307? Are they insane? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryant Petitt" <skyshirts@yahoo.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 5:04 AM Subject: UNITED TO FORM 307 LOW-FARE AIRLINES > (from Joe Brancatelli today) > > Bankrupt United Airlines says its will dismantle the > existing carrier and launch 307 separate low-fare > airlines in its place. > > In a business plan filed with the bankruptcy court on > Wednesday, United envisions dividing the assets and > employees of the nation's second-largest airline among > the 307 start-ups, each of which will serve a separate > geographic area. United's Latin American service, for > example, will become a new carrier called Macarena. > United's current European operations will be spun off > into a new airline called Waltz. On the highly > competitive North Atlantic routes to London, United > will create a low-fare carrier called Skiffle. > > Domestically, United plans to launch at least 245 new > airlines. Service from its Denver hub will be > organized into a new airline called Rocky Mountain > High. Flights to major urban areas such as New York, > Chicago and Los Angeles will be organized into an > airline called Doowop. A new carrier built around > United's hub at Washington/Dulles will be called > Sousa. > > "I've been looking out the window of my > company-funded, $18,000-a-month condo on North > Michigan Avenue and I see the problem clearly," > explained Glenn Tilton, United's new chief executive. > "United is out of touch with the young, hip travelers > of today. We need to get rockin'." > > Speaking at a press conference where he introduced > Grammy winner Jimmy Sturr as the chief executive of > Polka, United's new low-fare operation for Ohio, > Pennsylvania and upstate New York, Tilton rejected > criticism that the plan was out of touch with > operational realities and current musical tastes. > > "I haven't been in this business almost 180 days > without learning some hard lessons," he said. "I > checked this out with my new homey [Delta chairman] > Leo Mullin and consulted those gear guys over at > McKinsey. We all agree that this is the kind of > think-tank palaver that customers want." > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more > http://taxes.yahoo.com/ >