UA #1 in 2002 On-Time Performance

UnitedChicago

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Aug 27, 2002
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www.usaviation.com
United Airlines Leads Industry in On-Time Performance in 2002
CHICAGO, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines (NYSE:UAL) proudly announced today that it ranked No. 1 in the industry in domestic on-time performance in the full year 2002, according to the official U.S. Department of Transportation''s Air Travel Consumer report issued earlier today.
This is wonderful news, said Pete McDonald, executive vice president- operations.
The government report offers tangible evidence that things have changed for the better at United Airlines. In a single year we vaulted from eighth place to first place in on-time arrivals.
For United''s customers, reliable on-time service allows them to make firm plans with confidence. And for our employees this honor validates their focus on getting our flights out and in on time day after day throughout the year. And, finally, the No. 1 ranking helps to differentiate United from the pack in an industry viewed by some as a commodity, McDonald said.
This table shows the rankings of carriers for the year 2002:
2002
1. United
2. American
3. Continental
4. US Airways
5. America West
6. Southwest
7. Northwest
8. Delta
9. American Eagle
10. Alaska
The year 2002 was an extraordinary one for United in many ways, not the least of which was the company''s record-breaking operational performance. Employees broke 35 company records and achieved the best overall performance in the company''s 77-year history.
Among the highlights were these:
-- Departures exactly on-time :)00) were 70 percent, 14 percentage points
higher than the company''s previous high in 1999;
-- Departure completion was 99.2 percent, a figure that the company hasn''t
approached since 1995;
-- Arrivals on-time within 14 minutes of schedule were at 84 percent, six
points better than the previous high mark established in 1994;
-- All of these accomplishments came during a year when the company''s
overall load factor was 73.6 percent, the highest since 2000.
News releases and other information about United Airlines can be found at the company''s website, www.united.com .
CONTACT: Worldwide Communications for United Airlines, Media Relations Office, +1-847-700-5538, or Evenings/Weekends, +1-847-700-4088.
SOURCE United Airlines
CO: United Airlines
 
This just goes to show that the employees are doing their bit to out-perform the rest of the industry. Now it's up to management (with of course some additional help from the employees) to prove they can run a good airline.

No whining allowed!!!

Cheers,
Z
 
Congrats to all you hard working front liners at UA..Keep up the good work-you DO make a difference...We at AA will be right behind you-nippen at you heals for that #1 DOT spot...so watch out...Again..way to go UA..good luck and remember to please have fun....AC
 
We are number one at releasing the brakes before
departure time while sitting on the gate,or loading
bags in the alley.A company like UAL does not all
of a sudden show up in first place because management
came out and gave a couple of pep talks.From last place
to first place maybe it was magic pixie dust.The supervisor told 'well they all do it'.
 
No one should under estimate the drivers behind the results for 2002: the employees.

It's truly impressive that all of you can produce these results considering the situation.

I've said it many times - but as a frequent UA flyer...I've definitely noticed the team work and commitment to depart on-time.

This is no fluke.

Great job! I can't wait until UA emerges and y'all can say "told ya so" to all those who think UA is done for!

The skies of United are truly Friendly
 
[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/4/2003 2:00:48 AM wts54 wrote:

We are number one at releasing the brakes before
departure time while sitting on the gate,or loading
bags in the alley.----------------
[/blockquote]

wts54,

I beg to differ with you on that. I fly the line and it's very rare to see that. Quite simply it's the fact that the planes are being loaded on time that has garnered UAL the first place ranking. Everyone shares in this accomplishment. Things are definitely running smoother. It has now become a common mindset to strive get out on time if not 2-3 minutes early.

Hats off to everyone making it happen. Keep up the superb work.

Cheers,
Z
 
you are one pilot and i have a gaps machine and cameras
and can tell when the brakes have been reset and the flight shows it has departed but they are still loading
on the gate.it is routine for the ramp to call the zone controller and ask if the brakes are off so they can bring out a cart or two of bags to load.the ramp supervisor are constantly asking mechanics to call the cockpit to release brakes.maybe you dont do it but it is
fairly common practice.
also im not saying there is a lot of legitimate hard work
going on there is,but our ontime miracle is not all it seems.also the pilots get paid block to block isnt that correct? so there is incentive to go along with the program.
 
so its okay to fudge the ontime performance
is that what youre really saying? as long as the
ends justifies the means.would you feel the same way if
we repaired aircraft the same way?i dont think so.
cheating is okay as long as you get good results.
if you cant dispute the facts then i guess you
can attack me for telling the truth.
 
