Vasu Raja is out
06-22-2024, 09:45 AM
#133
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2022
Position: 787 FO
Posts: 634
From the Bernstein conference.
David Vernon
And is that just a function of the fact that you have more defensible territory to kind of reinvest in and improve the profitability of? Or like what's really changed in that competitive dynamic though? One could say, like, if an airline's flying out of Chicago and losing money today, they could eventually get the product right and get the equipment right and maybe improve that.
Scott Kirby
That's why I say this is irreversible. So take the product. Well, eight years ago, American Airlines was putting I'll just use that example, I'm not a criticism of them. American Airlines, I was President of American, and we were putting seatback entertainment system on every one of our airplanes. Everyone in American thought that was a stupid idea. The day after I left, they reversed it and they spent money to take it off the airplanes because it would save fuel burn reduce weight and save fuel burn. We put it on at United. We're putting it on every single airplane.
At United, big screens, Bluetooth. I flew on one yesterday. As I always do when I fly on one, I walk from back to front. Two-thirds of the customers on the airplane are watching movies. Our NPS scores on those airplanes are dramatically higher than others. Not only are NPS scores for in flight entertainment, but the food is better. The flight attendants are better. The gate agents are better. The TSA screening is better, when you fly with seatback entertainment. It's something that customers care about.
We believe that air travel at United is not a commodity and we've invested in it, and we've won large market share in those competitive markets, size of airplanes, like we got rid of 300 regional jets, replaced them with 200 mainland jets. That's what customers prefer. Like, those are decisions that would take you a decade to change and then there's dozens, hundreds of others that are similar, that are smaller in size and scale. It's not changeable, it's not reversible. This is done. This took eight years to get here. This has been happening, but it's over now.
David Vernon
And is that just a function of the fact that you have more defensible territory to kind of reinvest in and improve the profitability of? Or like what's really changed in that competitive dynamic though? One could say, like, if an airline's flying out of Chicago and losing money today, they could eventually get the product right and get the equipment right and maybe improve that.
Scott Kirby
That's why I say this is irreversible. So take the product. Well, eight years ago, American Airlines was putting I'll just use that example, I'm not a criticism of them. American Airlines, I was President of American, and we were putting seatback entertainment system on every one of our airplanes. Everyone in American thought that was a stupid idea. The day after I left, they reversed it and they spent money to take it off the airplanes because it would save fuel burn reduce weight and save fuel burn. We put it on at United. We're putting it on every single airplane.
At United, big screens, Bluetooth. I flew on one yesterday. As I always do when I fly on one, I walk from back to front. Two-thirds of the customers on the airplane are watching movies. Our NPS scores on those airplanes are dramatically higher than others. Not only are NPS scores for in flight entertainment, but the food is better. The flight attendants are better. The gate agents are better. The TSA screening is better, when you fly with seatback entertainment. It's something that customers care about.
We believe that air travel at United is not a commodity and we've invested in it, and we've won large market share in those competitive markets, size of airplanes, like we got rid of 300 regional jets, replaced them with 200 mainland jets. That's what customers prefer. Like, those are decisions that would take you a decade to change and then there's dozens, hundreds of others that are similar, that are smaller in size and scale. It's not changeable, it's not reversible. This is done. This took eight years to get here. This has been happening, but it's over now.
06-22-2024, 12:12 PM
#135
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,351
A lot of pilots here are living in 2005. Absolutely speechless.
Personally, I love the IFEs. Helps a commute be just that much more bearable. If you’re a paying passenger, it adds to the experience. All things being equal, people will choose the airline with IFEs. A lot of people in AA mgt don’t get that.
06-22-2024, 03:25 PM
#139
Gate PAers are Scum
Joined APC: May 2024
Posts: 118
From the Bernstein conference.
David Vernon
And is that just a function of the fact that you have more defensible territory to kind of reinvest in and improve the profitability of? Or like what's really changed in that competitive dynamic though? One could say, like, if an airline's flying out of Chicago and losing money today, they could eventually get the product right and get the equipment right and maybe improve that.
Scott Kirby
That's why I say this is irreversible. So take the product. Well, eight years ago, American Airlines was putting I'll just use that example, I'm not a criticism of them. American Airlines, I was President of American, and we were putting seatback entertainment system on every one of our airplanes. Everyone in American thought that was a stupid idea. The day after I left, they reversed it and they spent money to take it off the airplanes because it would save fuel burn reduce weight and save fuel burn. We put it on at United. We're putting it on every single airplane.
At United, big screens, Bluetooth. I flew on one yesterday. As I always do when I fly on one, I walk from back to front. Two-thirds of the customers on the airplane are watching movies. Our NPS scores on those airplanes are dramatically higher than others. Not only are NPS scores for in flight entertainment, but the food is better. The flight attendants are better. The gate agents are better. The TSA screening is better, when you fly with seatback entertainment. It's something that customers care about.
