Grimy Way To Fly

[longing4piedmont]

By STEVE HUETTEL, Times Staff Writer

"Too often, frequent flier Tom Bascom sees things on US Airways planes that belong at a low-rent motel instead of a major airline.

Broken armrests and pen marks on seats. Dirty lavatories and a baby-changing table held up with duct tape......"

".......Contract cleaners often breeze through without fully cleaning lavatories, mopping floors or changing soiled seat covers, he says. Flores put a "cabin cleanliness" form on the union's Web site last week and received 18 complaints from flight attendants in 31/2 days.

"Airplanes can go 10 or 12 (flights) until they get a proper cleaning," Flores said. "I'm seeing some pretty dirty, smelly airplanes."

Since the Christmas travel disaster, US Airways has stepped up its hiring of baggage handlers, ramp workers and customer service agents.

The carrier raised salaries to $9.59 an hour for fleet service workers, opened a recruiting office in Philadelphia and streamlined background checks to get workers into training within 10 days, the airline says. With losses from retirements, US Airways employs 250 more fleet service workers than in January."


Thanks to Steve for a well written article. The only thing the brain trust in CCY understands and responds to is slapping them publicly. So CCY, until you start listening, you can expect more of the same

Say what you want to folks but this works. Not long after the the lipstick started showing up in CCY, they announced they would start cleaning the planes. (Could not prove it by me though since I haven't flown them in well over a month)

And I would also like to welcome Tom to the dog house. It is starting to get a little crowded in here, but we may be able to squeeze a couple of more in. Any body else want to join us?

Thanks again Steve !!!!!!!

more quotes....

"Still, understaffing remains a problem, especially in Philadelphia, says Joseph Tiberi, spokesman for the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers.

"US Airways is looking for ways to save money but never considers the end effect on the product they're trying to sell," he said. "That's something now they have to deal with."

Some frequent fliers complain that the airline's service is deteriorating.

A group that corresponds on the Internet site www.flyertalk.com urged unhappy customers to send tubes of lipstick to US Airways headquarters in Arlington, Va. Their point: Changes the airline made to improve customer service are merely cosmetic."

and

"They're taking away but not adding any value," said Daniel Singer, a top-level Chairman's Preferred flier from Tampa. "They need to give us an incentive to stay because they're not giving us the (same) product."

 

[ITRADE]

There must be something about pens and leather. I've noticed that AA's F class seats are cloth, so you don't get the scrawl unless you've used a Sharpie.

 

[Harry Callahan]

One of our "new hires" said they are being pushed thru training because they are loosing the few people they get.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

Last month at our station, we lost all utility personnel. Ramp service is now required to clean the planes, but they first must unload the flight, 2 guys then run up to clean the plane, then they load the outbound bags. There is not enuf time or personnel to properly service the aircraft. Our Station Manager says we should spend no more than 7 min to clean it. Cust. Service goes down to pick up trash to help, get ourselves filthy, then go back and board the flight. Of course, no one is going to do the job properly because it would take more than 7 min. for a 321. And no help from the flight attend's. They say, "Its not our job". Its an embarassment to all of us, but that is what CCY wants. Our airplanes are nasty and stinky but nothing we can do about it. Give the customers address to consumer affairs and kick the plane out ..... :down:

 

[Hope777]

WCG....... we have been doing this for well over a year, it's wrong and our passengers deserve better.

 

[El Gato]

And no help from the flight attend's. They say, "Its not our job".

[post="264581"][/post]​

Ha ha ha, It really won't be "their job" when their butts are thrown onto the street in a liquidation. What, are they too good to help turn a plane? Too old or maybe too many pounds on them to do it? Over at the airlines that are making money(Southwest, Jetblue, Airtran...), their flight attendants are busting their asses to get the job done. They help clean the plane, they sometimes even help get bags onboard if needed...Guess the PITbull-ish ilk of the world are too good for that.

Oh well, that's what unemployment is for!

 

[robbedagain]

One of our "new hires" said they are being pushed thru training because they are loosing the few people they get.

[post="264567"][/post]​

i can see why usair cant get people to stay.. the airlines treats the employees like sh!t and they will get nothing in return!

 

[robbedagain]

Last month at our station, we lost all utility personnel. Ramp service is now required to clean the planes, but they first must unload the flight, 2 guys then run up to clean the plane, then they load the outbound bags. There is not enuf time or personnel to properly service the aircraft. Our Station Manager says we should spend no more than 7 min to clean it. Cust. Service goes down to pick up trash to help, get ourselves filthy, then go back and board the flight. Of course, no one is going to do the job properly because it would take more than 7 min. for a 321. And no help from the flight attend's. They say, "Its not our job". Its an embarassment to all of us, but that is what CCY wants. Our airplanes are nasty and stinky but nothing we can do about it. Give the customers address to consumer affairs and kick the plane out ..... :down:

[post="264581"][/post]​

i'd say let the airplane go out a little late for a while and see what ccy does then! they will get what they ask for and they will get what they pay for! a filthy airplane will result in the loss of more revenue pax!

