New Ramp Procedures

[nycbusdriver]

New procedures for the east group requiring TWO wing walkers to push from and arrive at the gate promises to be a huge delay factor. Just when we thought we had the "no pushback crew" problem solved, along comes a new requirement to "find my OTHER wing walker" before we can leave.

The people in Tempe making these decisions can be described with one word. It's starts with an M and rhymes with Enron.

And I just love the requirment for the rampers with the extremely bright red uniform t-shirts to put on some ratty old, filthy orange vest to make it all OK.

What nonsense.

Great to see a sh---y procedure that we got rid of in bankruptcy resurface in the new, more efficient LCC.

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

I agree, NYC. The piano is out of tune, so to fix it they paint it.

It will be fun to watch all of the delays during pushback in the Northeast when they can't find enough rampers to follow this silly procedure.

 

[DCaf]

How about getting the various Chief Pilots to collectively #### to the VP of Operations about this dumb and unnecessary procedure?

 

[diogenes]

Do they still make rampers do a walk-around after marshalling in the a/c?

Talk about stupid procedures!

A qualified pilot is going to do a walk-around - the ramp walkaround is a waste of time.

 

[Hope777]

Do they still make rampers do a walk-around after marshalling in the a/c?

Talk about stupid procedures!

A qualified pilot is going to do a walk-around - the ramp walkaround is a waste of time.

Dio, the reason the ramp (person that parks the aircraft) does a walk around, is to check for visible aircraft damage. If the damage is found within 10 mins of arrival, it is charged to the Departure City. If you do not complete the walk around and a crew member finds damage, it is then charged to your station.

 

[diogenes]

Hope 777


That is the official version. If damage is noted and called in, it is supposed to be examined by mechs before the flight can be dispatched. Doesn't happen in out stations. It gets pencil-whipped or papered over and the flight rolls.

When the ac comes back thru your station a few weeks later, there is still nothing in the logbook or a silver decal on the damage.

If the company isn't going to abide by their own procedures, they should scrap them.

 

[supercruiser]

How about getting the various Chief Pilots to collectively #### to the VP of Operations about this dumb and unnecessary procedure?

The VP of Operations says there is no requirement to have wing walkers when parking the plane, only for departure. But evidently some stations have taken the position that they need to be there coming and going. He said they are trying to get the word out to the stations, but it doesn't appear so.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Let me see if I understand this:

The company is short staffed on the PHL ramp and other cities as well?

So the response to that is to create MORE labor?

Does SWA use one, two or no wing walkers?

Is it me or does this not make sense? Especially given the baggage issues that remain unaddressed?

When procedural differences were reviewed whatever procedure considered 'safest' was chosen.

The wingwalkers, I believe, was a West procedure.

 

[Kev3188]

Does SWA use one, two or no wing walkers?

One.

 

[Dorf]

So why is US not following the lead of the US's most operationally efficient carrier?

AC: "You know Doug, Southwest uses one wing walker and look how efficiently they can turn an aircraft"

DP: "Uh HUH, go on."

AC: "I was thinkin', if they are that efficient with one walker, we would be twice as efficient if we used 2 wing walkers!!!"

DP: "Sounds good Al, let's do it! Meet you at the stock broker later?"

Meanwhile on the ramp:

25+ aircraft all sitting (burning lots of Jet A) an extra 20 minutes to get to a gate because PHL is understaffed and doesn't have 2 wingwalkers per gate! Now that 40 minute turn is shot.

 

[muircross]

Another new procedure is that the ramp must schlepp carry-on baggage for 1st class passengers as well as musical instruments, not to mention strollers and wheelchairs. Like we don't have enough to do already now we have to carry people's bags up the jetway stairs.

 

[tadjr]

Another new procedure is that the ramp must schlepp carry-on baggage for 1st class passengers as well as musical instruments, not to mention strollers and wheelchairs. Like we don't have enough to do already now we have to carry people's bags up the jetway stairs.

Thats only supposed to be if there is no room in the cabin for the baggage. Except in extreme cicumstances there should be room in the FC cabin for bags. I dont understand the musical instrument part though. If it can fit in the overhead (like a guitar) then it should go in the overhead. If it wont fit, then it needs to be checked and taken to baggage. I dont know why the procedure for West is ALL guitars are to be checked this way, but its worked ok on the East to put them in the overhead.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Thats only supposed to be if there is no room in the cabin for the baggage. Except in extreme cicumstances there should be room in the FC cabin for bags. I dont understand the musical instrument part though. If it can fit in the overhead (like a guitar) then it should go in the overhead. If it wont fit, then it needs to be checked and taken to baggage. I dont know why the procedure for West is ALL guitars are to be checked this way, but its worked ok on the East to put them in the overhead.

Supposed to be only for First Class, But it is an easy out for Gate Agents and Flight Attendants to put the Valet tag on anything that a customer wants.

The customer is taken care of (a good thing). But it is not procedure to take care of customers not flying First Class.

 

[supercruiser]

Another new procedure is that the ramp must schlepp carry-on baggage for 1st class passengers as well as musical instruments, not to mention strollers and wheelchairs. Like we don't have enough to do already now we have to carry people's bags up the jetway stairs.

Don't forget that crew bags are included in the new green tag program too. What I've been doing is what I've done all along; while in uniform I take my bags down and pick them up at the other end too. I just have green tags on my crew bags instead of the blue ones.

I've yet to have any ramp personnel insist that they either take my bags down the jetway or insist they take them back up at the destination. Dumping crew bags off in the jetway to let other employee groups have to deal with is one of the more stupid ideas they've come up with lately. Clearly they weren't thinking of the operation back E, especially PHL, when they thought this up.

The new idea for crews to put their bags in the cabin first, taking up valuable limited overhead space on all the full flights, so customer bags have to be gate checked as a result, makes you wonder what they're smoking out there in PHX.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Don't forget that crew bags are included in the new green tag program too. What I've been doing is what I've done all along; while in uniform I take my bags down and pick them up at the other end too. I just have green tags on my crew bags instead of the blue ones.
The idea for crews to put their bags in the cabin first, taking up valuable limited overhead space on all the full flights, so customer bags have to be gate checked as a result, makes you wonder what they're smoking out there in PHX.

It also makes you wonder how much deadheading crew values customers.