What does PHL need to become a customer/employee friendly hub?

[Old PSA]

Tempe management must by now realize that they have some very difficult decisions to make. PHL does not now nor will it for years in the future function effectively as a hub. The infrastructure and the air traffic situation make it impossible. So, do you continue to operate "half-ass" and live with the problems? Do you pour money into it and mitagate the problems but perhaps make it unprofitable? Or do you move the hub aspect somewhere else (CLT, PIT) and operate it like WN does as a point-to-point airport?

 

[flyJOE]

Move some of these flights to Pittsburgh, a beautiful
facility where you have room, gates, and the cost of
living is low!

I was surprised it took until post #32 before 'move ops to PIT' was brought up.

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

I was surprised it took until post #32 before 'move ops to PIT' was brought up.

You know, I used to say that the hub operation should be brought back to PIT, but now I've changed my mind. I no longer want to deal with the problems that PHL and CLT suffer from. I like getting paid more than the new hires at those stations and working fewer flights. We lose next to no bags, and even during the worst winter storms we move more aircraft than PHL or CLT could ever hope to do. So, IMO, don't bring any flying back to PIT. I want US Airways to just deal with heavy employee turnover elsewhere and have baggage meltdowns far, far away.

See Dougie? If I can't convince you and I can't beat you, I can simply emulate you and not care at all.

 

[Travelpro72]

Hmmm What does PHL need to become a customer/employee friendly hub? How about a huge M I R A C L E ! ! ! !.... Santa is comming, make a wish.

 

[john john]

why is it necessary to pay more for people to do the job they were hired to do. Flight crews don't get double time to work on holidays.
You get a fair wage for a days work. You want a handout? Go work in France.

"Why is it necessary to pay more for people to do the same job they were hired to do" Like a A330 captain and a CRJ200 captain they both fly a jet and carrier passengers in the back. I bet your were saying the same thing when the company took the agents pension in 1991 now look at yours. GONE BE CAREFULE WHAT YOU WISH FOR

 

[Happily Retired from PHL]

Go back and re-read my earlier post.....

"1) PHL works in spite of itself"


With no disrespect to PIT, the basic thing that keeps PHL so important is that we function as no other hub does. Not only is it a big hub, it is also one of the largest (possibly THE largest) origin/destination stations in the system. Along with the connecting passengers, we are also pulling huge numbers of customers in and out of our front door! Throughout all of the boo-hooing about Southwest's arrival and growth, the fact is that our flights are almost always FULL! Southwest didn't steal our passengers.... nor did they cause a huge change in income. They just attracted MORE passengers that we could not have accomodated anyway! The big difference is that now they don't have to stay over that dreaded Saturday night and are able to buy a cheap ticket one-way. (And.....Southwest's passengers are all originating......not much connecting for them!)

Throughout our history, each failed hub except for BWI became a tiny station once the hub flights were removed because they couldn't generate enough revenue with local traffic. The list includes stations like DAY, CLE, IND, MCI, SYR, (dare I add the recent FLL?) and on the HP side, CMH. If PHL became a point-to-point station, we would still generate a hell of a lot of business! If I had a nickel for each passenger that yells "I'll never fly your %&$^#%@ airline again" and then show up the next week (and have the balls to ask the same agent to check their DM status), I'd be a wealthy man.

(BWI remains the exception to this rule because we "chickened-out" there. BWI was doing well. Upper management heard the word "SOUTHWEST" and pulled us out of BWI before the first shot was fired.)

 

[zethya]

Go back and re-read my earlier post.....

"1) PHL works in spite of itself"
With no disrespect to PIT, the basic thing that keeps PHL so important is that we function as no other hub does. Not only is it a big hub, it is also one of the largest (possibly THE largest) origin/destination stations in the system...

You will never stop the PIT cheerleaders from making their typical romp of "bring it all back to PIT because we we have a great facility and nice people". The fact is that PIT and CLT both have 1/3 the Domestic O&D (quantity) of PHL - and that is not accounting for International where the numbers are less than 2% of PHL for PIT and 11% of PHL for CLT. The easiest way to quickly move US back into bankruptcy court is to move PHL to (previously unprofitable) PIT or CLT - neither of which could begin to handle the daily PHL traffic even if by some miracle they could produce it. The city of Pittsburgh cannot even handle their own finances and is now and has been in Receivership to the State for years. What facts can anyone produce that PIT can manage an operation as large as PHL? Pittsburgh should count it's blessings that they have the service they now have for an area their size and stop whining about not keeping up with their big brother to the East. Pittsburgh better just hope US doesn't merge with another Legacy, or they could find themselves with far less service than today. I really don't think that many people here understand, or refuse to accept responsiblty for, the fact that the majority of the problems with US at PHL, including many physical property conditions, are in fact caused by the people who work for US Airways and NOT the people who work for or manage the airport. Although the physical infrastructure of PHL is not ideal for a complex, large hub, it is something that can and should be worked with until it is resolved in the future. US employees should take the lead from WN and work with what you have OR MOVE ON - WN wants to add 50+ more flights/day out of PHL as soon as the gates are available. And for many here who don't know the facts, PHL would very much prefer, and has stated so to Parker, that US reduce it's number of flights to enable accommodation of additional carriers to the airport. As far as moving "some" PHL flights to PIT. The ? has to be - where will the connecting traffic come from and will there be a negative effect of removing a known revenue/profit producing flight from PHL? If the industry agreed that PIT has significant room to grow, why aren't other airlines bashing down the door or expanding at this nearly empty airport?

