Hawaii's airline Employees Repelling Ornstein

Hawaii's airline Employees Repelling Ornstein, or HERO, is a grassroots group of airline employees in Hawaii to counter statements made to the media by Mesa Air Group Inc., its executives and CEO Jonathan G. Ornstein. Their primary means of communication is their home on the web, [http://www.dontflygo.com www.dontflygo.com]

Formation of HERO

In June 2006, Mesa Air Group formed go! Airline, offering regional jet service among the islands of Hawaii.cite news | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/09/27/209302/War+of+words+heats+up+in+Hawaii+over+Mesa+start-up+inter-island+carrier+Go!+and+competitors'.htm | title = War of words heats up in Hawaii over Mesa start-up inter-island carrier Go! and competitors' employees boycott campaign | author = Wastnage, Justin | publisher = Flight Global | date = September 27 2006 | accessdate = 2006-10-23] In response, 40 employees of the three main airlines serving Hawaii—Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Island Air—met on September 12 2006 and formed Hawaii's airline Employees Repelling Ornstein (HERO). One attendee of the meeting noted that pilots had been informally responding to the media about Mesa, and this group allowed them to respond to Mesa press releases in a more organized fashion. cite news | url=http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060914/1345062.html?.v=1 | title=Competing with Mesa—this time, it's personnel | publisher= Yahoo! Finance (bizjournals.com) | date = September 14 2006 | accessdate=2006-10-23] HERO's declared goal is "Fighting against Mesa's destructive and unfair tactics in Hawaii", targeting both the airline and its chairman and CEO, Jonathan G. Ornstein. "HERO, which uses a corruption of Go!’s official website as its campaign home on the internet, has encouraged a boycott of the carrier, which it claims is seeking to use unfair pricing to force at least one of the existing carriers out of the market."

HERO is not the first such organization to form in response to actions by Ornstein. During a 2003 takeover attempt of Atlantic Coast Airlines, employees of that airline formed ACA Employees Repelling Ornstein to counter the takeover and alleged SEC violations committed by Mesa. [Atlantic Coast Airlines. "Wikipedia." Retrieved on 2006-10-23.] [cite news| url=http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/09/25/editorial3.html | title=Mesa CEO has rival employees up in the air | author=Dicus, Howard | publisher=Pacific Business News | date=September 22 2006 | accessdate = 2006-10-23]

HERO statement explanation

The HERO group has the statement " [http://www.dontflygo.com iflygo.com go! is not a Hawaiian Airline, Mesa Air Group has no Aloha] " on their website title. This title references two separate lawsuits. One by Hawaiian Airlines that included allegations that the go! website's meta tags and keywords were stuffed with the words "Hawaiian Airline". [http://starbulletin.com/2006/07/15/news/story02.html] The other from Aloha Airlines with their allegations that Mesa started go! because after failed negotiations, Mesa decided to put Aloha out of business and take over their routes. [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061014/BUSINESS03/610140314/1071]

The dontflygo website has been designed as a parody of [http://www.dontflygo.com Mesa Airlines www.iflygo.com] website. Instead of a go! aircraft, there is an "ego!" aircraft. Instead of the go! logo, there is a "no go!" logo.

Star Bulletin On Line Poll, saved by HERO

HERO was successful in stopping Mesa from manipulating an on-line poll.

The Star Bulletin poll, designed for Hawaii's citizens, asked the question, "Will the entrance of Mesa Air Group's go! airline in the Hawaii market be good in the long run?" Mesa was ready to use the poll results as a reason to extend the "$19 HERO fares" which are cheaper than a cab ride to Waikiki and less than a Luau. Mesa executives sent out multiple e-mails to their employees across the mainland in an attempt to win the poll, then after Mesa gained a 2 to 1 lead, the Honolulu Star Bulletin was alerted to the presence of these e-mails by HERO.

The poll ended Friday September 29th. Two days later on October 1st, a press release where Jonathan Ornstein the CEO and Joe Bock the CMO cheered their victory was sent all over Yahoo! and the AP newswire. Before the press release was quickly pulled by Mesa, it was seen by tens of thousands of readers, all across the world.

