OldGuyinPA
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I wonder if Dave isn't getting the message from his people running customer service. By the way, who is in charge of customer no service.....
Dave fiddles as Philly goes down in flames.
- Thread starter OldGuyinPA
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I wonder if Dave is aware of the scope of the operational problems in PHL.
In my very small corner of the system, PHL bag problems are getting scary. I have been keeping a paper tally (BMAS can't do it). PHL is responsible for an average of 35-40 claims a day. This effects appoxiamately 25%-30% of the passengers traveling from PHL into my city. The percentage would be higher if the total passenger count was only those who checked bags. Also, this averages out to between $800-1000 a day in expenses. Baggage agents in other cities I have spoken with believe they are doing about the same percentages.
The international to domestic security SNAFU continues and yet no one seems to want to step up and resolve it. I not sure if this is a turf problem in HDQ, the people responsible are ignoring it and hoping it will go away or no one knows the real cost. While I am sure Marketing would have a hissey fit, the international-to-domestic connection time should be changed from 70 minutes to more like 180 minutes until the security issues are resolved.
Along the same lines, 30 minutes is simply not enough time for bags to make reliable connections. Maybe it was enough time 20 years ago when the big airplane was a DC9, but today off-loading a B757 and expecting the bags to be sorted and moved the current distances over the airport is absurd.
How much money is going to be spent before someone in Arlington notices and reports the sky is falling to Dave?
In my very small corner of the system, PHL bag problems are getting scary. I have been keeping a paper tally (BMAS can't do it). PHL is responsible for an average of 35-40 claims a day. This effects appoxiamately 25%-30% of the passengers traveling from PHL into my city. The percentage would be higher if the total passenger count was only those who checked bags. Also, this averages out to between $800-1000 a day in expenses. Baggage agents in other cities I have spoken with believe they are doing about the same percentages.
The international to domestic security SNAFU continues and yet no one seems to want to step up and resolve it. I not sure if this is a turf problem in HDQ, the people responsible are ignoring it and hoping it will go away or no one knows the real cost. While I am sure Marketing would have a hissey fit, the international-to-domestic connection time should be changed from 70 minutes to more like 180 minutes until the security issues are resolved.
Along the same lines, 30 minutes is simply not enough time for bags to make reliable connections. Maybe it was enough time 20 years ago when the big airplane was a DC9, but today off-loading a B757 and expecting the bags to be sorted and moved the current distances over the airport is absurd.
How much money is going to be spent before someone in Arlington notices and reports the sky is falling to Dave?
I''ve been wondering why the minimum connection times havent been increased too. The hike from A West to C is atrocious. Forget it if your bag is the last off the claim belt and you''re at the end of the customs line. The same is true to other direction. 50 mins to INTL. Better hope you arent late any or else you''ll be running for the last call boarding. The same is true in CLT with the connections. 30-35 minutes is just not enough time any more with the increase in distance between the terminals.
In TPA, the baggage office has been open 24 hours a day the past couple of days just trying to clear out all of the old claims and get deliveries set up. They are saying several thousand a day in claims minimum. One day last week there were over 100 open claims. Biggest problem is with the first PHL flight in the am (I guess transfer in PHL isnt open until 8am, so no conx bags make the 630am dept?) and with International connections in the afternoon.
I was also wondering about interline conx times. I havent seen them increased either and with having to have a boarding pass at many airports, the old 30-40 min conx isnt enough time to get off one plane, go to the counter of the other airline (if you cant check boarding passes thru) and get a new boarding pass when cutoff for checkin is 30-45 minutes. Both of these problems are something that need to be addressed yesterday.
In TPA, the baggage office has been open 24 hours a day the past couple of days just trying to clear out all of the old claims and get deliveries set up. They are saying several thousand a day in claims minimum. One day last week there were over 100 open claims. Biggest problem is with the first PHL flight in the am (I guess transfer in PHL isnt open until 8am, so no conx bags make the 630am dept?) and with International connections in the afternoon.
I was also wondering about interline conx times. I havent seen them increased either and with having to have a boarding pass at many airports, the old 30-40 min conx isnt enough time to get off one plane, go to the counter of the other airline (if you cant check boarding passes thru) and get a new boarding pass when cutoff for checkin is 30-45 minutes. Both of these problems are something that need to be addressed yesterday.
Hello Newman
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Maybe Dave can find out why PHL leaves bags sitting on carts for 24hours before they''re discovered.
MarkMyWords
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There is no doubt in my mind that the Philly Factor needs to be addressed immediately. Over the weekend the ticket counter bag belt had a huge bag jam. 750-1000 bags were locked up in the baggage system before anyone knew there was a problem. If you were working in baggage make-up, in PHL, and a bag hadn''t come down the shoot in 5 minutes, wouldn''t you start to wonder? How could a jam get to 750-1000 bags before the belts were stopped and the situation investigated? PHL Factor.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
Saturday and Sunday morning, the International (Caribbean) Ticket counter is lined up through the lobby and outside into the rain. Seems no one planned for that many originating Caribbean Customers on a weekend in PHL.
