23 Years

This morning, I made the heart-breaking decision that my annual cross-country trip on September 11 was not possible this year.  There have been a lot of challenges in my life this last year, and I was forced to be practical about it all.  These trips were always meant to be a way to show respect and remember those lost on September 11, 2001, but they can be expensive.  There was never a problem with affordability in the past, but in the last year, and especially in the last few weeks, life has decided to throw up roadblocks to a lot of things I want to do.  I was looking forward to the trip this year, the itinerary had me starting out in San Francisco, going on to Chicago in one of the new A321neo planes.  From Chicago, I would go on to Newark and then home to Los Angeles.     

But that's enough of feeling sorry for myself, it is time to get back to writing about September 11, and what is going on at United Airlines.  I was trying to decide what to write about this year, and I kept going back to the recent vote by United Airlines' flight attendants that authorized a strike if long-delayed contract negotiations continue to drag on.  In my last post to this blog, I discussed the contract negotiations, and how management at United is continuing down the same path of seeking concessions from their employees in order to improve profitability.  United executives will always come out saying they are always looking to make things better for their employees, but in the end, they always manage to end up taking more than they give.  The question I always ask is why United management cannot respect their employees enough to see that if they give without taking, what they get back from the employees will surprise them?

In the last post I discussed that the flight attendants were holding another "Day of Action" at key United stations around the world.  These events are meant to inform the public of what is going on, and this last one, held on August 28, 2024, coincided with the last day of voting on whether or not to authorize a strike.  I went out to LAX on that day and stood on the sidewalk in front of Terminal 7 holding my sign informing United management that the flight attendants have the customers on their side.  

I was proud to be there on that day when the United AFA leadership announced that over 90% of its members participated in the vote, and from the votes cast, over 99.99% of them were in favor of authorizing a strike.  This level of support for a strike is unprecedented and will give the AFA negotiating committee the ammunition it needs to remain resolute and get what their members want and deserve.

As it happens, this last week in the Wall Street Journal, there was an opinion editorial from Frank Lorenzo, the former head of Continental Airlines' parent company, Texas Air.  Mr. Lorenzo was complaining about how the Biden administration, and in particular Transporation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are trying to drag the U.S. airlines back to the days before the industry was de-regulated.  Mr. Lorenzo talked about how de-regulation made travel more affordable to all Americans.    Mr. Lorenzo also brought up how he was able to bring Texas International Airlines to the forefront with its "peanut fares," and ushered in the age of the low-cost carrier. 

Good for you Mr. Lorenzo, when you turned traveling by air into a more affordable commodity, you also thought it OK to treat your employees as mere commodities.  Under Mr. Lorenzo's leadership, Texas Air acquired a struggling Continental Airlines.  Within months, Mr. Lorenzo took Continental Airlines into bankruptcy court in order to void union contracts and slash compensation for front-line employees.  The hardest hit group were the Continental flight attendants.  I was working at Frontier Airlines at the time, and I remember walking the picket line with the Continental flight attendants at Denver's Stapleton Airport, as they fought to keep their contract, their jobs, and their dignity.  Instead, most of those that picketed were fired, and they were replaced by lower wage workers who did not have the same experience and skills as their predecessors.  Continental went from being a well-regarded legacy carrier (the proud bird with the golden tail) to one of the lowest rated U.S. air carriers.  Mr. Lorenzo did the same when Texas Air acquired Eastern Airlines.  When the Eastern employee groups did not want to play along with Mr. Lorenzo's way of doing things, Mr. Lorenzo just shut the airline down.  Mr. Lorenzo became a pariah in the industry.

What happened on September 11, 2001, showed us how important and how risky the job can be for airline pilots and flight attendants.  It also showed us how everyone on the front lines of the airlines worked through their grief to get the nation, and the world, flying again.  Yet, this pervasive attitude of management that they always need to get something out of their employees continues.  Mr. Kirby always needs to demonstrate to the Board of Directors that hired him that he has control.  Mr. Kirby and United's Board of Directors have it wrong.  There are two important groups of stakeholders that come before the shareholders - the front-line employees and the customers.  Without the support from both of those groups, Mr. Kirby and his Board would not have jobs.

The events of September 11 also showed us that the first responders on that awful morning were flight attendants, pilots, and customers.  Mr. Buttigieg is not trying to re-regulate the airline industry, he is just trying to show the airlines that the customers will not be treated as basic commodities, and that customers should not have to put up with whatever the airlines want to dish out for them.  The U.S. government has an agency in place to do what it can to make sure passengers can travel safely and comfortably, and the FAA's part in all this became more important after September 11, 2001.  Mr. Buttigieg is only trying to make sure that airline management understands that the customers and front-line employees do have rights.

When I was making my reservation to travel on Wednesday, I was saddened when United Airlines reminded me that my status with them now is only that of a "General Member."  I thought back to how I could have gone from being a Premier 1K, Customer of the Year, Pass Plus card-carrying customer, down to the lowest tier possible.  I then remembered I am not alone in this.  Since September 11, 2001, United Airlines has lost a lot of high-margin customers.  Why pay premium fares for a product that continues to decline in quality?  It is simple Mr. Kirby, when you do not respect your front line, the quality of product they put out reflects that lack of respect.  In order to control costs, some c-suite executive advises you that the front line should be paid less, and not given the proper training and flexibility they need in order to properly accommodate the most important customers.  They advise that is the path to profitability.  Mr. Kirby, you need to put your arrogant c-suite executives, such as John Slater, on the front line and let's see how long they last. 

              

The events of September 11, 2001, need to be remembered not only as a reminder of what evil can look like, that day also showed us that individuals who are on the front lines, whether it be the fire department, police department, paramedics, military personnel, flight attendants, pilots, or any employee on the front line for any business, these are the real people running things.  What those on the front line need most is respect from their leaders, respect that affords them the flexibility to do what is right and to do their job well, along with respect that makes them proud of what they do.  I started making my trips my annual 9/11 trips to show my friends on the front lines at United that they do have the respect of the customers.  It breaks my heart that I cannot do that this year.      

Mr. Kirby, I cannot close this year's post without reiterating my plea to you to properly honor those United employees who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11, 2001.  I am not talking about just one day a year, where employees are left to come up with their own makeshift memorials at stations around the world.  You need to step up and get real about it.  You also need to do something to improve the declining morale as your front-line continues to put up with low wages, poor training, and a record number of operational challenges.  One way to do so is that for every one of those employees that were lost on 9/11, for every new plane that rolls off the assembly line, have one of names painted on it by door number one, and along-side that name should be the United Airlines tulip. These are good people who lost their lives trying to protect United Airlines passengers, and on their uniforms, they proudly wore the United Airlines tulip.  Their names may already be on the memorial in New York, but they deserve to be a part of the "Friendly Skies" every day.  They deserve that kind of legacy.  It would mean so much to your employees, current and retired, as well as your loyal customers.