 

[Harry Callahan]

Ha ha ha, It really won't be "their job" when their butts are thrown onto the street in a liquidation. What, are they too good to help turn a plane? Too old or maybe too many pounds on them to do it?

Oh well, that's what unemployment is for!

[post="264599"][/post]​

You are an ... kisser. Just keep on bending over.

 

[PHLfa88]

EL Gato,
You can Kiss my U Know What!! First of all,
A) It's not in our so called contract to clean Any AC west of KC.

B) If I have just worked a Full Flight from the East coast with pax's paying $1.86 the last thing I want to do is Clean a Firkkin 321 or even a 319 for that matter.
So when you want to SHOOT of your Mouth U better have some Amunition to back it up with! A@@ Wipe!! :down: :down: :down:

 

[DR.EVIL]

EL Gato,
You can Kiss my U Know What!! First of all,
A) It's not in our so called contract to clean Any AC west of KC.

B) If I have just worked a Full Flight from the East coast with pax's paying $1.86 the last thing I want to do is Clean a Firkkin 321 or even a 319 for that matter.
So when you want to SHOOT of your Mouth U better have some Amunition to back it up with! A@@ Wipe!! :down: :down: :down:

[post="264603"][/post]​

Your being way to easy on this fool! :down: The FA's do a great job in every aspect. We have no choice but to follow the company's rules and policies to failure. Maybe one day in the near future the A-holes running this company will get the boot they deserved for many years.

 

[X-U]

Funny that no one has mentioned the real source of the dirtiness. We live in a society that thinks it is okay to drop trash on the floor, write on a multi-million dollar piece of equipment or force something into a posiotion it was designed for so it breaks. Perhaps if the customers didn't abuse and trash the airplanes, the wouldn't be broken and filthy.

 

[PSA1979]

Funny that no one has mentioned the real source of the dirtiness. We live in a society that thinks it is okay to drop trash on the floor, write on a multi-million dollar piece of equipment or force something into a posiotion it was designed for so it breaks. Perhaps if the customers didn't abuse and trash the airplanes, the wouldn't be broken and filthy.

[post="264626"][/post]​

You are exactly right X-U. On a daily basis I see people letting their children play with the telephones or the A330 handset for the video. They bounce their little darlings on the tray tables, let them push all the buttons on the arm rest.

I make announcement after announcement saying we will be picking up all trash, look in your seat back pocket and hand the trash to the f/a's. I walk through the cabin stopping at each and every row and ask each person to look in their seat back pocket for trash.

When we land, I see all kinds of trash just thrown on the floor, newspapers, napkins, bottles, cans, cups, you name it, they left it. Pillows and blankets are thrown on the floor. Yesterday we had a whole army of hooligans and they left about 20 pieces of chewed up gum all over the carpet and seats. It took the cleaners about 1/2 an hour to clean it all up in NAS.

It seems to correspond with the fares going down, the trash gets worse. (And take that any way you want!) :down:

 

[Twicebaked]

Last month at our station, we lost all utility personnel. Ramp service is now required to clean the planes, but they first must unload the flight, 2 guys then run up to clean the plane, then they load the outbound bags. There is not enuf time or personnel to properly service the aircraft. Our Station Manager says we should spend no more than 7 min to clean it. Cust. Service goes down to pick up trash to help, get ourselves filthy, then go back and board the flight. Of course, no one is going to do the job properly because it would take more than 7 min. for a 321. And no help from the flight attend's. They say, "Its not our job". Its an embarassment to all of us, but that is what CCY wants. Our airplanes are nasty and stinky but nothing we can do about it. Give the customers address to consumer affairs and kick the plane out ..... :down:

[post="264581"][/post]​

What station are you in? The flight attendants have to clean every aircraft except those to/form the west coast, international and Carribean (excluding NAS).

 

[Dea Certe]

The kind of grime on the airplanes is beyond what a crew of flight attendants can clean in the few minutes between deplaning and boarding. Our fights seem to be pretty full (yet we make no profits) and the tray tables, side walls, seat back pockets are nasty. Don't even ask about the lavs!

I do wonder if since more people bring on their own food if we aren't having bigger, nastier messes left behind. People shove greasy bags, leaking drink cups, half-eaten fruit and all manner of garbage into the seat back pockets or throw it under the seat. Even if the flight attendants are quick about trying to collect the trash inflight, it's like pulling teeth to get most of it.

Anyone else notice how the American public today seems to always have calorie-laden drinks and snacks with them at all times? Not just on the planes, but just walking in the malls or on the streets? Odd little change in our culture, don't you think? I was taught it wasn't polite to eat while walking around or in front of others. Just an observation.

But, back to the dirty planes. Do the planes just not have enough time on the ground anywhere for a full-on scrub once a day?

And we are so understaffed in every department, save the Executive Suite, for any of us to do the job properly. God help our poor agents. They are running like maniacs from podium, to gate, to jetway just to get a flight turned around!

Perhaps another V.P. should be recuited to solve this little problem....

Dea