"The Star Bulletin readers' poll confirms what our customers have been telling us every day since we introduced truly affordable travel to the people of Hawaii," said Mesa Air Group Chairman & CEO, Jonathan Ornstein. "go!'s really low fares have stimulated the market just as we predicted,"

"with increasing numbers of tourists and locals alike traveling between the islands. We are delighted with this latest vote of support and with the huge number of tickets purchased since launching our $19* HERO fare. Extending the sale is our way of saying thank you," [ [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061001/lasu001.html?.v=31 go! Extends $19* HERO Fare] . Yahoo! Finance (bizjournals.com), September 14, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.]

The original press release is no longer available. Click on the [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061001/lasu001.html?.v=31 go! Extends $19* HERO Fare] link now and all you have is the retracted announcement /K I L L K I L L K I L L -- go!/

Regarding this press release, Holly Hegeman reported; [ [http://www.planebusiness.com/ "Trouble in Paradise"] (Plane Business Banter), Oct 5th, 2006 Retrieved on 2006-10-06. (paid subscription required)]

"The latest episode in the battle for the skies over Hawaii actually began before our last issue, when Mesa, taking a shot at the newly formed H.E.R.O. group (Hawaii's airline Employees Repelling Ornstein) announced a $19 one way "HERO" fare."

"Last week the Hawaiian Star-Bulletin conducted an online poll that asked, "Will the entrance of Mesa Air Group's go! airline in the Hawaii market be good in the long run?"

"Included beneath the poll was the comment, "Multiple votes will be deleted. Note: Vote tallies maychange during the week, as attempts to manipulate the voting are discovered and deleted."

"Okay, so when the poll ended, "yes" votes outnumbered "no" votes by 2 to 1."

"At this point, apparently the brain trust at Mesa decided to issue a press release touting the fact that the results of the poll justified their extending their $19 fare sale."

"But not so quick oh you Mesa folks who apparently have nothing better to do than hang out onlinestuffing the online ballot box."

"According to the Pacific Business News, apparently the Star-Bulletin was alerted at some point to a corporate e-mail from Mesa management asking all of their employees to participate in the poll.""As a result, after the newspaper purged all the duplicate and other suspicious responses, the poll swung over to a resounding "No" result."

"But not before the folks at Mesa had issued their silly press release."

"As for the KILL, KILL, KILL advisory, one subscriber noted to us, "I'm sure Hawaiian and Aloha feel the same way."

The Pacific Business News were among the many who took notice of this very embarrassing moment for Mesa and Jonathan Ornstein. The PBN gave credit to HERO for alerting the Honolulu Star Bulletin to Mesa's attempts to manipulate the poll. [ [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/10/02/daily7.html?surround=lfn Mesa recalls claim to have won poll] . PBN (pacific.bizjournals.com), . Oct. 2nd, 2006 Retrieved on 2006-10-24.]

Responses by Mesa Airlines

$19 fares named after HERO by Mesa

On September 22nd 2006, Mesa Airlines came out with a press release, go! Says Be a HERO for only $19* [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060922/laf014.html?.v=70]

On the same day, it was reported by bizjournals.com on Yahoo! that the "H.E.R.O. fare," is an apparent inside joke named after this grassroots group of employees. [ [http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060922/1350409.html?.v=7 $19 fare war resumes, intensifies] . Yahoo! Finance (bizjournals.com), . Sept. 22nd 2006 Retrieved on 2006-10-24.]

The following day, the Honolulu Star Bulletin said without quoting anybody that the "so-called $19 "Hero" fare", is apparently a retaliatory shot at a group of Hawaiian, Aloha and Island Air employees and their Web site [http://www.dontflygo.com www.dontflygo.com] . [Segal, Dave [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/23/news/story04.html Airlines say Go! taking revenge for criticism] . Honolulu Star Bulletin Sept. 23rd, 2006 Retrieved on 2006-10-24.]

This open display of hostility by Mesa towards HERO and the rest of Hawaii's Airline employees was also recognized as such by the,

* Pacific Business News [http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060922/1350409.html?.v=7]
* CEO of Hawaiian, Mark Dunkerly [http://investor.hawaiianairlines.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=82818&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=908433]
* CEO of Aloha, David Banmiller [http://www.dontflygo.com/STATEMENT09-22-06.pdf]
* CEO of Island Air, Rob Maraucher [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/09/25/daily21.html?surround=lfn] and [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/27/business/story01.html]

This is notable because it satisfied one of the HERO stated goals "to get Ornstein to reveal his true colors locally"." [http://www.dontflygo.com/flyer3.pdf] It is also notable because in the 21st Century, the internet has become a powerful medium to make things happen via grassroots efforts. Until HERO, Ornstein, Mesa and go! were able to say whatever they wanted to the media without challenge.

