AA's operational performance already suffering?

[WorldTraveler]

My question was whether a trend is developing SINCE the abrogation of the pilot contract.
There is no doubt that AA's performance was stronger for the first 9 months of the year - but AA had not "succeeded" in the courtroom in the first 8 months of the year.

UA is fixing its operational problems as well.
AA's cancellations have been north of 40 (2% of AA's flights) even excluding days when the NE was having bad weather (as if activity at the US Open didn't make that very obvious).
Yesterday, AA cancelled 40+ more flights than UA and trailed UA's OT by 19%.

There are people who are obviously threatened to see these facts put on the table - which is exactly why I will continue to do so.

 

[Hopeful]

My question was whether a trend is developing SINCE the abrogation of the pilot contract.
There is no doubt that AA's performance was stronger for the first 9 months of the year - but AA had not "succeeded" in the courtroom in the first 8 months of the year.

UA is fixing its operational problems as well.
AA's cancellations have been north of 40 (2% of AA's flights) even excluding days when the NE was having bad weather (as if activity at the US Open didn't make that very obvious).
Yesterday, AA cancelled 40+ more flights than UA and trailed UA's OT by 19%.

There are people who are obviously threatened to see these facts put on the table - which is exactly why I will continue to do so.

This goes back to people wanting to believe a "reaction" is afoot.

 

[WorldTraveler]

maybe there is a reaction or maybe there is not... I said days ago that I am simply asking the question and reporting the data.

The simple fact is that AA's operational performance has deteriorated from levels it enjoyed for months, including when it won thousands of passengers over from UA because of UA's operational problems.


Apparently there are people who don't want to even see the data, let alone provide a reasonable explanation.


It is hypocritical to rejoice in gains made from someone else's problems when you are experiencing the same problems - and right now, they are fixing their problems.

 

[Lloyd Grey]

AA has painted themselves into a corner. I predict AA will have problems finding new employees within the next 12 to 16 months if we aren't merged.

 

[WorldTraveler]

I'm sure it is just a statistical fluke - no trends whatsoever - but AA is up to 75 cancellations and the operating day is not even half over.

None of the other large nationwide carriers - DL, UA, US, or WN - have more than 3 cancellations.

AA's on-time is at least 25 points lower than its peers which is where it has been for more than a week... but I'm sure we don't have enough data to call a trend.

 

[Bob Owens]

Sometimes people see exactly what they want to see.

Tuesday's delays were primarily weather-driven with storms all up and down the east coast. Although almost 80 AA-marketed flights were cancelled on Tuesday, only about 17 were mainline AA, the rest were MQ (Eagle) or Chautauqua.

During the "Hard Copy" incident the radio was reporting that "American Airlines is reporting weather related delays out of JFK, please call the carrier before going to the airport". None of the other carriers out of JFK or AA operations out of LGA and EWR reported weather problems that day, just AA at JFK but the media never bother to question it. Funny how they can make the numbers say what they want them to say. Delta has a bigger east coast presence that AA dont they? Wouldnt they be even more affected than AA?

 

[Bob Owens]

AA said in its 1113 filings that its pilots have utilized more sick time than the industry average, and it's been that way for a long time. More than once last year and this year, AA has trimmed its schedules by a percent or two and claimed that one of the factors was heavy sick calls from pilots, in addition to the massive retirements last summer leading up to the Ch 11 filing.

Looks like AA's pilots may be more cautious than other airline pilots about flying while sick, and generally that's a good thing. Nobody wants a sick pilot up in the air.

And you may not think about it but my guess is most pilots dont want sick or exhausted mechanics working on their aircraft.

 

[Bob Owens]

FWAAA,

Your act is getting old. AA has one of the oldest pilot groups with the health costs, shifting flying around the system with an uncertain future has ended up with many that commute which takes a toll on the body, and AA management has taken the stance that they have no responsibility to lead their high value employees and want the courts and the US Government to force the AA pilots to provide the attendance results that other companies gain through motivated employees who are also younger.

If anything, AA pilots aren't calling in sick enough from my experience of having to fly with somebody hacking, sneezing and distracted from their duties because of it. I've watched the idiots in this company use the same logic for over 20 years with the FA's. End result was a new hire FA scared of calling in sick hacking and infecting 3 other pilots who end up calling in sick as well.

Incredibly, AA wants to use the same logic for the pilots as the CP cubicle dwellers. Why should the pilots have different standards for missing work is their thinking. Now they want to stay, "stay home", we just aren't going to pay you for it. That is one of many punative "we have a chance to screw the pilots and will do it" things in this repulsive deal, 1113 or the LBFO.

We have a similar problem in Maint. Years ago a mechanic claimed IOD because a fellow mechanic apparently came in sick and spread whatever he had, dont recall the final outcome on that.

What is the average age of the pilot group.

Mechanics at AA are around 54 on average. At US they are 55, so if we merge it would likle go even higher due to the synergies (layoffs of younger workers).

So in six years the average mechanic will be within retirement range, if the company makes it that long.

 

[whatajoke]

Bob we are sick of you.
The mechanics have been beaten up since 2003, Their is no fight in any of them, the twu did not lead you did not lead we have been retreating because the industry has changed and we as a union forgot to change with it.

 

[Bob Owens]

Anyone that takes a day's data and tries to make something from it is an idiot. Enen monthly data, as reported to the the BTS can be affected by outside factors.

AA has been lower doen in the rankings for some time now, often at the bottom of legacy carriers. Has that been due to the ruling yesterday?

Even if there is a dip in performance due to the ruling, is it a trend or just a blip? Can you tell from even a few day's data?

Of what...7500 pilots or 6000+ active flying pilots...quoting a few proves nothing. One might as well stand on the sidewalk outside Republication headquarters and ask a few people who they'll vote for to predict the winner of the election. A small sample likely to be biased is not an accurate predicter of anything.

Jim

I've seen AA take its employees to court using data with such a limited range.

 

[Bob Owens]

I've actually had a passenger say to me that "No, she didn't think running a fever of 102 (she admitted to that) was any reason to change her travel plans."

Probably because AA would have screwed her on her ticket.

 

[Bob Owens]

The mechanics have been beaten up since 2003, Their (There) is no fight in any of them,

Perhaps you are right, but when things like bad weather occur, thats when a company needs a workforce that will pull together and make the extra effort needed to keep the operation going, so yea they may be beaten down but if so then they lack the motivation to overcome obsticles that we face in the operation as well.

Look for the latest version of "Pull together-win together" to come from management and the lackeys who use our dues monies against our interests. Sure they won, they defeated and demoralized their workforce and we've heard their BS lines so many times before they arent likely to get many to "buy in" anymore. Sure guys will continue to show up, but they arent going to get what they used to get.

 

[AANOTOK]

Sure guys will continue to show up, but they arent going to get what they used to get.

Pretty much bottom line!

Been there close to thirty years, and for those of you who think
they will get out of me what they did the previous years....

 

[dfw gen]

I'm sure we the employees care about performance as much as they care about us! Can you say continental 15 years ago, northworst (still), united thank goodness the industry has delta. Lol

 

[eolesen]

I've seen AA take its employees to court using data with such a limited range.

Big difference, especially when you're talking about private data i.e. sick calls, internal delay codes, MELs, etc... That's all stuff you won't see when making industry comps, but can tell a real story quickly.