American plans hourly flights on New York-LA route

[nycbusdriver]

How about hourly service to LHR too? Twice as many ETOPS! Sucks for non revving though.

Just curious...

How would additional flights "suck for non revving"?

Sure there were gates like that. Problem is if the crew overshoots the line they cant see you have to reposition the plane with a tractor. That can take up to 1/2 a hour. What happens is as soon as he stops everyone moves in and starts doing their thing, loaders, catering etc then you have to locate a tractor and bar, get everyone clear, get all the passengers reseated and move the plane a foot or two back.

Possible, not practical.

It really is practical if the ground crew is on top of their game. Not sure what the AA procedure is, but no vehicle should approach the aircraft until the marshaller gives an "all clear" signal. If the airplane is not on the correct spot, then the signal should not be given.

In my experience (at that "other" airline), after parking I have to wait for ground power while the rampers hook up the tow bar (which mystifies me because it won't be needed for at least 45 minutes). And, there is usually a tug sitting right there. Given that circumstance, the irplane could be moved to the correct spot with the tug almost immediately (this assumes that AA rampers are actually allowed to operate the tug and push an airplane. If AA requires calling out someone who is not also meeting the airplane, e.g. a mechanic, then a half hour might be optimistic.)

As absolutely screwed up as the "other airline's" domestic operation can get, it is extremely rare that the BOS-LGA-DCA Shuttle gets the short shrift on aircraft service. They go to great pains to make that Shuttle operate like a fine-tuned Swiss watch, and the focus of the managers on the Shuttle is almost obsessive. If AA really wants the JFK-LAX operation to be a "shuttle," then they might examine the "other airline's" Shuttle play book, and take heed. Just my $0.02.

 

[mstrmoe]

They've finally sneaked photos out of Hamburg, here's the first one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90450092@N05/10359392465/

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

The lead flight attendant on the A321T will be a purser position, the first of its kind on a narrowbody a/c... so flight service is recruiting new NYC and LAX crewmembers to become purser qualified, even among the new hires! It's exciting, I'm thinking of submitting a proffer for it.

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

After I become Airbus qualified, of course...

 

[jimntx]

The lead flight attendant on the A321T will be a purser position, the first of its kind on a narrowbody a/c... so flight service is recruiting new NYC and LAX crewmembers to become purser qualified, even among the new hires! It's exciting, I'm thinking of submitting a proffer for it.

I'm assuming you meant the first of its kind at AA. TWA had pursers on narrowbodies--such as the 757--for years.

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

I stand corrected-- I didn't know that. Was it all 757 flights, or only intl?

 

[IORFA]

AA has pursers on the 757 everyday. It's called the 757 from LAX to Hawaii! Nothing new here. Up to 9 flights a day. Not including real international flights to Europe and South America.

 

[737823]

And domestic transcons ie BOS-LAX, MIA-LAX/SFO are 757s have purser position.

Josh

 

[737823]

The lead flight attendant on the A321T will be a purser position, the first of its kind on a narrowbody a/c... so flight service is recruiting new NYC and LAX crewmembers to become purser qualified, even among the new hires! It's exciting, I'm thinking of submitting a proffer for it.

Pretty sure all new hires are pursuer qualified or at least have the option as part of training.

Josh

 

[IORFA]

As far as I know, BOS/MIA-LAX/SFO on the 757 do NOT have pursers. Just a regular F/A. They may be a purser, but the position doesn't require a purser. Also, the new hires are absolutely NOT coming out of training purser qualified. There is a process to be selected and not everyone can do it. You must pass an assessment first. Then 2 weeks of training. I've heard new hires are getting the proffers to take the assessments, but that is just because people don't want the position. You used to have to have a year seniority at least. If I recall correctly. Which they should. There is no way a new hire is going to come in and be able to succeed in the position without understanding the job and position first.

 

[737823]

Thanks IOR. Many of the MIA F/As wear the pursuer name tag on those flights but that makes sense.

Josh

 

[kirkpatrick]

I'm assuming you meant the first of its kind at AA. TWA had pursers on narrowbodies--such as the 757--for years.

Jim, I'm going to try to clarify some things here and include comments made in subsequent posts. TWA always had pursers on every international flight (as does AA) no matter what the aircraft size. Even back when we had 727's based in Europe for intra-European flying. When widebodies came out in 1970 there were briefly two pursers, one who was strictly in charge of First Class and another for the announcements, duty free, everything on the rest of the plane. The senior purser's designation was changed to Flight Service Manager, or FSM, but this was not a management position.

Icahn did away with the purser position in 1986, leaving the FSM. For a brief time, just a couple of years, all narrowbody aircraft, both domestic and international, had FSMs. TWA FSMs were a separate category and you couldn't pick up a FA trip if you were an FSM. You could transfer back and forth but it was like bidding bases. There was a separate pay scale, not an override.

When the 757 came out the union argued that it was just about the same size as the 767 so it should have an FSM, and the company agreed. So after the brief few years in the late eighties where every narrowbody had an FSM in the last years only the 757 and widebodies did.

May be a bit more info than asked for, but I think I pretty much covered it.

MK

 

[kirkpatrick]

Pretty sure all new hires are pursuer qualified or at least have the option as part of training.

Josh

No, newhires are not qualified and have no such option. As stated in a later post, you need a year, but the company can draft if they don't get enough proffers. I understand newhires are doing this in IMA since they have such a shortage, but I'll have to look into it.

It says something when the company cannot find people to do the purser job. Perhaps cutting the pay as they've done makes the added responsibility not worth it? If they want qualified people to run the show they'll have to be willing to pay a bit more.

MK

 

[jimntx]

Jim, I'm going to try to clarify some things here and include comments made in subsequent posts. TWA always had pursers on every international flight (as does AA) no matter what the aircraft size. Even back when we had 727's based in Europe for intra-European flying. When widebodies came out in 1970 there were briefly two pursers, one who was strictly in charge of First Class and another for the announcements, duty free, everything on the rest of the plane. The senior purser's designation was changed to Flight Service Manager, or FSM, but this was not a management position.

Icahn did away with the purser position in 1986, leaving the FSM. For a brief time, just a couple of years, all narrowbody aircraft, both domestic and international, had FSMs. TWA FSMs were a separate category and you couldn't pick up a FA trip if you were an FSM. You could transfer back and forth but it was like bidding bases. There was a separate pay scale, not an override.

When the 757 came out the union argued that it was just about the same size as the 767 so it should have an FSM, and the company agreed. So after the brief few years in the late eighties where every narrowbody had an FSM in the last years only the 757 and widebodies did.

May be a bit more info than asked for, but I think I pretty much covered it.

MK

Thanks, MK. I never knew exactly how that worked. However, whether you call it a purser, a Flight Service Manager (which, of course, at AA is a totally different job), or an Onboard Service Leader (DL), the job duties are still what we would call a purser, are they not?

Oh, and IORFA, thanks for the input about the 757s to Hawaii. Since we still fly only the 767s from DFW, I completely forgot about the West Coast 757s to HI. Considering that Southwest is going to be flying 73s from the West Coast within a year or two, I should have remembered that the 75 can also make the trip.

 

[jimntx]

Pretty sure all new hires are pursuer qualified or at least have the option as part of training.

Josh

Definitely sure that you are really wrong.