Phl Hub Perf

[BoeingBoy]

Well in that same time period, the flts might have been rolled but with 40 some flts added by WN each day and probably that same number by US...all in all 80-100 flts a day were added to the airport within a year.

[post="284396"][/post]​

According to the DOT reports, US mainline/MDA operated an average of 40 more arrivals per day during the Feb-May period of 2005 than in the same period in 2004, while the airport had an average of 60 more arrivals per day. A valid point, though one would think that when the largest carrier at PHL rolled their hub it would offset at least some of the effects of the increased flights.

This summer has been horrible when it comes to ATC / Weather issues. It seems there is a GDP for PHL / LGA / EWR / etc almost every day.

[post="284404"][/post]​

Another valid point, except that the DOT data is for Feb-May. July has been bad for the whole NE including PHL, but June had pretty good weather. That data isn't available yet, though.

OT performance is only one factor that should be affected by rolling a hub. Increased a/c utilization and missed connections aren't reflected in the consumer air travel report, so can't be addressed by those numbers. For misconnects, I have absolutely no data so will rely on MMW & others comments that it has improved. As for a/c utilization, one would have to dig into the BTS raw data unless one has access to company data. I would expect that it's up, with RJ's taking on more of the flying presumably leaving mainline/MDA with longer average stage length. All I can add from anecdotal evidence is that I haven't seen a meaningful increase in 737 utilization - it still seems to be running about 8.5 block hours per day.

Jim

 

[crushed]

US Airways has probably been running lean because they have had to.

In retrospect, I think I understand the point you are trying to make, but you should really expand on it a bit.

Wouldn't it be great if you could always overstaff and have lots of shiny new equipment?

btw, overstaffing, rightstaffing and understaffing can be defined differently by different people.

[post="284379"][/post]​

Not talking "overstaffing" or "shiny" equipment.
PHL has 150 tugs....42 are out of service. Parts are C.O.D can't get them fixed.
AM shift on B-Con is 36 agents for 14 gates (will be 15 when b13 is back in service.) It takes a min. of 3 agents to work a flight...when there is a flight on every gate 36 agents isn't enough.
Without people or tugs the bags don't make the connections costing the company money!
P.S. 3 agents cannot turn a full in full out 757 in the time US has set....delays cost the company money.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Not talking "overstaffing" or "shiny" equipment.
PHL has 150 tugs....42 are out of service. Parts are C.O.D can't get them fixed.
AM shift on B-Con is 36 agents for 14 gates (will be 15 when b13 is back in service.) It takes a min. of 3 agents to work a flight...when there is a flight on every gate 36 agents isn't enough.
Without people or tugs the bags don't make the connections costing the company money!
P.S. 3 agents cannot turn a full in full out 757 in the time US has set....delays cost the company money.

[post="284419"][/post]​

"Uncle Al" what's up with this ?

 

[dc3fanatic]

Not talking "overstaffing" or "shiny" equipment.
PHL has 150 tugs....42 are out of service. Parts are C.O.D can't get them fixed.
AM shift on B-Con is 36 agents for 14 gates (will be 15 when b13 is back in service.) It takes a min. of 3 agents to work a flight...when there is a flight on every gate 36 agents isn't enough.
Without people or tugs the bags don't make the connections costing the company money!
P.S. 3 agents cannot turn a full in full out 757 in the time US has set....delays cost the company money.

[post="284419"][/post]​

The number out of service isn't nearly as important as 'how many do you need and do you have that many?'

If it was understaffed, wouldn't you always have delays?

I usually just noticed two agents to work a flight. What is the standard?

 

[PBI2FLL]

:down: Excuse me for being blunt, but PHL continues to be an absolute cluster F :censored: K!! Constant ground stops, DELAY after DELAY and more DELAYS! It's gotten so bad this summer, I'm advising customers NOT to book thru PHL late afternoon or early evening. WE are rerouting our 'highest yield' EUROPEAN connections to other airlines and that is NOT good! It's actually embarrasing, quite honestly! <_<

 

[libertybell]

Heard Assigned Bag Runners the ABR agents that connect bags from one flight to another had to wait over an hour to get a tug. ( 50 tugs out of service) Needless to say Lots of Bags missed.

The way I see it is that if the company will not supply the tools to get the job done don't blame the workers for missing the bags.

Christmas is coming up and folks this company will not be ready!

 

[SoftLanding]

Heard Assigned Bag Runners the ABR agents that connect bags from one flight to another had to wait over an hour to get a tug. ( 50 tugs out of service) Needless to say Lots of Bags missed.

The way I see it is that if the company will not supply the tools to get the job done don't blame the workers for missing the bags.

Christmas is coming up and folks this company will not be ready!

[post="284723"][/post]​

Talked to a supervisor in an outstation in Central NY yesterday. Last week she had to stay late (1AM), awaiting arrival of a truck from PHL delivering BAGS...to boot only about 40 bags...She also commented about the fact that RJ's are showing up with only a few bags and close to full flights...

Put Creelin on it...

