Great Job Everyone!

[UWCactus]

This is so encouraging and a excellent reminder that the employees of US Airways can make a difference in a way that makes them feel good about their job and the work they do. This is a great accmplishment especially given the challenges of the summer season with loads and weather.


TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2008--US Airways (NYSE:
LCC) has soared to the top of the charts by ranking number one in
on-time performance among the 10 largest airlines for the first half
of 2008 according to results released today by the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) in its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. For
the first six months of the year, 79.4 percent of US Airways' flights
arrived within 14 minutes of their published arrival time, or A14--the
metric the DOT uses to measure on-time performance.
During the month of June, US Airways ranked second among the
majors by operating with an A14 of 76.3 percent. The June results mark
the seventh consecutive month that US Airways has been one of the top
three major airlines in on-time performance.
"Our first place ranking amongst the largest airlines for on-time
performance for the first half of 2008 validates the remarkable
turnaround our airline has achieved over the past year," said Scott
Kirby, president, US Airways. "Our customers tell us that getting to
their destination on time is very important and our 35,000 employees
are doing their part to make sure that happens."
US Airways pays $50 to employees in months when its on-time
performance is in the top three of the 10 largest U.S. airlines. The
airline will pay $50 to each employee for the seventh consecutive
month, for a total of approximately $12 million since December 2007.
US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline employing more
than 35,000 aviation professionals worldwide. US Airways, US Airways
Shuttle and US Airways Express operate approximately 3,500 flights per
day and serve more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe,
the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways is a member of the Star
Alliance network, which offers our customers 18,000 daily flights to
965 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. This press release and
additional information on US Airways can be found at
www.usairways.com. (LCCG)

 

[LCC_#1]

Not to worry. We will have to endure the dribble about padding and leaving connectors...as if nobody else does it! I'm sure the naysayers will have a way to spin that as well!

 

[sharktooth]

Not to worry. We will have to endure the dribble about padding and leaving connectors...as if nobody else does it! I'm sure the naysayers will have a way to spin that as well!

Closing the door at scheduled departure time would make me happier.

and, a reminder about the danger about comparing yourself to others.

Just as, in this world, one can always find someone doing better than one, the complement is also true, that no matter how low one sinks, in this world, one can always find someone worse off.

Statistics are, by their very nature, historical only. Successfully sweeping problems under a carpet is an occasion for cautious satisfaction, only and should be a starting point for tackling real issues. Until the real work starts, US will be subject to marginal fluctuations resulting in volatile performance statistics, as usual.

 

[Whatnow?]

Not a naysayer here....I think it's great that we are ranking that high for on time departures.....BUT....have you ever walked by a Special Service counter to see all of the the denied boardings that are occuring? It is very sad to see this because there are lines ALL day long at every Special Service counter in every hub. I've been at Gates with people running from distant concourses and are being denied boarding even with the jetway attached and flights not yet completely closed out. Again, I'm sure as long as the numbers look good, who cares about the passenger or the lack of customer service! :down:

 

[Bobbie]

I think this is wonderful and the employees should be proud of themselves. They achieved this with virtually NO backing from management and while executing an unprovoked assault on their best customers on the mismanagement's behalf.

My hat's off to anyone who can accomplish this under such disgusting circumstances. They should be proud.

Those spiffs really help...I wonder what the executives will be getting in their package for not having anything to do with US achieving this milestone....what's their spiff? I'm sure it's higher than the rank-and-file.

 

[LCC_#1]

I use to commute from NYC to PHL on Amtrak and NJ Transit. Many times my train was late and I missed the PUBLISHED connection...many times as the door was just closing. No sympathy, no special favors. They are transportation companies like the airlines and have a schedule to keep. Guess what? As much as I hated it, I got on the next train, sometimes 3-5 hours later. That's life. So US Airways is horrible for the same practice.

 

[Whatnow?]

True....but when the delay getting to the gate is caused by USAirways on an inbound connection and the plane is STILL sitting there with the jetway attached....the passenger should be let on the airplane plain and simple. In PHL, for example, coming from the end of the C concourse and trying to get all the way over to the A-West concourse for your once a day T/A flight to Europe is not an easy task when your domestic connecting flight arrived 15-20 mins prior to your T/A departure....we've already had a passenger suffer a heart attack and die onboard a CDG flight before it left the gate because of running to make the flight. I can see if you were local and just didn't get there in time for your flight, but there needs to be some exceptions as long as the flight CAN STILL depart ontime.

 

[Bobbie]

These heavily padded schedules result in LONG hold times when you arrive early and no one is at the gate. They don't mention that...and there's no more free water, so those hold times will be much more miserable going forward.

 

[LCC_#1]

True....but when the delay getting to the gate is caused by USAirways on an inbound connection and the plane is STILL sitting there with the jetway attached....the passenger should be let on the airplane plain and simple. In PHL, for example, coming from the end of the C concourse and trying to get all the way over to the A-West concourse for your once a day T/A flight to Europe is not an easy task when your domestic connecting flight arrived 15-20 mins prior to your T/A departure....we've already had a passenger suffer a heart attack and die onboard a CDG flight before it left the gate because of running to make the flight. I can see if you were local and just didn't get there in time for your flight, but there needs to be some exceptions as long as the flight CAN STILL depart ontime.

I respect what you are saying, but again, Amtrak was LATE. NJ Transit was LATE. The door practically closed in my face. Help me understand the difference.

Also, if a person dies running to the gate, it was not because of US Airways in any way shape or form. It was because of a bad heart.

 

[Whatnow?]

I guess anymore the bottom line is only how it looks on paper.......ontime performance, revenue, and survivability. It is a shame though that USAirways cannot achieve all these goals and STILL provide great customer service to the flying public at the same time. B)

 

[UWCactus]

These heavily padded schedules result in LONG hold times when you arrive early and no one is at the gate. They don't mention that...and there's no more free water, so those hold times will be much more miserable going forward.

Just for the record, the heavily padded schedules have been reduced, it is too expensive to pad that much time. They have been retreated a lot.

 

[700UW]

I guess Tempe left this part out:

Although the airline's improved performance has meant fewer consumer complaints, US Airways still trails all but one major airline in the rate of complaints. In the first half of this year, US Airways had 2.07 complaints per 100,000 passengers, slightly better than United's rate of 2.10.

 

[phlagent]

Needless to say this airline...if you want to call US an airliner....does not know the first thing
about customer service.....give credit to the outstanding employee's that make this airline
fly...I would bet, that if you take the useless management out of some stations
it would run more efficient....scary isn't it

 

[sharktooth]

I respect what you are saying, but again, Amtrak was LATE. NJ Transit was LATE. The door practically closed in my face. Help me understand the difference.

One is an airline with frequencies as little as one per day? The other is a train with hourly frequencies?

See the difference?

Also, if a person dies running to the gate, it was not because of US Airways in any way shape or form. It was because of a bad heart.

I just found someone with less knowledge of the law than me. OMG.

If you were to place someone in a position of stress, and they were to have a heart attack and die, your actions would likely be considered, at least, contributory, even if they had a bad heart and you were ignorant of that fact. Murder comes in many degrees.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

I guess Tempe left this part out:

Ma and Pa's don't know how to write, so how could they think to file a complaint? 2.07/100K would more likely be like 3.25/100k if they would learn to write.