PHL Cancellations this afternoon

[EMBFA]

There was a huge thunderstorm. Philly is a terrible running hub, but give it a break for a thunderstorm at least1

There were never thunderstorms in the burgh, wah wah wah wah

 

[ClueByFour]

There were never thunderstorms in the burgh, wah wah wah wah

No, there were (and are--I was there yesterday and it rained like hell).

The airspace and particularly the field, however, can deal with it keeping a decent arrival and departure rate unless the storm is directly over the field and thus closes the ramp.

In PHL, a drop of rain anywhere in a circle with MDT, BWI, LGA, and the coast of Delaware brings things to a grinding standstill.

 

[EMBFA]

You could build a fantastic connecting airport in Lebanon, Kansas, doesn't mean it could sustain a hub.

 

[Itestwell]

Dont be so daft. The PHL customers need to get to PHL, HOWEVER, all the BUF/SYR/ROC/ALB/CLE/BOS/LGA/SWF/ISP/BDL/PVD/ELM/ITH/BGM (and any others I left out) customers really DONT want to go to PHL. I'm sure you've heard it at check in (do you have something other than thru PHL?) Those are the customers that we're discussing when we say limit the PHL HUB. HUB being the operative word. If PHL is the $ maker on O&D, have at it, but move/leave off the conx as much as possible to other cities or rework the schedule. This opens up 2 possibilities, less delays in PHL (due less airplanes) and a better operation since you arent trying to funnel anyone and everyone thru a hub that on most days is minimal and on "good days" like yesterday is a cluster. PIT might not be the answer, but you know theres a problem when a customer takes a flight getting in later not conx in PHL than a shorter flight with a conx in PHL.

Who is being daft? Here we go AGAIN with the argument "put the connecting pax thru PIT or CLT or Kansas or whatever..." Connecting traffic is some of the LOWEST yielding traffic available to an airline, period. Low yielding traffic must be mixed with higher yielding traffic (O&D) in an attempt to produce a profitable flight. Like it or not, people will always connect thru PHL. And, like it or not, PHL is the revenue generator at this company. I am sure mgmt does not really care how much we lose due to misconnects, bag problems, etc, when the $$ keep flowing in in PHL.

PHL will always have lotsa traffic and lotsa delays. So will EWR. So will JFK. So will LGA. I highly doubt you will see CO reducing their EWR schedule because of the massive delays they encounter due to nightly thunderstorms. I agree, there are MANY fixes that need to be applied to PHL, but re routing the connecting traffic is not one of them. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[allstrike]

^^^^^^Another reply from an "experience" operations specialist - I assume

I fail to understand the relevance of your reply to the weather related cancellations at JFK, EWR, LGA, DCA, IAD and LESS SO at PHL today??? Where would you propose the PHL destination passengers fly to - EWR, LGA or JFK, or ?

PROFIT = REVENUE - COST AND PHL MAKES (much) MORE PROFIT THAN ANY OTHER AIRPORT IN THE SYSTEM. So I guess arm chair CEO experience suggests that US quit PHL because it's (US's) employees are unable to manage operations more efficiently during severe weather situations. Another brilliant suggestion.

pre dicted on another thread yesterday....lol

 

[jetpiedmont79]

That's a bit of a smart a@# response. Simply put, keep the PHL hub like it is, and you will continue to see elite flyers moving to other airlines. As to "delusions of grandeur"...well, ask 10 high revenue flyers where they would rather swith planes...I'm going to guess quite a few say PIT.

Thank You, it's a HUB that WAS. No need to instill "delusions of grandeur".

 

[Itestwell]

That's a bit of a smart a@# response. Simply put, keep the PHL hub like it is, and you will continue to see elite flyers moving to other airlines. As to "delusions of grandeur"...well, ask 10 high revenue flyers where they would rather swith planes...I'm going to guess quite a few say PIT.

Agree completely. Things need to change. I am just saying that no one should expect the traffic levels to go down in PHL or the connecting passengers to disappear because it is "inconvenient". PHL must be making some cash, or I seriously doubt mgmt would be focusing 100% of the company growth there.

BTW, ask 10 revenue flyers at CO how they feel about changing planes in EWR.. or DL flyers about how they feel about changing planes in JFK.... bet u might get some similar answers (I am talking about flight ops in these cities, not customer service or service levels, mind you; we all know where US stands in those categories)...

 

[SKY HIGH]

PHL will always have lotsa traffic and lotsa delays. So I agree, there are MANY fixes that need to be applied to PHL, but re routing the connecting traffic is not one of them.

sky high states: This debate is as OLD as the base itself. Let's change this discussion to fixes, anyone?

