It All Comes Out In The Wash!

[robbedagain]

I read that the inspector general's comments said that usair management failed to succeed in having right amount of staffing. i dont know how to bring the link up but may be someone can. i thought it would be interesting.

 

[usairways_vote_NO]

The story

 

[BoeingBoy]

DOT 38-05
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Contact: Brian Turmail
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

Statement from Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Regarding the Inspector General's Report on Christmas 2004 Holiday Disruptions

“The Inspector General’s report on Christmas 2004 holiday travel disruptions provides a factual look at the causes of delayed or cancelled flights and lost baggage experienced by more than 800 thousand US Airways and Comair passengers. The report makes clear that Comair’s troubles were caused by an ice storm that was greater than anticipated and limitations in its crew scheduling computer that it was unaware existed.

“By contrast, US Airways’ troubles were the result of staffing shortfalls at its Philadelphia hub. The Inspector General found that while these shortfalls were anticipated by US Airways’ management, their plans to address them did not succeed. I am troubled that the report also indicates that US Airways lacked certain data concerning the disruptions, such as the number of lost baggage or whether persons with disabilities and unaccompanied minors were properly accommodated.

“Air travelers are returning to the skies in record numbers and showing their confidence in all of us to keep them safe, secure and on time. The Inspector General’s findings make clear that airlines must be vigilant in ensuring that they are adequately prepared to address events that affect the quality of the service they provide, including bad weather, computer glitches, and staffing shortfalls that can and should be anticipated. To that end, I have directed that the report be distributed to all major U.S. airlines and am urging their managers to review this document carefully and to evaluate their own procedures and systems in light of the Inspector General’s findings.â€

END

Review of December 2004 Holiday Air Travel Disruptions

 

[usairways_vote_NO]

Uh ohh double thread 🙂

 

[diogenes]

We eagerly await Messr Glass' and company's apologies to the employees.


PitBull, you called the shot on this one.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Uh ohh double thread 🙂

[post="252188"][/post]​

Oops, me bad - didn't look down the list of topics far enough. Sorry gang.

MODS - PLEASE PUT THIS IN THE OTHER THREAD.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[savyinvestor]

Didn't USA320 have some negative comments about the F/A's and other employees? Believe an apology is in order. Savy

 

[DCAflyer]

Didn't USA320 have some negative comments about the F/A's and other employees? Believe an apology is in order. Savy

[post="252209"][/post]​

I think you'll sooner see that UCT/ICT!

 

[PITbull]

We eagerly await Messr Glass' and company's apologies to the employees.
PitBull, you called the shot on this one.

[post="252204"][/post]​

Don't hold your breath on any apologies from management to the employees. They want this thing to die for sure.

I am glad the report came out, and I hope the flying public knows that the rank and file do their best every single day to meet the challenges. We work the best we can with what is before us. They also need to know that management has not taken responsibility for the inconvenience to the customers, lack of forsight, hindsight, and insight, and no one lost their job in CCY senior ranks. They just did a little shuffling of VPs.

What's a shame, is that it appears as a "non-event" to managment as the airline endured major financial losses over the holiday and gave labor a black eye in the public flying sector.

 

[fr8tmastr]

Channel 6 news in PHL set the record straight on Christmas debacle. They reported the fact that the problem was not the employees but put the blame squarely on mgmt. Something like 77000 lost or damaged bag claims. Then they had the obligatory pax questioning U's future.

 

[mweiss]

It's the same reason that headlines are big on Page 1, and retractions are small, buried somewhere in the paper.

That's not as it should be, but it is as it is.

 

[BoeingBoy]

The company's response:

Press Release Source: US Airways

US Airways Statement in Response to DOT Inspector General's Report
Wednesday March 2, 4:17 pm ET

ARLINGTON, Va., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General's Review of December 2004 Air Travel Disruptions issued today:

"The operational events over the Christmas holidays were unfortunate for our company, our employees, and most notably for the passengers that were affected. We have worked very hard since that time to improve our staffing situation and implement other changes that will enhance our operations, including a major February schedule change that is having a clear and beneficial impact. The Inspector General's staff had a challenging task in trying to chronicle a very complicated set of circumstances, and we trust that DOT officials recognize both our regret over the situation as well as the many initiatives we have taken to improve service to our customers."

 

[mweiss]

I saw the word "regret," but the apology seems to be directed at nobody in particular. It's an apology to the air.

Sure would have been nice to hear something about "regret that we misdirected our blame" or even "regret that we negatively impacted our customers."

 

[FWAAA]

Problem is, customers might not care whether it's management's fault or whether it's disgruntled labor's fault (and after the whoopin' the workers have endured, they have every right to be disgruntled). If customers don't start buying lots more tickets (at same or higher fares), it ain't gonna matter who was at fault.

 

[deltawatch]

Reuters
Government Audit Critical of U.S. Airways
Wednesday March 2, 6:00 pm ET
By John Crawley


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways Group Inc. (OTC BB:UAIRQ.OB - News) had anticipated sudden staffing shortfalls at the height of the December holiday period but failed to act effectively to prevent massive travel disruptions, a government audit found on Wednesday.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050302/airlines_usairways_1.html