EPILOGUE

As to one of the reasons why I am not able to travel this year, some of you know the story of my sister in Colorado who has custody of her granddaughters.  When she took that on, I made a commitment to help her financially when she needed it.  If you do not know the story, you can check out the Go Fund Me page I put up for her recently.   Here you can get an idea of the events that have transpired -https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-janet-provide-stability-for-lily-and-charlii?qid=23f59f3ebc4b7a0dbcddb38e75ecbf86.  The response to this page has been overwhelming, and we were able to raise the goal amount set.  Please, this is not a solicitation for donations.  The focus now is with the older granddaughter, Lily, who has some serious behavioral problems that require treatment.  The time and attention that this requires are making it difficult for my sister to get her own financial house in order.  I need to be prepared to step up and help, and I cannot do that and still make the trip this year.  I made a vow to myself that when this is all straightened out, I will get back to the Friendly Skies more often.  I keep hoping for some return to the United Airlines I once knew, and I do miss the employees.      

 - Thank You all for keeping the Skies Friendly -

James Anderson, Mileage Plus HVC21479.

- STRIKE! -

The word strike is one of those useful, flexible words that carries a few definitions, as well as be used as a noun or a verb.  Here are a couple of those definitions:  

verb -  to hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand, or with a weapon or other implement; 

            

verb -  to take swift action against an enemy or other threat in order to neutralize that threat at the optimal time; (to strike "while the iron is hot").

                   

             OR

noun  -  a refusal to work organized by a body of employees as a form of protest, typically in an attempt to gain a concession or concessions from their employer.

This post is about the last definition above, the noun, although it can be used as a verb within the same context.

Right now, the flight attendants at United Airlines are heavy into negotiations for their contract that became amendable in 2021.  Three years is a long time to wait, but the flight attendants have, until now, waited patiently for management to come to the bargaining table.  More importantly they have waited for management to come to the table without having brought their own exaggerated self-worth and bravado, and without the idea that it is once again time for the flight attendants to give up something so that the airline can remain competitive and profitable.

In saying that the contract for the flight attendants became amendable, here is some clarification.  Under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, enacted more than a century ago, collective bargaining agreements between transportation workers and their employers do not expire.  The U.S. Government sought this protection because they knew that the shutdown of the railways would shut down the economy.  It was best to keep folks working while at the same time, hammer out new terms to an extension of the existing contract.  The U.S. Government would protect employees by making sure employers bargained in good faith.  As a vital part of our country's infrastructure, the provisions of the Railway Labor Act have carried over to the airlines.  

This does not mean that airline employees can be kept working under the same contract terms for years on end.  There can be a strike, but it takes quite a bit of time to get to that point.  When a contract becomes amendable, if one or both parties to the agreement want to negotiate new terms, then both parties are required to sit down and negotiate.  The flight attendants' union - the United Airlines AFA-CWA, under the leadership of current president Ken Diaz, has in place a negotiating committee charged with communicating the terms and conditions that their membership wants for this new contract period.  The significant provisions that are being re-negotiated include pay and benefits, scheduling, training, uniforms and appearance standards, as well as per diem compensation and hotels used for layovers.  There are thousands of details that need to be hammered out as management fights to not give anything up, and the AFA fights not to give in to management, as they have so many times before. 

United's management representative at the table is a man named John Slater, Senior Vice President in charge of In-flight Services.  On his LinkedIn profile, he describes himself as "an innovative travel industry executive with extensive experience in sales, customer service, operations, business strategy, distribution, and electronic commerce."  What is important to note here is that the man in charge of In-flight Service at United Airlines has no in-flight service experience.  If you have traveled on United recently and felt that the in-flight offerings were a little lacking, this is the first man to blame.  Mr. Slater's boss is Scott Kirby, CEO at United Airlines.  Mr. Kirby is a numbers guy, and when customer yields are down, he lowers his ax on expenses, no matter who might be under the blade.  To keep his job, Mr. Slater needs to come away from the negotiations with concessions from the employees.

With this round of negotiations, one change that the flight attendants want to see is to be paid for all hours they are on duty.  You know how airlines will allot 30-45 minutes, or even an hour to board a flight?  Did you know that during that time, the flight attendants are not getting paid?  In fact, they have already been in the airport and on the plane for an hour or more for check-in, briefings and completing safety checks.  When it comes time to board, flight attendants are expected to be on point, at their assigned positions, with smiles, and ready to assist with the boarding process.  Flight attendants assigned to premium cabins pull extra duty with pre-departure beverage service and taking meal orders.  Flight attendants assigned to the galleys have to make sure food and beverage carts are stocked and ready to go.  When a flight lands, when you hear that "ding" as the plane comes to a full stop at the gate, that is when the time clock stops.  The 30 or more minutes it takes for passengers to disembark is unpaid.  

All this extra, unpaid, duty time can get extended by irregular operations such as a mechanical problem at the gate, or waiting for baggage to be loaded for connecting passengers.  Then there is the extra unpaid time just built into a flight attendant's schedule.  I have seen flight attendants post pairings on Facebook that will have six hours of paid time, yet their duty day is fifteen hours, with the time spent sitting in airports waiting for their next trip.  Under the current terms of the contract, the company can ask flight attendants to put in duty days lasting 18 hours.  For international flying, say a trip from Washington-Dulles to Athens, flight attendants get paid for 20 hours, but they are away from the base for 48 hours or more.  

The flight attendants at United are asking that they get paid for every hour they are at work, both in the air and on the ground.  This is something that Delta Air Lines' flight attendants recently succeeded in negotiating with their management.  Flight attendants at American and Southwest are also asking for the same.  This is what you would call an "industry-leading" change which has been long overdue.  This is also an expensive change for the airlines, and if they cannot pay for it with higher fares, they are going to want concessions from employees. 

From what I have been able to pick up from posts by the AFA, the main concession United management wants from flight attendants is to go to a "Preferential Based System (PBS)" for scheduling.  Under the current system, every month the flight attendants will "bid" for the schedule they want for the next month.   Based on when they want to work, how many hours they want to pick up, where they want to go, and the type of aircraft being used for each segment, they will bid for lines made up of specific "pairings" or trips.   For example, a pairing may be a two-day domestic trip starting in Los Angeles, then to Denver, and on to Orlando for an overnight layover.  The return the next day will take them from Orlando to Houston, then home to Los Angeles.   This is a pairing, and a line may have three or more of these pairings in one month.  The lines are then awarded based on seniority.  The most senior flight attendants will usually get their first choice(s) and hold their line(s) for the month, and as you go down in seniority, lines will be awarded based on second or third choices.  For junior flight attendants, they are awarded the remaining available lines, with reserve times built in.  These are the most undesirable trips.  Flight attendants can trade or drop trips during the month, but if you are senior enough to hold a line, then you know when you are working.

