Good news doesnt sell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Travel Pages" <travelpages@xxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 9:46 PM Subject: Re: Travel Agents Cautious About Flying US Airways > <<"Up here in Philadelphia, the people I talk to, the agents are being > very > conservative. Where an alternative exists, they're recommending it, even > if it may > be more inconvenient," said Kevin Mitchell, founder of the Business Travel > Coalition advocacy group.>> > > Well, Mitchell's BTC isn't exactly on any legislative radar so I'll weigh > in: > > Travel management companies fear passenger customer service issues. They > are costly. > > They are also alleged expert purveyors of travel information, and are > queried on a daily basis by uninformed and uninspired customers on a > variety of "wild" topics, ranging from aircraft safety to "what ifs" of a > deranged nature. Smooth and forgetful rides are what everyone is looking > for -- so when polled, agents tend to project an exacerbation of industry > concerns. > > Many years ago I was witness to contact and coverage with television media > over the DC-10 grounding. All they wanted to hear was that people were > afraid. Practical information wasn't what they were looking for :) > > lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > Funny, my local paper (which serves the central Jersey Area near PHL) > tried to spin the USAir thing. The artical talked about even if US went > belly-up the other airlines have to honor the tickets. So go ahead and > book on US with no fear of missing that trip to AUA. And we should support > flying out of PHL due if we loose it, people will have to trek to EWR. > > I wrote them a email telling them that they left out that other airlines > have to except US tickets BUT at Standby, and will flts near full it most > likly won't happen. > > > > > Travel Agents Cautious About Flying US Airways > > > > Monday January 3, 7:00 PM EST > > > NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--US Airways Group Inc.'s (UAIRQ) problems during the > holidays with mishandled baggage are prompting travel agents and customers > to book trips with other airlines. > > Travel agents said they're concerned that operations disruptions or even > liquidation will lead to more canceled trips as the bankrupt airline > continues contract negotiations with the baggage-handlers union and faces > $260 million in airplane payments in the next two months. > > "Their future rests in the hands of thousands of travel agents," said > William Rochelle, an airline bankruptcy expert with Fulbright. > > Rochelle and other travel experts said the trouble during the holiday > weekend prompted a greater degree of concern among customers than either > of the bankruptcy filings of the past few years. US Airways continues to > operate under Chapter 11 protection. > > > > "I think that what's going on now is very dangerous for US Airways," said > Standard & Poor's analyst Jim Corridore. "I frankly have been surprised > that they've been able to survive this long." Corridore doesn't own any > airline shares. > > The airline mishandled thousands of suitcases in Philadelphia and canceled > hundreds of flights during the holiday weekend. Company officials have > said bad weather and the higher-than-usual number of employees calling in > sick caused the trouble. Union officials said poor management was to > blame, and the sick calls weren't part of a concerted job action. Still, > the sick calls came despite US Airways' offer of incentives to employees > who worked all of their scheduled shifts during the holidays. > > US Airways officials weren't available to comment Monday, but the airline > has said employees and managers volunteered to sort out baggage and help > customers during the holidays. > > Travel agents said they're cautioning customers not to buy US Airways > tickets for extremely time-sensitive travel, like a relative's wedding or > graduation. And some travel agents said customers are instructing agents > not to book US Airways. > > "Up here in Philadelphia, the people I talk to, the agents are being very > conservative. Where an alternative exists, they're recommending it, even > if it may be more inconvenient," said Kevin Mitchell, founder of the > Business Travel Coalition advocacy group. > > Further, Mitchell said, loyalty among people in Philadelphia, where US > Airways has long operated a hub, is waning. "Normally you'd say, 'These > people will forget this once they get to St. Thomas,' but I've never heard > the level of frustration and resignation," Mitchell said. > > Kathryn Sudeikis, president of the American Society of Travel Agents, said > she recognizes that booking away from US Airways would hurt the airline, > and in turn limit the choices passengers have. > > "We're really anxious that all the carriers will be healthy," she said. > "We're not booking away (from US Airways), but we're being prudent about > the kind of trip people are taking." > > Sudeikis said she advises customers with date-sensitive travel to consider > booking with airlines that aren't in bankruptcy, even if the fares are > higher or the routes are less convenient. > > If US Airways - or any other airline - should liquidate or cancel some > flight, customers have some protections. Credit-card companies may refund > the cost of the ticket. > > And legislation passed after Sept. 11, 2001, calls on rival airlines to > handle passengers in the case of a liquidation for no more than $25 each > way, if space is available. > > Meanwhile, US Airways managers continue to negotiate with the > International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, which > represents baggage handlers and other workers. US Airways has signed > cheaper contracts with nearly every work group except the machinists. > > Union officials said Monday they don't anticipate reaching a deal before > Thursday, when the bankruptcy judge could allow the airline to abrogate > the contract. > > -By Elizabeth Souder, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-4148; elizabeth.souder@ > dowjones.com > > > Roger > EWROPS > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com >