The bad side of on time departure is that you arrive before your estimated time of arrival. This happened to us on a couple of flights returning home. We arrived way before our arrival time so we had to wait for about 20 mins for a gate slot in Denver and 30 mins in SFO. Sitting on the tarmac for that long can get boring
 
[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/4/2003 12:39:51 PM Bizman wrote:

It doesn't make a bit of difference id you depart the gate late or early or load bags in the alley. The bottom line is if you arrive at your destination within 14 mins of the scheduled time.
----------------
[/blockquote]

I think DOT uses on-time departures, not arrivals, in the stats.
 
wts54 you have no proof that UA is fudging here. if it produces this dramatic of a result...why didn't they do it sooner?

if you've seen it under your watch...then i don't dispute you. but you're one person.

stop raining on some true good news when there ain't much to be happy about.
 
It doesn't make a bit of difference id you depart the gate late or early or load bags in the alley. The bottom line is if you arrive at your destination within 14 mins of the scheduled time.
 
Airline On-Time Statistics
Introduction / Methods & Limitations / Reports & Products / Searchable Database

Introduction
Purpose
These data are collected to assist consumers of air transportation in making decisions based on air carrier service quality.

Coverage Airlines
Currently, the on-time performance database tracks Alaska, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, TWA, United, and USAIR. These airlines account for more than 90% of domestic operating revenues. Each of these airlines earns 1% or more of total domestic scheduled passenger revenue; therefore Federal regulations require that they report on-time performance data.

Routes
The database covers the entire domestic system of the ten reporting airlines. Federal regulations require the ten airlines to report on operations to and from the 27 largest airports. The airlines voluntarily report on the rest.

Flights
As of January, 1995, all flights shown in the airlines' Computerized Reservation Systems (CRS) are tracked in the database for the purpose of determining what proportion of flights was on-time. This includes canceled and diverted flights as well as flights affected by mechanical problems. From September, 1987 to December, 1994, flight delays or cancellations due to mechanical problems were treated differently. If a mechanical problem caused a flight to be late or to be canceled, the flight was not reported. Definitions Scheduled departure and arrival times We use the times shown in the airlines' Computerized Reservation Systems (CRS). For the monthly summary data shown on the BTS web site, we use the departure and arrival time for the last flight of the month for that flight number. Note that flight schedules are subject to change. During the month, a given flight may operate at various times. Actual departure and arrival times Actual departure time is the time when the flight left the gate, the "gate departure time". Actual arrival time is the time the flight arrived at the gate, the "gate arrival time".

On-time flights
A flight is counted as "on time" if it arrived at the gate no more than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time shown in the carriers' Computerized Reservations Systems. Thus, neither diverted nor canceled flights count as " on-time Average minutes late." Canceled and diverted operations are counted as late, but they are not included in the calculation of average or median minutes late.

Frequency

U.S. DOT collects and publishes this information monthly. Generally, the data are released within 40 days after the end of the reporting month. For example, data for May, 1998 should be available by July 10, 1998.
 
[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/4/2003 2:00:48 AM wts54 wrote:

We are number one at releasing the brakes before
departure time while sitting on the gate,or loading
bags in the alley.A company like UAL does not all
of a sudden show up in first place because management
came out and gave a couple of pep talks.From last place
to first place maybe it was magic pixie dust.The supervisor told 'well they all do it'.
----------------
[/blockquote]

You are unbelievable!

There is rarely a flight these days where the door is not shut and the airplane not ready to depart 10 minutes before scheduled departure. Even if the jetway is pulled, the mechanics won't allow the brakes to be released while bags are being boarded. Usually we are so early that I find we are now scrambling in the cockpit to get our checklists done, because everyone is ready and waiting for us.

To every employee responsible for this amazing performance, THANK YOU! We deserve a moment of praise. Now let's just keep up the good work.

By the way, wts54, WN doesn't even use ACARS. They can write down whatever out and in times they want, yet we still beat their pants off.