American Airlines Flight Attendants "Narrowly Reject" Concessions - AMR Headed For Bankruptcy

Fox News Channel ^ | April 15, 2003 | N/A

[Illbay]

Could be a long summer for airline travel!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Would anyone notice if the WNBA season were cancelled?

Probably Rosie O'Donnnell, Martha Burks, and most of the LPGA. Other than that, I can't think of anyone who would care.

[Grampa Dave]

Time to buy some more SW Airline stock!

[Grampa Dave]

Is Sky Blue a company with stock that we can buy?

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

You know what...like there really is a choice? The union is completely opposite from the Marine Corps which we left. It was Semper Fi to Semper Me Me Me.

Don Carty said he wasn't sure if the TA would keep the company out of bankruptcy or not (so read: we are heading there anyway, but I want to suck what I can from you before taking you to the judge.)

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I have a friend here in Phx who is terrified of going to the arena when the Mercury are there. The crowd is small but it scares him silly. And he's a former hockey player!

[saminfl]

Sounds like the leaders of the union aren't necessarily in the same place as the rank-and-file.

It doesn't surprise me. The machinists union killed Eastern at the expense of its members.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Actually it's JetBlue Airways Corp., I believe.

Symbol: JBLU on the NASDAQ.

[brewcrew]

I think you misunderstood me. In its current state, the airline industry will implode without being propped up by the government.

I don't necessarily see anything wrong with allowing the whole industry to go belly up. What emerges from the rubble will hopefully be leaner, meaner and used to the hardship of moving cattle from point A to point B. And nobody will be willing to take on the kind of debt required to run an airline without figuring out a way to make money at it (hint: charge people what it really costs to move their sorry @$$e$).

I was not trying to argue for a government bail-out. I'm with you on this one, brother.

[dfwgator]

The bottom line is that especially after 9/11, businesses realized that there wasn't nearly as much need for business travel, especially with the advance of internet technology to link business partners together. This is a sea change that apparently the airlines haven't figured out how to deal with yet.

[SamAdams76]

I flew Southwest Airlines for the first time last month. It was a very pleasurable experience. Everybody was friendly and everything went on time. On both trips (from Boston to Orlando and back) went very smooth. Pilots were constantly pointing out landmarks down below and giving us weather conditions on the ground. Stewardesses were cracking jokes and singing songs over the loudspeakers. The stewardess even brought me a second beer without making me ask her for one. First time in 20 years of airline travel that this has ever happened. (It happened on the return trip as well.)

Small things, yes, but what a difference from the cattle cars that are the "major" airlines. I'm flying SouthWest for now on whenever I can.

[Beck_isright]

Amen brother. The unions put themselves ahead of the company. Now when their stock opens at .02, they can realize their pensions, their retirement, their futures were tied to the votes of some overglorified waitresses.

[Beck_isright]

I meant Jet Blue. My bad...just caught up in the moment, LOL. JBLU

[Tacis]

The AA flight attendants have always been exceptionally petty and stupid. I've always believed it was a female thing. They are incapable of seeing the larger institutional issues and see theings only in terms of how they will effect MaryJane. "We can't agree to a cut because MaryJane's daughter is going to have a super large wedding and she won't be able to invite everyone if she has to take a cut."

There are now many male F/As but, as I say, I've always thought it was a female thing.

[bneal]

I really dislike unions. My wife is a 25 year employee of AA. She reluctantly voted for the package. She hates the union for the most part. However, When Carty took over, he inherited a huge surplus which he pissed off rather quickly against former CEO Cradell's warning. Most folks don't have a clue what a bunch of idiots this management team has been. Sites such as this are always full of "experts." If the jobs are so easy and so overpaid, why don't they go get themselves one. Bottom line. The ragheads won with 9/11. Too many pansies out there scared to fly. I guess they sit on their fat butts and send their ill-informed opinions to FR instead. The overwhelming majority of AA employees are conservative and here in DFW are huge Bush supporters. Before folks here spit in their face, they should know they are our allies

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks JBLU is correct.

LUV is Southwest Airlines. It has gone up over 3.% today on this news.

4:03pm · 15.39 Change
+0.46 (+3.08%) Prev Cls
14.93 Open
14.99

[kcvl]

Most folks don't have a clue what a bunch of idiots this management team has been.

That is pretty obvious if they are going bankrupt. But, why should my tax dollars pay to keep them in business? I don't have that luxury. In fact, I would be embarrassed to ask the government for money to help run my business. That would only show that it was a failure.

I'm sorry about your wife if this harms her. But I do understand about running a business and paying salaries(and taxes).

[Grampa Dave]

Southwest is the only airline that I will fly if they fly to where I'm going.

Most of the time their planes land on time and take off on time. We have never had a misplaced piece of luggage on SW.

Their flight attendants are funny crazy, and their pilots are great pilots.

Book your flight 5 to 6 weeks ahead of time and you can save a lot of money.

Their computer system which identifies regular fliers is light years ahead of AA and UA. The President of AA gave money to Linda Da$$hole last year and said that his computer could make the recommended security changes.

Their stock went up 3.08% today. (LUV)

4:03pm · 15.39 Change
+0.46 (+3.08%) Prev Cls
14.93 Open
14.99

[Beck_isright]

"The ragheads won with 9/11."

Do you know why? Because the Board of Directors at UAL and AMR decided to do security on the cheap. They hired barely literate (sometimes foreign) cheap labor to scan and monitor the security posts. I'm sorry for your wife as she gets it. She is about to lose her retirement and benefits and probably her job as she knew it.

I really feel sorry for the victims and families of 9-11. Now their lawsuits against AMR will be under the control of a bankruptcy judge. He will reduce or eliminate most claims. These families will have to go to the Federal government for a settlement of $1 Million which will be paid in installments over 20 years and not tax free. So if your husband or wife earned $150,000 per year, you're screwed again. But the CEO's of AMR and UAL will not lose their homes or holdings. They should be charged with manslaughter and prosecuted as criminals. But this will never happen. The era of personal responsibility died in 1992.

[mewzilla]

I just heard a news report that stated the union is denying that the flight attendants nixed the concessions.

[gcruse]

Just outside of town. ;)