It looks like US Airways has decided to throw in a bid for next year’s flights to China and I’m not really sure why.
Maybe it’s to get back at Delta for shunning the takeover bid. After all they do say in their press release that “US Airways had been considering applying for China authority for some time, and today responded to a Delta Air Lines application for Atlanta-Shanghai authority. US Airways asked the DOT to defer consideration of Delta’s application until a full proceeding can commence.”
Or maybe it was to draw attention away from CEO Doug Parker’s drunk driving incident. (I’m clearly kidding about that one – I really feel bad for Doug.)
The only thing that would surprise me here is if they’re bidding because they actually think they can win it. Right now, they have no airplanes that can fly the route. They do have some A330s on order that might be able to squeeze by from the western US, but those would hardly be ideal and they may not arrive in time anyway.
From a route perspective, there aren’t really any markets that I could see the government approving. If Atlanta doesn’t have a nonstop flight yet, I don’t see how Charlotte could get one. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a chance. Philly and Phoenix can’t even support a Tokyo flight let alone a flight to Beijing. And while Vegas may be a good market, the DOT will never give it to them. That route would be much more beneficial for Chinese nationals flying to Vegas, and the DOT is looking to improve air options for Americans, not Chinese. There are far better places for that.
Maybe US Airways just thinks it’s worthwhile to throw their hat in the ring and let the government know they do have a future interest. Either way, they don’t have a chance. At this point I’d say it’s either Delta from Atlanta or American out of Dallas.
2 comments on “US Airways Goes for the Long Shot”
Feel bad for Doug? Why?
US Air’s core product is safe transportation. Parker’s repeat citations for DUI and speed violations demonstrate (at least to this US Air passenger) that he has no respect for the principles of transportation safety. He has no credibility leading a company of transportation professionals subject to random drug and alchohol screening.
A vegan shouldn’t run McDonalds. A pacifist shouldn’t run Lockheed. A Luddite shouldn’t run Microsoft. And, a drunk driver shouldn’t run a company dedicated to the safe movement of people or cargo.
I feel bad for Doug because this is something could have happened to just about anyone.
Anyone who drinks socially has had to make a decision about whether or not they’re ok to drive at some point in their lives. Doug thought he was fine to drive, and he was pretty close to being fine legally. I’m not trying to say that it’s ok to drive drunk, but I am trying to say that this could have happened to just about anyone I know. He made a mistake.
You can say what you want about the speeding ticket, but I’ve driven that stretch of road many times in my life, and it’s very rare to see anyone going less than 60. I don’t see how you can crucify someone for speeding. Again, it’s something that could have happened to anyone.
I’m not sure why so many people feel the need to call for his head here. Doug is one of the few airline execs who has actually proven he knows how to run an airline, and that’s how he should be judged.
Your comparisons don’t make sense. A vegan shouldn’t run McDonalds because that person won’t eat the product and doesn’t believe in it. Doug believes in his product, and this drunk driving arrest has nothing to do with his ability to run an airline.