As I understand it, with PBS scheduling, flight attendants will not be able to choose lines with specific pairings.  Instead, they will bid, or build their lines, based on the kinds of pairings they want, with choices of the number of hours they want to pick up, the days off that they want, and if they want those pairings to be international or domestic, or a combination of both.   For senior flight attendants, the optimal outcome is that the scheduling system assigns the pairings to the preferences that they have bid, but these pairings are not always going to be to cities they want to go to.  For example, they could say they want two-day international trips, with weekends off.  PBS scheduling will then build their line based on those preferences, but that line may not have the specific pairings they want to work. The pairings they are assigned may not be the cities they want to go to.  The pairings they are assigned could be different throughout the month.  The paid hours for each pairing could also be different. PBS scheduling is liked by management because it makes setting the schedules easier, and it gives them the flexibility to assign different pairings in a line to optimize staffing out of a base.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be effective and really cheap to use with PBS scheduling.      

The only real, tangible, incentive for flight attendants is to attain seniority.  It is a tough job, and over decades of service they pay their dues, and then they become senior enough to the point where they can set the schedule they want.  Over the years you learn which trips operate with the best aircraft, or which cities have the best hotels for layovers, and the easiest commutes from the airports.  No one wants to fly for 10 to 16 hours to arrive at the destination and face a 90-minute commute from the airport to the hotel.  They certainly do not want to go through all that to fly on planes that have been in service for 30+ years, with poorly designed cabins (really Continental, you were too cheap to put in fresh-air vents for the passengers in your 777's?).  They certainly do not want to stay at a hotel with no air conditioning, or no decent restaurants or shops nearby.  Under the current bidding system, these senior flight attendants who have put in their time, get to choose which type of aircraft they fly on, and the cities they most enjoy visiting.  With a "Preferential Based System," those choices may not be available.    

- STRIKE AUTHORIZATION -

Well, all that I just went through is taking the long way to get to the main point for this post - the strike authorization vote that is now underway.  This is the chance for United's flight attendants to tell their negotiating committee that they are ready to strike to get what they want.  This does not mean there will be a strike, there are still a few hurdles to clear before it gets to that point, but a "Strike Authorization" does tell the negotiating committee that AFA members are ready to fight for what they have earned.  Going back over the last 30 years or more, every time United's flight attendants came to the negotiating table, management was there asking them to give up something.  Each concession request came with the promise that as profitability improved, United's employees would reap the benefits.  Sustained profitability for United Airlines has been realized, but the only real beneficiaries have been senior management earning millions of dollars in salary and equity awards.  

With the last round of negotiations, United's flight attendants did gain raises in hourly pay, and there has even been some profit sharing; however, in return, they now have to put in longer duty days, which management has had no problem in exploiting.  Domestic trips for the flight attendants have become marathons, covering multiple cities over several days, and with minimal rest periods.  Fatigue is common to the point where safety is a concern.  The flight attendants have also had to put up with long waits on the phone because staffing for crew scheduling or the hotel desk has been reduced.  Finally, United's flight attendants have had to put up with a decline in service standards for the customers, which makes their job even more difficult.  Mr. Slater, you call yourself an expert in customer service; however, customer service is about what you can do for the customer, it is not about what you cannot do.  United has gone from being a premium legacy carrier to a "so-so" carrier, and those that are bearing the brunt of complaints are the flight attendants.  If I were a United flight attendant, top on my wish list would be for service standards to be raised to the level they once were.  Pay and benefits are important, work conditions are also important, but if I am embarrassed to say the name of the company I work for, then going to work is that much harder.  

The deadline to vote for Strike Authorization is noon eastern time on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.  From the posts I have seen, almost 85% of the membership has voted, I hope that kind of showing indicates that United's flight attendants are ready to stand in solidarity to make sure real improvements are made.  For any active United Flight Attendant that has not voted, please do so now, and please vote to authorize the strike.  Unity and solidarity, that is what is needed from the membership, now more than ever.  For junior flight attendants who have felt that there is no reason to get involved, you need to get involved.  From what I hear, so many of you have become disenchanted by the job.  It is no wonder with the low pay and ungodly hours you are putting in.  For you it seems like a thankless job that will not get any better; however, that can change if you are ready to stand up for yourself and for your flying partners.

As a show of their resolve, at bases around the world, United's flight attendants are holding another "Day of Action" on August 28, to coincide with the deadline for the Strike Authorization vote.  If I can get away tomorrow morning, I will be heading out to the airport, sign in hand, to get out the message that this customer stands with the Flight Attendants, and with all front-line employees at United.  If things are not made better for the employees, what chance is there for us customers?  AFA leadership says they are fighting for an "Industry Leading" contract, I say "Industry Leading" is not good enough, it is time to push the envelope to set a higher standard that puts United Airlines ahead of all the other carriers.       

- IT'S TIME FOR A HIGHER STANDARD -

This coming Thursday, October 26, 2023, United Airlines Flight Attendants will be gathering for another "Day of Action" at all United hubs and other large stations throughout their system.  These events are peaceful gatherings outside of busy airport terminals, and are just one way for the flight attendants to inform passengers and the public about the current state of contract negotiations with United's leadership team.  These events are also a way to bring together United's Flight Attendants for one common goal - to  make management understand that they are serious about the changes that are needed to their contract.   Not only in terms of positive changes in compensation, benefits and working conditions, but changes are needed that bring back some respect for a very difficult job.

The contract with United's Flight Attendants became amendable in 2021, and because United management got pressed to the wall in their negotiations with the Pilots' union, work on the contract with the Flight Attendants was, for the most part, pushed aside.  Two years is long enough to wait.  The pilots just recently ratified their own contract, securing big increases in pay and benefits for themselves, increases that are well-deserved.   Now, as United's management team focuses on the contract with the Flight Attendants, it appears that there may be a mandate coming down to reign in that generous spirit.  Management needs to find a way to pay for the more expensive pilots. 

United's senior management, led by Scott Kirby, is very "by the numbers," with their focus squarely on how well shares of United Airlines Holdings are trading on the stock market.  Investments in the customers and the front-line employees has to show an immediate return.  No one can argue that Mr. Kirby and his team are not doing a good job, they are definitely filling seats.  United Airlines is carrying more passengers across the Atlantic and  Pacific than any other airline.  It is still mostly leisure travel that fill seats now and leisure travel is less profitable than business travel.   This means United has to fill more seats, with more frequency, and at the same time cut costs where they can in order to show growth in their earnings numbers.  That cost cutting first focuses on behind the scenes operations support functions, and then the service offerings for the customers are cut back.  After that, management then looks at the front-line to identify opportunities to save money.  

I am sounding my age when I say that, for the most part and across all industries, the management style at big corporations has regressed into what is "good enough" for the customer.  This is the type of manager who thinks that customers will "settle" and accept the product put before them.  In all my years as a loyal United Airlines customer and shareholder, I have been witness to several changes in upper management, and with each change there have come cuts in the quality of in-flight service, especially in the premium cabins.  Years ago I used to look for excuses to get on a United flight, now I only travel when needed.  It is hard to accept "good enough," when you have had much better.  And "good enough" is not a way to win back premium business travelers.    

 There is also an attitude by some managers that employees are also supposed to accept "good enough," in terms of pay, benefits and working conditions.  Bad managers intimidate employees into thinking that they should consider themselves lucky to have a job.  Good leaders know that they have to work harder and continually motivate, continually train, continually support, and always reward.  Then there are those in the middle, those that work toward "good enough," - I call them mediocre managers.  

