Expect Express Cancellations this Weekend.

[Redneck]

If Tempe could do anything to justify their bloated stock options and compensation a good start (as far as express is concerned) would be to FIRE! these fools in Dayton.

 

[furloughednow psa]

If Tempe could do anything to justify their bloated stock options and compensation a good start (as far as express is concerned) would be to FIRE! these fools in Dayton.

agree but those fools in tempe cant even handle what they got. This new airline will bleed its way back too what it was a few years ago. US is like cancer. Would of been better just too of killed it off.

 

[FM2436]

I thought this, and many other reasons is why US Airways hired Robert Martens. What is Robert Martens doing to correct this problem?

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/about...os/martens.aspx

Back in the regional airlines business after some years away, Robert Martens, new president of US Airways
Express, has been absorbing the complex nature of the network he now presides over. “What’s here is kind of
remarkable,†he says, noting its sheer size—2,400 daily departures—relative to its parent’s 1,600 daily departures,
and its scope. Express is an amalgam of nine regional airlines—two wholly-owned, four operating under jet service
agreements, and three traditional prorate partners—operating a fleet of 335 airplanes—229 regional jets and 106
turboprops—to 188 destinations. “What we do with nine franchisees, someone else might do with one certificate,â€
he says. “The end is the same: you’re trying to put the right-size airplane operated at the right cost in the right
place.†Martens says Express management must maintain a focus on all the carriers’ operations and quality of
service. To that end, there is an Express conference call with representatives from all franchisees every Tuesday
morning to review the prior week’s operations.There also is a coordinator for Express in the US Airways operations
control center to maintain close coordination between dispatch offices of all Express carriers on any kind of
operating issues that arise. Martens also gets a report every morning by 6:30 with a complete review of the previous
day’s operations by carrier.

http://www.raa.org/client_files/Regional_H...s_May_19_07.pdf

 

[MarkMyWords]

July 2 - 77 cancellations for express - 22 due to crew, 24 maint, 23 equip are the biggest drivers

July 3 - 30 cancellations for express - 6 due to crew, 17 maint are the biggest drivers

July 4 - 20 cancellations for express - 3 crew, 14 maint are the biggest drivers

July 5 - 116 cancellations for express - 5 crew, 60 weather, 15 ATC and 17 maint are the biggest drivers.

 

[N924PS]

Back in the regional airlines business after some years away, Robert Martens, new president of US Airways
Express, has been absorbing the complex nature of the network he now presides over. “What’s here is kind of
remarkable,†he says, noting its sheer size—2,400 daily departures—relative to its parent’s 1,600 daily departures,
and its scope. Express is an amalgam of nine regional airlines—two wholly-owned, four operating under jet service
agreements, and three traditional prorate partners—operating a fleet of 335 airplanes—229 regional jets and 106
turboprops—to 188 destinations. “What we do with nine franchisees, someone else might do with one certificate,â€
he says. “The end is the same: you’re trying to put the right-size airplane operated at the right cost in the right
place.†Martens says Express management must maintain a focus on all the carriers’ operations and quality of
service. To that end, there is an Express conference call with representatives from all franchisees every Tuesday
morning to review the prior week’s operations.There also is a coordinator for Express in the US Airways operations
control center to maintain close coordination between dispatch offices of all Express carriers on any kind of
operating issues that arise. Martens also gets a report every morning by 6:30 with a complete review of the previous
day’s operations by carrier.

http://www.raa.org/client_files/Regional_H...s_May_19_07.pdf

Wouldn't many of the routes the Express aircraft fly be better served and MORE profitable by returning them to the Mainline?

Not to mention the schedule reliablity and advantages of Mainline opertional control.

Parker said he's stuck with Mesa, Republic and Air Wisconsin (the best of the bunch) due to bankruptcy transactions for years to come. But maybe they can dump down to 2-3 Express carriers and be a better airline.

Marten's comments make my gut churn, since most of the thousands of daily flights he describes were Mainline at one time. Seeing Republic EMB170's that were paid for by the USAirways Pilot's pension is particularly distasteful.