Our worst enemies in PHL are ATC, land constraints (facilities) and Customs/Immigrations. ATC puts the screws to us daily. Ask any Pilot how often we hold/ground stop flights into PHL on the first bank. Yes we are partly to blame for shoving 10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag. Customs/Immigration never seem to be staffed for our needs, especially on the weekends when we peak our Caribbean arrivals.
Some days, it just seems like all the departments in PHL, no one talks to one another. There is a complete lack of coordination / communication.
On the positive side, PHL is in the process of recalling/hiring over 50 additional ramp agents to help with the PHL Factor. Perhaps someone got the hint that we over did it in the cutting department.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
Saturday and Sunday morning, the International (Caribbean) Ticket counter is lined up through the lobby and outside into the rain. Seems no one planned for that many originating Caribbean Customers on a weekend in PHL.
Our worst enemies in PHL are ATC, land constraints (facilities) and Customs/Immigrations. ATC puts the screws to us daily. Ask any Pilot how often we hold/ground stop flights into PHL on the first bank. Yes we are partly to blame for shoving 10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag. Customs/Immigration never seem to be staffed for our needs, especially on the weekends when we peak our Caribbean arrivals.
Some days, it just seems like all the departments in PHL, no one talks to one another. There is a complete lack of coordination / communication.
On the positive side, PHL is in the process of recalling/hiring over 50 additional ramp agents to help with the PHL Factor. Perhaps someone got the hint that we over did it in the cutting department.
Come on now people....."Dave" st aside 6 mil as a retention bonus to keep these managment people in place. I am sure they have a master plan and we just do not see the "big picture". He did not want them to jump ship and work for another company. Hindsight, maybe we would have been better off? I know, lets start a 5% wage defferal program so we can increase the number of people in PHL to smooth out the operation.
Mark, the problem with A-CON is more a staffing issue. Cargo Delays are out the A.., SJU took 184 minutes, BDA almost an hour and most other Carib flights were in the 30 minute range. Next I'm sure Dave is going to tell us that the costs in PHL are to high so we may move the operation to BHM or MOB. You can't cut and cut and add flights an expect an on-time operation. Things must change or we will be back into BK for the final time. As far as our station, we complained to the CSM about a belt problem for weeks and the Regional Maintenance Director refused to allow OT for our Auto Shop. Well the belt has broken, they are not working on it and we need to borrow a belt from another carrier for our arrivals. The only option we had the other night was a PA belt in another terminal. Great Customer Service, Thanks Dave.
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On 6/24/2003 8:16:44 AM MarkMyWords wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that the Philly Factor needs to be addressed immediately. Over the weekend the ticket counter bag belt had a huge bag jam. 750-1000 bags were locked up in the baggage system before anyone knew there was a problem. If you were working in baggage make-up, in PHL, and a bag hadn''t come down the shoot in 5 minutes, wouldn''t you start to wonder? How could a jam get to 750-1000 bags before the belts were stopped and the situation investigated? PHL Factor.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
Saturday and Sunday morning, the International (Caribbean) Ticket counter is lined up through the lobby and outside into the rain. Seems no one planned for that many originating Caribbean Customers on a weekend in PHL.
Our worst enemies in PHL are ATC, land constraints (facilities) and Customs/Immigrations. ATC puts the screws to us daily. Ask any Pilot how often we hold/ground stop flights into PHL on the first bank. Yes we are partly to blame for shoving 10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag. Customs/Immigration never seem to be staffed for our needs, especially on the weekends when we peak our Caribbean arrivals.
Some days, it just seems like all the departments in PHL, no one talks to one another. There is a complete lack of coordination / communication.
On the positive side, PHL is in the process of recalling/hiring over 50 additional ramp agents to help with the PHL Factor. Perhaps someone got the hint that we over did it in the cutting department.
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------------------------------------------------------------On 6/24/2003 8:16:44 AM MarkMyWords wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that the Philly Factor needs to be addressed immediately. Over the weekend the ticket counter bag belt had a huge bag jam. 750-1000 bags were locked up in the baggage system before anyone knew there was a problem. If you were working in baggage make-up, in PHL, and a bag hadn''t come down the shoot in 5 minutes, wouldn''t you start to wonder? How could a jam get to 750-1000 bags before the belts were stopped and the situation investigated? PHL Factor.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
Saturday and Sunday morning, the International (Caribbean) Ticket counter is lined up through the lobby and outside into the rain. Seems no one planned for that many originating Caribbean Customers on a weekend in PHL.