Mediocre leaders want to get by with "good enough."  Their compensation is based upon meeting specific, numerical profit goals.  These are the managers that only look at those numbers, and will only commit to the optimum investment that yields the highest return, in the shortest time period.  Mediocre managers also like to standardize everything because it is simpler.  Employees need to fall in line with what is standard and do as they are told, no matter the circumstance, and with no regard for the level of experience the employee brings to the job.  Any variance from the standard gets an employee fired.  Sadly, a lot of good people are no longer with United because they did not adapt quickly enough to the "dumbed down" standards being pushed on them.  As managers, I think Mr. Kirby and his team do fall into this category.   I hope I am proven wrong, but I cannot help but feel that this round of contract negotiations will be like all the others, with management having a mandate to offer only what is "good enough." 

So this "Day of Action" for United's Flight Attendants is about sending a message to Mr. Kirby and his team,  a message that says that they want more than "good enough" this time.  With each round of contract negotiations, management has always expected that the labor side needs to make more concessions.  If Flight Attendants are to receive a pay raise, they are going to have to produce more by putting in longer duty days.  If Flight Attendants want better benefits, then they are going to have to accept that on a flight normally staffed with ten flight attendants, they are going to have to work harder and get by with eight.  If Flight Attendants want profit-sharing, then they will need to accept that crew scheduling and hotel desks will have fewer staff to take their calls.  This "Day of Action" is about saying that this "give and take," that once was the norm, has to change.    

Looking at more than compensation, for those reading this that are outside of the airline industry, did you know that at United Airlines, the support center that Flight Attendants call for assistance with scheduling is outsourced to an offshore call center in the Phillipines?    Did you also know that when operations go irregular, say by weather, that staffing for the call center providing assistance with hotel scheduling is not increased?  When severe weather caused a serious meltdown in operations for United this last winter, too many flight attendants were left stranded having been unable to get help from either crew scheduling or the hotel desk.  With this "Day of Action" and the current negotiations, United's Flight Attendants are also saying that this cannot happen again, and want to force management to do better for the flight attendants, as well as every United Airlines employee, in every way possible.  They are also saying that if management will not own up to their mistakes, they need to be held accountable and shown the door.  Mr. Kirby, if you are going to hire a private jet to get to Aspen when things get bad, you need to make sure your employees that freezing on the tarmacs, or sleeping in terminals, do not find out.

The title of this post is "It's Time for a Higher Standard."  Here is where that came from.  I was saddened by a recent post I saw in one of the group pages for United Flight Attendants on Facebook.  The post was originated with a message from one flight attendant wanting to get the word out that success in these negotiations  is going to require being unified in their resolve to stand firm.  More importantly, success was also going to come by showing management how invaluable the flight attendants are as the face of the airline.  This would mean making customers a priority while on duty.  It would mean being gracious and attentive, and that down time should not be spent in the galley with ear buds on, playing Sudoko, or joking around all the while ignoring the customers.  Sadly, one of the first responses to that post was from another flight attendant who said that their ear buds will only come out after management gives them a decent contract.  

Success will not come from this kind of attitude.  United led the U.S. airline industry by having the first flight attendants.  United led the U.S. airline industry by keeping the Purser position after acquiring Pan Am's Pacific routes.  United's Flight Attendants have a chance to lead again, but only by working together.  Your value only comes through by showing that you are invaluable.  Be attentive to the passengers, be on time, adhere to uniform and appearance standards, have your Links charged, open and ready to up-sell, read announcements with grace and enthusiasm, offer assistance to new hires thrown on the line too soon.  Show management you are worth more than you get paid.  This does not mean you have to go overboard with the above and beyond, and you certainly do not need to do management any favors.  For example, you do not need to waive any rights and go illegal with your duty day.  This also does not mean that if a passenger asks about the red pins or red lanyards, that you cannot tell them about what is going on.  

Your strength comes from each other, and from the support you can garner from the customers.  You do not want to appear cliched or over-entitled to the customers, that is counter-productive.  Most customers are now given a chance to respond to surveys with feedback about their recent trip on United.  The part of the trip customers will remember first and foremost is how well they were treated by the flight attendants - especially the valued premium cabin customers.  These survey results become a part of the "numbers" that mediocre managers value so much.  United's Flight Attendants have the power to make sure those numbers are on their side.  

United management has already come out saying that they are working on what promises to be an "Industry Leading" contract for their Flight Attendants.  "Industry Leading" is just public relations spin and is another way of saying "good enough."   I urge United's Flight Attendants to stand together and remain firm in their resolve to get beyond what is "Industry Leading."  Not only for themselves, but for the other front-line employees, and for behind the scenes support functions, and for the customer.  This airline is nothing without its employees and it is nothing without its customers.  It is time that United's leadership recognize that the reputation for this company cannot stand to suffer any more setbacks.  Keeping customers loyal, and keeping valuable employees can only come if you set a higher standard.  

I am really going to try to be there at LAX on Thursday to show my support. I even ordered my own sign to carry - 

I urge all of United's Flight Attendants who are not on duty to get out there and stand with your flying partners to get the message out.  This higher standard that is needed begins with you.  Please do not accept "good enough."  You deserve better, and the customers deserve better.  

22 Years - 22 Trips | It's about being proud...

Another September 11 anniversary is upon us, already.  The days are noticeably shorter, and football season is in full swing.  That year went by fast.  It was looking doubtful that I could make my annual cross country, round-trip this year.  Work stress, family stress, and stress at home, they were all coming together in a trinity that was saying "perhaps not this year."  I told myself I would never miss an anniversary, and it was only a couple of weeks ago when I finally gave myself the OK to do this.

We all want to take pride in who we are, in the work that we do, in our family and friends, and in our country.  If you wanted to find one good thing to come out of the events of 9/11/2001, it was the groundswell of pride that Americans suddenly seemed to have for their country.  For a short time there, everyone came together, even the politicians in Washington, and everyone was in agreement that something had to be done so that what happened would never happen again.  A lot has happened in the 22 years since.  That pride has waned, and the country appears to be more divided than it has ever been since the Civil War.  Still, every September 11, Americans do come together to honor those that were lost, and to "Never Forget" that there are forces out there that want to oppress, and take away the privilege of being a citizen of the United States.  I want to believe Americans are still proud to be Americans.  I know that I am.

What about pride in the work that we do?  We all want to be proud of what we produce and the contributions we make.  Any industry, any job, it is just natural that at the very base, we want to have some pride in what we put out there.  Without that, it is hard to go to work.  It was back in the 90's when I started to fly United Airlines exclusively, and with any frequency.  Back then you could really see that the front-line employees took pride in being part of the "Friendly Skies."  This was a period of expansion for the airline, going from a primarily domestic carrier to flying around the world in a very short time.  Beautiful "Friendships,"emblazoned with the red and blue tulip, were offering world-class service to all corners of the globe.  

