United Airlines to lay off 950 pilots

[blues deville]

United Airlines to lay off 950 pilots

Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:27pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - UAL Corp, parent of United Airlines, said on Monday it plans to lay off 950 pilots as it prepares to cut domestic capacity to offset soaring fuel prices.

"As we reduce the size of our fleet and take actions companywide to enable United to compete in an environment of record fuel prices, we must take the difficult but necessary step to reduce the number of people we have to run our business," the No. 2 U.S. carrier said in a statement.

The latest layoffs involve nearly 15 percent of United's 6,518 pilots. The carrier has said it plans to cut its staff by 1,400 to 1,600 as it aims to reduce domestic capacity by 14 percent in the fourth quarter.

The airline industry has been battered by record high fuel costs, and major carriers are groping for stability through capacity cuts that enable them to run leaner operations and charge higher fares.

A spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents United pilots, was not immediately available for comment.

"We continue discussions with ALPA and all of our unions on ways to mitigate involuntary furloughs, and we are working to notify all of our employee groups about furloughs as soon as we know the impact of our capacity reductions," UAL said.

UAL, which has 55,221 employees, lost $537 million in the first quarter and has held merger talks with rivals to try to bolster its competitive position amid rising fuel costs. The carrier recently said, however, that it does not plan to merge with another airline but will enter into a global cooperation with Continental Airlines.

UAL's downsizing is consistent with recent steps taken by AMR Corp's American Airlines, which said last month it would cut its domestic capacity by 11 percent or 12 percent in the fourth quarter and eliminate more than 1,000 jobs.

In March, Delta Air Lines, which plans to merge with Northwest Airlines, said it would cut 2,000 jobs through voluntary retirement and reduce domestic capacity by 10 percent this year.

Shares of UAL fell $1.07, or 14.9 percent, to close at $6.09 on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Tim Dobbyn, Richard Chang

[Thebean]

United Airlines to lay off 950 pilots

Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:27pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - UAL Corp, parent of United Airlines, said on Monday it plans to lay off 950 pilots as it prepares to cut domestic capacity to offset soaring fuel prices.

"As we reduce the size of our fleet and take actions companywide to enable United to compete in an environment of record fuel prices, we must take the difficult but necessary step to reduce the number of people we have to run our business," the No. 2 U.S. carrier said in a statement.

The latest layoffs involve nearly 15 percent of United's 6,518 pilots. The carrier has said it plans to cut its staff by 1,400 to 1,600 as it aims to reduce domestic capacity by 14 percent in the fourth quarter.

The airline industry has been battered by record high fuel costs, and major carriers are groping for stability through capacity cuts that enable them to run leaner operations and charge higher fares.

A spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents United pilots, was not immediately available for comment.

"We continue discussions with ALPA and all of our unions on ways to mitigate involuntary furloughs, and we are working to notify all of our employee groups about furloughs as soon as we know the impact of our capacity reductions," UAL said.

UAL, which has 55,221 employees, lost $537 million in the first quarter and has held merger talks with rivals to try to bolster its competitive position amid rising fuel costs. The carrier recently said, however, that it does not plan to merge with another airline but will enter into a global cooperation with Continental Airlines.

UAL's downsizing is consistent with recent steps taken by AMR Corp's American Airlines, which said last month it would cut its domestic capacity by 11 percent or 12 percent in the fourth quarter and eliminate more than 1,000 jobs.

In March, Delta Air Lines, which plans to merge with Northwest Airlines, said it would cut 2,000 jobs through voluntary retirement and reduce domestic capacity by 10 percent this year.

Shares of UAL fell $1.07, or 14.9 percent, to close at $6.09 on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Tim Dobbyn, Richard Chang

I'm amazed UAL is still sticking to their story of only 1,500 people when they are parking 100 aircraft.

It's simple math. It's at least 80 employees, and probably more like 100 employees per aircraft that are going.

Anything less and revenues will decline far faster than costs, thus digging them into an even deeper hole.

A simple rule of thumb is 5 crews per aircraft. 3 f/a's per aircraft? That's 1,500 surpus flight attendants alone.

UAL treats their employees like dirt. Forget oil price / the economy. The complete and utter disdain of management vis a vis their employees is what will do them in.

[GTFA]

That's 1,500 surpus flight attendants alone.

That's 1,500 surpus flight attendants alone.

Ha Ha. That is hilarious.

You meant SOUR PUSS didn't you????

Humour is everywhere!

GTFA

[Thebean]

Ha Ha. That is hilarious.

You meant SOUR PUSS didn't you????

Humour is everywhere!

GTFA

Hey....

Don't underestimate what it takes to do four drink / snack services on 4 one hour sectors.

I did it a few times and in the words of Austin Powers, I was spent.

It's a tougher job than you think.

[DEFCON]

"It's a tougher job than you think."

It's the most demanding job in the airline game!

[GTFA]

I agree on the nature of the work.

That doesn't detract from the humour of the spelling slip. It's a fruedian PUN.

I LOOOOOOVE fight attendants.

In fact I married one.

GTFA

[handyman]

I'm amazed UAL is still sticking to their story of only 1,500 people when they are parking 100 aircraft. 

It's simple math. It's at least 80 employees, and probably more like 100 employees per aircraft that are going.

Anything less and revenues will decline far faster than costs, thus digging them into an even deeper hole.

A simple rule of thumb is 5 crews per aircraft.  3 f/a's per aircraft?  That's 1,500 surpus flight attendants alone.

UAL treats their employees like dirt. Forget oil price / the economy.  The complete and utter disdain of management vis a vis their employees is what will do them in.

Thad mst be som of thad nu mat tem yungons speekin of.

[Thebean]

Thad mst be som of thad nu mat tem yungons speekin of.

Let's call it an average of 3 flight attendants per aircraft, five crews per aircraft = 15 f/a's. 100 ships leaving the fleet = 100 x 15 = 1,500 f/a's.

It's not that complicated....

[handyman]

Wel shuks pardner...thads som prity gud sifering ter.

[Thebean]

Wel shuks pardner...thads som prity gud sifering ter.

Hate to break it to ya, but Stampede doesn't start till Friday....

[handyman]

wel we ar jus warmin up at tis ol woterin hole...yeeha!