If you have a flight in the near future and don't want to be delayed read this. Many of you know that I travel about once a month all over the country to continue my quest to learn about the best approaches to facilitate wellness and healing. United has been my favorite airline and is clearly one of the best in the world.

However, since they put in their bid to purchase US Air they have been TERRIBLE. Until this issue is resolve you would best be served to avoid them at all costs. The pilots and mechanics at United do not want to lose their seniority to US Air staff in the merger. This is reasonable as they have had a number of salary concessions to make United successful. As a result the pilots are calling "mechanicals" on large numbers of flights resulting in massive delays for nearly everyone. Personally, in Colorado two weeks ago I had three flights in a row that were cancelled due to mechanicals and last week in Dallas four of five were cancelled. Each of these resulted in 5-10 hour flight delays for me which thoroughly disrupted my schedule. I will be avoiding United at all costs until this issue is resolved, and then will return. Unless you like airport terminals a lot, I suggest you do the same.

Response from one of my patients, Rich Calderon, who is a pilot with United Airlines

• Your article is right on the money...not only is my career under threat from USAir but managemant after 6 years of lip service to change relations with "employee/Owners" we are without a contract.
• UAL is also giving away our international flying to Lufthansa and other Star alliance partners. Short haul flying is being given away to "United Express" . Managements ultimate dream is a "virtual airline" which is no airplanes...have other companies do the flying and all UAL does is collect revenue...thereby increasing "shareholder value".
• Believe me when I say that not one pilot at UAL likes to see our passengers suffer. But we did not take a 25% paycut for six years for this assault on OUR AIRLINE and OUR CAREERS and OUR PASSENGERS
• The sad thing is that these overpaid and arrogant senior management does not care.It is down right embarassing! I am at UAL for a career unlike them. They have no loyalty...after they stuff their pockets with their stock options they move on to the next airline to rape.

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