 

[D M G]

If it was understaffed, wouldn't you always have delays?

[post="284717"][/post]​

No.

There are two options when understaffed and short equipment;

1. Load all bags and take massive delays.

2. Don't load all bags and minimize delays.

I like number 1, but Management likes number 2. The customer is the one that suffers in both cases, but since CCY has always had a hard-on for PHL nothing changed.

It will be a very interesting Holiday season in PHL unless there are some drastic changes.

 

[FWAAA]

PHL has the population to support a successful hub, but it lacks the airport for a successful hub.

Too bad USAir didn't convince PHL to build a terrific connecting hub airport at PHL years ago instead of at PIT, which lacks the population to support a huge hub.

 

[jcooke]

PHL has the population to support a successful hub, but it lacks the airport for a successful hub.

Too bad USAir didn't convince PHL to build a terrific connecting hub airport at PHL years ago instead of at PIT, which lacks the population to support a huge hub.

[post="284751"][/post]​

two words: real estate. There's no real decent room to grow.

 

[TechBoy]

PHL has the population to support a successful hub, but it lacks the airport for a successful hub.

Too bad USAir didn't convince PHL to build a terrific connecting hub airport at PHL years ago instead of at PIT, which lacks the population to support a huge hub.

[post="284751"][/post]​

The problem with PIT was not that it lacked the population to support a hub. PIT has a significantly greater population than CVG and CLT, yet they can support a hub. The problem is that PIT didn't work as a US hub because it was too close to PHL.

 

[TechBoy]

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but isn't US returning a significant number of aircraft over the next year? Won't that alleviate congestion/operation problems at PHL by reducing the total number of flights? Or will all the shrinkage come at CLT? I can't see significant decreases at DCA or LGA and PIT has already shrunk to very little mainline, so PHL must be getting smaller, right?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but isn't US returning a significant number of aircraft over the next year? Won't that alleviate congestion/operation problems at PHL by reducing the total number of flights?

[post="284760"][/post]​

Returning mainline aircraft, but the potential is that there will be more RJ's.

Air Wisconsin will bring 70, so even if they replace Mesa, that's a gain of 11.

Republic will operate 28 Emb-170's vs our current 25, and the agreement allows for the possibility of more.

These potential extra RJ's will be flying somewhere, so presumable any reduction in mainline flights will be offset (or more than offset) by an increase in Express.

When ATC and airport infrastructure are a big part of the delay problem, it doesn't matter if the plane is an RJ or a Boeing/Airbus.

None of this considers increases in flights by other carriers, either....

Jim

 

[MarkMyWords]

According to the DOT reports, US mainline/MDA operated an average of 40 more arrivals per day during the Feb-May period of 2005 than in the same period in 2004, while the airport had an average of 60 more arrivals per day. A valid point, though one would think that when the largest carrier at PHL rolled their hub it would offset at least some of the effects of the increased flights.

[post="284416"][/post]​

I did a little research reguarding the number of flights at each hub over the last year and here is what I found:

July 2004: CLT 487 PHL 401 PIT 375
Oct 2004: CLT 498 PHL 426 PIT 326
Feb 2004: CLT 567 PHL 493 PIT 239
July 2005: CLT 580 PHL 495 PIT 225
Sep 2005: CLT 531 PHL 471 PIT 211

So in PHL we went from 401 to a peak of 495 flights a day when we rolled the hub. Take our 94 additional flights and add WN's 41 additional flights and you have added 135 additional arrivals and 135 additional departures a day to an airport that the infrastructure couldn't/can't support. Imagine what will happen if the projections of WN addding an additional 120 flights a day will do.

Returning mainline aircraft, but the potential is that there will be more RJ's.

Air Wisconsin will bring 70, so even if they replace Mesa, that's a gain of 11.

Republic will operate 28 Emb-170's vs our current 25, and the agreement allows for the possibility of more.

These potential extra RJ's will be flying somewhere, so presumable any reduction in mainline flights will be offset (or more than offset) by an increase in Express.

When ATC and airport infrastructure are a big part of the delay problem, it doesn't matter if the plane is an RJ or a Boeing/Airbus.

None of this considers increases in flights by other carriers, either....

Jim

[post="284761"][/post]​

I have a question for you, or anyone with the information....when do the 90 seat CRJ's start arriving? I have heard from a reliable source that they will appear in the Oct 2005 schedule with service from CLT to MEM, PNS, MCI, ATL and IAH. Any idea of what the delivery schedule is like and which carrier will fly them? These "replacement aircraft" will lso help to offset the loss of mainline airplanes.

 

[BoeingBoy]

MMW,

Presumably what you're hearing about is moving some of Mesa's current CRJ-900's east - they have been flying them out west as America West Express.

They're about the only RJ operator that have the 90-seaters (the mainline partner's scope prevents most from flying anything that size). I doubt we or our W/O'ed have ordered any yet - it would probably be public plus we are constrained in the amount of capital expendures we can make by the ATSB. That leaves someone who either has 90-seaters or has them coming - Mesa.

Jim