Us Airways' Bag Handling Woes Started

[Harry Callahan]

This isnt just a PHL problem. With no or limited GSE and spares around, I keep seeing more and more equipment tagged out sitting with the hood up. Was coordinating the other day and kept hearing the bag room radio for someone to come get bags since the tug they were assigned wasnt working and they had no one to get the last bags out to the plane. Took several delays because of this. I know you cant go out and buy all new equipment while in bankruptcy, but other than having passengers take their bags to the gate and drop them down the jetway chute, I dont see how this is going to get better without spending some money on infrastructure to get things running again.

[post="257527"][/post]​

Eqp in CLT going down hill fast. Looks like we are working on catching up with PHL. I think it must be to lack of GSE to work on eqp. That's all I will say on a public board.

P.S. Sat night you should've seen the lines at the ticket counter with several late flts. inbd from the islands & no last bank of flts as well as all the overnight bags most of which missed. Oh well another Sat, night in CLT!

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

Bob, I'd like to meet you...I swear tyo God I really would. If you are ever passing thru El Paso (which is doubtful since USAirways doesn't fly here) holler and I'll drop what I am doing and take you out for some Mexican food. (the authentic variety).

Why would I want to meet you, you might ask? I just am having trouble visualizing someone who will completely overlook and discount the fact that his carrier of choice can't seem to get a passenger and his or her bag to the same destination at the same time on a regular basis....but will totally denigrate a carrier that offers passengers the opportunity to select their own seat once on the plane.

I guess it's all a matter of taste, and we've gone round-and-round on that issue. But I'm hear to tell you.....if my carrier of choice (according to Bob, the turd brown bus) developed a tendency to misplace my baggage (which I usually check without the slightest worry that the two of us won't arrive at the same place and time) then I would be upset, to put it mildly.

 

[whlinder]

If I have something that I need to absolutely have for a class that won't fit in my regular bag I ship it UPS or FedEx.

[post="257561"][/post]​

Maybe there is a new business opportunity for US. Pay an extra $20 or something per bag and get 'guaranteed' arrival for your bag. After all if you ship UPS overnight 'guaranteed' by 10:30 and it is late, you get a refund. Pay an extra $20 to guarantee the bag, if the bag doesn't make it you get your $20 back.

Maybe they will even give miles for use of this service.

 

[usairways_vote_NO]

I just am having trouble visualizing someone

[post="257562"][/post]​

There are pictures around.

One of the reasons I stay with US is my business travel patterns match up nearly identical with US's route structure and to go with another carrier is down right painful from a schedule and convienience point of view so I overlook the bag issues.

[post="257572"][/post]​

Glad the truth finally came out.. It isn't the service that you fly USAirways for it's really about you and convenience. I agree this is one time it should be about you. Why not just admit it and stop saying its something it isn't.

 

[Hope777]

The problem with GSE is simple, NO PREVENTITIVE MAINTENANCE.

They only work on Equipment ( if you want to call it that ) when it is broken. Our Outbound Baggage System has been operating on OVERRIDE for a long time now. Do you think they would fix it > > > > > N O ! ! !

 

[whlinder]

If US went out, I'd become Gold on 2 carriers and split the business equally.

[post="257579"][/post]​

What if some other carrier with different paint on the side of their planes had the same scope of operations from PHL? Would you still split your business or would this new airline get it all?

 

[Harry Callahan]

Probably still split it the first full year and then gradually shift it to the carrier that offered the best deal.

[post="257581"][/post]​

It's all about hte cheap fares. Who cares about the rest?

 

[tadjr]

I have flown through PHL 6 times in last few weeks and I have seen a significant improvement in operations, ramp work, and customer service. Not only is there more manpower, the company has added a lot of GSE.

[post="257528"][/post]​

6 times in a few weeks does not mean things are improving. You just hit them on good days.
Flight tonight arrived (ON TIME!) from PHL, but we soon found out why when about 50 people were missing bags. Between all the cities (CLT was doing a great job today as well), we were up over 150 claims today again with 250 bags missing as of 730pm.
Someone has got to get a handle on the baggage problem systemwide or we might as well just pay people to check bags and tell them to come pick them up whenever they arrive. The average delivery charge for each claim in TPA was $20 and the first half of the month we were close to $25000 in deliveries and expenses from what one of the baggage service guys told me. :down:

 

[Finish or Ignore]

US Airways' bag handling woes started before holiday

USA320Pilot comments: I am sure the usual crowd will focus on the negative, but there is good news in this column. US Airways spokesman David Castelveter says the airline has since hired 450 new ramp workers and is still hiring in Philadelphia, Washington and Charlotte. It raised the minimum wage for bag handlers in Philadelphia and Washington by $2 an hour to $9.59. Last month, it installed a new management team at Philadelphia, led by a 36-year US Airways veteran.

Reducing luggage losses "is a priority," Castelveter says.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

[post="257463"][/post]​

You are very opinionated for someone that has never worked a baggage service shift. Please try to see the following as truth rather than negative:
We have been getting our asses handed to us since W/G built PHL up. Lots of LIP SERVICE but no action to truly fix the problem. My fellow employees were blamed in the media and Mr. Intergrity (Bruce L) can apologize in the media. But he won't. Makes no difference to me but don't look for any attitude changes. Do you know what a TRACK RECORD is? Crelin and Paladini have one!

 

[700UW]

No vendors will extend credit to get parts to fix all the broken ground equipment, cash only basis.

The vendor in CLT that supplied the company with tires for the ground equipment came in on day one of bankruptcy and took all the tires back so they would not get burned with US not paying them once again.