USAir (3 threads combined)

[stillfrantic]

US Airways just called me.....my heart kind of stopped. They wanted to make sure my kids on FF tickets knew there had been a very slight change in times of a couple of flights. Very nice customer service, as other airlines have sent us computer generated calls or failed to tell us at all.

 

Here's hoping they make it....from people served by small town/regional airports all over the East coast......

[i-m-ed]

stillfrantic,

 

My guess is that you won't be hearing from US Air if they decide to close up shop.

 

I'm not in a much better situation as >90% of the flights out of my airport, and all of the ones in the timeframe I need, are on either US Air or codeshared with United so I too am somewhat frantic. I don't leave until late March and at this point I'm somewhat skeptical that US Air or United will be around then. On the other hand if I really feel like gambling US Air flights are ~30% cheaper than anyone elses.

[hdawson]

Bicker. AirTran just released their numbers for Dec, Q4 and 2004. All the numbers looked very good but no revenue numbers. Good increases in passenger loads and capacity increases. Especially since they had to cancel 800 flights due to the tropical storms in Fl.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It has been on all the news stations and papers for weeks. The mechanics and luggage handlers aren't close to any kind of a contract.

Last August we turned in our US Airway tockets for our Oct/Nov cruise as well as for our Jan and Feb/Mar cruises. We loved the idea that we could fly directly to a certain city but we gave that idea up just to have peace of mind knowing that we could get to and from our cruises. And we also couldn't take the chance that if US Airways were still operating for our cruises they might drop our direct flight. We could be out at sea and not know this and didn't want a surprise when we went to the airport.

[gina415]

Bicker, or anyone,

 

Can someone spell out the possibilities for USAir in plain English?

 

If the bankruptcy judge throws the union contract out on Thursday, what is likely to happen?

[Jimsgirl]

I have a booking with USAir, for May, booked through Cunard, FL to UK to board ship , have sent E mail to Cunard, asking what they would do if airline goes under no reply as yet ( I have travel ins.) . but do not want to be scrambling for transportation on my own after booking with Cunard, especially as I have a pre cruise hotel in London, also with Cunard.

 

What would a good cruise line do in this case - other than change the booking immediately.

[gailoterson]

I am holding US Air tickets for May booked through Celebrity. It is for a transatlantic from Pittsburgh to Fl. and then from BCN back to Pittsburgh. Celebrity and my travel agent both told me that if US Air goes under, Celebrity will be obligated to get me new tickets at no cost. I am tempted to purchase refundable tickets to get to the ship (Air Tran has a good flight) and let Celebrity worry about getting me home from Europe. My other option since I did not do the actual booking is to to hold off and keep watching the news and hope for the best.

[Globaliser]

I have a booking with USAir, for May, booked through Cunard, FL to UK to board ship , have sent E mail to Cunard, asking what they would do if airline goes under no reply as yet ( I have travel ins.) . but do not want to be scrambling for transportation on my own after booking with Cunard, especially as I have a pre cruise hotel in London, also with Cunard.

I wouldn't worry about getting from Florida to the UK - there are plenty of direct (though more expensive) flights for the cruise line to rebook you on if US goes under, and the cruise line can't find any other alternatives.

[greatam]

I am holding US Air tickets for May booked through Celebrity. It is for a transatlantic from Pittsburgh to Fl. and then from BCN back to Pittsburgh. Celebrity and my travel agent both told me that if US Air goes under, Celebrity will be obligated to get me new tickets at no cost. I am tempted to purchase refundable tickets to get to the ship (Air Tran has a good flight) and let Celebrity worry about getting me home from Europe. My other option since I did not do the actual booking is to to hold off and keep watching the news and hope for the best.

 

You are thinking EXACTLY the right way. There are lots of options from Europe, but it will probably be expensive and a major problem to get a flight along the Eastern corridor if US goes on strike or out of business. If Celebrity comes up with tickets, you can get a refund. If Celebrity does not have tickets, at least you can get to the ship. Great plan!!!

[greatam]

Bicker, or anyone,

 

Can someone spell out the possibilities for USAir in plain English?

 

If the bankruptcy judge throws the union contract out on Thursday, what is likely to happen?

 

IMHO, the baggage handlers and mechanics walk, the FA's right behind them, and it will be total chaos. US will try to get flights out, but FAA and other agency regulations prohibit flying without certified mechanics to do many pre flight inspections. And you must have X amount of FA's for so many passengers, so if US can only round up 3 FA's for a flight that requires 5, that flight will be cancelled or delayed. And baggage??? Plan on carryon's. The situation will be worse than the Christmas fiasco because it will impact the entire system.

 

If you are traveling between Thursday and the next 6 weeks, please have a backup plan. DON'T count on the cruiseline to help you out if you have cruise air. There is NO excess capacity on the Eastern corridor-in other words, NO extra seats.

 

Hope this is easy to understand.

 

Gina

[bUU]

No one know what will happen if the judge invalidates the union contracts on Thursday, however, it is possible that the machinists will go on strike. The airline feels that if the judge invalidates the union contracts, it allows them to impose another, and therefore a strike would be illegal. The machinists union disagrees, figuring that invalidating the contract means that they are no longer covered by a contract, and therefore they're allowed to strike. It seems very likely, but not guaranteed, that if the judge invalidates the union contracts, that the machinists will strike, and that will paralyze the airline, and probably result in liquidation by the middle of next week.

[quesang]

Here's hoping they make it....from people served by small town/regional airports all over the East coast......

I'll second that! Here in Ottawa, Canada they are the only carrier with a direct flight from here to Philly, which is why I booked them. And the price was decent too!

 

If they fold we're going to have to pay more to fly (with a connection) out the day before our Philly-San Jaun leg of the flight, and do the same thing on our way back. Not quite the relaxing holiday we had planned.

 

01/29/2005 ~ Serenade of the Seas

[cindybeach]

I was supposed to fly us air Sat to Miami through RCCL. My TA called them today and asked them to switch our airline. They are trying to get us on American but in case they don't ,I have backup refundable flights on Southwest. We are flying from PHIL which in my opinion would be chaos if the worst case scenerio happens. Thanks to all who have shared their views on this thread.

[mzcyberella]

Cindy, R U guys getting any snow there?? We're suppose 2 get 6 - 10" of snow here in IN. We fly out Friday, & I hope it won't b 2 bad to fly.:(

[waylook]

I am scheduled to fly out from LaGuardia to Ft. Lauderdale this Thursday morning at 7, arriving at 11am for my Friday afternoon cruise. If this flight is running, do I take it? Is it early enough that I won't get stuck once I've given them all my luggage. My backup is a flight a few hours later on Spirit. I'm hoping to be able to get credit for that flight. :confused:

[bUU]

Well, it seems that US Airways is trying to get its cake and eat it too:

 

http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1104875399.html

[cindybeach]

No snow here. We actually live in South Delaware but fly out of Philly.

[kiefaber455]

With everything so confusing with USAir, (we have tickets to Miami for 1/23 and back to Rochester on 2/4) I just bit the bullet and bought a one-way ticket from Buffalo to Fort Lauderdale for the 23rd of January(doing Brilliance on the 24th). Price was $135. If USAir is flying on Jan. 23rd and we don't use them, hopefully we can apply them later to a ticket to go see our kids in Raleigh. I figured the most important thing was to get there.

 

The term "punt" comes to mind when I think about getting back. I'm hoping that because the 4th is a Friday, there may not be a great number of people flying to upstate NY so there might be a seat or two available should USAir begin liquidating procedures while we are on the cruise.

[JandD Mom]

 

Can someone spell out the possibilities for USAir in plain English?

 

If the bankruptcy judge throws the union contract out on Thursday, what is likely to happen?

 

If the Judge throws out the contract, then US Air will try to impose work rules and compensation on the union without having to negotiate. The union will not accept it and will attempt to strike. This is where it gets interesting. It is not clear whether the Railway Labor Act will prevent a strike under this scenario as it does not fit in clearly with the definitions in the act, and has never been tested. Chances are, US Air would try to get an injunction preventing a walk out by the mechanics union. My guess is that it would initially be granted on a temporary basis, but then that would spawn a whole other court case which would be appealed and then appealed again for a while.

 

There would then be 2 cases and it will be a race to see what happens first, lifting of the injunction, or resolution of the bankruptcy (or liquidation) or both.

 

Of course, unions always say they are far apart, only to come up with a "great deal" in a day or so. So stay tuned ....

[hdawson]

With all the doubt as to USAir's survival, who would boolk with them? And even if they get a repreve, how many of their former customers would come back? And then where do the dollars come from to continue flying? This is one airline that you can stick the fork in. It's done. Who's next?

[bUU]

Which is why I will wonder why -- if the judge grants the contract invalidation, or the creditors grant the extension for filing the plan for exiting bankruptcy. How much money do they want to throw at this? How is the American public being served by spending the resources of its courts on such a debacle as would stem from invalidating the contracts?

[Globaliser]

A bigger question still: How is the travelling public of the world (not just the US) served by allowing companies that have run out of money to continue operating for so long when they should have been recognised for what they are, ie bust?

 

This entire process shows how much the market is being distorted one way and the other by overuse of Chapter 11. There is clearly too much capacity chasing too few dollars, and the sooner that some is taken out of the market the sooner that air fares can rise back up to sustainable and economically-sound levels.

[bUU]

I believe the answer to both our questions is that there are a lot of voters who would be adversely affected by the rightful termination of the bleeding.

[stillfrantic]

I was trying to find flights to Miami for a long weekend in March and the travel agency kept offering up US Airways flights.....so SOMEONE is still booking their flights. Needless to say, I wasn't one of them!

[bUU]

so SOMEONE is still booking their flights

Probably cruise lines! :-O