how much does this screw-up cost?

[SegmentKing]

Adding to the cost of contract carriers... look at the Key West flights this weekend. Under Mid-Atlantic this route ran on time, if not early, most of the time.

Actually, under MDA and PSA, the EYW/FLL flights were probably the most on time of any Express flights in the entire system.

15AUG-TU-1023P EYWFLL ET ET AC1 END
1*A#US1632 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K9 V9 W9 S9 EYWFLL- 550P 635P *9 EMJ 0E
2*A#US1626 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K9 V. W9 S9 EYWFLL- 300P 346P *9 EMJ 0E
3*A#US1628 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K9 V. W9 S9 EYWFLL-1210P1256P *8 EMJ 0E

That is an availability screen from Worldspan. After the arrival times, you see *9 and *8, that means the flight is on time 8-80-89% and 9-90-99% of the time.

Returns:

16AUG-WE-9A FLLEYW ET ET AC1 END
1*A#US1631 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K. V9 W9 S9 FLLEYW-1035A1127A *8 EMJ 0E
2*A#US1635 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K. V. W9 S9 FLLEYW- 130P 223P *9 EMJ 0E
3*A#US1633 Y9 B9 M9 H9 K. V9 W9 S9 FLLEYW- 420P 513P *9 EMJ 0E

--------------------------------------------------------
How many Express flights have you heard of that operate on time at least 90-99% of the time?

 

[phllax]

With Republic.... look at the last 3 days. Should have been 9 flights. In the end, 3 cancelled outright, and 5 of the 6 others late, including the whole series today running late today. Friday they replaced one broken plane at EYW with another they flew in from DCA (and the planeload of people had to watch the replacement ferry empty back to FLL because of Republic's inability to do a single-engine turn). Agents even asked for that flight to be cancelled, but they wouldn't as Republic insisted they could complete the flight.

This issue brings up an interesting point. With an isolated station like EYW, shouldn't it have been one of the last, if not THE last line of flying to get transferred from MDA to Republic? MDA holding onto it for last would have meant fewer annoyed customers, better reliability, and given Republic the chance to work out the kinks with the 170 operation closer to other stations it already serves, so that when they got the line of flying it wouldn't turn in to such a disaster.

Does anyone know what the last line of MDA flying will be and when?

Also, as to why they had to wait for a spare, couldn't Republic have sent one of its ERJ's in the Delta Connection operation down from FLL just to get the people back to a place where US Mainline could deal with it?

 

[EMBFA]

they are inexperienced. with the midatlantic division flying they may have gotten commuter pay but they were the real us airways crews and mainline training and experience. they all had years of flying. these pilots are barely old enough to shave so they can't be flying that long. republic fa/s are barely out of high school you see them in dc shouting and cussing into thier cell phones in the crew room and everyone looks at them and thinks they are midatlantic. they think it's funny that we are losing our jobs and they are taking over. one of them said something about midatlantic going out of business. they are so stupid they think mda is an airline and its going out of business. who knows how they act with OUR customers. i refuse to fly on republic flights even if it means getting a hotel. no surprise they can't arm a door or show up on time

 

[USXboy]

Well we tried our best to get the flights out on time, even had a 19 minute turn. Our staff is highly motivated but these back-to-back cancellations take a toll on even the most experienced agents.

How many times must we apologize to our customers for not getting them home before they take their business elsewhere?

Our jobs are to give great customer service, and its becoming more difficult to do that when we're delayed or cancelled as it becomes "our fault" at the front line and we must deal with the yelling & screaming while trying to be professional employees.

I wish that USAirways would have worked out a deal to keep MDA live and allow Republic to fly the E170s, either allow MDA to take delivery of new airframes or whatnot... i mean we had 3 divisions operating ERJ 145s.. why not the EMB 170's as well!?!

In regards to CHQ sending EYW an ERJ, that was an option until it was realized that the FLL mainline crews aren't trained on them nor are the EYW staff, although the Comair EYW staff would have assisted with it.

I am more interested in finding out if contract carriers must pick up the tab for rerouting passengers, meal vouchers, hotel rooms, and ground transportation when they do cancel or delay flights.. or do they still make their PROFIT and make USAir absorb their shortcomings?!?!

 

[FlyOnWall]

All of the MAA employees are gone at the end of May, not sure when the last flight is. There is supposed to be some sort of ceremony, unofficial of course, the company does not mention MAA.

As far as who pays when Republic screws up... not Republic. They still make profit if they eventually fly. US Airways ends up paying for the rest... reroutes, rooms, vouchers etc. They pay all of the costs. The whole set up is absolutely ludicrous, there is nothing low cost about it at all. If US Airways really wants to be an LCC they need to do what the LCCs - Southwest JetBlue AirTran do. FLY THIER OWN PLANES. Those workers who have lost or are losing thier jobs were some of the best and would jump through hoops to make sure people choose to fly US Airways.

 

[fly with US]

see them in dc shouting and cussing into thier cell phones in the crew room and everyone looks at them and thinks they are midatlantic.

Forget the crew room, when I was non-reving on a Repugnant flight a couple of weeks ago (well, non-reving as in taxi out, turn around, have a such a big delay that I would miss my connections, and went home) and the whole delay I heard the two F/A's and a commuting Repugnant pilot "gossip" about other Repugnant employees. Besides talking badly about their co-workers in front of the passengers, they were constantlycussing. I immensly embarassed.

