MarkMyWords
Veteran
- Aug 20, 2002
- 1,900
- 1
Well.....I have tried every avenue available to try and make my point to no avail. Now I will just vent and solicite the opinions of the people on here. Hopefully a collective voice will ring louder and with more reason then just one, since my concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
Background:
Back on Aug 21st we had a discussion on here about the reconfigureation of the 757's from 24/158 to 8/185. The configuration process was supposed to start on Oct 28th. Due to longer then anticipated conversions on the airbuses the the conversion start date was pushed back. Then with the grounding of the Airbuses due to the S Checks the plan was put on indefinite hold.
Well, guess what? Someone has determined that it is now prudent to get these airplanes in and reconfigure them ASAP. Roll out of the first aircraft is schedule on or about Dec 15th......JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY RUSH! Conversions will take about 2 days per aircaft.
Here is the problem:
When the original plan was drawn up, we had 60 days until the conversion was supposed to start. Inventory Services was on board with the plan and ALL 757 flying was capped at 8 customers from Oct 28th on. This would mean that there would be few, if any, instances where we would end up with an 8 seat f/c 757 and more then 8 customers.
When the plan was delayed and scrapped all 757 bookings were reset to 24. In the process we also announced a fare sale valid until Jan 30, 2004 for seats to destinations such as LAS (which currently has 10 flights a day on 757's).
On, or about, Dec 1st it was announced that we would start the reconfiguration on the 757's starting Dec 15th! Inventory levels have once again been re-adjusted and capped at 8....but it is a little late for that since much of the bookings for the peak holiday travel are already sold.
Here in lies the problem. On many flights we are already booked in excess of 8 customer in the first class cabin. As more and more airplanes start to fly with the reconfigured cabins, the possibility of them flying flights that are over 8 increases. It is marketing and inventories contention that if they start with the overwater sub fleet, that it will lessen the likelyhood of them flying routes to LAS or similarly booked markets. What Marketing and Inventory don't realize is that in the airport and operations environment, the fleets are interchangable and will be cross utilized according to maintenance needs or during irregular operations and recovery. By Christmas there will be approx 5 reconfigured airplanes flying, and by the end of the holiday season, there could be 11 reconfigured airplanes (on third of the fleet) flying.
Now imagine you are a customer (or a Director, VP or Dave) and you have booked yoru holiday travel and decided to treat yourself to first class seats. You are booked in row 5 with your family and are anticipating a great trip to Disney on a US B757. On the day of departure the departure station reinitializes the seat map for the reconifigured 757. Since first is booked to 16, 8 names end up on the unhonored seat list, meaning the customers can not be reseated in the cabin or seat type they were originally assigned. In this instance it will require the agent doing the seat map reconfiguration to reassign seats to customers on the unhonored seat list. How do you decide who stays in f/c and who goes? What happens if they fail to adjust the PNR's for those that are bumped out immediately after the reconfiguration? It is possible that this family of 4 could be seperated, in center seats, scattered around the cabin.
My questions are, Why are we doing this with such little notice or planning? Why are we doing this right over the peak holiday travel season? How are we going to ensure that these customers are properly taken care of and fairly compensated for thier inconvenience?
I see so many potentials for problems it is freightening. When I have brought this to the attention of various departments the common response is, "We are well aware of the problems." There is no talk about what the solutions are. There are no answers. So here are these bright and brilliant people :down: in their cozy offices in CCY and INT making these great plans and who will bear the brunt of it? The Customer Service Agents. I can't begin to phathom the notion of standing in front of 16 people and tellign them that I can not provide you with the level of service that you expected.....here is your upgrade certificate back....sorry. When this happens, comp upgrade or not, it is like taking someones first born child!
How could it have been handled differently?
I am glad you asked.
Why didn't we postpone the conversion 2 weeks? This would mean that through the heaviest trvel dates the most we would have had to worry about is 2-3 converted airplanes, versus 10-11. The bulk of the conversion coudl then take place during the lull after the holidays and authorization levels could have been lowered well in advance of the planned conversion dates, thus allowing for fewer oversales.
I have agreed with the decision to convert the 757's to the high density configuration, I do think it is the right thing to do, especially in the florida and carribean markets. My concern is more for LAS and the bookings that are already on as a result of the fare sale. With 10 flights a day it will be harder and harder to keep those airplanes out of the LAS market over the holidays. Once the holidays are over, there is a lesser chance of being booked over 8 in almost all markets.
In past years we have blocked XX number of first class seats and overbooked coach by XX customers. On the day of departure we "rolled" customers into f/c on an as needed basis to ensure the flight went out full. I ask you, wouldn't it make more sense to take that approach this year and make 16 customers happy with their "gift" upgrade, or to piss them off by taking something away from them! I realize there is an urgency to get the planes reconfigured for the rush to Florid and the Island over spring break and presidents day weekend, but at what cost over the Christmas and New Years time frame. Couldn't there have been a way to shcedule to work to take advantage of the lull after the holidays? Perhaps reconfiguring 2 airplanes at a time - 1 in CLT and 1 in PIT?
I have tried to no avail to get my concerns heard......I am frustrated and angry at the piss poor planning and lack of concern for the customers we have promised a service to. Are we just looking for ways to tick more people off?
