Arriving On Time

[funguy2]

funguy2, the point was that they claimed that rolling the PHL hub would improve these stats. They haven't, in any statistically significant fashion.

[post="248252"][/post]​

You are preaching to the choir. As you know, I've been on several threads discussing the difference between what US Airways management says is happening and what is actually happening. This does not surprise me at all.

Management at US Airways has a long history of over-promising and under-delivering. This would be example # 528 (estimated).

 

[MarkMyWords]

From my observation, the problem that still exists is the same problem that was here weeks and months ago. The staffing issue in PHL. The majority of delays in PHL are still attributed to staffing issues. OTP is improving and will continue to do so, once PHL and DCA are staffed properly. When you can eliminate delays attributed to cargo loading / pushback, you will continue the improved performance levels. The rolling hub has had a positive effect on performance.

Phantom - the decision of the USPS to pull their contract with us has nothing to do with performance in the last week. It took us months to get to the point of losing the contract and will take months to get it back. We will have to prove to the USPS that we are a reliable carrier. And that reliability doesn't just rest on the arrival performance of flights, but the timely delivery of mail to the sorting facilities. If our PHL issue effected baggage delivery and connections, you can bet your last dollar that it had a bigger effect on mail delivery. A flight can arrive on time 100% of the time, but if there is not enough people to sort and deliver the bags to connecting flights or to the local sorting facility, then it the flight arrival is a mute point.

 

[funguy2]

funguy2, the point was that they claimed that rolling the PHL hub would improve these stats. They haven't, in any statistically significant fashion.

[post="248252"][/post]​

After reviewing the thread, I have to add another response...

84% is an excellent acheivement in terms of On Time Performance - regardless of whether or not PHL is rolled. Now, the reality is that is was acheived only over a one week period. Success or lack thereof will be determined by more than one week, it will be determined by whether or not 84% On Time is acheived over long periods of time...

mweiss, your assertion is that there is no improvement because the statistics did not move. Well, for one, you have a high year-over-year benchmark. The question is will the poor months improve. I am not concerned about OTP improvement when in the easy times... I am concerned with how things go during fog, or summer thunderstorms, or the other things that make operating on-time difficult...

Next, while there was not much "improvement" in on time performance or cancelations, we don't know the details... Maybe the scheduled times are shorter because the lines at the end of the runway are less, and therefore gate-to-gate times are shorter. Since flight crews are paid based on hours, maybe this is an "improvement". Maybe more passengers (and their bags) are making their connections because of increased time between connecting flights (rather than sometimes tight connections of a bank system). This would be an improvement.

The OTP did not increase vs last year's excellent number. That doesn't say much to me... at least not yet. More data is needed.

 

[A320 Driver]

While we have the USPS on the line, I'd like to know where the heck the letter went I mailed a week ago Monday. It only had to go 20 miles and STILL didn't make it. Never has been heard from since.

Guess we aren't the only one with problems.

A320 Driver :disguise:

 

[mweiss]

Maybe the scheduled times are shorter because the lines at the end of the runway are less, and therefore gate-to-gate times are shorter.

[post="248375"][/post]​

Except, of course, that utilization has barely budged, too.

Something doesn't add up, which you noted as well.

It's interesting to note that this behavior (publicly saying one thing while something else is going on) is at the root of Carly Fiorina's departure from HP (the computer company, not the airline).

OBTW, my assertion is not that there is no improvement because the stats didn't move. My assertion is that the company's assertion that the stats prove that there is improvement is a load of crap. I assert that there is, to date, zero evidence of any improvements resulting from the rolled hub.

Compare US's stats pre- and post-roll with DL's stats in ATL pre- and post-. Why did DL show so much improvement, while US didn't?

 

[tadjr]

While we have the USPS on the line, I'd like to know where the heck the letter went I mailed a week ago Monday. It only had to go 20 miles and STILL didn't make it. Never has been heard from since.

[post="248382"][/post]​

Well if it was in Florida and Priority Mail, they had a truck with smoke in the cab and when he tried to pull off the road, he hit the guardrail causing sparks and starting the entire thing on fire. Burned it to nothing and all the Priority Mail inside.

As far as PHL and the subject, had another ATC day today in PHL, but nothing more than about 30 mins. On a normal ATC day we would have been hours delayed, and this with a 4pm, 510, 615, 730 dept. Overall, not too bad considering what usually happens in PHL on a day like today.

 

[MarkMyWords]

Mike -

Perhaps a better comparison would be to compare any of the last 3 months to Feb. Was the staffing issue in PHL as bad last Feb as it is now?

I agree with Tadjr. When we do find ourselves in an ATC Ground Delay program, our delays are not kear what they used to be. When PHL started the day out with a GDP, by the afternoon delays were up to 4-5 hours. The only way to reduce those delays would be to cancel flights or improving weather. Now we see delays that average 15-45 minutes. That is huge!

Funguy -

Excellent points. Many of the improvements may not show up until the DOT stats are reported for Feb. Even then, things like improved crew utilization, reduced block times and lower fuel consumption would not show up in any DOT stat.