelphia International Airport toil in a rancorous atmosphere. Longtime workers are bitter about round after round of wage cuts that have wiped out a decade of raises. New hires chafe at the low starting pay for this bareaking and humdrum job. Too often at US Airways' B and C domestic terminals, it has been Lord of the Flies on the job. Crews steal tug-tractors and belt-loaders from one another, sometimes even in midjob. Some even pocket ignition coils - to disable a tug so they alone can drive it. Supervisors have been timid - worried that firing a worker for lateness would only leave crews further shorthanded. Desperate to cut down on absenteeism on weekends, the company has resorted to incentives. Employees who show up as scheduled are eligible for drawings to win plasma TVs, iPods, and $100 Acme gift certificates. US Airways' managing director in Philadelphia, Tony Grantham, 48, said his agenda for fixing service went far beyond gimmicks. He is the fifth US Airways chief in Philadelphia in 21/2 years. His mission is a crucial one, not only for passengers, but also for his employer's bottom line. Philadelphia generates a quarter of the airline's more than $11 billion in annual revenue. "I'm an impatient man," said Grantham, whose workforce includes 1,350 baggage and other ramp workers. "But we're making progress." So far, the results have been mixed. Complaints over lost luggage dropped in the early part of this year, but climbed throughout the summer. Grantham said his ramp workforce had been short as many as 200 people during those months. His woes deepened in August, after authorities in England broke up a terrorist plot, prompting new rules banning certain fluids and gels on flights. This increased checked baggage by 20 percent. In a city where tourism is a key economic engine, how US Airways performs is a serious matter. "What people remember about a visit is how they're treated, and here we're talking about people's personal belongings," said Meryl Levitz, president of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "Everybody's got miserable airport stories. The miserable airport stories in Philly are about baggage claim." As the city appointee in charge of the airport director, Isdell hears a lot of those stories. Aggrieved fliers don't realize that an airline's workers, not the airport's, move luggage. US Airways' poor performance makes for a nonstop migraine for the airport, where it's by far the dominant airline. With Philadelphia a US Airways hub, its planes carried almost two-thirds of the 32 million passengers who took off or landed at the airport last year. US Airways' baggage woes, Isdell said, are lodged in the "collective psyche." Said Isdell: "In Philadelphia, there's an unspoken rule. If you don't have to check baggage, you don't." St. Louis blues for flight's passengers Casey Dietrich didn't know about that rule before her Sept. 1 US Airways flight to St. Louis. Dietrich, 25, of Somerdale, and her boyfriend each checked a suitcase for the flight, on a rainy Friday night. They were headed to a friend's wedding. Their plane arrived in St. Louis on schedule about 11 p.m. Their luggage didn't. In fact, about 15 passengers discovered that their baggage had not arrived, US Airways confirmed. Dietrich and her friend waited 40 minutes at the carousel before they were told there were no bags to be had. Then they waited 90 more minutes to fill out a missing-bag report. "I was livid," Dietrich said. In the baggage-claims office, a US Airways clerk offered an explanation of sorts. "He basically told us they had a problem with Philadelphia getting bags on the plane," Dietrich recalled. "He said this isn't the first time." The next morning, Dietrich hurriedly bought a dress for the afternoon wedding. She flew home Sunday and began a round of calls to US Airways to learn the whereabouts of her bag. No one knew. Finally, on Thursday, a FedEx driver delivered the suitcase to her home. She was relieved - until she opened it. "Everything inside was soaking wet," she said. Apparently, the bag had been left exposed to rain. Afflicted by a litany of problems In recent weeks, The Inquirer has talked with current and former baggage handlers and an array of airline managers and executives, past and present. Some asked not to be identified, worried about antagonizing managers or colleagues on the job. There was remarkable agreement among them about the problems bedeviling US Airways in Philadelphia. A bitter and weary workforce Working "on the ramp," hefting bags for US Airways, was once a solid, middle-class job, one that someone with a high school education could count on to buy a house, put kids through college, and allow a comfortable retirement. Workers with decades on the job were commonplace. Now that's a remote dream for newly hired US Airways ramp workers - a casualty of the industry's deregulation, which brought consumers lower fares, but ended fat labor contracts whose costs airlines once could pass on to customers. For US Airways, this decade has been a time of reckoning, one that brought pay scales down into line with the rest of the industry - leaving its workforce in turmoil. Since 2002, the airline has filed for bankruptcy protection twice, each time squeezing more concessions from the unions. The payroll shrunk. A third of what had been a 40,000-plus workforce were laid off when air travel plummeted after 9/11. Thousands of other employees retired early or quit because of the wage cuts. In all, employees gave up almost $2 billion in annual wages and benefits during the bankruptcies. The cuts cleared the way for America West, based in Tempe, Ariz., to buy US Airways last year. What galls many workers is that US Airways (America West kept the name in use) is now making large profits when they have given up so much. It made $305 million in the second quarter, a profit margin of 10 percent. Some workers were upset, too, when Parker this summer pocketed $9 million from the exercise of stock options - in addition to his $5.7 million pay package last year. Top pay for baggage handlers is $17 an hour - exactly what it was in 1994, without adjustment for inflation. Starting pay is a little more than half that, a rate that has made it harder to attract and keep people. As a result, the airline has a workforce split between the remaining veterans and much younger, less-experienced employees - many of whom hire on mainly for the job's big perk: free air travel. While much of the work is grunt labor, some of it is demanding and precise. It is ramp workers who marshal the 40-ton planes into the gates and drive the push-tugs that nudge jets out for takeoff. Many employees work hard, but others are cynical and unmotivated - and the negative attitude can be catching. "You have kids that come in for two weeks and are working perfectly well," one employee said. "Then they look around and say: 'Nobody else is working. Why should I?' " A man who trained for the ramp at US Airways said he had given up any thought of taking the job after one US Airways veteran told him: "If you do 500 bags and I do two, the airline won't care." Workers at rival Southwest Airlines say they see this sour attitude when they spot US Airways luggage that has tumbled out of carts. When the Southwest employees try to hand over the luggage to their competitor, they say, some US Airways workers simply won't take it. "We get that a lot: 'I don't want it,' " said one Southwest worker, supervisor Michael Amstberg. There is a racial aspect to it all, too. While most US Airways veterans are white, many recent hires are African American. Often, the two groups hang out in different break rooms. Some white workers won't help pay for DirecTV in one break room, complaining that the set is always tuned to BET. "The issues are generational, but they manifest themselves racially," a veteran said. "It's pretty ugly." To lure a better workforce, US Airways bumped up its wages in Philadelphia, hiking starting pay from $7.17 to $9.59 an hour. It did so after the airline's infamous baggage meltdown in Philadelphia during the 2004 holiday season. This generated the highest rate of monthly baggage complaints for any major airline in the last five years, an Inquirer analysis of federal data shows. In the interview this week, chief executive Parker said that the airline was paying "market rate" for labor - and that he didn't think the pay level was a reason for the baggage problems. "It's a different world now," he said. "We're not going to have a workforce with 20 years of experience on the ramp. Indeed, we shouldn't." Despite many requests for comment, none of the local leaders with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the bag handlers' union, would talk about luggage issues. Joe Tiberi, a national spokesman for the union, said pay remained too low to draw a reliable workforce. "They don't know who they will be working with tomorrow," Tiberi said. "People come in, they train, they work for a while, and they just stop showing up." Worn-out tugs, too few carts After taking over in January, station chief Grantham said, he quickly discovered that baggage workers just didn't have the tools to do a good job. "We were woefully underequipped with tugs and carts, and just the basic things you needed to run a ramp operation," he said. Since then, he has ordered more than 120 new pieces of equipment, 90 of which are in use. Baggage handlers and managers say it has been routine for one crew to arrive at a gate to handle an arriving flight, find carts and tugs missing, and scavenge by stealing tugs and carts from another gate. Another tactic: Between flights, employees who worked on a crew together would take turns sitting behind the wheel of a tug to make sure a rival group didn't swipe it. "These are hardworking people," Grantham said. "They'll do everything they can to protect their equipment." Timid managers, weak discipline Rank-and-file employees weren't the only ones leaving US Airways in droves in recent years. The management has been a revolving door. With the top command in flux, supervisors have often been afraid to reprimand workers for fear they'll quit, too, leaving crews even more short-staffed. "Some managers just won't discipline," ramp worker Andre Robinson agreed. "It's just like, 'Whatever.' They blow it off." In the past, another worker said, some bosses seemed to shrink from their job. "They're looking to be invisible and survive," the worker said. "They go in their offices and lock the door and won't answer the phone." He added that Grantham had shaken up midtier management, which has become much more involved. Most of Grantham's management team is new. His head of customer service, Nelson Comacho, on the job six months, said he was struck by how workers had no idea who was previously in senior station management. Former US Airways employees said problems in the Philadelphia baggage service had festered for years. Ambitious executives dreaded being sent to the city. "Philadelphia was so difficult to work with, there were a number of people in USAir who didn't know how to handle it," said Gerald Hankinson, who served three decades with the airline until leaving in 1996. "The best people didn't want to be there. You went there if you really screwed up or you were at the bottom of the seniority list." Clearly, Grantham, the latest station director, is not in that category. He previously ran America West's Las Vegas hub - a vital post for that airline. Parker said he was determined to succeed. "It is our No. 1 initiative," he said. "I don't know of any No. 1 initiatives in my career that I haven't succeeded with." 