AS wins JD Power Award for Seventh Year

[700UW]

and one that AS has done well at for years.

It is a great accomplishment but they are not in the same league as the carriers with massive national route systems. ExpressJet, SkyWest, and American Eagle cover more of the US and serve more challenging environments than AS does.

Good on AS for what they have accomplished but no one really expected them to come in below a multi-hub legacy carrier.

 
 

well looked who showed up to play cop.

Note that it was E who brought ATL and JFK into the discussion. those are DL hubs, not AS'

You brought the subject up first.
 
And look who is talking you are the one who wants everyone to stop posting in the IAM thread and other threads where you try and play mod.
 
Hypocrite.

 

[737823]

 
 
You brought the subject up first.
 
And look who is talking you are the one who wants everyone to stop posting in the IAM thread and other threads where you try and play mod.
 
Hypocrite.

 
You brought up union unnecessarily.  I simply posted the press release.  Don't let the facts get in your way.
 
Josh

 

[700UW]

And in the press release it showed their thanks to the different classifications, I simply pointed out they were union.
 
Try something else.

 

[eolesen]

You had to make it all about DL, eh?

Shocking.

 

[WorldTraveler]

these are the first two references to anything about DL and came before I ever participated.

I suppose you failed to notice that I referenced WN too.

See, the problem is that most of the people here really can't have a conversation about anything in the industry because they really can't stand to hear a balanced discussion that includes all players.

When you talk about NYC, you talk about B6, DL, and UA. When you talk about customer service, you talk about AS, DL, and WN. When you talk about strong operational performance, the conversation includes AS, DL, HA, and US - maybe a few others. When you talk about strong financial performance, you have to talk about AS, DL, US, and WN.

Those are the primary players in those discussions. And DL shows up in all of them.

 

I bet Joanne Smith, Sandy Gordon, and others at the Widget aren't happy.
 
Josh

 
 

Yeah, because operating in Alaska during in the winter isn't anywhere as challenging as ATL or JFK...

Alaska has long been the epitome of a customer centric airline. That's not defined by geography. It's simply part of their culture.

Do you want to run an advertisement for AS or do you want to talk about the merits of the award and who they had to compete with to win it?

 

[Kev3188]

No one has doubted that AS is a customer focused airline. They, like Hawaiian, run a far less complex airline than their legacy carrier peers with much less connecting traffic in cities that are far less subject to delays.

Ah yes, the "HA is always ontime 'cause they never fly in bad weather" talking point. Thanks for reminding me.

The rest of your post sounds like rationalizing and/or sour grapes.

as for "we helped them win" I believe it was you, Kev, who said that DL's policy was to make sure that all available resources went to ensure that AS' operation which DL worked went well, even at the expense of DL's own.

Doubt that was me, but if you can find where I specifically wrote that, I'd be interested.

I do recall saying that if I had to guess most rampers wouldn't miss the AS contracts since we're so short in many places...

I have a feeling that AS will find out what it really costs to get the quality of ground support that DL gave them.

Guess we'll see.

 

[737823]

I have to agree with WT regarding AS switching vendors.  From a customer standpoint the DL personnel were efficient and professional (at least in my experience at BOS), have to wonder when they move terminals and find different vendors if they will be of the same quality and efficiency. Also, in many cities AS was co-located with DL allowing eligible pax to access the SkyClub, but it won't be possible when they operate from separate concourses/terminals.  I know AA handles certain AS locations, I think in ORD AA handles ramp but AS has COPS personnel for overwing.  Anyone know who/where they have moved at the impacted cities?
 
Josh

 

[Kev3188]

We're good at what we do.

That said, my WAG-and it's just that- is that they will have AA (or Eagle) handle the ramp wherever possible.

 

[WorldTraveler]

you can look at DOT data to show why airlines are delayed. Weather and ATC issues (which are usually related to the inability of the system to handle the demand due to weather issues) are the largest reasons for delays.

If AS and HA both avoid flying in places where weather is not as much of an issue - and weather in the continental US is often harsher and affects more flights than in Alaska - then it stands to reason that it is valid to see that a stronger operation means less upset customers.

No, it isn't sour grapes at all. It is a recognition that AS won an award that even E says isn't without influence and that in the context of the rest of the industry, AS isn't doing near as great of a job as the other carriers who face bigger obstacles.

And as much as people want to think the subject only involves DL and AS, the example of WN's decline in multiple customer service categories is proof that customer service focus companies that have a change in their operating environment see declining ratings even without losing their culture.

The notion that AS is a customer focus airline because they got a high JD Powers score but other carriers aren't because they didn't get as high of a score is just not accurate.

The reason why DL was a benefit to AS for ground handling was because AS is relatively small in a lot of cities outside of the west coast. AA might have the resources and desire to ground handle but AS also might find that another vendor can provide lower cost service and closer to AS' expectations than AA can. That is just part of the process of negotiating contracts.

 

[Kev3188]

Whatever.

 

[737823]

Even along the west coast AS everything on the ramp is outsourced thanks to the IAM.  he AS ramp workforce has now whittled down to only 600 employees (according to the most recent 10-K) in the state of Alaska, everything else including hubs at ANC, LAX, PDX, and SEA is outsourced.  
 
Josh

 

[WorldTraveler]

and of course those contractors don't get AS profit sharing.

 

[Kev3188]

(Yawn)

I shoulda known this one would devolve to the normal sh*t show. Pathetic.

Oh well. You two have fun.

 

[737823]

(Yawn0

I shoulda known this one would devolve to the normal sh*t show.

You two have fun.

 
I just find it interesting you and others go ballistic that DL doesn't have mainline employees at BDL or MIA for ramp, yet not a peep about an AS type agreement.  I mean Sito said he likes this agreement and is proud of it.  
 
Josh

 

[700UW]

Even along the west coast AS everything on the ramp is outsourced thanks to the IAM.  he AS ramp workforce has now whittled down to only 600 employees (according to the most recent 10-K) in the state of Alaska, everything else including hubs at ANC, LAX, PDX, and SEA is outsourced.  
 
Josh

Ah the Master of Misinformation and the King of Liars is at it again.
 
The IAM didnt outsource anything, AS did and they were found to be in violation of the CBA and lost in arbitration, you know this fact, yet you lie again and again and again.
 
The IAM got its members a nice financial settlement.