 

[phllax]

In regards to CHQ sending EYW an ERJ, that was an option until it was realized that the FLL mainline crews aren't trained on them nor are the EYW staff, although the Comair EYW staff would have assisted with it.

At least they tried, but why not send the ramp supervisor or someone else via the jumpseat to oversee and assist the EYW personnel. With regards to FLL personnel not being qualified on the ERJ, park the thing adjacent to E1 and let the Republic people unload and then tow it back over to the DL terminal!

 

[MarkMyWords]

You people need to get a grip. You can't just take a Republic airplane, painted in DL colors, flying DL lines of flying to cover an E70 route. For all intents and purposes those airplanes and crews are dedicated DL Express assets and can not be used to cover US flying.

As for slide deployments, get real. Spit happens and it happens to everyone, contract or not. Just because you are a mainline employee it doesn't make you any better then anyone else. Where in the heck do you people get this I am better then you attitude. You sit and look for reasons to post BS on here. If someone shined the same light on your employee group, they would find the same exact thing.

Here is a list of slide depolyments for mainline since Aug 2005.

Aug 7 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on a 757 (1R door)
Aug 15 - F/A blew a slide in SNN on a 767 (2L door)
Sep 2 - MDA First Officer blew a slide in PHL on an E170 (1L door)
Sep 20 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on an MDA E170 (2L door)
Sep 24 - Contract Utility blew a slide in CLT on a 757 (4R door)
Oct 11 - Contract Utility blew a slide in CLT on a 757 (1R door)
Oct 12 - Contract utility blew a slide in PHL on a 757 (4R door)
Oct 12 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on a 757 (4R door)
Oct 13 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on a 757 (4R door)
Dec 2 - F/A blew a slide in PHL on an A319 (1L door)
Dec 4 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on a 757 (1R door)
Dec 7 - F/A blew a slide in CLT on an A320 (2L door)
Dec 13 - F/A blew a slide in CLT on an A320 (1R door)
Dec 26 - MDA F/A blew a slide in DCA on an E170 (1L door)
Jan 15 - F/A blew a slide in PHL on a 767 (1L door)
Jan 16 - Contract Utility blew a slide in PHL on an MDA E170 (2R door)
Jan 19 - F/A blew a slide in TPA on an A321 (1L door)
Feb 8 - Contract MTC Mechanic blew a slide in CLT on an A319 (overwing exit)
Feb 9 - Contract Utility blew a slide in SJU on a 757 (2R door)
Feb 18 - F/A blew a slide in CLT on a 767 (1L door)

While the above does not shed a positive light on Contract Utility, we had similar problems when utility was inhouse. Unfortunately, I do not have the numbers handy to make an actual comparison.

My question to the F/A's would be, what is the procedure on the 757 and E170 for disarming doors on the ground? Are the 1R and 4R doors on the 757 supposed to be armed on the gate? How about the 2R door on the E170?

 

[700UW]

Contract MTC in CLT?

We don't use contractors in CLT.

I know in CLT in the past few years we probably had about 5 to 8 slides on the 757 blown by utility, it was no where near as bad as the vendors.

And some of the 757s blows were problems with the doors showing unarmed and actually being armed.

 

[wouldbefa]

Forget the crew room, when I was non-reving on a Repugnant flight a couple of weeks ago (well, non-reving as in taxi out, turn around, have a such a big delay that I would miss my connections, and went home) and the whole delay I heard the two F/A's and a commuting Repugnant pilot "gossip" about other Repugnant employees. Besides talking badly about their co-workers in front of the passengers, they were constantlycussing. I immensly embarassed.

Agree with you folks, that the cussing, and etc is totally uncalled for. Was a Republic FA for a very short time. Did graduate from their training which was ok. really didn't like the way we where treated.
They shipped us to DCA (Reagan) without a crewroom ( Oh we are looking for one), and no support as where we were going to live. In addition there was really no order of service as NWA had. The only training was a couple of nights on a plane after 7 pm. As for co-workers there was some sniping in class tried to stay away, and above it all. I know there is some animostty towards them from mid-atlantic folks which I do sympathise with. The slide blowing is uncalled for, and there should be some retraining for folks from that class.
As for myself I felt I was being "played around with" at republic. Just continued on and did my best. Hopefully I will be with another airline. I must say that Northwest's training beat Republic/US Air hands down in passing.

 

[MarkMyWords]

Contract MTC in CLT?

We don't use contractors in CLT.

I know in CLT in the past few years we probably had about 5 to 8 slides on the 757 blown by utility, it was no where near as bad as the vendors.

And some of the 757s blows were problems with the doors showing unarmed and actually being armed.

I believe it was a contractor doing some fuel tank work.

 

[RW USX FA]

deleted per request of poster.

 

[john john]

they are inexperienced. these pilots are barely old enough to shave so they can't be flying that long.

This is the case with just about all-express carriers (a lot of new hires)

 

[MarkMyWords]

It is so much easier to sensationalize a tid-bit of information by running it up a flagpole and creating a hysteria. Those things make news, not actual facts.

 

[Hawkhunter]

That is the hope. At a certain point it is cheaper to do it in house, let alone the obviously higher level of quality. The company line was that MDA was 8% cheaper than outsourcing, and there is NO doubt that Mainline's E-170 operation was (and still is) superior to Republic's.

Republic is not Mr. Parker's idea nor fault, that honor belongs to Bruce A. alone...

BoeingRico

Bruce A. was to busy in other interest to think about MDA.