On-time performance

[1AA]

Intentional or not, this situation (D-10, D-5) inevitably creates a potentially hostile situation between the crew and the station.
 
LUS had a policy of closing the door at D-10, and it was a good policy in my mind. I don't do that job, but my impression was that it was only done at D-10 IF all passengers (including non revs) were already boarded. Maybe a CSR or gate agent can confirm or deny this.
 
Either way, I would encourage both sides of the door to be considerate of the other. And don't let management off the hook, communicate the truth when a flight is delayed. I know that I am generally a naive person and see things from a very simplistic perspective, but come on, isn't boarding and departure like the most basic thing that we do in relation to our customers/passengers?   
 
I've had only the rarest occasions of poor treatment by agents and FAs (maybe twice or three times over the course of 18 years), and appreciate the job that both groups perform. I hope that everyone can find a way to keep it amicable.

I don't know if you noticed but the USAIR policies don't work for AA. That's the problem with USAIR, one size does not fit all. AA has more aircraft, more widebodies, more international flights, more employees, more hubs. Pretty much more of everything. USAIR unfortunately did not adapt and adjust to the change. I can tell you that on time departure means nothing when I have that logbook to deal with. In my job description it's the name in the sign off that's more important than the name on the plane. There is unnecessary stress created to our passenger service agents in getting flights out on time. They leave pax behind that could have made it prior to following USAIR rules and still made a on time departure. I can't tell you how many times passenger service agents are relieved when maintenance shows up just before departure or working straight through departure. They use that opportunity to board as many pax as possible until we are done. Pax happy, agents happy, flight crew happy and I'm satisfied my job was done safely and I.A.W. all policies. I guess over on the USAIR side the AMT'S get hassled or pressured to get aircraft out on time. This is how I see it from an Aircraft Maintenance side.

 

[Justme]

I don't know if you noticed but the USAIR policies don't work for AA. That's the problem with USAIR, one size does not fit all. AA has more aircraft, more widebodies, more international flights, more employees, more hubs. Pretty much more of everything. USAIR unfortunately did not adapt and adjust to the change. I can tell you that on time departure means nothing when I have that logbook to deal with. In my job description it's the name in the sign off that's more important than the name on the plane. There is unnecessary stress created to our passenger service agents in getting flights out on time. They leave pax behind that could have made it prior to following USAIR rules and still made a on time departure. I can't tell you how many times passenger service agents are relieved when maintenance shows up just before departure or working straight through departure. They use that opportunity to board as many pax as possible until we are done. Pax happy, agents happy, flight crew happy and I'm satisfied my job was done safely and I.A.W. all policies. I guess over on the USAIR side the AMT'S get hassled or pressured to get aircraft out on time. This is how I see it from an Aircraft Maintenance side

Things would probably improve if senior and executive level management were able to listen to what you (and Jim and lots of others) are saying, process that information, and then develop policies and procedures that made sense for both the employees and the customers.
 
I think that an entire industry was created to that end - continuous improvement (TQM/TQL). Jim I think knows a little about that.
 
I'd be all in for 3 happy groups plus a satisfied mech. Who wouldn't want that???

 

[jimntx]

Response to 1AA, post 31.
 
And, let me say as a flight attendant that I appreciate deeply the care that you all take in making sure that every i is dotted and every t crossed.  As I say to passengers when they are grumbling about mechanical delays..."If we are going to taxi all the way to Los Angeles I don't care.  But, if this thing is going to leave the ground I want all the parts working.  And, I don't care if it's 10 feet or 10,000 feet, I want all the parts working." 
 
Also, I don't want anyone to think that I am anti-gate agent from what I posted above about them allowing passengers down to the plane after the deadline.  Gate agents for the most part appreciate me for one little thing--I allow them to bring the wheelchair passengers and the unaccompanied minors down to the plane a few minutes early.  Especially with the UMs, the paperwork and procedures that HAVE to be done can make the difference between an on-time departure and a delay.  It's the agents that allow passengers down at the last minute and then try to put the delay on the flight attendants because they (the agents) had to come down and check the bags of the late arrivals.
 
Other flight attendants complain that I am creating more unpaid work for them, but I just point out that the quicker we get the door closed, the sooner we start getting paid.  And, if UMs and wheelchair passengers--particularly aisle chair passengers--arrive at the plane during or at the end of boarding, it risks delays in getting the door closed.  And, we don't get paid until the door closes and the brake is released.

 

[jimntx]

Intentional or not, this situation (D-10, D-5) inevitably creates a potentially hostile situation between the crew and the station.
 
LUS had a policy of closing the door at D-10, and it was a good policy in my mind. I don't do that job, but my impression was that it was only done at D-10 IF all passengers (including non revs) were already boarded. Maybe a CSR or gate agent can confirm or deny this.
 
Either way, I would encourage both sides of the door to be considerate of the other. And don't let management off the hook, communicate the truth when a flight is delayed. I know that I am generally a naive person and see things from a very simplistic perspective, but come on, isn't boarding and departure like the most basic thing that we do in relation to our customers/passengers?   
 