This is again notable because a small group of unfunded or lightly funded rank and file employees are taking on a major US Airline and their extremely well funded legal, advertising, and marketing departments. HERO still seems to be effective in getting their tiny voices heard. HERO thus is a shining example of how to succeed in a grassroots effort.

These "$19 HERO fares", designed by Mesa to bully and intimidate HERO to removing the website, backfired on Mesa and produced some of the worst Press for that airline since the 2003 accident in Charlotte, NC. [http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=92941&SecID=2]

What Mesa has said about HERO

Ornstein and Joe Bock from go! disputed some charges made by HERO in this article here. [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/10/02/daily6.html?surround=lfn]

"Hawaii airline employees opposed to new rival go! say the carrier has too little medical insurance for pilots. But go! says its coverage is compliant."

"The charge appears on a Web site founded by competitors' rank-and-filers to rebut statements by go!, parent company Mesa Air Group, and its CEO Jonathan Ornstein. But an executive with go! denies it."

"We are in full compliance with Hawaii state law and our obligations under our collective bargaining agreements," said Joe Bock, local marketing chief for Mesa."

Joe Bock said (about HERO) to KHNL News 8; [http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5425907]

"You know maybe they feel they need to take action on their own and if that makes them feel better, by all means," said Bock."

"You know we have employees of our own. We have several hundred Hawaiian employees that we're providing salaries and jobs for as well," said Bock."

"Officials from Go! hope employees from the other airlines don't feel threatened by them. They say there's enough room in the local airlines industry for everyone."

Ornstein also said about HERO; [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/23/news/story04.html]

"the personal attacks on him by Hawaiian, Aloha and the grass-roots group demonstrate their "desperation."

Notes

Additional references and sources

# [http://starbulletin.com/2006/07/15/news/story02.html Local airline battle flares anew] Star Bulletin, July 15th, 2006

# [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061014/BUSINESS03/610140314/1071 Aloha Airlines lawsuit calls go! 'unfair'] Honolulu Advertiser, Oct. 14th, 2006
# [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060922/laf014.html?.v=70 go! Says Be a HERO for only $19*] Mesa Airlines Press Release Sept. 22nd, 2006
# [http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060922/1350409.html?.v=7 $19 fare war resumes, intensifies] Pacific Business News Sept. 22, 2006
# [http://investor.hawaiianairlines.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=82818&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=908433 Statement from Hawaiian Airlines] Mark Dunkerly Sept. 22, 2006
# [http://www.dontflygo.com/STATEMENT09-22-06.pdf STATEMENT FROM DAVID A. BANMILLER] David Banmiller Sept. 22, 2006
# [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/09/25/daily21.html?surround=lfn Island Air to reduce fleet, curb expansion] Pacific Business News Sept. 26, 2006
# [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/27/business/story01.html Island Air sidelines its biggest plane] Star Bulletin Sept. 27, 2006
# [http://www.dontflygo.com/flyer3.pdf flyer3.pdf] HERO Flyer taken from the www.dontflygo.com website Oct 21, 2006
# [http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=92941&SecID=2 Airline apologizes for 2003 crash] Charlotte News 14 May 06, 2005
# [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061001/lasu001.html?.v=31 go! Extends $19* HERO Fare] /K I L L K I L L K I L L -- go!/ Oct. 1st, 2006

# [http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2006/10/02/daily6.html?surround=lfn Go! disputes health-care charge] Pacific Business News Oct. 2, 2006
# [http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5425907 Group Wants to Stop Go!] KHNL News 8, Sep 19, 2006
# [http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/23/news/story04.html Airlines say go! taking revenge for criticism] Star Bulletin Sept. 23rd, 2006

External links

* [http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2006/10/go.html USAToday "Today In The Sky"] Mesa's go! ruffles feathers
* [http://www.bizbuzzmedia.com/blogs/airline/archive/2006/10/16/4990.aspx Airline Business Blog] HEROS in paradise
* [http://www.dontflygo.com/ HERO website]