WHAT'S GONNA FIX PHILLY FOR USAIRWAYS?

only stating opinions

 

[Travelpro72]

Bottom line is the PHL airport is in a horrible location and that will NEVER change. It is also in the middle of NY and DC and that will NEVER change. They will give PHL some room but not much as far as airspace. We all know the northeast is THE most crowded airspace in the world and USairways should continue to filter MOST of it's connections through PHL? I don't see it and never will. CLE is a stones throw away from PIT and yet Continental can run EWR with CLE right around the corner. OHIO and Cleveland are HARDLY in the center of the country to be a midwestern hub. Sending some traffic to another airport and relieving PHL of hubbing CAN be done. Sure Continental won't cut back on EWR due to the fact that they HAVE CLE. EWR also has MUCH SUPERIOR terminal structure compared to what US has in PHL. No contest there. Regardless, if it snows in Utah PHL gets delayed. Basically when folks at US say that PHL will ALWAYS have delays and cancellations blah, blah, blah your basically saying DEAL with it. Guess what, your bread and butter elites ARE NOT DEALING WITH IT. THAT is a F-A-C-T! ! ! ! I'm not saying "rehub" PIT but PHL obviously cannot and NEVER will be able to run a "reliable" operation.

 

[dusty]

sky high states: This debate is as OLD as the base itself. Let's change this discussion to fixes, anyone?

WHAT'S GONNA FIX PHILLY FOR USAIRWAYS?

only stating opinions

A Pilot contract would go along way to fixing Usairways operational problems. Like it or not the pilots have the ability to be proactive to help solve or smooth over many issues that tend to snowball especially in Philly. ALPAs do your job campaign is having an effect.

 

[dbcooper]

Yes! I can honestly say that over that last 4-6 months I have watched a once really great run operation in CLT go down the f'in drain!

Is it me? Or does it just seem like nobody gives a #### about getting any flights out on time!

Hiring people and paying the Mickey D wages!! You pay peanuts and you get a bunch of clowns! And what we get on the express ramp are folks that like to push 20 million dollar airplanes into each other!

CLT has really turned into a 'turd' of an operation!! In some ways its total entertainment..... in other ways just plain SAD.

This should be a whole thread topic of it self. CLT has been so diminished. The cancer of the bankrupacy plan to be rid of the "seniority problem" and of the current management in Tempe (penny wise, pound foolish) has decimated the operation to beyond belief. A flight can wait 20 minutes to be parked and get a jetway driver, and it is no big deal because...well, because it is no big deal, and no one is in control.

 

[Harry Callahan]

You get what you pay for in the new hire dept.

 

[tadjr]

I am just saying that no one should expect the traffic levels to go down in PHL or the connecting passengers to disappear because it is "inconvenient".

Not saying PHL shouldnt have connecting customers, however if you are going to force someone to connect in PHL to fill up the rest of the plane, dont make them have 50 mins to an international connection or 30-35 mins for a domestic flight. If you push conx thru PHL, dont make it "inconvenient" for them to use US and PHL as a connecting point. How many "missed conx" and long waits do we expect people to endure? We'd be better off by making longer conx times and more realistic connecting times than we currently are. If we're going to misconx someone and make them wait 4 hours for the next flight (or the next day for intl), then we sure can offer a more realistic conx time in the first place. The way its being run right now is doing nothing but p*&&ing people off and turning them against using US. Next time they might have been offered a conx via another city, but all they'll remember is "US got me stuck in PHL overnight".

 

[SKY HIGH]

How many "missed conx" and long waits do we expect people to endure? We'd be better off by making longer conx times and more realistic connecting times than we currently are.

sky high states: Has the company LOOKED INTO the inefficient bus service the airport offers for connecting passengers between concourses in PHL? Arrive in B concourse and you're screwed, but apparently they feel concourse C needs service, and A to F gates. Am I missing something here? The bus service makes no sense. Is it frequent enough?

only stating opinions

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

Who is being daft? Here we go AGAIN with the argument "put the connecting pax thru PIT or CLT or Kansas or whatever..." Connecting traffic is some of the LOWEST yielding traffic available to an airline, period. Low yielding traffic must be mixed with higher yielding traffic (O&D) in an attempt to produce a profitable flight. Like it or not, people will always connect thru PHL. And, like it or not, PHL is the revenue generator at this company. I am sure mgmt does not really care how much we lose due to misconnects, bag problems, etc, when the $$ keep flowing in in PHL.

PHL will always have lotsa traffic and lotsa delays. So will EWR. So will JFK. So will LGA. I highly doubt you will see CO reducing their EWR schedule because of the massive delays they encounter due to nightly thunderstorms. I agree, there are MANY fixes that need to be applied to PHL, but re routing the connecting traffic is not one of them. Ain't gonna happen.

So I guess CLT is exempt from your scenario-Along with CLE-CVG-SLC....According to your logic then we could hardly believe that US is making $ in CLT....

Oh and by the way #s are looking good in PIT without US:
http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?n...78569&rfi=6