We can't plan for a snow storm we knew was coming and we can't plan for a reconfiguration that was on again, off again since Aug. Does anyone in CCY know how to plan anything besides conference calls and concessionary contract talks? :angry: :angry: :angry:
Background:
Back on Aug 21st we had a discussion on here about the reconfigureation of the 757's from 24/158 to 8/185. The configuration process was supposed to start on Oct 28th. Due to longer then anticipated conversions on the airbuses the the conversion start date was pushed back. Then with the grounding of the Airbuses due to the S Checks the plan was put on indefinite hold.
Well, guess what? Someone has determined that it is now prudent to get these airplanes in and reconfigure them ASAP. Roll out of the first aircraft is schedule on or about Dec 15th......JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY RUSH! Conversions will take about 2 days per aircaft.
Here is the problem:
When the original plan was drawn up, we had 60 days until the conversion was supposed to start. Inventory Services was on board with the plan and ALL 757 flying was capped at 8 customers from Oct 28th on. This would mean that there would be few, if any, instances where we would end up with an 8 seat f/c 757 and more then 8 customers.
When the plan was delayed and scrapped all 757 bookings were reset to 24. In the process we also announced a fare sale valid until Jan 30, 2004 for seats to destinations such as LAS (which currently has 10 flights a day on 757's).
On, or about, Dec 1st it was announced that we would start the reconfiguration on the 757's starting Dec 15th! Inventory levels have once again been re-adjusted and capped at 8....but it is a little late for that since much of the bookings for the peak holiday travel are already sold.
Here in lies the problem. On many flights we are already booked in excess of 8 customer in the first class cabin. As more and more airplanes start to fly with the reconfigured cabins, the possibility of them flying flights that are over 8 increases. It is marketing and inventories contention that if they start with the overwater sub fleet, that it will lessen the likelyhood of them flying routes to LAS or similarly booked markets. What Marketing and Inventory don't realize is that in the airport and operations environment, the fleets are interchangable and will be cross utilized according to maintenance needs or during irregular operations and recovery. By Christmas there will be approx 5 reconfigured airplanes flying, and by the end of the holiday season, there could be 11 reconfigured airplanes (on third of the fleet) flying.
Now imagine you are a customer (or a Director, VP or Dave) and you have booked yoru holiday travel and decided to treat yourself to first class seats. You are booked in row 5 with your family and are anticipating a great trip to Disney on a US B757. On the day of departure the departure station reinitializes the seat map for the reconifigured 757. Since first is booked to 16, 8 names end up on the unhonored seat list, meaning the customers can not be reseated in the cabin or seat type they were originally assigned. In this instance it will require the agent doing the seat map reconfiguration to reassign seats to customers on the unhonored seat list. How do you decide who stays in f/c and who goes? What happens if they fail to adjust the PNR's for those that are bumped out immediately after the reconfiguration? It is possible that this family of 4 could be seperated, in center seats, scattered around the cabin.
My questions are, Why are we doing this with such little notice or planning? Why are we doing this right over the peak holiday travel season? How are we going to ensure that these customers are properly taken care of and fairly compensated for thier inconvenience?
I see so many potentials for problems it is freightening. When I have brought this to the attention of various departments the common response is, "We are well aware of the problems." There is no talk about what the solutions are. There are no answers. So here are these bright and brilliant people :down: in their cozy offices in CCY and INT making these great plans and who will bear the brunt of it? The Customer Service Agents. I can't begin to phathom the notion of standing in front of 16 people and tellign them that I can not provide you with the level of service that you expected.....here is your upgrade certificate back....sorry. When this happens, comp upgrade or not, it is like taking someones first born child!
How could it have been handled differently?
I am glad you asked.
Why didn't we postpone the conversion 2 weeks? This would mean that through the heaviest trvel dates the most we would have had to worry about is 2-3 converted airplanes, versus 10-11. The bulk of the conversion coudl then take place during the lull after the holidays and authorization levels could have been lowered well in advance of the planned conversion dates, thus allowing for fewer oversales. I have agreed with the decision to convert the 757's to the high density configuration, I do think it is the right thing to do, especially in the florida and carribean markets. My concern is more for LAS and the bookings that are already on as a result of the fare sale. With 10 flights a day it will be harder and harder to keep those airplanes out of the LAS market over the holidays. Once the holidays are over, there is a lesser chance of being booked over 8 in almost all markets.
In past years we have blocked XX number of first class seats and overbooked coach by XX customers. On the day of departure we "rolled" customers into f/c on an as needed basis to ensure the flight went out full. I ask you, wouldn't it make more sense to take that approach this year and make 16 customers happy with their "gift" upgrade, or to piss them off by taking something away from them! I realize there is an urgency to get the planes reconfigured for the rush to Florid and the Island over spring break and presidents day weekend, but at what cost over the Christmas and New Years time frame. Couldn't there have been a way to shcedule to work to take advantage of the lull after the holidays? Perhaps reconfiguring 2 airplanes at a time - 1 in CLT and 1 in PIT?
I have tried to no avail to get my concerns heard......I am frustrated and angry at the piss poor planning and lack of concern for the customers we have promised a service to. Are we just looking for ways to tick more people off?
We can't plan for a snow storm we knew was coming and we can't plan for a reconfiguration that was on again, off again since Aug. Does anyone in CCY know how to plan anything besides conference calls and concessionary contract talks? :angry: :angry: :angry:
