dagblog - Comments for "Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics"

SW airline pilot speaks:

artappraiser — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 03:08:25 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

SW airline pilot speaks:

Thread https://t.co/RRVeI0H4iO
— Jon (@JonnyMicro) January 1, 2023

Ro Khanna:

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:25:43 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

Ro Khanna:

Nearly six months ago ⁦@BernieSanders⁩ & I called for Buttigieg to implement fines & penalties on airlines for cancelling flights. Why were these recommendations not followed? This mess with Southwest could have been avoided. We need bold action. https://t.co/wVH4iAezfx
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) December 29, 2022

Buttigieg to WSJ:

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:22:55 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

Buttigieg to WSJ:

We are prepared to face this kind of criticism for being too aggressive on airline performance and customer service.

The truth is that USDOT has both the responsibility and the authority to support the traveling public, and we will continue to do so. https://t.co/IcuHElDXz1
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 29, 2022

edit to add, and earlier on Southwest:

Southwest passengers have experienced unacceptable disruptions and customer service conditions. I have made clear to their executives that our department will hold Southwest accountable for making things right with their customers and employees. pic.twitter.com/X5c5foZGpf
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 27, 2022

I had read similar already

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 16:58:31 +0000

In reply to Aouthwest-specific probs from

I had read similar already and personally have had major issues with them, It didn't just "turn into a vulnerabiltiy". They were a mismanaged company lying about lots of things and our government gave them $7 billion of our dollars with no strings attached and they didn't fix a damn thing. They blatantly violate rules and make promises(in order to compete), like luggage insurance, that they don't really intend to keep. Once bad things happen to you with them, they make it so difficult to claim that you give up after months of trying.They have long adverstised what they don't intend to deliever

"They've had IT-related issues in terms of tracking their crews and scheduling," said Feinstein, formerly of American Airlines. "Issues with what they use to monitor aircraft locations, crew, flight attendants, all of the above."

Casey Murray, the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said in a statement on Tuesday that the technology used internally to oversee staffing and scheduling has faced difficulties stretching back at least a decade.

"We all know that the company has had its head buried in the sand when it comes to its operational processes and IT," Murray said. "We aren't undermanned. We're undermanaged."

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan affirmed such concerns in a message to employees, according to a memo obtained by CNN.

"Part of what we're suffering is a lack of tools," Jordan said. "We've talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that."

The mismanagement has forced ground workers to complete 16- or 18- hour workdays over this holiday season, exposing them to bitter cold, sickness and even frostbite, Randy Barnes, president of TWU Local 555, which represents ground workers at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement.

"When you're dealing with sub-zero temperatures, driving winds and ice storms you can't expect to schedule planes as if every day is a sunny day with moderate temperatures and a gentle breeze," Barnes said. "The airline needs to do more to protect its ground crews."

The lack of adequate staffing has extended to the company's call centers, where customers face long wait times as they seek an alternative flight or a reimbursement.

In an interview with ABC News, Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary, lamented the persistence of such challenges at Southwest Airlines, including passengers "unable to get anybody on the phone to help them" and the company's "inability to fully keep track of where their own flight crews are."

Here's our reps complaining NOW but nobody was checking it out when they handed them $7 billion of our money

In an interview with ABC News' Byron Pitts, Secretary of Transportation Pete Butigieg on Tuesday described the wave of flight cancellations at Southwest Airlines as a "shocking and unacceptable level of disruption." Meanwhile Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said the problems at Southwest Airlines "go beyond weather."

MORE>

Southwest unions say they warned company about outdated systems…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employee unions say they warned Southwest Airlines Co. management for years that its technological systems badly needed upgrades, ......

Southwest Employees Are Spilling Out Details On Airline's Meltdown On Reddit..

Southwest Owes Passengers Refunds. This Is What They’ve Been Doing Instead

....By refusing to offer Minor a refund, the company was blatantly violating Department of Transportation rules, something additional interviews show they have been doing over and over again this week.

Between Dec. 23 and Dec. 27, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 10,000 flights, more than 50 percent of its schedule...

The CEO says one thing when he's talking about his employees to the public and another thing when he directly communicates with them. It's all lies, to profit off keeping prices low and promising equal service when in actuality, they do not intend to follow promises or even rules

Leaked Southwest Memo Reveals "State Of Operational Emergency" Before Christmas Storm https://t.co/QAgZ3D67GG
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 28, 2022

Aouthwest-specific probs from

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 10:49:41 +0000

In reply to well the point is - why is

Aouthwest-specific probs from it's unique approach - what made it a scrappy outsider with lower costs has turned into a vulnerability.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/disruption-we-ve-never-seen-what-s...

I thoughtit obvious - the

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 04:11:03 +0000

In reply to well the point is - why is

I thoughtit obvious - the original money was to keep transportation industry going as we weathered Covid over several years. There still aren't enough pilots, etc as the industry got hammered, and overwork i think is a huge problem. We're not quite fixing airlines for themselves but for consumers, travelers, citizens. Not that airlines can control winter tornadoes or whatever this latest bout is called. If it were Florida, FEMA passes out rescue dough. For airlines it's seen between emergency relief and pampering corporations and keeping vacation plans going. To me it seems like a perfect ground for pragmatic choices and lots of finger-pointing and complaining.

Katie Porter's more than two

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 01:42:26 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

Katie Porter's more than two cents, tho not on the covid rescue money:

Thousands of Americans are stranded in airports this holiday season, and countless others are paying jacked-up prices to get home. Congress can start holding airlines accountable by passing my bill to require prompt refunds for cancelled or significantly-changed flights. (1/3)
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) December 28, 2022

We also need to tackle consolidation in the airline industry. When corporations don't have to compete for consumers, it's easier to hike prices and deliver sub-par service. This is an issue across industries—from airlines to grocers to ticket vending. (2/3)
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) December 28, 2022

As a mom, I know how stressful the holidays can be. My heart goes out to everyone who was harmed by this meltdown.

As a consumer protection attorney, I know there are steps we can take to hold the airlines accountable. Congress must take action. (3/3)
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) December 28, 2022

well the point is - why is

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 01:22:13 +0000

In reply to So the $7b Southwest received

well the point is - why is the government trying to save a corporation if everyone working there hates it so much that they are calling in sick or otherwise trying to get out of working as much as they can? Generally it's to save jobs, jobs, jobs. Well apparently nobody wanted to show up for work at Southwest recently. But let's say even if that's not the reason, who is the government trying to help when they give out such money and how do they write an agreement that the money is used as they intended? Instead of just a big fail and wasted money.

So the $7b Southwest received

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:37:55 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

So the $7b Southwest received during COVID years allowed unproductive practices to persist*, allowing them to just close flights rather than taking off in freakish global weather conditions, and passing those expenses and inconveniences to passengers

*rather than going out of business and be replaced by a more efficient new airline. Or none at all, if the free hand of the market decided conditions for profit were kray-kray, and accepted contraction instead - and passenger inconvenience, greater cost, fewer flights.

When @SecretaryPete slaps the

artappraiser — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:19:32 +0000

In reply to Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics

When @SecretaryPete slaps the shit out of the snarky @JudiciaryGOP and the coward @Jim_Jordan without even trying. pic.twitter.com/bVXI6vsV04
— Patriotic Moose & Lamb (@geno_kusa) December 28, 2022