Aim for the stars
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MCD
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Hi Everyone,
Morgan Durrant from corporate communications here. I'm posting a statement that we'll be sending to media outlets that picked up this unfortunate Associated Press story:
The Phoenix, Ariz. bureau of the Associated Press reported late Friday afternoon that US Airways expects 40 percent of its flights to depart late during the upcoming Holiday season. Regrettably, the story was based on an internal recognition program designed to motivate all the airline's 36,000 employees to focus on getting flights departed precisely on-time.
The program, dubbed "Holiday Hustle," pays all US employees $50 when 60 percent of its scheduled flights depart precisely on-time during November. The media outlet mischaracterizes the 60 percent goal as the airline's planned operation rather than an internal goal that if reached, could help the airline achieve its on-time arrival goal of 79.5 percent.
Travelers know that an on-time departure does not guarantee an on-time arrival given weather delays, air traffic congestion delays and other uncontrollable events that can occur along the way. The media outlet accurately cites the airline's November and December 2006 on-time departures (53 and 47 percent, respectively) as evidence of this fact as US Airways' on-time arrivals during November and December 2006 averaged 73 percent.
With an internal goal of 60 percent precisely on-time departures, the airline hopes to achieve 79.5 percent on-time arrivals during November. The 79.5 percent on-time arrival rate is the airline's planned operational goal, and it is currently exceeding that goal in November with arrivals at 82.5 percent on-time.
Morgan Durrant from corporate communications here. I'm posting a statement that we'll be sending to media outlets that picked up this unfortunate Associated Press story:
The Phoenix, Ariz. bureau of the Associated Press reported late Friday afternoon that US Airways expects 40 percent of its flights to depart late during the upcoming Holiday season. Regrettably, the story was based on an internal recognition program designed to motivate all the airline's 36,000 employees to focus on getting flights departed precisely on-time.
The program, dubbed "Holiday Hustle," pays all US employees $50 when 60 percent of its scheduled flights depart precisely on-time during November. The media outlet mischaracterizes the 60 percent goal as the airline's planned operation rather than an internal goal that if reached, could help the airline achieve its on-time arrival goal of 79.5 percent.
Travelers know that an on-time departure does not guarantee an on-time arrival given weather delays, air traffic congestion delays and other uncontrollable events that can occur along the way. The media outlet accurately cites the airline's November and December 2006 on-time departures (53 and 47 percent, respectively) as evidence of this fact as US Airways' on-time arrivals during November and December 2006 averaged 73 percent.
With an internal goal of 60 percent precisely on-time departures, the airline hopes to achieve 79.5 percent on-time arrivals during November. The 79.5 percent on-time arrival rate is the airline's planned operational goal, and it is currently exceeding that goal in November with arrivals at 82.5 percent on-time.
CynicalResAgent
Veteran
This quote had me LMAO....
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, an advocacy group, said the US Airways goal "certainly doesn't suggest there is much to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas."
His advice to travelers: "Really lower your expectations and build a lot of time into it, because it's going to be ugly in certain circumstances."
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, an advocacy group, said the US Airways goal "certainly doesn't suggest there is much to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas."
His advice to travelers: "Really lower your expectations and build a lot of time into it, because it's going to be ugly in certain circumstances."
Travelpro72
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Just wait and see how smooth Philly runs this holiday season with nobody working. Aaaaaaahahahahaha......MANAGEMENT has done it to themselves. Ramp, inflight, maintenance and others are all pissed and pretty much OVER it.
No answer Morgan????
jerseyfinn
Senior
I don't disagree that Tempe is an inept bunch of managers. And as usual, they've managed to stumble when they mis-speak and are subsequently misinterpreted in the media. But then again, that's what happens when you regularly lie to the public and employees and your words are no longer listened to or trusted.
So Tempe simply speaks out loud about the holiday period and an internal company conversation turns public. From a pax perspective, it's no surprise to any of us that T-Day weekend is monster period to fly. Delays? Bad Weather? Possible Snow? Lost Bags? Gee, I didn't know that this happens on T-Day :huh: . I also didn't think that US had the delay market cornered over all of the competition -- though I absolutely suspect that US lies near the bottom of the bottom-dwellers.
OK, they have a program called Holiday Hustle. In other words, they're dangling a carrot in front of the mules. So if I'm hearing this thing right and reading the links correctly, Tempe is saying hit 60% in November ( while actually aspiring much higher numbers ) and we'll pay each of you $50. Hit the lost bags target and you all get another $50. BFD! What's the problem with this? Not exactly profit sharing, but if I see a $50 bill laying on the floor, I'm gonna pick it up.
I fully understand the transparancy of Tempe's disrespect towards both you guys and we pax. But you know what? Change has gotta start somewhere. If Tempe thinks they're more clever than you, so what? Hit and exceed that target and take the damned money! You get cash, and we pax get up and flying on time or something close to it during a crappy holidy period. Sure, DP and gang are gonna wink at each other and smile and take all the credit.