We believe that air travel at United is not a commodity and we've invested in it, and we've won large market share in those competitive markets, size of airplanes, like we got rid of 300 regional jets, replaced them with 200 mainland jets. That's what customers prefer. Like, those are decisions that would take you a decade to change and then there's dozens, hundreds of others that are similar, that are smaller in size and scale. It's not changeable, it's not reversible. This is done. This took eight years to get here. This has been happening, but it's over now.
David Vernon
And is that just a function of the fact that you have more defensible territory to kind of reinvest in and improve the profitability of? Or like what's really changed in that competitive dynamic though? One could say, like, if an airline's flying out of Chicago and losing money today, they could eventually get the product right and get the equipment right and maybe improve that.
Scott Kirby
That's why I say this is irreversible. So take the product. Well, eight years ago, American Airlines was putting I'll just use that example, I'm not a criticism of them. American Airlines, I was President of American, and we were putting seatback entertainment system on every one of our airplanes. Everyone in American thought that was a stupid idea. The day after I left, they reversed it and they spent money to take it off the airplanes because it would save fuel burn reduce weight and save fuel burn. We put it on at United. We're putting it on every single airplane.
At United, big screens, Bluetooth. I flew on one yesterday. As I always do when I fly on one, I walk from back to front. Two-thirds of the customers on the airplane are watching movies. Our NPS scores on those airplanes are dramatically higher than others. Not only are NPS scores for in flight entertainment, but the food is better. The flight attendants are better. The gate agents are better. The TSA screening is better, when you fly with seatback entertainment. It's something that customers care about.
We believe that air travel at United is not a commodity and we've invested in it, and we've won large market share in those competitive markets, size of airplanes, like we got rid of 300 regional jets, replaced them with 200 mainland jets. That's what customers prefer. Like, those are decisions that would take you a decade to change and then there's dozens, hundreds of others that are similar, that are smaller in size and scale. It's not changeable, it's not reversible. This is done. This took eight years to get here. This has been happening, but it's over now.
Crazy how someone will say that they use their own device to watch movies because they don’t want to use the cheap headphones from the airline. Why would you choose to use cheap headphones when you have a pair with you??
A lot of pilots here are living in 2005. Absolutely speechless.
Personally, I love the IFEs. Helps a commute be just that much more bearable. If you’re a paying passenger, it adds to the experience. All things being equal, people will choose the airline with IFEs. A lot of people in AA mgt don’t get that.
A lot of pilots here are living in 2005. Absolutely speechless.
Personally, I love the IFEs. Helps a commute be just that much more bearable. If you’re a paying passenger, it adds to the experience. All things being equal, people will choose the airline with IFEs. A lot of people in AA mgt don’t get that.
IFEs are a waste, they are annoying as they break it's just another stupid thing that needs to be written up, they are heavy and cost too much money.
Everyone has a device these days, everyone! There is no need for these annoying things for people to tap on the back of your seat.
I wish they would remove them from the Widebodies as well.
Besides how can they watch these things when everyone is too busy admiring those cool trading cards your management forces you to hand out?
06-22-2024, 03:52 PM
#140
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,223
Crazy how someone will say that they use their own device to watch movies because they don’t want to use the cheap headphones from the airline. Why would you choose to use cheap headphones when you have a pair with you??
A lot of pilots here are living in 2005. Absolutely speechless.
Personally, I love the IFEs. Helps a commute be just that much more bearable. If you’re a paying passenger, it adds to the experience. All things being equal, people will choose the airline with IFEs. A lot of people in AA mgt don’t get that.
A lot of pilots here are living in 2005. Absolutely speechless.
Personally, I love the IFEs. Helps a commute be just that much more bearable. If you’re a paying passenger, it adds to the experience. All things being equal, people will choose the airline with IFEs. A lot of people in AA mgt don’t get that.
Pre-covid my wife would travel a lot. Buying full fare tickets via her company travel agency on AA and Delta. She primarily booked on schedule and seat availability - the fact Delta had IFE wasn't a reason to book them. Delta did allow the booking of premium(er) seats such as exit rows for free, while AA upcharged. She could set restrictions on departure times to get around seat cost issues, so cost wasn't an issue.
She enjoyed IFE, and would often put something on in the background, but she cared more about getting an exit row/premium(er) seat and leaving at the time she wanted to leave at. I'm sure there are some people that pay more for IFE on Delta...maybe? But is it the reason AA isn't doing well? I can't imagine.
I attended a Crew News and asked this. Parker blew me off, Vasu met with me later. Initially he blew me off as well, but finally got it. A few months later, AA changed their booking software and my wife was able to book exit row/premium(er) seats for no additional charge on AA. That was just prior to Covid.
Most of her co-workers would book the primary airline that was at their home airport. Houston - United; Nashville - SWA; Charlotte - AA. Etc.
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