 

[kao]

Amen to that! I'm not sure who you are, but I probably worked with you on the gates/counter in the 90's. I left Philly in '98 and went to Denver. Out there, we had three of us working the gates & a fourth to help us board a 737-300 and watched them freak out when it was oversold. I remember we were lucky to have two of us working a 767 going to Europe.

off subject but are you still in denver?

 

[flyJOE]

off subject but are you still in denver?

Nope, I left US before the 1st bankruptcy & now live in CLT. Still a US fan & fly US whenever I can. I worked customer service. there.

 

[UPNAWAY]

Hmmm What does PHL need to become a customer/employee friendly hub? How about a huge M I R A C L E ! ! ! !.... Santa is comming, make a wish.

No, easy move all the people from PHL to Moose Jaw Canada and then move the Population of South Carolina to PHL, Problem solved!

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

To fix PHL ??

A MOAB............."Mother of all BOMBS"

Believe it or not, I mean NO disrespect to the guys/gals who "try" to do their jobs EVERYDAY !!!!


If you look at EVERY carrier, and at their biggest Hubs,

AA/DFW
UA/ORD
DL/ATL
CO/EWR
NW/DTW
AK/SEA
WN/LAS-PHX
B6/JFK


US/PHL is by "far and away" THE most DISFUNCTIOAL !!


It IS what it IS


NH/BB's

 

[nostradamus]

It took years for the problems in PHL to get where it is today, so nothing will be solved overnight.

Main elements of the infrastructure in PHL are ATC, facilities, employee’s and management.

ATC, trying to fit a size 12 foot into a size 9 shoe, you could walk around in the shoe but it will slow you down and be constantly painful. The pain of the walk takes your mind off the destination. Use flights wisely. No matter what is attempted, any increase in flights causes more problems, but more importantly decreases safety margin.

Facilities, baggage handling from drop off to pick up, aircraft support equipment, push back and taxi to gate procedures and employee support. Logistics.

Employee’s, hiring practice, retention and accountability. You should be paid slightly more at larger facilities to attract employees who are qualified to handle the increased stress and cost of living. ATC controllers are paid more at the busier airports. Call it combat pay if you will.

Management on site. It is a well known fact that after 5pm and on weekends and holidays there are too many Indians, not enough Chiefs in PHL. When the cats away…. Hire a General Patton and pay him well. This will be an important investment.

PHL is a company within a company. It needs its own specialized infrastructure to operate efficiently. Getting advice from some retired airline management would provide painful but needed outside opinions.

We have a new management team that is talented, but they are transitioning from running a regional company to managing a world wide one. They must occasionally listen to the Grey Beards, while bringing in their own innovative ideas.

 

[tadjr]

Well one aspect of PHL that could be tweaked by US that would help a great deal is to increase minimum connecting times. I know you'd lose some connections, but if PHL is an O&D mecca, then there shouldnt be that many connections being lost with an increase in time. This is especially true of the International flights. I'm not talking making 3-4 hours the minimum, but 50 mins is too close for comfort even on a non ATC event day. This would elminate some of the perception about PHL being a bad place to make a connection and maybe give the people and bags a better chance to actually get there at the same time.

 

[Dog Wonder]

I was in PHL this morning walking over to the A terminal for 1803 to PIT and they were doing some construction and they had a sign that read,

Pardon our appearance, we're making improvements

The immediate thought that went through my head was, "Oh cool they're closing the airport and rebuilding" Of course reality set in shortly thereafter, but I think MANY regular flyers feel the same in that the situation is hopeless and the only solution is to start over.

Walk on the PHL ramp and there is a sign "Parking Reserved for DOA".

The spots were full. The Dead On Arrival are everywhere this Halloween.

 

[Non Rev]

How about bigger planes and fewer flights?