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

More interesting is who Martens is speaking with at these conference calls. Where are these representatives from? Would it not make more sense to be having these conference calls with the station managers at the stations which handle the majority of the Express flights to get a better picture of what is going on?

In particular, if he's simply speaking with the presidents of the WO subsidiaries and appointees from the contract carriers, he may not be receiving the most complete picture of what is actually occuring, especially on the East Coast.

Of course, he may already be doing that. Martens so far seems smarter than the rest of the gang in Tempe. He's staying out of the limelight, that is for sure.

 

[LGA777]

Two unrelated comments to throw out there. I read on another site there may be a 10th Express carrier soon, Gulfstream International is rumored to be picking up some EAS routes being abandanded by Air Midwest, would be flown with the Beech 1900D.

Secondly on July 4th at LGA Express (also ML and Shuttle) flew a 100 pct full weekday schedule. Most of the Express flights had single digit pax loads, including the RJ's, and every other airline operated a HUGELY reduced schedule. With the crew problems at several Express carriers a reduced schedule should have been used, as this would have given many Express crews 5-10 less flying hours at the end of the month, so that less flights that where booked FULL would have had to be cancelled due to crew shortages complicated by some crews being timed out.

Regards

LGA777

 

[AstroLounge]

More interesting is who Martens is speaking with at these conference calls. Where are these representatives from? Would it not make more sense to be having these conference calls with the station managers at the stations which handle the majority of the Express flights to get a better picture of what is going on?

In particular, if he's simply speaking with the presidents of the WO subsidiaries and appointees from the contract carriers, he may not be receiving the most complete picture of what is actually occuring, especially on the East Coast.

Of course, he may already be doing that. Martens so far seems smarter than the rest of the gang in Tempe. He's staying out of the limelight, that is for sure.

Exactly. If videoconferencing is being utilized and only the "privliged" War Lords from the respective Express carriers are in attendance.....and the usual Koolaid is being consummed, NO WONDER N-o-t-h-i-n-g changes. (The Express operation is a complete mess.....workforce totally abused, shortstaffed etc.) :down:

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

Two unrelated comments to throw out there.

LGA777 gets it perfectly. Why wasn't a reduced flight schedule considered?

Exactly.

Again, another poster who has a clue. Good point, Astrolounge.

By simply changing things that seem to be pointless, consider how much of a savings in money, time and frustration among work groups could be achieved. Why do we not have people who are looking for the second or third "right answer" among us in Tempe? Whatever happened to serious brain storming among those who run the business?

I want to ask one more question: If Pittsburgh is unprofitable, does anyone have data to support such a statement? I have heard this since BK2, and no one ever shows any hard data to support such a statement. For that matter, if it was to turn out that Pittsburgh was "marginally profitable", or "not as profitable as Philadelphia or Charlotte", why is no one looking at other data, such as delays and cancellations, that would support moving more flights to Pittsburgh.

When you consider many types of data together, you get a much better view of what is really going on with your operation. All I've seen from Tempe is a two-dimensional model of "this station has the potential for more O&D traffic, so therefore it must be more profitable". Is that alone what is driving profits? Personally, I can't believe that ramrodding flights through stations based on one factor alone can help anyone other than the greedy.

Short term profit versus long term success. How much is enough?

 

[WSurf]

Looks like we have started doing more FlagStops at PDT! Leaving CLT tonight to drop some folks off at FLO and then continue the jounrney to EWN.

We could just issue our pax some chutes, then leave CLT..... Circle over FAY, FLO, PGV, OAJ, ILM and sling'em out with there bags!!

Hmmmm, wonder if Tempe is already considering it?

I can hear myself tonight on the PA! Folks, welcome on board US Airways Express flight 4260, i mean, 4432, i mean 8823!!! Tonight folks is a special treat... we are gonna give you two hard Dash 8 landings for the price of one! Since we are short pilots because nobody wants to work for an airline that operates small airplanes that are 25 years old, along with recieving small paychecks.. we are gonna have to land in FLO to drop off a few passagers before going to EWN! This will add about 30 minutes to the flight! Again thanks for flying US Airways, where our motto is "Sometimes it just beats the hell out of driving"
Good Night!