'What kind of business operates that way?' If you want to see Christian Menge gripe, go to YouTube.com. There you can find his lament under the heading "USAirways lost my STUFF." In his video, Menge, 38, tells how his laptop disappeared after he checked it as luggage in April before flying from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. It never turned up. What happened to it is not known. A former helicopter mechanic and commercial pilot, Menge said he doubted that the luggage system would permit a bag to be simply mislaid. "I mean, how do you lose a bag?" he said in an interview. "I spent years wrenching helicopters; I know how machines work. A bag does not fall off a machine and get lost. Of course it was stolen." According to Menge, it took him months and repeated phone calls to get US Airways to accept his paperwork attesting to his loss. In part, he blamed this on the airline's call center in Guatemala. "I don't understand what they are saying, and they don't understand what I am saying," he said. Months after his loss, the airline sent him a coupon worth $200 in air travel - though Menge said his laptop and tools had been worth $1,800. Like other airlines, US Airways excludes laptops from its liability exposure. As shown by his YouTube video, Menge remains very upset. "What kind of business operates that way?" Menge says on his homemade video. "It's just ludicrous." Large and small, changes offer hope Late last month, Grantham led his team down concrete steps into the work area under US Airways' bag-claim carousels in the B-C complex. "We got a leaking sewage pipe up here," Grantham said, stepping through a rubble-filled doorway, maneuvering past a door off its hinges. "This area is prone to flooding." Until recently, the fetid air meant US Airways was reluctant to staff the area permanently with extra people to unload bags to speed their way to customers. That meant the tug driver was usually the only person to tote the bags from the carts to the belt that feeds the carousels above. But after working with the airport to improve ventilation, US Airways said, it is now stationing extra workers there. Through changes large and small, Grantham said, he will improve how the airline handles its daily load of 30,000 bags. "When I talk to neighbors and customers, the things they have to say have to do with bags," Grantham said. "I'm going to change the reputation of baggage claim with US Airways in this city." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 11 10:49:41 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 06:49:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Express gives McCook service details Message-ID: <20061011064759.W26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 11 October 2006 ; Cheapflights.com US Airways Express gives McCook service details http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2006/10/us_airways_expr.html --- A new service for McCook [1] in Nebraska that is to be launched as part of the Essential Air Service program has been unveiled. The flights will be operated by Air Midwest, which will be providing the route from McCook Regional Airport to Kansas City International via Omaha Eppley Airfield, under the US Airways Express banner. Beginning October 29, flights from McCook will leave at 5am and 1.45pm, stopping in Omaha at 6.30am and 3.15pm, before reaching the final destination of Kansas City at 7.40am and 4.25pm, respectively. The return legs will depart Kansas City at 10.45am and 6.40pm, making the scheduled stop in Omaha at 12pm and 7.50pm, before continuing on to land back at McCook Regional Airport at 1.30pm and 9.20pm, respectively. "We feel that the regions around McCook will benefit from our low local fares to Omaha and Kansas City," said Mickey Bowman, Vice-President of Planning for the airline's operating company, Mesa Air Group. [2] "The ability to connect in either Omaha or Kansas City should help to facilitate more air travel from the McCook Regional Airport. We look forward to working with the city of McCook to provide the best service possible for many years to come." --- [1] http://www.mccookregionalairport.com/ [2] http://www.mesa-air.com/default.asp From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 12 11:29:31 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:29:31 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways offered millions to build operations center here Message-ID: <20061012072922.E26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 12 October 2006 ; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette US Airways offered millions to build operations center here http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06285/729375-28.stm --- State, county use grants, credits, loans to woo $16.25 facility By Mark Belko The state and Allegheny County are offering US Airways $16.25 million in grants, tax credits and loans to entice the airline to build a $25 million flight operations center in Pittsburgh rather than Phoenix or Charlotte., N.C. Gov. Ed Rendell said yesterday that the state and county are utilizing everything in "our economic development quiver" in their bid to secure the center, which would allow the region to keep 450 jobs and add up to 150. "We're using everything we've got because we think it's important to keep that facility in Pittsburgh," Mr. Rendell said after a ribbon-cutting to open the 6-mile Findlay Connector toll road. The $16.25 million financial package includes $3 million in state and county grants, $12.5 million in loans and $750,000 in state tax credits tied to the number of jobs created by the project. Of the loans, $6.5 million would come from the county and state and $6 million from Citizens Bank as part of an equipment financing program done in partnership with the state. That loan would be made by Citizens directly to US Airways. Mr. Rendell and Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, said the package amounts to an opening bid in negotiations with the airline, which has cut nearly 10,000 jobs in the Pittsburgh region over the last five years. "It's a negotiating process. We believe this is step one. It's going to be a give and take," Mr. Rendell said. Charlotte and Phoenix also are preparing offers to try to entice the airline to build in their cities. US Airways sent letters to all three cities in August, asking that any proposals be submitted by Oct. 15. The airline now has two flight operations centers, one in Pittsburgh and one in Phoenix, as a result of last year's merger between the old US Airways and Tempe, Ariz.-based America West Airlines. It is looking to consolidate those operations in the new center, to be built in 2008 or 2009 in one of the cities. In requesting proposals, US Airways said it was interested in any "tax abatements or other incentives that would make one location preferable to another," including reduced building and equipment costs and operating expenses. Local and state officials have vowed to be aggressive in going after the center, not wanting to lose more jobs in a region reeling from the dominant airline's numerous cutbacks. The Pittsburgh center, located in RIDC Park West near Pittsburgh International Airport, has long been the nerve center for the airline, at one time keeping track of more than 542 daily flights. That number now is down to about 164. The Phoenix center, which handled America West traffic before the merger, employs 150. Mr. Yablonsky said he submitted the proposed package of grants, tax credits and loans to US Airways yesterday. The financial incentives are part of a larger package that involves possible sites for the new center. "We've put a good foot forward on this. We're very keen on doing everything we can to secure this project for the Greater Pittsburgh region," he said. US Airways declined comment. The county and its airport authority have offered four possible locations for the new center, all on authority-owned land near Pittsburgh International. Three would involve new construction and the other reuse of a building. US Airways has said it wants a new single-story building of 60,000 to 75,000 square feet, with six acres and room to expand by three acres if needed. "It will be competitive," said airport authority Executive Director Kent George, who would not divulge the locations. He did say the carrier wants a site on or "immediately adjacent" to the airport. Mr. George said the county and airport authority plan to offer more financial and site details and relocation information before the Oct. 15 deadline to supplement the incentive package submitted by Mr. Yablonsky. After the proposals have been submitted, Mr. George and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato intend to make formal presentations to US Airways. Despite the massive job and flight cutbacks in Pittsburgh over the last five years, officials believe they have a chance at getting the center under US Airways' new leadership and because many of the employees who do the work currently are based here. "I believe the workforce we have in place ... is a huge advantage," Mr. Yablonsky said. US Airways expects to make a decision in February. Bill Lauer, a local airline analyst, said the state and county financial proposal "sounds to me like a pretty attractive package" but added it was difficult to tell without knowing the other cities' offers. He also pointed out that if US Airways were to merge with another airline, like Delta or Northwest, discussion about a new operations center "could all be for naught." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 12 11:30:36 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:30:36 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Jet Makes Emergency Landing Message-ID: <20061012072932.H26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 12 October 2006 ; WENY 36 (Elmira, NY) US Airways Jet Makes Emergency Landing http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=4161275 --- By Renata Stiehl There were some tense moments today for some US Airways passengers. The jet they were flyong on made an emergency landing at the Elmira-Corning regional airport. The "Alert 2" status was sounded when the commuter jet notified aviation officials it had lost an engine. Emergency equipment and personnel were on standby as the plane landed safely at about 4:45 this afternoon. "It's good to be back on ground, it seemed like it took forever by the time we descended to a lower altitude, you know everybody was on pins and needles, and we saw the firetrucks and it was a safe feeling to be back on the ground," says Richard Odata, a passenger on the flight. The plane was headed from Providence, Rhode Island to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 43 passengers on board were offered the choice to get there either by bus or rental car. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 12 11:32:56 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:32:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Editorial | US Airways Message-ID: <20061012073157.X26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 12 October 2006 ; Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial | US Airways http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/15736132.htm --- Losing more than luggage US Airways officials are pledging to fix the airline's horrendous performance in handling luggage at Philadelphia International Airport. They should attack the problem as if it's their last chance to get it right. As The Inquirer documented on Sunday, US Airways' baggage system in Philadelphia is by far the worst in the airline's nationwide operation. The hub in Philadelphia loses passengers' bags four times more often than the airline's overall rate for lost luggage - which is no great shakes either. And even when it doesn't lose bags in Philadelphia, US Airways is slower than other airlines here at moving luggage from the planes to the baggage carousels in the terminal. The chaos at Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2004 was enough to sour some travelers from ever flying US Airways again. The negative impact of this poor performance by the Philadelphia airport's dominant airline can't be overstated. It has resulted in unwritten rules among travelers. First rule: Don't check bags on US Airways in Philadelphia. Or: Don't fly US Airways into or out of Philadelphia. Not far behind those maxims is the really scary one: Don't use the Philly airport if you can avoid it. Getting travelers into or out of Philadelphia International Airport without a major hassle is the simplest way for this region to make a good first impression. Conversely, a late-night melee at baggage claim is something that people never forget. Remember, those people with the sour memory could be business leaders with power to decide where their companies will locate or do business. Airline CEO Doug Parker says the airline is spending more than $20 million to improve the system - for renovations, equipment and software. Investing in the airline's workforce should be part of the solution, too. Since 9/11, about one-third of the workforce were laid off. Top pay for baggage handlers of $17 per hour is the exact same rate as it was 12 years ago. Yes, the airline was going through tough fiscal times during that time period. But employees have given up nearly $2 billion in wages and benefits in recent years and the airline turned a profit of $305 million in the second quarter of 2006. Morale and staffing problems are as implicated in the baggage mess as any equipment shortfalls. Better training and management might help with those problems. But basic labor market economics may dictate that the airline must pay more to get the qualified, motivated workers it needs to turn around the problem. This might really be the Last Chance Carousel for US Airways in Philadelphia. Some passengers are already voting with their feet, choosing other airlines or different airports. If the baggage situation isn't fixed pronto, the airport will have to reexamine whether it should devote as many gates as it does to US Airways. Winning back the trust of air travelers will require a lengthy record of improved, reliable service from US Airways. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Oct 16 23:36:27 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:36:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Phoenix seeks US Airways facility Message-ID: <20061016193620.M26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 October 2006 ; Arizona Republic Phoenix seeks US Airways facility http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1013biz-usairways1013.html --- By Dawn Gilbertson The jockeying has begun for a 600-employee US Airways flight-operations center, with Pittsburgh revealing a $16 million incentive package and Phoenix and Charlotte finalizing their proposals. Phoenix officials wouldn't disclose the financial terms of the city's multimillion-dollar package except to say the proposed site for the airline's nerve center is city-owned property adjacent to the airline's flight-training center west of the airport. The airline would lease the land. "We want to try to be as competitive as possible," said David Krietor, deputy city manager. "It is a little bit rough when you've got the state of Pennsylvania giving multimillion-dollar grants, but we did the best we could." The Phoenix package also is believed to include tax credits for low-cost financing and a state job-training grant. A large part of the Pittsburgh package, about $12 million, is loans from the county and a bank. Phoenix's proposal is a joint effort by the city's economic development office, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Department of Commerce and large businesses including Cox Communications and Arizona Public Service Co. "Phoenix will have a very competitive package. We have a long-term relationship with the airline, and I'm optimistic they will find the Phoenix package to their liking," Mayor Phil Gordon said through a spokeswoman. "These are high-paying jobs," said Bruce MacTurk, economic development program manager for Phoenix in charge of business attraction. "It's a great project." Tempe-based US Airways has two operations center, in Phoenix and Pittsburgh, following last year's merger of America West and the old US Airways. Together, they employ about 600 workers. It wants to consolidate them into one and either build new or expand a current site. In August, the airline invited the existing cities and Charlotte to submit proposals. They are due Sunday, with a decision expected in February. Employees at the $25 million operations center, expected to open in late 2008 or early 2009, will dispatch the airline's 950 daily flights, schedule and support flight crews, help coordinate passenger rebooking after flight cancellations and delays and handle aircraft changes when maintenance issues arise. Pittsburgh has the most to lose; Charlotte the most to gain. And Phoenix falls in the middle in the economic stakes. The Pittsburgh center has about 450 jobs, with an average salary of $40,000, so if it doesn't prevail, those jobs are gone. It would add to dramatic job losses there over the past several years as US Airways shrank its operations and shifted its attention to Philadelphia. There is lingering bitterness from the cutbacks and a fervent hope the airline will ramp up there again some day. The Phoenix center has about 150 jobs with the same pay. Those would go away if Charlotte or Pittsburgh was selected, but it would gain 450 jobs if it prevailed. The airline already has nearly 10,000 employees here. Charlotte, the airline's largest hub by daily flights, would net 600 jobs, adding to its base of 5,000 employees. Charlotte officials did not respond to calls seeking comment. Officials have said they will "put together what we believe will be a very competitive and compelling proposal." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Oct 16 23:37:15 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:37:15 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Pa. bids for US Airways center Message-ID: <20061016193628.E26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 October 2006 ; Charlotte Business Journal Pa. bids for US Airways center http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2006/10/09/daily38.html --- US Airways Group Inc. has been offered $16.25 million in incentives to build a flight-operations center in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. US Airways is looking at the three cities where it has its largest operations -- Charlotte, Phoenix and Pittsburgh -- to build the center. The Phoenix-based carrier (NYSE:LCC) asked the three cities to submit incentive packages by Oct. 15. The airline, which operates its largest hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, is planning to consolidate its flight-operations management at one center that will have about 600 employees. According to the Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh's bid includes $3 million in grants from Pennsylvania and Allegheny County, $12.5 million in loans and $750,000 in tax credits tied to the number of jobs created. "We're aware that they've disclosed a dollar figure but that does not affect our view of their offer or that of the other two cities," says US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant. Bids from Charlotte and Phoenix are expected by the weekend, Durrant says. US Airways representatives will visit the three cities next week to discuss the bids, Durrant says, with a final decision due in late December or early January. US Airways serves more than 230 destinations in the Americas and Europe. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Oct 16 23:38:15 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:38:15 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Airlines' fight over gates stalls growth Message-ID: <20061016193804.S26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 October 2006 ; Philadelphia Inquirer Airlines' fight over gates stalls growth http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/15768684.htm --- Neither Southwest nor US Airways can add flights as they would like until the disagreement ends. By Tom Belden Inquirer Staff Writer Officials at US Airways and Philadelphia International Airport are in a dispute over the best way to use airport gates. The disagreement has delayed a year-old plan to give rival Southwest Airlines additional gates so that it can add flights here. Those in charge of the city-owned airport want the gates to be used by an airline that would offer more year-round service to U.S. cities. But US Airways, the dominant carrier here, wants to use the gates to provide more nonstop summertime flights to Europe. US Airways says it may not be able to expand its service to Europe over the next three years if the airport moves a third carrier, Delta Air Lines, from Terminal E to Terminal A-East, freeing up space for Southwest. But Southwest says it can't grow without getting more space in Terminal E. None of the airlines or government officials involved could say when the dispute might be settled. City Aviation Director Charles J. Isdell, caught among the competing airlines, said he believed the airport could accommodate the needs of all three carriers. "This is the thorniest issue we've had in my time here," said Isdell, who has run the airport since 2000. US Airways chief executive Doug Parker, in a recent interview in Philadelphia, said that if Delta moved into the A-East concourse, the airport wouldn't have enough gates available next summer to add more European service. The