Express And Operations--no Communication?

[Art at ISP]

Yesterday I had a long layover with a connection to a PDT flight to ISP in the afternoon. Upon arrival at the club they told me there would be a 20-30 minute delay in my flight.

As the 4:25 departure was pushed back to 4:45, due to a late arriving inbound aircraft, I left for the gate around 4:15 (I know better in Term F). As I walked up to the gate, the agent took my ticket and said they were closing the flight (4:20!), and appeared annoyed at me. I told her that the departure time was still posted as 4:45.

We waited and waited, as about 12 more passengers came running to the aircraft..We finally left at 4:45--a self fulfilling prophecy due to the lack of communication with operations.

The flight attendant told me that the flight had made up all of its delay time in the air, and that it had actually arrived a couple of minutes early. Now I know FLIFO is manual on PDT, but shouldn't someone have alerted whoever controls the times on the monitors? I mean even the gate monitor showed the delayed status....

I hope no one missed the flight due to the misinformation....

 

[longing4piedmont]

Good Morning Greta

 

[Art at ISP]

It's not a Greta type issue.

I was merely bringing up a point regarding communication and coordination, much like in my post in the Flyboy thread--it's amazing how well things can run when the left hand actually knows what the right hand is doing.

I will add that the flight attendant on that flight was one of the best I have ever seen on PDT. There was a once a year whiner on the plane complaining about everything loudly, and this FA had her quiet and happy in just a couple of minutes--without yelling I might add!

There are so many who shine.......


My best to you all.....

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

The flight attendant told me that the flight had made up all of its delay time in the air, and that it had actually arrived a couple of minutes early. Now I know FLIFO is manual on PDT, but shouldn't someone have alerted whoever controls the times on the monitors? I mean even the gate monitor showed the delayed status....

I hope no one missed the flight due to the misinformation....

[post="202263"][/post]​

Yes, the time should have been updated. In any event, once the delayed time is posted, it is pretty much a done deal. I am sorry you ran into a sour atitude at the gate, but am glad you had a good flight.



And, L4pi:
Good Morning Greta

 

[noname]

I was merely bringing up a point regarding communication and coordination, much like in my post in the Flyboy thread--it's amazing how well things can run when the left hand actually knows what the right hand is doing.

I will add that the flight attendant on that flight was one of the best I have ever seen on PDT. There was a once a year whiner on the plane complaining about everything loudly, and this FA had her quiet and happy in just a couple of minutes--without yelling I might add!

[post="202279"][/post]​

Unfortunately, the left hand and right hand rarely know what each other is doing. This has been an ongoing theme since 1989. I applaud your continued patronage of our airline.

 

[Finish or Ignore]

Art.
This is not an unusual scenario at US. It is especially distressing that the agent was annoyed at you. This is the result of the Uncle Al coordination/customer service focus. It drives me insane. Thanks for sticking with us.

 

[Art at ISP]

All,

Thank you for your kind words. I think this case is an express issue though.

Finish, the agent was of course at Terminal F...no surprises there.

Again, thank you all for continuing to shine.....

My best to you all.

 

[Hope777]

Art, just an FYI, I was looking thru the advanced schedule for February and noticed increased flying out of ISP. Looks like BOS will be serviced with Four Daily Departures and PHL Six.

 

[wings396]

This is a Very common problem. The reason they "Make up time", is because they show an Excessive flight time on many of the Express short hops. Many Express flights that show 40+ minutes in the computer, only take 20 minutes or less in reality. There have been cases where a flight shows a 30 minute delay inbound, and arrives either OT or Early. To add to the problem, the dispatchers then show an outbound delay that never happens. The times for these trips have needed adjustment for Years. It must look good on paper to have a flight leave late, but arrive OT, even if it gives faulse info to the Passengers. It's all about numbers, not reality or good customer service. Some of the MDA EMB-170 flights show a 45 minute flght time, and make the trip in 18 minutes. MDA Dispatch has been updating each FLTFO to show an earlier arrival time instead of just making it a permanent adjustment.

 

[Heinrich]

This is a Very common problem. The reason they "Make up time", is because they show an Excessive flight time on many of the Express short hops. Many Express flights that show 40+ minutes in the computer, only take 20 minutes or less in reality.

[post="202793"][/post]​

Yeah but then you have everyone who just complains about PHL because it's hip. We had several delays a few weeks ago that ended up just being 17 minutes by the time we landed in ORF. If the flight times had been "realistic" it probably would have been close to an hour late.

 

[wings396]

The problem with that is some people meeting the Flt in ORF may have been advised that the flight was 1HR late, not 17 minutes. When a flight has a delay posted, be it PHL or anywhere else, the arrival time into the downline station shows the same amount of a delay. So if you have a flight showing a 1Hr delay out of PHL, it will show arriving 1Hr late into ORF. If you are meeting somebody arriving in ORF on this flight, you will be there 40 minutes AFTER they get there. I have seen many cases where people show up to meet someone on a flight that was supposed to be late, and was not. Then you are told that " I called, and they told me it was 1Hr late" how could it be here already? It all boils down to inaccurate information being given out due to Padded flight times.

 

[Art at ISP]

Thank you all for your comments. I will be addressing this issue further with my contacts during the coming week.

Hope I did notice the increase in ISP flights, but I am really hoping for jets--to CLT perhaps.....it could work.

I guess the RJ delivery cutoff put a kabosh on that one.....

My best to you all.....

 

[Rico]

Some of the MDA EMB-170 flights show a 45 minute flght time, and make the trip in 18 minutes. MDA Dispatch has been updating each FLTFO to show an earlier arrival time instead of just making it a permanent adjustment.

It is not a pad, many of those flights take that long from gate to gate. It takes far longer to taxi, wait in line, and then takeoff from PHL than it does to travel the short distance (to ABE for example).

Sometimes PHL takes awhile, othertimes we might be able to depart from Rnwy 35 or 8 and bypass the long line at the end of 27L.

When the ERJ-170 is able to make good use of 35/17 and 8/26, that gives us an advantage in saving time (if conditions permit). While arrivals are holding over the approach cooridors we can proceed inbound and land on 35.

But, in terms of flight planing, we use the numbers that factor in the usual ground and air delays.

 

[DHC8Driver]

It all boils down to inaccurate information being given out due to Padded flight times.

[post="202795"][/post]​

The flight times are not padded, some of them are even leaner than a normal flight would normally take. Express flights out of a hub are hard to judge because sometimes we can get out on the short runway in short time, and sometimes we have to sit in the lineup at 27L, and that takes forever. Remember, the published times are longterm averages of pushback to gate arrival. Case in point. Last week, on 2 consecutive days, I flew out of PHL during the ugly 1815-1845 dept push. On the first night I was too heavy to go off of 35 at K so I was sent to the long lineup at 27 L. Pushback to takeoff 47 minutes. Next night, same dept time, I went off at 35 at Kilo. Pushback to takeoff - 8 minutes. How can the company give good info all the time when the environment we operate in is so variable.

 

[JS]

This reminds me of an Airline re-run I saw today. Some idiot was complaining that his flight wasn't delayed when he called Southwest on the phone before he left for MDW, and when he gets to the gate, it's delayed an hour due to weather.

Hello, weather does change! You have to wonder why stupid people agree to be exposed on TV (then again, maybe stupidity is the reason...)