But it doesn't change my own opinion of Tempe ( or yours ). It does however make my travel managable and you make a few extra bucks. Life sucks, doesn't it? Now so long as I keep flying with you guys, I'm not gonna stop letting Tempe know what I really think about them. Likewise you folks gotta keep giving employee feedback to seemingly deaf ears and filling out the maintaince forms for broken seats and all of the other crap that's going wrong because Tempe can't manage ops or figure out how to merge airlines. Nothing wrong with holding a doubtful, or an irksome opinion of Tempe. But cynicism is poisonous and it will follow you to the ticket counters and into the cabins. That you can not blame Tempe for.
Let's hope that the weekend goes well and that the weather gods are kind to ops. Take their money and do what you can to improve ops. Parker ain't gonna change, but time will catch up with him. We just don't know when or whether it'll just be him and his team, or the entire airline which takes the big hit.
Hey, T-Day is a day to cook a turkey. Maybe we can roast DP. What do you stuff him with?
Barry
So Tempe simply speaks out loud about the holiday period and an internal company conversation turns public. From a pax perspective, it's no surprise to any of us that T-Day weekend is monster period to fly. Delays? Bad Weather? Possible Snow? Lost Bags? Gee, I didn't know that this happens on T-Day :huh: . I also didn't think that US had the delay market cornered over all of the competition -- though I absolutely suspect that US lies near the bottom of the bottom-dwellers.
OK, they have a program called Holiday Hustle. In other words, they're dangling a carrot in front of the mules. So if I'm hearing this thing right and reading the links correctly, Tempe is saying hit 60% in November ( while actually aspiring much higher numbers ) and we'll pay each of you $50. Hit the lost bags target and you all get another $50. BFD! What's the problem with this? Not exactly profit sharing, but if I see a $50 bill laying on the floor, I'm gonna pick it up.
I fully understand the transparancy of Tempe's disrespect towards both you guys and we pax. But you know what? Change has gotta start somewhere. If Tempe thinks they're more clever than you, so what? Hit and exceed that target and take the damned money! You get cash, and we pax get up and flying on time or something close to it during a crappy holidy period. Sure, DP and gang are gonna wink at each other and smile and take all the credit.
But it doesn't change my own opinion of Tempe ( or yours ). It does however make my travel managable and you make a few extra bucks. Life sucks, doesn't it? Now so long as I keep flying with you guys, I'm not gonna stop letting Tempe know what I really think about them. Likewise you folks gotta keep giving employee feedback to seemingly deaf ears and filling out the maintaince forms for broken seats and all of the other crap that's going wrong because Tempe can't manage ops or figure out how to merge airlines. Nothing wrong with holding a doubtful, or an irksome opinion of Tempe. But cynicism is poisonous and it will follow you to the ticket counters and into the cabins. That you can not blame Tempe for.
Let's hope that the weekend goes well and that the weather gods are kind to ops. Take their money and do what you can to improve ops. Parker ain't gonna change, but time will catch up with him. We just don't know when or whether it'll just be him and his team, or the entire airline which takes the big hit.
Hey, T-Day is a day to cook a turkey. Maybe we can roast DP. What do you stuff him with?
Barry
longing4piedmont
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I would expect big delays and cancellations, flight crews are not to happy these days, Have a good holiday
The Mechanics are certianly going to make sure that this is a bad holiday travel period and nobody can do anything but grin and bear it.
Dog Wonder
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The 'goal' for hubs is even lower than 60%.
MCD
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iwantout - check your PM. Thanks, Morgan
bagchucker
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I would expect big delays and cancellations, flight crews are not to happy these days, Have a good holiday
Sounds like S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedures) based on our perpetually lame operational numbers...holiday or no holiday, the public knows what to expect when they fly US. Happy holidays!
legacy-to-LCC
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this remark is spot on! well said!
the collective hubris of tempe, however, prevents them from recognizing this reality...so, they locate the blame elsewhere.
it's really disgusting, actually.
CynicalResAgent
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What company aspires to be in the 60 percent range?Where these folks happy to get thru college with a 2.0 GPA? Why have no other airlines announced that they are going to have such lame service this holiday season. As a consumer this pisses me off, I purchased a ticket for thanksgiving and being that I had to fly STL to CLT my nonstop choices were AA connection or US and as reluctant as I was to buy a ticket on US the times for US were better and allowed me to stay longer with my family in CLT.
So how I feel is that if/when my flight is delayed the US response will be, well we told you it would be delayed last week what do you want us to do about it now. What a lame prognostication. The DOT should fine them if they are so pathetic that they can project delays for no good reason a week in advance.... Is this what they brought Isom on board for?
So how I feel is that if/when my flight is delayed the US response will be, well we told you it would be delayed last week what do you want us to do about it now. What a lame prognostication. The DOT should fine them if they are so pathetic that they can project delays for no good reason a week in advance.... Is this what they brought Isom on board for?