It was also in the early 90's when Boeing began the design and development of the 777 wide body jet.  United saw the promise in the 777, and United was the first airline to put in orders for the new plane.  With that, Boeing sought the input of United employees for help with final design.  They wanted to come up with something that had what the employees needed in order to deliver a world class product to the passengers. The first 777 that United put in service, N777UA, was christened with the name "Working Together," you could see it painted on the plane right below door number 1.  Back then, United's senior management understood that if their front-line was not proud of what they were doing, then it would be hard to instill loyalty in the customers, especially the high-fare paying business travelers that were so coveted by all the major carriers.  I believe this 777 is still in service some 30 years later; however, the "Working Together" moniker and the tulips have been painted over.  Sadly, I sense that those paint jobs may have covered up a lot of the pride that was once there.   

Never was pride in the job more tested than on 9/11/2001.  From the 4 planes that went down, all combined, United and American lost 34 crew members.  Each one of those crew members had interacted with hundreds of their co-workers in one fashion or another.  There was not a base or a station, anywhere that United and American had a presence, that somebody knew one of those crew members.  To be able to get through the grief, the sadness and the anger, that strength had to come from pride in each other, pride in their airline, and pride in the service they provided to the customers each and every day.  If I had $20 million burning a hole in my pocket each year, for every 9/11 anniversary, I would ask Starbucks to send a gift card to every front-line employee at both United and American Airlines.

When the first anniversary of the attacks was coming up in 2002, I knew I wanted to do something.  I was not sure of what I wanted, or could, do. I do know that I wanted to say that this privilege of being able to travel safely to any destination around the world should not be taken for granted.  In my travels on United I had gotten to know a lot of those proud employees on the front line.  There was a lot of conjecture in the news that day asking if U.S. citizens would avoid traveling out of fear there would be another attack.  In addition, the events of 9/11/2001 triggered a world-wide recession which hit the travel industry hard.  United Airlines was going through a tough time in 2002.  I thought that the best thing I might be able to do is buy a ticket and go somewhere on United.    It was a solitary way of wanting to show my support, and I questioned if I was really doing something that mattered.  That question was answered when I got off the plane at O'Hare airport where passengers were greeted with patriotic music playing loudly throughout the terminal, and American flags were displayed everywhere.  On the flight back home to Los Angeles, as part of his pre-departure announcements, the Captain thanked all the passengers on board for being there on that particular day.  He also wanted to convey his pride in the crew members working with him that day, and he wanted to convey his pride in United Airlines   He wanted to assure us that United Airlines was strong.  It was a smooth, comfortable, uneventful ride to Los Angeles that evening, and I think that crew felt proud for being able to do that for the passengers.                

There is a change this year -

Tomorrow, Monday, September 11, 2023, I will be making my 22nd anniversary trip on United Airlines.  A cross country round-trip taking me from Los Angeles to the east coast, and back, on the same day.  There is a change this year - rather than going to New York and back, this year the trip is taking me to Washington-Dulles airport and back.  

It was back in 2004 when I last traveled to Dulles on 09/11.  When I first started making these trips, I would hit the hubs - in 2002, it was Los Angeles to Denver, then to Chicago, and then back to Los Angeles.  In 2003, the night before I flew up to San Francisco where I stayed overnight.  Then the next day, on September 11, 2003, that trip took me from San Francisco to Chicago, then to Dulles, back to Denver, and then home to Los Angeles.  All 4 segments of the trip that day were on 777's - that was a memorable trip.  It was a good thing everything was operating smoothly.  In 2004, the trip started in Albuquerque where I was visiting family.  From there it was to Denver, then on to Dulles, and then back to Los Angeles.  That was also a memorable trip. I do not know if these hubs still do it, but on 9/11 you could hear patriotic music playing loudly throughout the terminals and concourses.  It made traveling that day a little extra special.   

In 2005, United was having success with their "Premium Service (PS)" flights between LAX and New York's JFK airport.  I wanted to try it out and once I did, I kind of got hooked.  First Class passengers on those flights had a dedicated check-in desk, and could enjoy the International First Class lounges while they waited to board.  In-flight service was truly premium .  There were Hollywood celebrities on those trips. It was all very easy to to get used to, and that is why I kept kept flying LAX to JFK and back every September 11.  Sadly, after the merger with Continental, the premium suddenly disappeared from those trans-continental flights.  

A few years after the merger was completed, United decided to pull out of JFK.  Senior management was certain that their dilapidated Newark hub was good enough for the customers traveling to New York.  LAX to New York is a competitive route, and United's competitors, American, Delta and JetBlue all offered premium cabins, with premium service, in order to attract and keep their high-fare paying customers. But rather than deciding to bring back the premium and compete, United pulled up stakes and ran. After the premium service had gone, the celebrities and other high-fare paying customers that were regulars on United's "PS" flights, they left and went over to the competition.  United took the premium out of those flights, but they forgot to lower the airfares to make up for it.  A couple of years ago United's President and CEO, Scott Kirby, announced that the airline was going back to JFK.  He felt it was important that United have a presence at all three New York airports.  He was hoping to get back those high fare paying flyers traveling between both coasts that were lost to the competition.  The much lauded return to JFK lasted less than a year.  Mr. Kirby kept the premium airfares to match the competition, but forgot to bring back the premium service on those flights.  The competition did not.   

After United pulled out of JFK, I started going from LAX to Newark on 9/11. They had wide body flights with the new Polaris cabins on this route that were nice.  There was still some promise of "Premium Service," but it was never the same.  Last year's trip was a disappointment frankly.  This year, there are no flights with the Polaris cabins that would get me to Newark and back on the same day.  This was a sign that it was OK to make a change.  I tried building a trip that would hit multiple hubs, but connections were too tight, and it would have been expensive.  I am also not as young as I used to be. I will stay with my choice of going to Dulles and back.  I am proud of that choice, it will be a nice trip.  

Today there are United employees with 30, 40, 50 and even 60+ years of service that are still on the front line.  Senior management has made a lot of changes that have taken away a lot of what once made United great, but for these long-serving employees, you can tell that they have always wanted to be a part of the "Friendly Skies."  They come back for the customers, and they come back for themselves.  There are also a lot of new faces at United Airlines.  They need a little help in understanding the whole "Friendly Skies" vibe.  To those young people I say that you can learn a lot from your flying partners with all of the seniority.  You will learn how important the customers are, but at the same time you will learn that you are as equally important.  It is a delicate balance.  Give yourself some time, if you were meant for this job, the pride, in the face of all kinds of challenges, will come.  

Thank you all for keeping the skies friendly.  I do hope that I can cross paths with some of you tomorrow.

EPILOGUE

This goes out to Mr. Scott Kirby, Chairman and CEO at United Airlines -

Mr. Kirby, I cannot close this year's post without reiterating my plea to you to properly honor those United employees who were killed in the attacks on 9/11/2001.  I am not talking about just one day a year, where employees are left to come up with their own makeshift memorials at stations around the world.  You need to step up and get real about it.  You also need to do something to improve the declining morale as your front-line has endured a record number of operation challenges.  One way to do so is that for every one of those employees, as a new 777 or 787 rolls off the assembly line, have one of their names painted on it by door number 1, and along side their name should be the United Airlines tulip. These are good people who lost their lives trying to protect United Airlines passengers, and on their uniforms was the United tulip.  Their names may be on the memorial in New York, but they deserve to be a part of the "Friendly Skies."  They deserve that kind of legacy.  It would mean so much to your employees and to the customers.