I've had only the rarest occasions of poor treatment by agents and FAs (maybe twice or three times over the course of 18 years), and appreciate the job that both groups perform. I hope that everyone can find a way to keep it amicable.

If the door was closed at D-10 only if all passengers were boarded what would be the point of having a policy saying that the door is closed at 10 minutes prior to departure.  If everyone is on board, one could close the door at D-15 or D-20 which I have seen happen when we had one of those rare almost empty flights with 20 or 30 passengers.  The only reason the door might be kept open is if they were fueling the plane.  In that case the door to the jetbridge must remain open, but that has nothing to do with boarding.  It's allowing an escape route in case of fire.

 

[Justme]

If the door was closed at D-10 only if all passengers were boarded what would be the point of having a policy saying that the door is closed at 10 minutes prior to departure.  If everyone is on board, one could close the door at D-15 or D-20 which I have seen happen when we had one of those rare almost empty flights with 20 or 30 passengers.  The only reason the door might be kept open is if they were fueling the plane.  In that case the door to the jetbridge must remain open, but that has nothing to do with boarding.  It's allowing an escape route in case of fire.

It does sound illogical Jim, but I can still see the words (in my mind) and the original close door at 10 minutes prior policy was only if everyone was on board.

 

[dfw gen]

deleted

 

[ChockJockey]

Crew and MX seem to be big drivers for LAA delays at my station.  We have tons of techs but none of them can touch LAA metal, and they keep increasing the number of 737's in and out of PHX.  Closing the door at -10 doesn't mean a whole lot when your flight is already delayed four hours because they have to deadhead crews or techs from DFW to get the birds off the ground.
 
And the way delays are handled just increases animosity between the work groups.  They want everyone to work together for OTP but when a flight takes a two-minute hit the blame game is on and it's every man and woman for themselves.
 
Mr. Isom wants better OTP, I'd like a new JCBA...guess it's just the year for folks not getting what they want. [shrug]

 

[OldGuy@AA]

Crew and MX seem to be big drivers for LAA delays at my station.  We have tons of techs but none of them can touch LAA metal, and they keep increasing the number of 737's in and out of PHX.  Closing the door at -10 doesn't mean a whole lot when your flight is already delayed four hours because they have to deadhead crews or techs from DFW to get the birds off the ground.
 
And the way delays are handled just increases animosity between the work groups.  They want everyone to work together for OTP but when a flight takes a two-minute hit the blame game is on and it's every man and woman for themselves.
 
Mr. Isom wants better OTP, I'd like a new JCBA...guess it's just the year for folks not getting what they want. [shrug]

We used to have more AA AMTs in PHX but they laid them off while hiring 40 more US Air AMTs.  So apparently there was some games being played by Parker and company.  This AMT is really glad US Air guys can't touch our acft.  If they could they would have laid off all of the AA AMTs.  Yet another folly of the new America West.

 

[OldGuy@AA]

It's a 17% contribution on the 401K not a match.

Yeah I meant contribution.  The only ones that have to match anything is us.  We can't even get the 9% contribution the flight attendants got.  The pilots got theirs because they pushed the merge.  

 

[Justme]

So I'm safely tucked away in the school house, and therefore have little to no impact on daily operations. But I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what's going on with the operation. From Friday to Monday the company didn't get above 50% D-0. I don't keep up with the east coast weather, is this the result of thunderstorms over Philly?

 

[dfw gen]

So I'm safely tucked away in the school house, and therefore have little to no impact on daily operations. But I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what's going on with the operation. From Friday to Monday the company didn't get above 50% D-0. I don't keep up with the east coast weather, is this the result of thunderstorms over Philly?

I think they were waiting for passengers to get thru the tsa lines...

 

[robbedagain]

Justme:   cities from say DC on up to Bos got hit with severe weather and it was real bad on some days from BWI on up to NY     Last mon was in particular for BWI as LAA pilots refused to hear dispatch and kept dropping planes in despite us not having gates at all plus some of our regularly scheduled flights also had to wait as much as several hours on the runway before being able to come to a gate.   All week thru yesterday it was terrible but yesterday was the best day of the last 7-8 days  

 

[Justme]

Justme:   cities from say DC on up to Bos got hit with severe weather and it was real bad on some days from BWI on up to NY     Last mon was in particular for BWI as LAA pilots refused to hear dispatch and kept dropping planes in despite us not having gates at all plus some of our regularly scheduled flights also had to wait as much as several hours on the runway before being able to come to a gate.   All week thru yesterday it was terrible but yesterday was the best day of the last 7-8 days  

Thanks R-A. Sounds like the wx made a mess of things. I guess that there was a lot of pax stranded not to mention out of position crews. Yesterday being a better day is hopefully indicating that things up that way are on the mend.

 

[robbedagain]

yes  definitely   one flight...2248  took only somewhere around 18 hrs to do a round trip DFW...  believe it was frid and or sat time frame...  

 

[eolesen]

I went to the grocery store yesterday, and some sandwich meat, two loaves of bread, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a box of pasta, a dozen eggs, and a bag of cat food cost almost $60.

Phasing in cat food in anticipation of retirement?...