Another Shining Moment in PHL Today.

[Dorf]

He wouldn't be related to Ensign Parker from "Mchale's Navy"?

It's beginning to look that way! LOL

 

[crushed]

Let see who's job is it to make sure PHL has enough employees, equipment and who's job is it to "manage" the employees?

That's what nobody seems to understand.

THEY DON"T CARE!!

I came to PHL from another station years and years ago.
PHL has never had equipment.

Everyone knows this.
Without equipment it doesn't matter how many people you have working the ramp......you can't run bags without a tug!
(Although you will see agents runnig bags on beltloaders all the time- against company policy- making it work in PHL in spite of corporate neglect)

Unless the "TUG" company only cranks out 1 tug a week there is NO EXCUSE for the company to make 305 million and Philly STILL doesn't have equiptment!

Employees have biched, Passengers have bitched but nothing changes .......WHY?
Because the powers that be still get the $$$$!

HQ doesn't care how bad you PHL experience is.....they stilll get paid....and blame the demoalized workers.

My $.02

 

[Old PSA]

The company will be adding 30 shift managers to PHL (if they can find them). Seems the perspective from the top is that union member leads/supervisors aren't all leading and directing. Some are them are doing an outstanding job but sadly many have either given up or really don't care and their teams performances show it. The managers will be there to ensure the staff is getting the job done. Also, PHL continues to have open hiring for the ramp by the recruiting department. It has been tough going. They even raised the starting pay for PHL. Interview 100 to get 10 to start the hiring process and 4 make it to the start of training and hopefully 2-3 to actually make it to the ramp.

 

[ONT_CP]

I can say I avoid PHL except when visiting my family down in NJ. I am scared now that the liquids can not be carried on and thinking of shipping my liquids or things i can not carry on and shipping it back. Why? After a red-eye I do not want to be pissed waiting for 1 hour for my bags.. which will happen.

I NEVER have this issue at PHX, ONT, or other airports (even CLT).. but PHL is the worst.. It was even like this in 1998 and has only gotten WORSE!!

From a CP/Customer... I try to fly UA whenever I go to PHL, even though it is a US hub...

 

[gso-crew]

Hmmmmm......Saturday night in PHL.....The most junior of the junior workforce.
This is what they want.....This is the future!
This is where their 305 million profit comes from!
PHL-GSO?
That's Express.....contracted out....worked by people that mainline won't hire. And we'll hire ANYONE!

From what I understand mainline will not run the bags over to express for loading. Remarks in computer show that express agents count the bags and hold the flight until they receive them. After about 45 mins to an hour they have to let the aircraft go. They document it blow by blow in the flight history.

 

[BoeingBoy]

From what I understand mainline will not run the bags over to express for loading.

Not to be picky, and I certainly don't know the answer, but is it will not or is it cannot?

Will not implies that there is the ability (people/equipment) to do something but it is purposely not done.

Can not implies the inability to accomplish a task because of lack of people/equipment.

I know that it really doesn't matter from the customer's perspective - the result is the same. But when it's time to affix blame or determine corrective actions, there is a big difference.

Jim

 

[sharktooth]

Many of the workers there DO NOT CARE.

A push-back should not have occurred until all bags were loaded. period.

The "Captain" is responsible for baggage, per L. Hogg. As further clarified by the Chief Pilot of PHL, if that means the entry door must stay open to "monitor" loading, then, so be it.

While not solely responsible, the flight deck crew could have insured the bag loading operation completed.

It has been suggested that the flight deck crew call once, then wait. Since mgmt seems to not actually do anything until "late departures", perhaps that might be the only way to get PHL mgmt. to clean up their act.

While waiting, perhaps there might be time to write down the particulars for Doogie, et. al.

 

[diogenes]

Considering mainline/express bag transfers happen in CLT, PIT, LGA, PHX, etc. it's hard to imagine a contractual or physical barrier to mainline/express transfers in PHL.

Could someone in the know elaborate?

And I know from a contractual point, mainline employees cannot refuse to transfer or receive the bags.

Plus, for Pete's sake, interline transfers happen all the time!

 

[Career Reserve]

Are you saying that I might work for CO. No I work for good old US and The situation happened exactly as it was stated. Also as for you 700, don't tell me what happened or what didn't happen. They CLEARLY knew the bags were there and were told about them. The ramp cleared as soon as the aircraft was pushed. The bags were then taken and moved between a tug and belt loader. As for why the documents were placed in the suitcase is not important. What kind of documents they were is beyond me. The guy was in uniform and clearly was worried about them being left. This happens everyday. I clearly posted a disgusting situation at PHL that happenens on a daily basis by inept low paid workers that DONT CARE. pushing back airplane while playing drums with their sticks listening to their ipods for showing up for work. Yeah whatever.