 - Thank You -  James Anderson, Mileage Plus HVC21479.

21 Years, 21 Trips - It Feels Like it was Yesterday -

However, at my age, trying to remember something that happened yesterday is like trying to remember something that happened 21 years ago.  All kidding aside, I think for most of us, as individuals, we have a day or days, happy occasions, that we think we remember as if they happened only yesterday.  We do not want to forget those days, but as time goes on, our recollection of the details gets fuzzy.  There are also sad or traumatic events in our lives that we would like to forget, the death of a loved one for example.  However, we are told that "time heals all wounds" and we eventually find ourselves remembering the good and forgetting the bad.

Then there are days such as September 11, 2001.  The events of that day elicited such strong emotions that left an imprint so deep that we cannot push those memories aside.  Sadness, anger, despair, disbelief, they are all very strong emotional reactions.  Now add on to those horror.  That last one is one we do not expect to be hitting us when we wake up on a quiet Tuesday morning in September.  Horror is what leaves the imprint so deep.  It leaves us confused and not knowing how to react.  In an instant that feeling of horror leads us into feeling helpless, and I think it is that feeling of helplessness that most of us remember, and regret, about that day.  

The rallying cry behind the events of September 11, 2001 is to "Never Forget."  We are to never forget how, for a brief time in history, the world came together to condemn what happened.  We are to never forget how, in hindsight, with better security, what happened would never have happened.  We are to never forget that there is evil in the world, and we were put on this earth to stop it.  Most of all, we are to never forget how we felt on that day, so that we never have to feel that way again.  To be honest, it took a few years and writing this blog before I truly understood why I think it is important to "Never Forget."

Tomorrow will be the 21st time that I am taking a trip somewhere on United Airlines just because it is September 11.  Ever since that first anniversary in 2002, I have been telling myself, and others, that I wanted to do this show my support for everyone at United Airlines.  After all, it was two of their planes, with crew members and passengers that were killed.  I wanted to let them know that I understood their grief.  I wanted to let them know that I understood how difficult their job is, and how because of what happened on 9/11, what they do every day to keep us passengers safe is so very important.  In writing this particular blog entry though, I now realize that there is a more personal, somewhat selfish, reason for these trips - I do not want to feel helpless again.

Every year on the anniversary of September 11 the media pulls out all of its coverage from that awful day.  News channels will broadcast clips of the planes hitting the World Trade Center towers, and then the horror of the towers coming down. They will provide live coverage of the President and his staff attending the different memorials.  Newspapers will post pictures, and list the names of those were killed as a result of the attacks.  For me spending the day on the airplane, I am able to shield myself from the news, but I could just turn off the TV if I wanted to not witness it all again.  Taking this point further, to turn that helpless feeling around, I told myself I needed to be on a United Airlines flight, and I needed a way to engage with as many as I could on the front line.  I needed to let them know that there is somebody who understands that feeling of helplessness.  

As the years have passed, my trips on United, and this blog, became a way to get the message out to the flying public that as customers we had become too complacent, and that those on the front line at United deserved more respect.  This same message applies to all of the other airlines as well.  In addition, these trips and the gift cards I hand out, became  a way to get a message across to management at United Airlines that the customers do see what is going on.  Service missteps are not the fault of the front line, the blame lies squarely on management.

People have asked me why United Airlines, and why the gift cards?  My response is just to say "I get it."  It is hard to explain, but United Airlines has a rich history, and being a part of the "Friendly Skies" meant something for a very long time.  For most of the front-line employees I now know, and will meet, they are proud of the work they do, and being part of the "Friendly Skies" is what they always wanted.  These trips and the gift cards just let them know that there are customers who "get it."

In closing, tomorrow we will be reminded once again to "Never Forget."  Yes, it has been 21 years, but time does not heal every wound.  Tomorrow is a Sunday, a good day to keep all those that were lost in our prayers.  Everyone born before 1995 should have some memory of what happened on 9/11/2001.  For us older folks, the memories are more present and emotional, but it is going to be up to the younger folks to make sure the message gets out.  To those of you born after 1995, when you watch coverage you may view it more as a history lesson, but there is a reason us older folks make a big deal out of it.  It may be hard for you to understand now, but as you get older, you may come to a better understanding.  God forbid that another attack like that happens again, but there may be a natural disaster or other humanitarian crisis that you witness as it unfolds.  You will be hit with a feeling of helplessness, and that is expected.  It is what you do with it that counts.  

EPILOGUE

This goes out to Mr. Scott Kirby, Chairman and CEO at United Airlines -

Mr. Kirby, I will once again renew my plea to you to properly honor those United employees who were killed in the attacks on 9/11/2001.  I am not talking about just one day a year, where employees are left to come up with their own makeshift memorials.  You need to get real about it and one way to do so is that for every one of those employees, as a new 777 or 787 rolls off the assembly line, have one of their names painted on it by door number 1, and along side their name should be the United Airlines tulip. These are good people who lost their lives trying to protect United Airlines passengers, and on their uniforms was the United tulip.  Their names may be on the memorial in New York, but they deserve to be a part of the "Friendly Skies."  They deserve that kind of legacy.  It would mean so much to your employees and to the customers.

 - Thank You -  James Anderson, Mileage Plus HVC21479.

20 Years, 20 Trips - It is all about RESPECT

Hard as it may be to believe, tomorrow marks the 20-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C..  On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists commandeered four commercial aircraft, two belonging to United Airlines, and two belonging to American Airlines, and carried out the worst attack by an enemy against American citizens, on American soil, since the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.  There were 2,977 lives lost as a direct result from the attacks on 9/11, and there have been countless numbers lost in the twenty years since.  Whether it be U.S. soldiers war in Afghanistan and Iraq, or fire and rescue personnel who succumbed to cancers and other diseases brought on by breathing in the debris from ground zero.  In addition, Since 9/11/2001, there have been hundreds of additional attacks by Muslim extremists, around the world - London, Manchester, Paris, Marseille, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, Istanbul, Ankara, Bangkok, Moscow, Nairobi, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  I may have missed some, but you get the point that the list is too long.

This year, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate the lives of everyone around the world.  Vaccines were developed in record time to begin the effort to eradicate the virus; however, there are new variants emerging that get past the vaccine.  There are still a lot of people out there that have not been vaccinated.  The vaccines have not been approved for children under 12, and there are still regions around the world where the vaccine supply is limited or simply unavailable.  Then there are those that just simply refuse to get vaccinated.  As I write this, there are more and more hospitals reporting that they are being overwhelmed once again.  I just read on Wednesday that the small hospital in my home town or Rock Springs, Wyoming is having to add a second isolation unit to handle a new influx of Covid-19 cases.  I also heard on CNBC that the United States ranks up there with Kenya among the worst countries seeing a surge in new infections and hospitalizations.  Over 90% of these new cases are among the un-vaccinated.  On Thursday, President Biden made another attempt to reach out to the holdouts, urging them to get vaccinated, "for their own good, and for the good of others."  These holdouts continue to disregard the warnings, and offer many excuses.  I believe that behind these excuses is the lack of respect so many have for our President, his administration, Congress, and the courts.  