A-East terminal, although originally designed for international service, has been used for a mix of foreign and domestic flights since it opened in 1990. US Airways wants to start flying next spring to Brussels, Belgium, and two other European cities that haven't been identified, industry officials said. The airline, which already has service to 16 European destinations from Philadelphia, could also start nonstop flights to six more cities in Europe - three each in 2008 and 2009 - if the airport has sufficient gates, Parker said. US Airways, the airport's largest carrier with more than 60 percent of the passengers and flights, last summer occupied 85 of the airport's 120 gates for its 440 daily large-jet and commuter flights, airport officials said. But only 15 of the gates, all of them in the A-West international concourse, can be used for foreign flights, US Airways spokesman Philip Gee said. Southwest officials say they are in even worse shape when it comes to gate space. The airline won't be able grow much beyond the 65 daily flights it has now if the airport doesn't honor an agreement made last fall for Delta to move out of the four gates it occupies in Terminal E, they said. Southwest, using low fares and frequent flights to U.S. cities, has grown in 21/2 years to be the airport's second-largest airline, with 8 percent of the traffic. U.S. Department of Transportation data show that the average airfare paid by Philadelphia travelers on all carriers plummeted 40 percent between 2001 and 2005, mostly because of the additional flights and lower prices brought by Southwest, AirTran and other smaller airlines. Southwest officials have said they could eventually have more than 100 flights a day here if they get more than the eight gates they have now. Southwest has four gates in the E concourse and four in the D concourse, an arrangement that officials say can be confusing to passengers and is more costly for the airline than having most of its gates in one terminal. "We're in kind of a bind here," Herb Kelleher, Southwest's executive chairman and cofounder, said in an interview. "We've done a great deal for air service in Philadelphia, and everybody says they want Southwest to expand." US Airways has tried to enlist support for its position from the CEO Council for Growth, a unit of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce that in the past has called for adding international service at the airport as a way to aid regional economic growth. In a letter last week to city Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff, the chairman of the CEO Council didn't take sides in the dispute. Rather, Mark S. Schweiker wrote that the council wanted the airport "to provide proper capacity" for all airlines. Isdell said US Airways has rejected several ideas proposed by his staff and airport consultants to get more use out of its gates. Many of the airline's international gates now are used for four or fewer flights a day. Moving Delta would increase airport revenue as well as help concessionaires in both Terminal E and A-East, Isdell said. Among the ideas to resolve the dispute, Isdell said, would be to park wide-body jets several hundred yards from the terminals and use a fleet of oversize buses the airport owns to ferry passengers to and from planes. The buses can be loaded and unloaded directly from planes and from the bridges passengers normally use to board. Isdell said the vehicles were used, without complaints from passengers, from 1999 to 2004 by US Airways and others when Terminal A-East was the only one available for international flights. Gee said that busing passengers back and forth to planes would put US Airways at a competitive disadvantage to other airlines that offer nonstop flights to Europe here and in the New York area, with no busing involved. Isdell said one solution to the dilemma would be reconfiguring space in Terminal A-West so what is now a single gate for wide-body jets could become two gates for smaller Boeing 757 jets. The 180-seat 757 hasn't traditionally been used on transatlantic flights, but US Airways started using the aircraft last summer for some service to smaller European cities. Two competing airlines, Delta from New York's Kennedy International Airport and Continental from Newark International Airport, are using 757s extensively so they can serve more cities in Europe, those airlines have said. Delta was willing to move out of Terminal E, Isdell said. Last week, Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said the airline still believed that the move was good for the airport because it would provide "the best overall gate utilization." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Oct 16 23:39:51 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:39:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Flight Attendants to Stage Nationwide Halloween Protest Message-ID: <20061016193816.Q26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 October 2006 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) US Airways Flight Attendants to Stage Nationwide Halloween Protest http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061016/dcm061.html?.v=43 --- Picket Locations: Airports in Boston, Charlotte, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), will picket seven airports across the country on Halloween, October 31, 2006, to protest stagnant wages, sluggish contract negotiations and management's "nothing-for- workers" negotiating stance. "Management's nothing-for-flight attendants negotiating stance is DOA at the bargaining table," said Gary Richardson and Mike Flores, AFA-CWA MEC Presidents at America West and US Airways. "Flight attendants at US Airways have experienced massive pay cuts since 2002. Over half of America West flight attendants have not had a raise since 2002, and those with one to ten years of service are among the lowest paid safety and service professionals in the industry," said Flores and Richardson. Executives at US Airways who received millions in stock bonuses in the summer of 2006, have publicly stated that a merged flight attendant contract will contain no cost increases. "It's been all treats for management in this merger and an empty bag for flight attendants," said Flores and Richardson. "In 2006, executives at US Airways awarded themselves two raises on top of pocketing millions in stock option payouts but continue to insist on no contract cost increases for flight attendants. This would mean cuts in certain contract sections for our members and that won't fly." Negotiations to combine both union contracts started in February 2006. Only five sections, out of a possible 36 contract sections, have been agreed to by the parties. Several proposals have been tabled because management will not commit the resources to reach an agreement. "Nine months into negotiations and management cannot make the hard decisions in the non-economic sections," added Richardson and Flores. "This foreshadows very scary struggles in the future over contract sections that mean the most to members, including compensation, vacations and scheduling." Picketing times and airport locations will be released in the coming weeks pending airport authority permit approvals and will be contained in future press releases. --- For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for flight attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. More than 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the world's largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at http://www.afanet.org. --- Source: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Oct 17 10:59:25 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 06:59:25 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Executive Al Crellin to Resign Message-ID: <20061017065916.J26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 17 October 2006 ; Houston Chronicle US Airways Executive Al Crellin to Resign http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4263249.html --- TEMPE, Ariz. -- US Airways Group Inc. said Monday Executive Vice President of Operations Al Crellin will resign, effective Nov. 15. Crellin, 59, oversees the airline's flight operations, maintenance and safety departments. The carrier gave no reason for the departure in a release but said Crellin "elected to leave the company." After Crellin leaves, the carrier said President Scott Kirby will assume overall responsibility for the three departments. Crellin rose through the ranks of US Airways and its predecessor companies after joining Pacific Southwest Airlines in 1971. He has been executive vice president of operations since 2002, holding onto his title after US Airways merged with America West Airlines last year. US Airways' shares rose 90 cents, or 2 percent, to $45.97 in aftermarket trading on the INET electronic exchange after closing down 85 cents at $45.07 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares have traded between $20.85 and $56.41 over the past year. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Oct 17 11:00:50 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:00:50 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways flight operations chief stepping down Message-ID: <20061017065926.P26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 17 October 2006 ; Business Journal of Phoenix US Airways flight operations chief stepping down http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/10/16/daily6.html --- A top US Airways Group Inc. executive is stepping down. Executive vice president Al Crellin will leave the airline next month. Crellin, 59, oversees the Tempe-based airline's flight operations, maintenance and safety protocols. An airline industry veteran, Crellin joined Pacific Southwest Airlines in 1971. PSA was acquired by US Air in 1988. US Airways merged with America West Airlines last year. "Al has dedicated 35 years to our airline and we are extremely grateful for his leadership and professionalism. In the past year, he has done a fantastic job of leading the process to merge US Airways and America West onto a single operating certificate," said US Airways Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Parker in a statement. US Airways president Scott Kirby will take over for Crellin after his departure next month. US Airways (NYSE: LCC) serves 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 18 23:59:20 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:59:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Dignity lost in battle for US Airways Message-ID: <20061018195914.W26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 18 October 2006 ; Monessen Valley Independent Dignity lost in battle for US Airways http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/editorial/s_475600.html --- The politics of subsidy requires that abject groveling before US Airways is characterized for the public as a bold stroke for saving jobs. State and Allegheny County officials have promised $16.25 million in loans and aid so the airline won't locate its new flight operations center