Travelpro72
I believe you because I have witnessed the same type of disregard for our customer's bags every time I come through PhL. I have seen ramp agents (new ones)* wearing only a wife beater shirt while working out on the ramp. The uniform shirt is tossed to the side. As they leave the ramp it's rolled into a ball and held in their hands. So much for security.
I would not have guessed that they worked for us based on what they wear: the big baggy black pants that come mid calf with white socks and no shirt, except the white sleeveless undershirt.
*I say new because in more than 18 years with this company I never witnessed anyone with any kind of "time" blantantly disregard the company uniform standards.
Wait, do we still have those? Maybe not.
Don't even get me started with how long any aircraft has to wait for someone to show up and load the plane. Last month I put in 3 holding claims for the f/a's. We will get paid while waiting for the "on time performers" to catch up!

A push-back should not have occurred until all bags were loaded. period.

I bet the company wants that "on time performance" so that's why the pilot pushed back.

 

[crushed]

mainline will not run the bags over to express for loading. Remarks in computer show that express agents count the bags and hold the flight until they receive them.

Not "WILL NOT" it's "CANNOT"
Bags runners in PHL have to wait up to 45 mins after their flight gets in for another runner to return with a tug so they can run their flight....NOT ENOUGH TUGS!

Almost 50% of the connecting bags for an Express flight come from OTHER EXPRESS flights.....the contract ramp runs these themselves. Are you sure all the missing bags are coming from mainline?

Yes, we do have some agents that don't care....they have nothing invested and no chance of a future with this company so why should they?

 

[gso-crew]

All we can go by are the remarks put in the computer by the express staff in PHL and what the psgrs tell us. One day psgrs will report that the bags set beside the aircraft and no one loaded them. The next day a flight sets at the gate and the gate agent puts remarks in that the flight is being held for an hour waiting for the mainline bags to be brought over, finally being pushed without them.

The other day we were missed a bunch of PHL bags and PHL was contacted, a mainline agent searched and found them. They had missed three flights. Arrangements were made to put them on a 1040 pm flight. He was ask to not set them up on an oversold flight leaving an hour and a half earlier because we know they wouldn't fit ...... well guess what, they put them on the full flight and of course all of them wouldn't fit and they left about 35 bags off the 8 pm departure, that belonged to the psgrs onboard the 8 pm departure. Needless to say it double our problems.

I can't figure out why no one can fix it, it's been going on for years and PHL is a major market for us.

 

[crushed]

All we can go by are the remarks put in the computer by the express staff in PHL and what the psgrs tell us.

Well if those two reliable sorces say it's Mainline's fault.....it must be.

One day psgrs will report that the bags set beside the aircraft and no one loaded them.

EXPRESS employees load their flights.

The next day a flight sets at the gate and the gate agent puts remarks in that the flight is being held for an hour waiting for the mainline bags to be brought over, finally being pushed without them.

Example: If there is a gate change in PHL the Express employees won't move the bags from the old gate to the new. They are mad that mainline took over the bag room and running connecting bags to mainline. This is why all work should be done by one employees group. Mainline and Contract workers don't mix.

The other day we were missed a bunch of PHL bags and PHL was contacted, a mainline agent searched and found them. They had missed three flights. Arrangements were made to put them on a 1040 pm flight. He was ask to not set them up on an oversold flight leaving an hour and a half earlier because we know they wouldn't fit ...... well guess what, they put them on the full flight and of course all of them wouldn't fit and they left about 35 bags off the 8 pm departure, that belonged to the psgrs onboard the 8 pm departure. Needless to say it double our problems.

Again....Express loads the bags on their flights. We have no control over which bags they load. After evey flight bank we find carts of unloaded bags on the express ramp....and yet it was a MAINLINE employee that helped you locate the bags.


I can't figure out why no one can fix it, it's been going on for years and PHL is a major market for us.

Management CAN fix it.....they chose not to.....we see it everyday.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Unless the "TUG" company only cranks out 1 tug a week there is NO EXCUSE for the company to make 305 million and Philly STILL doesn't have equiptment!

The overriding fault is squarely in management's corner. Parker has openly admitted that there is not enough equipment in PHL. When I saw this IN PRINT I was floored. With all that cash in the bank from exiting Chapt 11 and the last quarter profits, Parker has NO EXCUSE for not correcting this problem NOW. The equipment manufacturers likely have enough stock to fill any need PHL has.

Interview 100 to get 10 to start the hiring process and 4 make it to the start of training and hopefully 2-3 to actually make it to the ramp.

Then get maybe one who passes the drug screen AND criminal background check. And once that's completed, that ONE realizes that he/she is qualified enough to get a better job than the crappy one USAirways is offering. Anyone who can make it through the process to be hired by any airline these days is overqualified for a PHL ramper job. It does not take them long to figure that out.

 

[gso-crew]

Thanks for the explanation .... makes sense. It's got to get fixed though .... or we have no future as a company.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said ... we need one work group, this outsourcing is a total failure.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

I'll go out on a limb here, but if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me.

I bet that the "premier" Us/PHL inbounds, the 767 and A-330 European flights, get xfer bags xfered "like a champ" !!!

If THIS is the case, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING ????

More precisely, WHY is this NOT happening to ALL US/PHL flights.

Believe me, I can understand the FRUSTRATION of watching the "out of uniform, I-pod listening, retards, going thru "their PACES", BUT ULTIMATELY, IT's MANAGEMENT TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY, for not fixing this problem. ................"PERIOD, CASE CLOSED, NO DEBATE" !!


NH/BB's