20 YEARS

I struggled with what to write about for this special 20-year post.  So much has happened in that time.  The man who planned the attacks on 9/11 and the leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist group, Osama bin Laden, was finally caught and assassinated in 2011.  U.S. Military forces invaded Afghanistan and Iraq with the goal of wiping out Al Qaeda and other Muslim extremists who sought to carry out more attacks on the United States and its allies.  Almost twenty years to the day after the attacks, President Biden ordered our military to turn tail, retreat and get out of Afghanistan.  This swift retreat left the door wide open for the Taliban to once again take power and put back in place a repressive government known for harboring terrorists.  Innocent Afghan citizens were left behind and we have to watch as the freedoms that our military worked so hard to gain for Afghani citizens just disappears.  Afghani women are once again going to be regarded as property.  With this fast exit out of Afghanistan, our military was forced to leave behind billions of dollars in sophisticated weapons and other equipment, which is now in the hands of radical Taliban forces.   The decision makers here seem to have forgotten their promises of twenty years ago to "never forget."

It took just over a year for the U.S. economy to emerge from the recession coming from the attacks, but it did rebound and and moved into a healthy and sustained expansion.  There have been setbacks such as the great recession caused by the lending meltdown in 2008, and then the Covid-19 pandemic which took hold in early 2020 and continues to hinder normal economic growth and expansion.  Since 2001, there have been four Presidents elected to lead the country.  Every candidate in every election has run on a platform that they are certain will unite the country; however, our country remains more divided than ever.  On 9/11/2001, the world came together like never before to support the United States.  Sadly, twenty years later, even with a global pandemic, the world seems more divided than ever.     

A lot has happened at United Airlines in the last twenty years.  Most notably, is the merger with Continental Airlines in 2010.  This merger was put together by Glenn Tilton, Jeff Smisek and their respective Boards, all of them eager to cash out.  What was billed as a merger, really was not, Mr. Tilton just wanted out and he just handed the keys over to Jeff Smisek.  Mr. Smisek proved to an arrogant son of a gun who was certain that customers and employees were going to like the changes he made with his United Airlines.   Well, the changes were not liked, long-time loyal premium customers were lured away by other carriers, and employee (Jeff's "Co-Workers") morale, especially with those coming from United Airlines, was the lowest it had ever been.  A bribery scandal involving Smisek and an official from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey cost Mr. Smisek his job in 2015.  Oscar Munoz succeeded Mr. Smisek as Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board.  Mr. Munoz was liked and employee morale turned around.  Mr. Munoz was not an airline person though, and Scott Kirby, a former executive from American Airlines was brought in to eventually assume the role as Chief Executive.  In 2021, Mr. Munoz stepped down and Mr. Kirby added the title of Chairman of the Board.  It was under Mr. Kirby's leadership that United has been able to manage through the devastating downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.  This United Airlines in 2021 is far different from the United Airlines in 2001, and I long for that carrier that ferried its "Friendships" all over the globe.  What is unchanged is that there is still a base of loyal customers, along with dedicated employees who truly appreciate what it means to be a part of the "Friendly Skies."    

RESPECT

I thought and thought about the one message that could define these last 20 years.  Respect is a concept that can have as many different meanings as there are people.  So to distill it down, I had to ask some questions like "is respect earned or is it simply deserved?"  Does a title, a position of authority, or even wealth automatically mean someone is to be respected?  Is respect a right or a privilege?  Do we think of respect as an argument we can use to our advantage, or do we honor the respect that is bestowed upon us?  When and how do we  teach, communicate and enforce this concept of respect? 

As children, we are told that we must respect our parents, family, teachers, clergy and other adults in our lives, but unless we question it, we are not taught why someone is worthy of our respect.  As we mature, we begin to learn how the respect we are supposed to have for others is respect that has been earned, and at the same time we begin to learn how we earn respect from others.  As adults, we have already learned that the respect we have earned is not something to take for granted.  As adults, we also find ourselves wanting to teach younger generations about respect, how it is earned, and how those who have earned it are to be respected.

How does all of this apply to the events of 9/11 and our lives twenty years later?  If you are like me, you have to be worried about the younger generations following us.  I worry that they cannot understand why the lessons coming out of this tragedy cannot be forgotten.  I worry that they do not understand that those of us who were witness to the event have something to teach them.  I worry that they do not understand why this one day - 20 years in the past - needs to carry so much weight.  Most of all, I worry that the younger generations do not have the proper examples to draw from that they can respect.  

Look at all the recent incidents of flight disruptions, and the violence toward crew members coming from passengers who refuse to follow instructions.  A common pattern is emerging that identifies these unruly passengers - they are younger, and it appears as if they have not been taught to respect those in authority that have earned it, or worse yet, the examples that they draw from in their lives have shown them that it is acceptable to defy and belittle anyone who does not agree with them.  It is a worrisome pattern.  The Federal Aviation Administration mandates that all passengers and crew members are to wear proper face coverings to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.  Passengers who do not comply can be taken off the flight and will be fined.  Some disagreements between flight attendants and non-complying passengers have led to violence and injuries to crew members.  Yet, there are those who insist it is their Constitutional right to not wear the mask if they so choose.  The Constitution was drafted to give our Federal government the power to protect our borders and the well-being of all U.S. citizens.  The FAA mandate is not un-Constitutional, and flight attendants have been put on the front line to enforce the mandate, a job that they do not want.  It is a difficult position to be in, and the respect that should be shown to them is respect that has been earned.     

The events of 9/11 were a stark reminder that pilots, flight attendants, and all the employees on the front lines of the airlines, have been charged with the momentous responsibility for passenger safety.  These good people are all highly trained, they are required to work long hours, and they have to be the ambassador for the airline - and it all has to done with a smile.  There are very few airlines that did not have to go through bankruptcy after 9/11.  With those bankruptcies, airline employees had to take pay cuts or be laid off, and many lost their pensions.  Then there is the slowdown in travel coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Unsure of what was going to happen, airline employees came together to do what was needed to keep their carrier flying.  This level of dedication by front-line employees is real, they want to keep doing their job and get us traveling again.  With this kind of dedication, how can anyone argue that they have not earned the respect they should be shown.  

The events of 9/11 also made us aware that front-line employees at the airlines are the first responders in the event of a threat, and they were then tasked with the added responsibility of recognizing new threats before anyone could be hurt.  That alone is a burden very few can handle, so anyone willing to watch out for my safety while at the same time having to put up with the challenges that come with the job, there is no doubt in my mind that person has earned the respect they should be shown.  Sadly, this uptick in flight disruptions by unruly passengers only confirms that the younger generation has gotten the wrong message.  These miscreants think they have the right to be respected, they do not understand that respect has to be earned.  

