How US Airways Vaulted to First Place by the WSJ

[DCaf]

What is the big deal here? Of course there's padding. Now that the OT numbers have improved, they will tighten a bit. Everyone does it. You guys remind me of that gendarme in Casablanca who professed shock that there was gambling going on in Rick's place.

 

[REACC1]

Sorry, never in your lifetime bro.
Just won't happen. They don't think like that.

This response was for, ahem, "doing it on my knees"


Nevermind.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

It was a good article. Its good to see that this board is not representative of the good folk out there working hard to make this airline great.

For those of you that work, rather than live to complain, good job and thank you!

 

[SolidCactus]

Although I am not a customer, nor a frequent flyer every week like some, but if I was being On Time more often than not would be a big factor in who I chose to spend my travel dollars on. Personally a carrier that padded their schedule would be looked on favorably by me, as if I bought a ticket that said I will arrive at XXX at XX:XX and had a meeting at XX:XX then I would rather fly the carrier that was say 15-20 pct more likely to arrive on time or early. I realize they are many other factors to consider and you can't compare how AA and CO currently treat their best customers compared to present day US but I still believe the whole On Time thing is really, really important.

So far this year, I have to say, US has been incredible with being on time. I'd have to say that 95% of every US flight I've taken since January has been on time. My only real delays have been with Express, but I doubt that will ever change. I do think "on time" is the most important factor. I'm charmans this year, and I have not missed an upgrade once, so I have nothing to complain about there. Actually, most of the flight attendants are incredible.

This year, I have given at least 75% of my flights to US. The ones I didn't were only because of schedule. I have not had one flight where anything has gone wrong enough to even warrant a complaint. Im a business traveller, so I dont check any bags ever - with any airline...

When I don't travel on US, I go Southwest, Jet Blue and Airtran. I rarely take them for anything transcon, but I have before. I do all my east west flights with US. I wouldnt touch AA with a ten foot pole. I have had nothing but bad luck whenever I've flown them - plus, they really don't service PHL or PBI well anyway. I think UA is the pits. Of the legacy carriers, I like CO the best.

Long story short, I can tell you what this FF cares about... In the order which matters to me...
1) On time
2) Appearance of Aircraft (clean)
3) Upgrade Availability/Priority Boarding
4) Quality of In Flight Service
5) Mileage program (although im pretty annoyed by the bonus changes and the 500 min - it still ranks #5 on my list)
6) Appearance of staff and friendly gate agents
7) Baggage Policy/Handling

ALSO, I think the charging for beverages is a good thing after all. People waste so much. If they want a drink, let them pay for it. Why should the flight attendants have to throw all that stuff out.

 

[ussnark]

It was a good article.

I am curious as to what makes you think this was a "good article"?

One, quick, implication of tremendous padding that goes on, but, other than that, how is this opinion piece (and that is all it is) nothing more than an advertisement for Tempe and the american way, look at all the things management did, bright and shiny trinkets for the workers got them to work harder, type of recycled fertilizer we get from the WJC op-ed page.

Just one example. Videos telling "rampers?" about flight information. Seems I've seen those for at least twenty seven years and Tempe is calling them "new", like as if, never there before?

Cubicle to cubicle "spin" can be so entertaining, even across corporate boundaries.

 

[aredeeyou22]

One, quick, implication of tremendous padding that goes on,

Ok, now the padding is "tremendous"... so, I am assuming by this thread, that US is the only airline padding their schedules in major NE airports whatsoever?

Just a quick search shows certain comparable flights/equipment:

phl tpa:

US1231 655p is 2h48m
WN1160 610p is 2h55m

tpa phl:
us1216 610a is 2h31m
wn3951 730a is 2h35m

phl sfo

us729 555p is 6h07m
ua447 612p is 6h23m! (is that padding?!)

sfo phl:

us961 815a is 5h27m
ua184 858a is 5h32m

phl den:

us707 610p is 4h18m
ua271 514p is 4h20m

den phl:

us950 is 3h40m
ua264 is 3h46m

what am i missing? it seems many routes are padded because we are dealing with phl, or is this not a good cross section of flights? Would similar flights on different carriers from, say , ewr, have the same similarities?

 

[usramperTPA]

Just one example. Videos telling "rampers?" about flight information. Seems I've seen those for at least twenty seven years and Tempe is calling them "new", like as if, never there before?