Our worst enemies in PHL are ATC, land constraints (facilities) and Customs/Immigrations. ATC puts the screws to us daily. Ask any Pilot how often we hold/ground stop flights into PHL on the first bank. Yes we are partly to blame for shoving 10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag. Customs/Immigration never seem to be staffed for our needs, especially on the weekends when we peak our Caribbean arrivals.
Some days, it just seems like all the departments in PHL, no one talks to one another. There is a complete lack of coordination / communication.
On the positive side, PHL is in the process of recalling/hiring over 50 additional ramp agents to help with the PHL Factor. Perhaps someone got the hint that we over did it in the cutting department.
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And remember, folks, PHL is the linchpin of US Airways.
We paid $6 mil for this?!?
PITbull
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On 6/24/2003 8:16:44 AM MarkMyWords wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that the Philly Factor needs to be addressed immediately. Over the weekend the ticket counter bag belt had a huge bag jam. 750-1000 bags were locked up in the baggage system before anyone knew there was a problem. If you were working in baggage make-up, in PHL, and a bag hadn''t come down the shoot in 5 minutes, wouldn''t you start to wonder? How could a jam get to 750-1000 bags before the belts were stopped and the situation investigated? PHL Factor.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
________________
Mark,
And just wait until the Winter weather in PHL...just a little "spit" on the runway, and everything backs up for hours and hours and hours...
Proactive resolution to the PHL factor:
BRING THE OPERATION BACK TO PIT ASAP.
On 6/24/2003 8:16:44 AM MarkMyWords wrote:
There is no doubt in my mind that the Philly Factor needs to be addressed immediately. Over the weekend the ticket counter bag belt had a huge bag jam. 750-1000 bags were locked up in the baggage system before anyone knew there was a problem. If you were working in baggage make-up, in PHL, and a bag hadn''t come down the shoot in 5 minutes, wouldn''t you start to wonder? How could a jam get to 750-1000 bags before the belts were stopped and the situation investigated? PHL Factor.
We have a new focus on on time performance, especially as it relates to originating airplanes. Yesterdays PHL Factor shows that only 42% of originating airplanes left on time.
New International Concourse in PHL with 24 gates, yet we can''t use more then 9 on weekends because we don''t have the staffing for irregular operations.
________________
Mark,
And just wait until the Winter weather in PHL...just a little "spit" on the runway, and everything backs up for hours and hours and hours...
Proactive resolution to the PHL factor:
BRING THE OPERATION BACK TO PIT ASAP.
brandnewsin1
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Once your bag is PAWOB it goes to the bottom of the list in PIT. Your bag is now less important than mail. I hope you aren''t waiting for it downline. I guess they figure they already screwed you, so why not keep doing it.
"Were not happy....till YOUR not happy!!!!"
"Were not happy....till YOUR not happy!!!!"
fatherabraham
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On 6/24/2003 7:17:24 PM PineyBob wrote:
PHL is to my mind LGA south. All of the overcrowding and ATC issues and then to top it off we get the baggage system from heck. How is it ever going to become a European Gateway with all these issues? I hope Siegel is negotiating with the city, state and federal government to address the long term structural issues with PHL. Does anyone know if he is?
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Bob,On 6/24/2003 7:17:24 PM PineyBob wrote:
PHL is to my mind LGA south. All of the overcrowding and ATC issues and then to top it off we get the baggage system from heck. How is it ever going to become a European Gateway with all these issues? I hope Siegel is negotiating with the city, state and federal government to address the long term structural issues with PHL. Does anyone know if he is?
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You have to have a very long term view to notice improvements ( operationally ) at Phl. things have gotten better over the years, problem is usair continues to expand operations negating the view of successes.
Air traffic control restrictions from NY and DC have the biggest impact. next would be inability to operate landings simultaneously in poor weather due to closeness of runways and being landlocked by Del. river. The latter is about to change with new technology (land based) and pilot
permission to fly these approaches called PAR
With all the " Phl factor " problems it continues to be the survival key for Usair
Old PSA
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Well...It looks like the $1000 a day in baggage expenses in my city is behind us now, we are getting real close to $2000 a day. But hey, it only money and pissed off passengers. Dave and the boys and girls have more important things to do than actually run an airline. Lineup another talk show and stock up on the atta-boy awards, the reality in the field is a error of our perception. The vice-presidents give Dave all the facts. "Yes Sir, whatever you want Sir. You are right Sir."
Since it is impossible to make international to domestic transfers with TSA inspection in 70 minutes, why isn''t the time changed to reflect real conditions?
Since it is impossible to make international to domestic transfers with TSA inspection in 70 minutes, why isn''t the time changed to reflect real conditions?
