[Timesink]

Couldn't happen to a nicer airline.

[teancumspirit]

I wont lose anny sleep over this one.

[goldstategop]

The unions would rather see workers lose their jobs than accept temporary layoffs and short-term reductions in pay. Talk about saving the airline by making it go belly-up.

[Dialup Llama]

Dear Airlines,
For years you bought the cheapest security that your lobbyists to congress could buy. In Austrian terms you regarded expenses for security and a non-productive expense. Since 9-11 we all know just how expensive not having security really is.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

Market forces at work. If their business model didn't work somebody else's will. The airlines either need to charge more and realize fewer people will fly or figure out how to manage costs and still provide reasonable fares. A gubment bailout will make the airlines into a flying Amtrak(sp?).

[Arkie2]

Well, I see the lunatic fringe is out at FR again. Every analysis I read says the management has no viable recovery plan and no bank is going to front them the money until they do. The mgt at this airline has consistently erred from it's proposed merger with US Air to it's inhouse corporate airline to it's most recent fiasco, an in house low fare airline. The bashers here on FR are content to blame it all on labor though. Why don't people educate themselves before they voice their opinion? Nah, it's too much fun to slam labor.

[gulfcoast6]

I am just a ole boy from Mississippi so will someone please tell me how a business can NOT make a profit for years and years and years and still stay in business? Doesn't work that way for us here in Mississippi.

[tm22721]

They have lost the occasional business traveler, who no longer considers air travel a perk but a liability.

BUMP

[CatoRenasci]

Can they wait a month -- I've got my frequent flyer free tickets for a trip abroad next month (not on United, but the tickets need to be honored)

[Beck_isright]

LOL, can you imagine the panic of the demorats pissing all over themselves in Chicago. A multi-billion union run facility (O'Hare) that the demorat taxpayers will be paying for, for years, and all the airlines who were denied gates for the last 4 decades of demorat control saying blank you to the crooked Chicago political machine. And since the airlines are cutting back service, they don't need all those empty gates and handing money to the democrooks which run that city. It doesn't get any better than that.

[fight_truth_decay]

Now for some good news: March 19, 2003

European, Asian and U.S. airline stocks have risen as crude oil prices slump, lowering the cost of fuel.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/asia/03/18/newairlines.biz/index.html

[cynicom]

UAL now needs a meat clever, not a scalpel. We have to wonder what part of "downsizing" they do not understand.

For years, they and they other majors thought "big", that did not work. Southwest proved the others were wrong.

[captnorb]

You forgot the biggest rip off line; US Air. They are crooks...

[verity]

Perhaps viable airlines can purchase United's equpment at 'fire sale' prices.

[OKSooner]

Yes, it could. American is next.

[zerosix]

I say, get it on!

This excuse commonly referred to as an airline regularly refused to give me a seat assignment even on tickets purchased more than 21 days (in some cases 6 wks) in advance.

Always their excuse was, "We must save 40% of our seats for emergencies." Whatever that means.

[applemac_g4]

United's in deep trouble - they lost $392 million dollars in January alone (over 10 million a day). I find it unlikely that under those circumstances (which will get worse with an Iraqi war) that the DIP creditors will continue to throw good money after bad and will likely force a liquidation sooner than most people think.

So when it comes to frequent flyer miles - use them if you've got them, and start accumulating them on some other airline.

[BluH2o]

A few years back UAL management caved to salary demands from their pilots ... the end result, United pilots had the largest salaries in the industry. Other airline pilots used this as a benchmark in their negotiations with management and the process snowballed. Then the machinest/mechanics and flight attendants demanded their share and we have the situation we have today. If things don't turn around very soon (this will require a major rollback in salaries across the board) many of these people will be on the street.
Can't say I have much empathy for them ...

[valkyrieanne]

No sympathy from this quarter. The airlines have made flying a miserable experience for 15 years now. September 11 was just the coup de grace.

[Slings and Arrows]

Slings and Arrows' Customer Service Model: If treating people like s*** drives them away, treating them even worse will not bring them back.

May Delta be next.

[Don Corleone]

Couldn't happen to a nicer airline.

I'm sure the 90,000 employees and their families appreciate your Christian concern for their problems. They won't get the benefit of the platinum parachutes that the executives gave themselves. If you can't see that what is happening to the airlines is a recipe for disaster then there is no hope for you. Can you say "Nationalization" and all the good things that come with it?