IN CLOSING

It is getting late and I do have to get up early in the morning for my annual sojourn to New York and back on United Airlines.  My 20th trip on 9/11.  I promise to wear my mask, I found one with the United tulip on it.  If I slip up and have to be reminded by the flight crew, it will only happen once.  I apologize for any rambling in this post, I found myself with little time to come up with something before tomorrow.  The media has done a lot this year to help commemorate this anniversary which makes it extra special.  The message needs to keep getting out every year, if not every day, that what happened on September 11, 2001 cannot happen again.  

To all my friends at United Airlines - thank you for keeping me safe in my travels over the last 20 40 years.  Thank you for always making me feel special, and THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE SKIES FRIENDLY! ☺ 

19 Years, 19 Trips

This Friday, September 11, 2020, marks the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, which occurred on September 11, 2001.  It is a day when we are tasked to never forget what happened, as well as to never forget the lessons that came out of that horrific day.  More importantly it is a day to never forget all of the lives that were lost, from the crew and passengers on the four planes that went down, to the people in the World Trade Center Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, and to the first responders on the ground.  There were many brave souls who gave their lives for others on that day, and in the the subsequent wars that came out of the attacks.  There would also be more loss of life in terrorist attacks that have occured around the world over the last 19 years.  All of this loss, and the evil that is behind all of it, is why we must "never forget."  As I have done for the last 18 years, I will be getting on a plane, flying United Airlines from Los Angeles to Newark in the morning, and returning the same day.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 is turning out to be an especially difficult year, and it is understandable that any remembrances of the events from nineteen years ago may not carry the same weight for some as they did before the pandemic.  Sadly the pandemic is forcing the cancellation of many annual events commemorating the day; however, there are a couple of positive notes.  The first is that the 9/11 Memorial in New York will re-open for families this Friday, and will be open to the public beginning September 12.  The second is that 19th Annual Anniversary Observance will go on as planned at the United 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania. As in years past, the President and other dignitaries will be in attendance.  

What is common to the events of 9/11/2001 and this year's pandemic is the impact on the airline industry and the travel industry at large.  Just as with 9/11, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented drop in demand for travel.  For airlines, 2019 was a record year in terms of number of passengers carried, as well as profits.  Then in 2020, with a flick of the switch, as the virus began its spread across the globe, airlines saw demand drop precipitously.  Average load factors dropped down to the single digits.  Daily screening counts for the TSA went from millions of passengers to less than 25,000.  Demand has rebounded, but for this fall, it is expected to remain at less than 50% of the levels for the same period last year.    

I have been wanting to write about what has been going on for months now, but could not put together anything with any note of optimism.  The loss of jobs is staggering, and the resulting hit to the economy is even more staggering.  With the hopes that this crisis would resolve itself in less than a year, the U.S. government has has already pumped $6 trillion in the economy to soften the blow.  Everyone is hoping that Congress will approve another aid package to add another $3 to $4 trillion.  The unanswered question is when and where to stop.   Projections show that total U.S. debt in 2021 will exceed our annual Gross Domestic Product.  Everyone agrees that we will not see any significant recovery until a safe vaccine or cure has been developed.   We just do not know when that will happen.    

Unless another economic aid package is passed by Congress and the President before the end of September, U.S. airlines will be laying off hundreds of thousands of employees.  There just is not enough demand to support current levels of staffing without sending an airline into bankruptcy.  Not only will there be layoffs of airline employees, there will be more layoffs in airline related services such as catering, aircraft servicing, baggage handling, and TSA screening.  Then there are layoffs in airport food service and retail outlets, layoffs in air traffic control, as well as airport infrastructure services such as police and parking.  Many small airports could lose all airline service.  U.S. airlines are also the largest purchasers of U.S. oil.  The ripple effect will put millions more on the unemployment rolls for years to come.    

The point of all this is to give you an understanding of why the current battle in Congress for additional aid focuses a lot of attention on the airlines.  It also heightens the debate of whether propping them up with printed money is the right thing to do in the long term.  The only answer right now is "yes."  Before the pandemic set in, the U.S. economy was expanding at record levels not seen since World War II.  It has been six months since everything started shutting down in the U.S., but there remain hopeful signs in the economy, housing being a good example.  In addition, there is pent up demand for services that were forced to shut down.  People want to  get out of the house and go to the office or to school.  They want to go shopping, eat out at restaurants, see a movie, get a haircut and go to the gym.  The sooner a vaccine is available, the sooner that this pent up demand will be released and turn things around.  It is that pent up demand that is the key, and the best way to keep that demand level up is by keeping people optimistic.  The more people become disillusioned, the more they will hold back on their spending, and the changes we were forced to make to ride out the pandemic will lead to a permanent retraction in our economy.

To clarify - taxpayers are not handing out free money to the airlines.  They will be required to pay it back.  In addition, those that remain employed will continue to pay income and payroll taxes, and they will not be receiving unemployment benefits.  The sooner the airlines and travel related business get back to profitability, the sooner they will be paying corporate income taxes.  The challenge to get the additional aid package passed is Congress.  This is no time for our representatives in Congress to be adding on extras such as aid to cities who have mismanaged their pensions, or to charitable organizations with large endowments such as the Ford Foundation or Kennedy Center.  The aid package should focus on two things, (1) businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic, large and small.  Businesses that will keep people employed and re-hire those that have been laid off; and (2) the unemployed, so that they can continue to remain in their homes and feed their families until they can go back to work.  I would like to urge everyone reading this to contact both U.S. Senators from their respective states, as well as their congressional representative from their district.  You can find telephone and e-mail contact information at https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. Your vote keeps them in office, and you have the right to demand that they act in the best interest of all citizens.  To make an impact, this Friday, September 11, would be a good day to let your voice be heard.  

I would like to end this post by talking about United Airlines.  As I write this, there are a couple of bits of positive news.  First, an agreement has been reached to avoid involuntary furloughs for United pilots.  I do not know all of the details, and I wish I could report the same news for United Flight Attendants and other employee groups, but this is positive news, and I hope for more to come.  Second, United has announced new service to Hawaii, India and South Africa beginning in December.   To make such an announcement, United management must see some recovery on the horizon.  

As you all know, every year on September 11, I fly cross country on United Airlines to show my support and to thank as many employees as I can for their hard work and dedication.  This is especially important this year as they continue to put themselves on the front line of the battle to make sure our journeys are safe.  I have been asked if getting on a plane is wise right now, especially if I do not need to make the trip.  My response is that United has taken every precaution to make sure employees and customers are as safe as possible, and more importantly, I do need to make the trip. 

To close - I would like to repeat my call to action and plead with United management to bring back the tulip, if only on enough planes to remember the United employees, and the United planes that were lost on September 11, 2001.  I cannot think of a better way for United management to show their commitment and appreciation to those on the front line keeping the skies friendly.  

Safe travels to you all, and thank you for everything that you do for us customers.