in Phoenix, Ariz., or Charlotte, N.C. Those cities also are offering financial incentives. The airline has a flight operations center in Phoenix and its largest hub is in Charlotte. US Airways operates like a high school Casanova, pitting three girls against each other for the promise of giving up the most on prom night. Twice-bankrupt US Airways, headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., once had a hub in Pittsburgh, which in 1992 opened a $1 billion airport for the airline, which has reduced the local work force from 12,000 to 2,900 since 2001. Jim Roddey, former Allegheny County chief executive, says local authorities put together an incentive package to save 800 flight reservation jobs in Green Tree. But US Airways moved the center to Winston-Salem, N.C. "They always tell us they were considering Pittsburgh, and then we find out later they never were considering Pittsburgh," he said. How does it feel, Pittsburgh, being thought of as a skank and watching your elected officials begging for a chance to abuse the taxpayers? For such an act of low desperation, will the airline throw this skank a tumble? From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 19 00:02:50 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:02:50 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways "overweight," target price raised Message-ID: <20061018200241.Q26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 18 October 2006 ; Newratings.com US Airways "overweight," target price raised http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_1394144.html --- NEW YORK -- Analysts at Prudential Financial reiterate their "overweight" rating on US Airways [1]. The target price has been raised from $56 to $88. --- [1] http://www.newratings.com/companies/company.asp?isin=US9119055039 From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 20 02:33:41 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 22:33:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Becomes Official Airfare Partner to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving Message-ID: <20061019223333.N26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 19 October 2006 ; Earthtimes.org US Airways Becomes Official Airfare Partner to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,6074.shtml --- CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is pleased to announce the addition of US Airways as an official sponsor of the school. Students coming to Bondurant are now able to conveniently book their airfare through US Airways directly on the Bondurant website. The Bondurant School has also placed a US Airways decaled racecar for display in their Terminal 4 baggage claim area at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. "We are very excited to have our hometown airline as part of the Bondurant School," said Bob Bondurant, Owner and CEO of the School. "Our students fly in from all over the world and partnering with US Airways was a given." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 20 11:49:45 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:49:45 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways, Phoenix pull off fund-raiser Message-ID: <20061020074938.U26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 20 October 2006 ; Arizona Republic US Airways, Phoenix pull off fund-raiser http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1020biz-buzz1020.html --- There certainly are easier ways of moving a jet than by lining up 20 people and having them tug on a rope. But it is a good way to raise a little cash for a good cause. US Airways and the Phoenix Aviation Department held their third-annual jet-pull Thursday to benefit Valley of the Sun United Way. advertisement Twenty-five teams from the Tempe-based airline and 13 from the city of Phoenix donated $200 each for the privilege of dragging a 100,000-pound Airbus A319 aircraft around at Sky Harbor International Airport. The 20-member teams had to pull the jet 15 feet in the fastest time. Rampage, a team from the US Airways ramp, won the competition for the second straight year by pulling the plane in 5.67 seconds, slightly faster than last year's 5.74 seconds. The jet-pull was one of several the airline has held to help reach its companywide goal of raising $1.5 million for the United Way. US Airways spokesman Morgan Durant said the airline is halfway to achieving that goal. He said US Airways CEO Doug Parker and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon participated in the event, and although they didn't win, they "put forth a valiant effort." [...] From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sun Oct 22 20:32:06 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:32:06 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Must US Airways practice its hard-sell pitches on a captive audience? Message-ID: <20061022163133.T26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 22 October 2006 ; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Must US Airways practice its hard-sell pitches on a captive audience? http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06295/731404-243.stm --- Is it really necessary for US Airways to huckster credit cards on its flights? On all four legs of a round-trip journey I took last weekend to the Bahamas, extended, hard-sell pitches were made for the Dividend Miles credit card through recorded messages and readings by flight attendants. After each spiel, a smiling attendant strolled down the aisle offering each row an application. On the last flight, the attendant stopped and asked the young woman who was seated next to me how old she was. "Twenty-three." The attendant said that was good. "You have such a baby face, you might be 15, in which case I shouldn't be offering you credit." Call me cranky, but this practice seems to me to be a significant step backward, both in terms of passenger respect and the air travel experience. I have no problem with ads for credit cards in in-flight magazines or promotions at sales kiosks set up in the airport concourse. In those situations, uninterested passengers can simply turn the page or walk on by. But forcing every member of a captive audience to an involuntary, aggressive sales pitch seems to be crossing a line, especially when airline personnel are actively enlisted in the effort. Airline passengers these days are expected to put up with plenty of inconveniences, from being asked to check in ever earlier for flights to adapting to new regulations for carry-ons and (truth be said) demeaning security procedures, to being herded onto planes and packed into narrow seats with scant leg room and little in the way of in-flight entertainment or amenities. Now we're asked to sit through multiple sales pitches for credit cards! Coffee, tea or credit? In fact, on the two shorter flight legs I took, attendants offered only cold beverages and tiny bags of pretzels. When I asked for a cup of coffee, I was informed the trip was too short to brew hot beverages. There was no time for coffee or tea, but plenty for the cabin staff to huckster credit cards offering bonus mileage and free trips. Randy Petersen, editor and publisher of Inside Flyer, shares my annoyance with these aggressive credit card sales. "I was on a flight [on U.S. Airways] to the West Coast recently and got the same thing. It's a tactic other airlines have tried in the past and dropped, either because of passenger protest or lack of success." Another irony is that this is happening at a time when it's become harder and harder to cash in accumulated mileage credit for free flights. "Availability of free seats has been a particular issue for US Airways since its merger [with America West Airlines]," Mr Petersen said. "The two systems haven't been fully integrated. East Coasters are looking for flights to the West Coast, and West Coasters want to fly east. That's put a crunch on their inventory, especially for the companion tickets, which can be the toughest seat to land." Regarding the credit card push, we also wonder what this sales effort accomplishes. Considering the flood of credit card offers the average American already receives, how many passengers don't already have a wallet full of plastic? Does the potential income from a few new credit customers justify the effort, not to mention the annoyance of all the other passengers in the cabin? And is it really necessary for an airline to de-professionalize its flight staff by turning them into sales people? "That's ironic," Mr. Petersen noted. "For years, flight attendants have been working to establish themselves as being there for passenger safety and comfort. Selling product for a bonus certainly undermines that effort." In full disclosure, since I already have a Dividend Miles credit card, I felt even less responsive to the sales pitch. But this raised another issue I found puzzling. Exactly what credit card is US Airways offering us? The plastic in my wallet is a MasterCard issued by Juniper Bank, which Barclays Group has now purchased. I've had that card for about a year, but the card being pushed in-flight is a Visa Signature Card from Bank of America. Curious, I checked www.usairways.com. On my first visit, the banner ad in the lower left corner exhorted me to "Earn More Miles" with the New US Airways Dividend MasterCard. Several minutes later I refreshed the page. This time, the banner ad in the same place advised that I could, "Get there sooner with 25,000 bonus dividend miles," with US Airways Visa Signature. Somehow, it seemed odd for the airline simultaneously to be promoting two different credit card programs. Although the programs are generally similar, there are differences in annual fees -- MasterCard's is $79, with the first year free; Visa's $90 -- as well as interest rates, bonus miles and other benefits. For a side-by-side comparison, check the option box under Dividend Miles on its Web site and decide for yourself. Choice is good, but rather than making the selection contingent on a seemingly random draw, shouldn't potential customers be advised of the existence of both programs? Mr. Petersen explained that the existence of the two programs is also a result of the merger. The Bank of America had a long-standing relationship with US Airways, but Barclays provided substantial funding for the airline to emerge from bankruptcy and wanted the credit card business. He said Bank of America is resorting to these aggressive sales tactics to sign up as many customers as possible before its affinity contract expires at the end of 2007. This information was confirmed by a US Airways representative, who also explained that the in-flight pitches by flight attendants are a voluntary incentive program established by Bank of America. She noted that staff who choose to participate earn an incentive bonus for each application that is approved. Reportedly, the program has been successful for Bank of America and is gaining popularity among US Airways staff who can supplement their income with the incentive payments. They get no income from either the annual fees or interest payments. Admittedly, these are relatively minor matters, but guerrilla marketing and sales practices offer little evidence of a carrier that has much respect for its clients' sense and sensibilities. And that is another issue entirely. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sun Oct 22 20:35:41 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:35:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] As airline struggled, the jobs departed Message-ID: <20061022163420.G26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 22 October 2006 ; Beaver County Times Allegheny Times As airline struggled, the jobs departed http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17361512&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=6 --- Former US Airways employee Mike Lemire, of Center Township, has been one-sixth of the locally based country-rock band Whiskey Grin for the last year and a half. Whiskey Grin is always working. It generally plays at least a half-dozen shows a month in Beaver, Allegheny and Indiana counties and plans to release a recording of original songs soon, said Lemire, a guitarist and vocalist in the band. It also has its own Web site and 328 online "friends" on its page at the social networking site MySpace. A month after the hard-working band formed, though, Lemire found himself out of work in his "day job." Lemire's career at US Airways, where he had worked as a mechanic for nearly 20 years, ended on a sour note in March 2005, while the airline was in the midst of its second bankruptcy since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was a particularly turbulent time for the airline, which had let go more than 800 workers that February and March. "Toward the end, I didn't know whether I'd drive up to work and see chains on the door," said Lemire, 42, who now commutes an hour and a half to an aircraft-electronics job in McKeesport. "It messed up a lot of lives," Lemire added. Since 2000, the number of Pittsburgh International Airport-based US Airways employees has dropped 77 percent. If Pittsburgh loses its three-city fight to land US Airways' future flight operations center, along with the 450 employees who currently work at the existing center in Findlay Township, regional employment for the airport's long-time dominant carrier would be almost one-sixth of what it was just six years ago. At the end of 2000, US Airways had 12,024 Pittsburgh-based employees. While some were pilots and flight attendants that commuted here from other parts of the state and country, 5,241 lived in The Times' coverage area, which includes all of Beaver County plus people with mailing addresses of Clinton, Coraopolis, Imperial, Leetsdale and Sewickley in Allegheny County and Ellwood City and Enon Valley in Lawrence County. Of those workers, 3,016 lived in Beaver County, making US Airways the largest employer of Beaver Countians. Much has changed since then. Earlier this month, the airline - created last year when cash-strapped America West Airlines, based in Tempe, Ariz., acquired the twice-bankrupt US Airways and kept its name - reported that 2,806 employees were based at Pittsburgh International. Of them, 1,842 lived in The Times' coverage area, including 1,082 in Beaver County. Beaver County Commissioners Chairman Dan Donatella, a licensed pilot who chairs the Tri-County Airport Partnership, said The Medical Center, Beaver, and Beaver County government now employ more county residents. Pittsburgh International's second-largest carrier, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, employs 54 local people, a company spokeswoman said Thursday. While US Airways' job-disappearing act has had a dramatic effect, both psychologically and financially, and passenger traffic is roughly half what it was when the airport was one of the old US Airways' connecting hubs, some politicians and the airport's top executive say the airport region has solidified its future by "diversifying." Kent George, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, said Pittsburgh International reached a peak of roughly 550 flight departures a day early this decade, pre-9/11, and 89 percent of the passengers were aboard US Airways-operated planes, many making brief stops here on connecting flights that originated elsewhere. Today, George said, there are about 275 daily departures, most originating from here. Many are on flights operated by different carriers, including four low-cost carriers that have launched service at the airport since the start of the decade. "US Airways is still our dominant carrier by far, but for the first time ever last month, less than half of our passengers were on US Airways flights," George said, noting that 49.7 percent of the airport's fliers used the carrier in September. "All of our eggs had been in one basket. Now, while we have less service, we have more competition (on routes), better fares and more choices," George said. "We're transitioning away from relying on one company ... those are the old days. While US Airways was once the dominant carrier here, it's now one of the many partners making the airport a success," added Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato. But many of the new partners providing service here, such as Southwest, are headquartered elsewhere and have few employees based here. "I do not see any silver lining to losing over 9,000 jobs for the region, and 2,000 jobs for the county," said Randy Nutter, an airline expert who chairs the business department at Geneva College. "The impact includes the loss of income to those no longer employed, loss of their purchases of goods and services locally, loss of tax revenue, and reduced demand for housing," Nutter said. Among The Times coverage area's mailing addresses, Coraopolis has the region's most US Airways employees - it had 1,521 in 2000, and has 513 now, according to airline figures. Within that mailing address, the majority of the employees live in the Moon Area School District, which includes Moon and Crescent townships. Al Bennett, director of fiscal and school services for Moon Area School District, said US Airways remitted $294,816 in wage taxes on behalf of employees who lived in the district and earned a combined $29.5 million in 2000, compared with $127,004 on $12.7 million in wages last year. The loss in tax revenue has been insignificant compared with the nearly $17 million in lost wages, Bennett said. "That's money that's going to be spent at the pizza shop, the grocery store and the barber shop," he said. Just across the county line, Hopewell Area School District has experienced a similar US Airways wage drain, according to wage-tax receipts. US Airways employees living in the district - which includes Hopewell, Independence and Raccoon townships - earned a combined $28.3 million in 2000 but just $12.5 million last year. That's significant in Hopewell, where US Airways was the district's third-largest employer with 409 and its lone McDonald's restaurant was the ninth-largest with 74, according to school district records. But Moon has "been able to absorb the hit" because of other companies that have come into the township or expanded. US Airways no longer ranks among the township's top-10 employers, Moon Township Assistant Manager Jodi Noble said. "That doesn't lessen the personal impact, though," she said. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Oct 24 11:21:04 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 07:21:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Selects Informatica Data Integration Platform to Pilot Real-Time Business Reporting and Analysis Message-ID: <20061024072056.X26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 24 October 2006 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) US Airways Selects Informatica Data Integration Platform to Pilot Real-Time Business Reporting and Analysis http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061023/sfm064.html?.v=69 --- Major U.S. Airline Will Leverage Informatica PowerCenter and PowerExchange to Realize Post-Merger Synergies and Support FAA Compliance REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Informatica Corporation (Nasdaq: INFA), a leading provider of data integration solutions, today announced that US Airways (NYSE: LCC), the nation's fifth-largest domestic airline, has selected the Informatica PowerCenter data integration platform and PowerExchange data-access software to drive the company's centralized business-reporting and management information initiatives. Delivering timely, consolidated information across the organization -- including real-time mainframe-based data -- the Informatica solution will help the recently-merged US Airways reduce operating costs, optimize safety-critical maintenance processes, and comply with FAA operating regulations. "The Informatica platform will help us manage data volumes that tripled overnight as a result of our merger and provides a robust framework for leveraging real-time data generated by the systems that run the combined airline," said Andrew Clifford, senior manager, US Airways. "For example, PowerCenter and PowerExchange will enable US Airways to analyze events affecting aircraft maintenance and operations as they happen, which will help make our operations more transparent, efficient and cost-effective. We selected Informatica over competing solutions for its proven mainframe data access, high performance and scalable platform that will support our long-term data integration needs." Replacing multiple, in-house developed data integration routines, PowerCenter and PowerExchange will access changed data records in real time from US Airway's mainframe operational environment and consolidate such records into a single enterprise data warehouse. This represents a significant step towards integrating the IT systems of both airlines, which when completed will enable the FAA to award a single operating certificate. The data consolidated by the Informatica solution will be used by line personnel and managers across the organization for operational reporting, inventory management, parts purchasing and aircraft records maintenance. It will also be used to drive management reporting and analyses of procurement, maintenance, personnel and other key operations. Integral to the overall data integration process, PowerCenter will cleanse the collected data, ensure its integrity, and provide a comprehensive audit trail for aircraft parts. "Companies like US Airways underscore the critical role of enterprise data integration in a merger or acquisition scenario," said Brian Gentile, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Informatica. "When data integration processes and skill sets are standardized on a single easy-to-manage platform, companies can move more quickly and confidently in combining post-merger operations, presenting a single face to the world, and complying with regulatory mandates. From data quality and consistency assurance to real-time data delivery and comprehensive audit trails, the Informatica data integration platform addresses the entire data integration lifecycle to help companies rapidly realize post-merger synergies." US Airways and America West's recent merger creates the fifth-largest domestic airline employing nearly 35,000 aviation professionals. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express operate approximately 3,800 flights per day and serve more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 25 02:48:53 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:48:53 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Earnings Preview: US Airways Group Message-ID: <20061024224843.F26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 24 October 2006 ; MSN Money (AP) Earnings Preview: US Airways Group http://moneycentral.msn.com/inc/news/providerredir.asp?feed=AP&Date=20061024&ID=6131248 --- NEW YORK (AP) - US Airways Group Inc. reports earnings for the third quarter on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. OVERVIEW: Analysts are expecting strong third-quarter results from Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group Inc., as it and other carriers are in the midst of an industry resurgence. Relatively flat capacity has returned pricing power to carriers, allowing them to charge higher fares and boost unit revenue. However, the industry may have run into headwinds during the quarter. Several carriers reported revenue losses due to heightened airport security that followed this summer's foiled terrorist plot to bomb trans-Atlantic passenger jets headed to the U.S. from the U.K. So far this earnings season, the old-line network carriers seem to have fared better than their low-cost competitors. Legacy network carriers, including American Airlines' parent and Continental Airlines Inc., have reported better-than-expected results, while Southwest Airlines Co. fell short of the Street's profit expectations. US Airways is trying to become a hybrid of the two systems. The carrier is the product of last year's merger of the old US Airways and low-cost carrier America West Airlines. The combined company boasts low operating costs, as the old US Airways slashed labor costs and other expenses during its stay in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, yet the carrier also has big hub operations with planes that feature first-class cabins. BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts expect a quarterly profit of $1.03 per share on revenue of $3.02 billion, according to a Thomson Financial poll. ANALYST TAKE: JPMorgan analyst Jamie Baker lists US Airways' stock among his top picks. Calyon Securities analyst Ray Neidl downgraded US Airways to "Add" from "Buy" in early October on lower-than-expected September traffic results and unit-revenue estimates. But he said he is still bullish on the overall industry through next year. "We believe US Airways' shares are the most volatile of the legacy carriers and could have the most upside potential in any airline stock rally, which we expect to occur early next year," Neidl wrote in a research report. STOCK PERFORMANCE: US Airways shares fell to close the third quarter at $44.33, after ending the second quarter at $50.54 on the New York Stock Exchange. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 25 11:26:42 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 07:26:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways flight evacuated after paint thinner spill Message-ID: <20061025072631.B26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 October 2006 ; AZ Central US Airways flight evacuated after paint thinner spill http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1024skyharbor-ONLINE.html --- By Ginger D. Richardson and Lindsey Collom The Phoenix Fire Department and Hazardous Materials crews evacuated a US Airways Express flight bound for Austin, Texas, after an acrylic solvent spilled in the plane's cargo hold, sending fumes into the cabin. Paul Skellon, vice president of corporate communications for the Mesa Air Group, which operates the flight, said the aircraft's pilot noticed an odd smell coming from the back of the plane as he was doing a routine, pre-flight, walk-around and check. He ordered the 59 passengers and four crew members off the Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft after determining that the fumes had seeped into the flight deck and the cabin. A subsequent investigation determined that one of the passengers' suitcases contained four 32 oz bottles of acrylic solvent, a substance generally used for dissolving certain paints and lacquers, Skellon said. The liquid gives off a fume similar to that found in nail polish remover. Only one of the passengers on board the flight complained of fume inhalation, said Mike Sandulak, Fire division chief for the public affairs department. That person was treated at the scene and released, Fire Chief Bob Khan said. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration was questioning the passenger who brought the solvent on board the aircraft. "We'll do the initial inquiry," said Paul Armes, Federal Security Director for the Phoenix region. The TSA does not generally place restrictions on the quantities of liquids commonly carried in a passenger's checked luggage. But if the substance brought on board is determined to be a hazardous material, that passenger could face federal charges, Armes said. The evacuated passengers were taken inside Terminal 4 as a precautionary measure, said Alexandria Van Haren, a Sky Harbor spokeswoman. It was not clear when the flight, originally scheduled to depart at 3:06 p.m., would take off. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Oct 25 11:27:58 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 07:27:58 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Briefs: Bid for US Airways center "competitive, " says Onorato Message-ID: <20061025072752.U26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 October 2006 ; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Briefs: Bid for US Airways center "competitive," says Onorato http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/briefs/s_476499.html --- Local officials may known in a few weeks if they need to tweak a $16.25 million package of incentives they submitted in a three-city competition for US Airways' new flight-operations control center. "We want to see what everybody else is doing and then determine how much we may be willing to change, tweak or adjust, if at all," said Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato Tuesday. Onorato and Dennis Davin, the county's director of development, said they now expect the airline will be making a final decision at its board of directors meeting in January on whether the operations center, which is expected to employ between 400 and 600 people, will go to Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Ariz., Charlotte, N.C. "I know we are competitive," Onorato said. "At the end of the day, no matter what we all do, US Airways is going to make a decision on what's best for them." [...] From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Oct 26 02:40:15 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:40:15 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways cuts local fares to 17 cities Message-ID: <20061025223923.M26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 October 2006 ; Charlotte Business Journal US Airways cuts local fares to 17 cities http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2006/10/23/daily27.html --- US Airways Group Inc. is cutting its fares to 17 cities from its hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The airline is reducing walk-up fares to those cities by up to 63 percent and advance-purchase prices by up to 69 percent. US Airways' fare reductions from Charlotte, its largest hub, include the following cities: Manchester, N.H.; Albany, N.Y.; Columbia, Greenville and Charleston, S.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Asheville, Fayetteville, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington, N.C.; and Roanoke, Va. Walk-up fares are based on one-way purchase. Advance-purchase fares require round-trip air travel. "An overwhelmingly positive response from our customers and a positive revenue impact for the airline has prompted us to continue spreading our consumer-friendly pricing structure across even more of our network," says Tom Trenga, vice president of revenue management for US Airways. "US Airways is confirming its commitment to its customers by providing affordable fares from their local airports." Arizona-based US Airways (NYSE:LCC) serves 230 destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 27 02:37:48 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:37:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways shows smaller loss Message-ID: <20061026223735.T26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 October 2006 ; Beaver County Times Allegheny Times US Airways shows smaller loss http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17379934&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=6 --- TEMPE, Ariz - US Airways reported today it lost $78 million, or 88 cents per diluted share, in the third-quarter, compared to a net loss in the year-ago quarter of $99 million, or $5.74 per diluted share. Excluding special items of $179 million, the airline had a net profit of $101 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, beating Wall Street estimates. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 27 02:39:53 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:39:53 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways anticipates profit in 4th quarter Message-ID: <20061026223946.S26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 October 2006 ; Arizona Republic US Airways anticipates profit in 4th quarter http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1026usairways-earns26-ON.html --- Beats Wall Street expectations with smaller loss By Stephanie Paterik US Airways reported a third-quarter net loss of $78 million Thursday morning but the airline still beat Wall Street expectations, excluding one-time losses. The company took a hit from fuel hedging, non-cash costs from income taxes and merger-related expenses - it's been a little more than a year since US Airways merged with America West. Excluding the one-time losses, the company reported a net gain of $101 million, or $1.09 per share. Analysts set expectations this week at $1.01 per share. Total revenue reached $2.97 billion. The stock rose 59 cents, or 1.2 percent, in afternoon trading to $49.10. US Airways executives were, as one analyst put it, "cautiously bullish" during a morning conference call with investors. Strict security measures at airports following a U.K. terrorist threat in August kept short-trip business passengers away, costing the company an estimated $30 million to $40 million. But Doug Parker, chairman and chief executive, said those passengers have been returning in recent weeks, which could lead to higher fourth-quarter demand. "We anticipate there will be a profit in the fourth quarter, which is an exceedingly difficult period for airlines," Parker said. "We're one of the few airlines willing to make that statement." Since the merger, US Airways has been lauded for shrinking supply and capitalizing on demand. It has cut back on seat capacity and pushed for higher fares. By the end of next year, US Airways officials said, the airline will increase the number of seats by 1.5 percent as it seeks to catch up with competitors adding flights overseas. US Airways plans to add three international flights a year for the next three years. Those flights likely will operate out of Philadelphia. While the company said it wants to add international flights from Phoenix, it doesn't currently have the planes to do so. Parker said he is taking labor disputes seriously and expects to see more "informational picketing" from employees who want the company to share a larger cut of its high-flying, post-merger profits. But he downplayed any effects on the company's operations or reputation. "You'll see more and more of this," he said. "By no means should any customers think, or do any customers think, there will be disruptions." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Oct 27 20:49:33 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:49:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Airbus delay seen stunting US Airways growth Message-ID: <20061027164926.G26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 27 October 2006 ; CNN Money Airbus delay seen stunting US Airways growth http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/27/news/international/airbus_usair.reut/ --- Industry sources say the delay of Airbus' A350 will impact air carrier's long-term expansion plans, newspaper reports. LONDON (Reuters) -- US Airways Group Inc. has conceded that a delay in the launch of the planned Airbus A350 could affect its long-term expansion plans, the Financial Times reported Friday. Design issues and problems with the Airbus A380 superjumbo have put back the planned entry into service of the mid-sized A350 from 2012 to as late as 2015, the newspaper said, citing unnamed industry sources. US Airways, formed last year from the merger of US Airways and America West Airlines, is a major launch company for the aircraft, the FT said. Airbus invested in the American group in return for an order for 20 A350s, which were aimed at leading US Airways' overseas expansion, according to the FT. US Airways President Scott Kirby told the economic daily that the company had no firm delivery dates for the A350 XWB. "We still have a lot of options with the Philadelphia hub to fly into Europe with (Boeing) 757s, 767s and (Airbus) A330s," he said. The newspaper reported, however, that US Airways lacks the planes to launch routes from its Phoenix base as well as longer flights from Philadelphia. The comments came as US Airways posted a third-quarter net loss after fuel hedging and merger-related costs. The A350 is Airbus' answer to Boeing's recent success in the fast-growing market for future mid-sized jets that will be able to fly long distances on two engines instead of four. US Airways was not immediately available to comment on the FT article. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Oct 28 15:41:13 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 11:41:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways flying high Message-ID: <20061028114054.N26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 28 October 2006 ; Charlotte Observer US Airways flying high http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/15860115.htm --- AIRLINE SAYS ITS PROFITABILITY WILL CONTINUE Special costs aside, 3rd-quarter earnings reach $101 million as labor talks loom By STEVE HARRISON US Airways Group has actually made money flying airplanes for three consecutive quarters -- a result that pleases Wall Street but also raises the stakes in its labor negotiations. While announcing third-quarter results Thursday, airline Chief Executive Doug Parker also predicted the airline would be bottom-line profitable in the fourth quarter, which is typically a lethargic time for the airlines. "We're one of the few airlines willing to make that statement," Parker said. The airline, a merger of the old US Airways and America West, posted a third-quarter net loss of $78 million, due to a number of special items. The biggest was an $88 million expense to reduce the value of unprofitable fuel hedges. But the airline said that excluding costs related to the merger and locking in fuel prices, it would have made $101 million, or $1.09 a share. That beat analysts' estimates of $1.01 a share. US Airways stock Thursday closed at $49.43, up 1.9 percent from $48.51 the day before. The stock has more than doubled since the merger in late September 2005. The Arizona-based airline has its largest hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport and bases about 5,000 workers here. The hub is credited with being a strong driver of economic development for Charlotte. The airline, which posted a blouster second-quarter net profit of $305 million, had a rougher third quarter. In addition to the unprofitable hedges, the airline estimated that the bomb scare in Britain in August cost it between $30 million and $40 million in revenue. But the airline is encouraged about the future. The Transportation Security Administration's recent decision to allow passengers to carry on small amounts of shampoo and toothpaste has led more short-haul business travelers to fly. "In the last couple of weeks, we've seen more recovery," said Scott Kirby, the airline's president. "Business travel is back." Mike Flores, president of the US Airways flight attendants union, said he was surprised at Parker's prediction of a profitable fourth quarter. That declaration strengthens labor's position, he said. "As every day goes by, they can save because of the merger," Flores said. "They can raise prices and are still booking seats, but they are still holding the line with the unions. We are not going to be among the lowest paid flight attendants in the industry. It's not going to happen." Flight attendants are planning an informational picket Halloween morning at Charlotte/Douglas and other airports to protest the airline's position that new contracts be "cost-neutral," meaning it doesn't want to spend more on labor than is already budgeted. Pilots are planning similar protests Nov. 16. Workers at the old US Airways took substantial pay cuts during that company's two bankruptcies, and are now trying to recover their losses. Pilots, flight attendants and other employees are operating under contracts from their old airlines. US Airways Group is trying to bring them together under a single contract on the way to becoming a fully merged airline. Parker has said that salary increases in current contracts will be honored, but the airline can't increase pay without becoming less competitive. In addition, the airline said it doesn't have to strike a deal; US Airways insists it can fully merge the airlines while still having two separate labor contracts. The new US Airways wants to be a hybrid of a low-cost carrier and a traditional airline. Parker said the airline contributed $12 million this quarter to its employee profit-sharing plan. The airline contributes 10 percent of pre-tax profits, minus special items, to the plan, which totals $48 million for the year. The airline said its revenue per seat mile increased at America West by 13.1 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2005, while at the old US Airways, revenue per seat mile increased 15.8 percent. An airline's revenue per seat mile, a standard industry measure, is determined by dividing its revenue by the total miles it flies. Excluding fuel and special items, America West's cost per seat mile increased 3.9 percent; the old US Airways saw costs drop 0.4 percent. In a conference call with investors and journalists, the airline said it will likely add a few flights to Charlotte in 2007, with the airline restoring some cuts made during the old US Airways' two bankruptcies. Some service to Florida could resume, , as well as flights to Austin and San Antonio, Texas. Executives said it won't add South American service from Charlotte because there isn't enough local traffic here. The airline's focus has been in Philadelphia, where it's trying to improve its baggage handling and expand international service. US Airways wants to add three new European destinations from Philadelphia next summer -- Athens, Greece; Brussels, Belgium; and Zurich, Switzerland -- but its plans are in limbo because of a dispute with the airport over gate space. The Philadelphia airport wants to move Delta into an international terminal to make room for fast-growing Southwest. But moving Delta would deprive US Airways of gates it needs to expand. "We can't announce the service until they figure that out," Parker said. The airline is worried because the season for purchasing summer trips to Europe is approaching, and it wants to begin offering tickets. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Oct 31 20:48:05 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:48:05 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways flight attendants stage protest Message-ID: <20061031154758.F26528-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 October 2006 ; Pittsburgh Business Times US Airways flight attendants stage protest http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/10/30/daily6.html --- US Airways flight attendants are expected to join picket lines at several airports around the country on Tuesday, protesting slow-moving contract talks. Bill Pratt, a vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants/Communications Workers of America union, said US Airways is not passing down its soaring profits to flight attendants. "Flight attendants are just looking for a fair contract," he said in a phone interview. "US Airways is projecting to make half-a-billion in revenue in its fourth quarter. If they can give us a figure like that, then they're going to make a billion." The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline (NYSE:LCC) has said there would be no increases in flight attendant contracts. In an e-mail, a spokesperson wrote, "The informational picketing going on today is just that. No work slow downs or stoppages are taking place. Our professional flight attendants do an excellent job of taking care of our customers and we look forward to negotiating with them in good faith. " US Airways attendants also claimed they sacrificed wage cuts, health care, and vacation to ensure the survival of the airline and make last year's merger with America West possible. Both America West and US Airways flight attendants say they are the lowest paid in their industry. "People can't get a seat on their airplane, and the cost of flying has gone up 15-20 percent," Pratt said. Pratt said protests were to be held Tuesday morning at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Philadelphia International Airport, Washington Dulles and several West Coast airports.