The article was not referring to training "videos", it was referring to the recently installed RIDS screens that are located at every B and C con gate in PHL. I visit PA often and have seen these screens. Being from the Ramp, I think they are a great idea and have talked to several PHL Rampers about them. Their only complaints are that they are not always updated promptly after gate swaps, and some of them are actually installed on an adjacent gate's jetway and cause some confusion to ABR runners. I know that other airports/airlines have had these systems for years, but, again, they are new to PHL.

 

[Singleflyer]

AREDDEYOY22,

I agree with your comparison. I had done a look a while ago using NW with the same A320 aircraft. I did notice slight time difference on the same aircraft type. Other times the flight time was different (same airline) when the time of day was different, or different aircraft in use. That UA flight, did they use an AC that was slower? or a much different time of day.

Personally I don't care about the "padding" I just want to arrive when they say we will even if it is 5 or 10 minutes more than the competition. I rarely look at total flight time when booking flight and if I do a few minutes won't matter, only a long layover does matter.

Just get me to the destination when you told me you would, and I can make plans around that time

 

[aredeeyou22]

Deleted by Moderator. Please do not copy the entire post when you are replying directly below. Use the Add Reply button at the bottom of the page rather than the reply button in the lower right-hand corner of the post.

Right. I am not saying US does not "pad", but people here are making it sound like this is an out of control practice unique to US.

Also, on a semi- related topic, I guess US isn't the only one suffering with diversions? 😛h34r: :

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/g...d.main/4063609/

 

[ussnark]

Ok, now the padding is "tremendous"... so, I am assuming by this thread, that US is the only airline padding their schedules in major NE airports whatsoever?

So, you are saying everyone else "pads" their flights and because US got away with it more than the others (presumptive #1) they have bragging rights? Is that a significant reason US cost per seat mile is the highest in the industry, because the employees have been so cooperative giving up their compensation in order to allow the corporation to be costly in other areas?

 

[SS255]

The debate is or at least should be is "How to maintian On Time performance while lowering costs"

One way that they could do this is to stop forcing connections through PHL. IMHO they made a tremendous mistake by giving up on PIT instead of using it as a connection hub to feed traffic through the Midwest and to/from the West.

They are also making a mistake by scaling back the LAS operations. They could use LAS as a connection hub for flights to and from the Western US, instead of forcing flights through PHX, which -- except for the lack of weather problems -- is just PHL in the desert.

The air traffic control system does not need any more passengers feeding through the choked-up Northeast corridor unless they are originating or departing from a Northeastern airport.....and even then, it is better to feed them through hubs in less congested parts of the country.

 

[nycbusdriver]

(Deleted by Moderator. See Moderator note, post 24 above.)

Most of the people live in the northeast. They don't want to hub through LAS to get from Portland, Maine, to Tampa, Florida.

 

[aredeeyou22]

Folks,


The issue is when an airline excessively increases block times to hide opperational ineffiencies from the flying public. This is the argument many of us are trying to make here.

Ok. I think I get it. You are saying that, since many of the block times from many different airlines are similar in certain airports, that ALL airlines are attempting to "hide operational inefficiencies from the flying public" Not just USAir.

Is that fair?

What about the inefficiencies of diversions? How do we take that into account?

 

[aredeeyou22]

Not exactly. ONLY US Airways has admitted to "Padding" the schedule to improve on-time performance and if memory serves this was said by no less than COO Robert Isom multiple times.

Ok. So if USair admits it, and has the same (sometimes lower) block times than OA, would that not mean the OA's are just not admitting it? Shouldn't the OA's be much closer to US' OTP as well?


And the diversions?

 

[FWAAA]

Not exactly. ONLY US Airways has admitted to "Padding" the schedule to improve on-time performance and if memory serves this was said by no less than COO Robert Isom multiple times.

Exactly. Anecdotal schedule searches comparing block times aren't the issue here. US has admitted to padding the schedules early this year to help the employees win the race. US also admitted that increasing the block times is an expensive way to run an on-time airline and that US is beginning to remove the padding. A few weeks ago, BoeingBoy posted the text of a message from US to the employees about it and now it's been confirmed in none other than The Wall Street Journal.

If the employees can keep up the good work and keep the airline running on time once the padding is removed, then Great!