Dave is showing his colors isn''t he? a question to ponder

[RumorS]

Reality Check.....111 posts in 13 days when do you even have time to waive add collects ?? Seems like all you know how to do is post on here??? Maybe a little less US Aviation and a little more CUSTOMER SERVICE training will be helpful!!!!! And last time i checked just charging the 100 change fee and no add collect is not the correct way to do a RI for the ATO....So think again if you think it is properly Done !!!!! Keep waiving those fees we will Just spring right back!!!!!NOT

 

[N628AU]

Reality Check, you said, "Already doing that to some degree(not relevant to new sales and info calls)..e.g.not fixing pnr or ticketing mistakes that arent of my doing,not coordinating seat assignments that are preassigned not together previously between different pnrs of families trvling together(I didnt break it so I dont fix it),not sorting through 30 fares on a reissue requalifying certain fares from offpeak to peak,peak to offpeak, or 3 days to no advance upgrades to fares,no one else is doing it, why should I?

I especially have a problem with "no one else is doing it, why should I?" Every company has it's weak and strong employees. If the strong decide to do just what the weak do, this company has had it. How does making the company even less efficient and dysfunctional help anything? The reality is, if the weak get away with it, the fault is with your local management. Hopefully the people Dave continues to bring in (remember, he said he is not done changing management, and he has done everything he has said so far), will change the atmosphere.

I figure if by doing my job to the best of my ability every night, and on everything I am assigned, I may make somebody's journey that much or pleasant, or that much less aggravating depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. I love my job. I don't like taking a paycut, it may mean taking a part-time job doing something else I enjoy somewhat less than I enjoy my free time now, but I will handle it. I can't understand why some who are so bitter about their jobs and this company continue to stick it. Those people must be a real pain to live with, because they are the same ones who bring their work problems home with them.

 

[RealityCheck]

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On 9/2/2002 2:22:22 AM

Reality Check.....111 posts in 13 days when do you even have time to waive add collects ?? Seems like all you know how to do is post on here??? Maybe a little less US Aviation and a little more CUSTOMER SERVICE training will be helpful!!!!! And last time i checked just charging the 100 change fee and no add collect is not the correct way to do a RI for the ATO....So think again if you think it is properly Done !!!!! Keep waiving those fees we will Just spring right back!!!!!NOT
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Please elaborate on the "NOT CORRECT WAY TO DO A RI FOR THE ATO" line above ..I dont understand?!?..if its done its done..when the pnr goes from a TTE/(DATE) to T-(DATE), guess what?? It's reissued. Duh, imagine that.The passgr has a newly reissued tkt via rez within one hour of ending the record and they chk in and get a brd pass on day of departure. WHats so difficult about that? Do you not know how to chk in and issue a brdg pass from sabre on a reissued tkt? Who exactly is it NOW that needs the training?

BTW its not waiving the fees, there are no "waiver codes" posted on the PNR..It's a matter of not re-calculating the mess of a reissue because of time allotment, as my peers do. You cannot cite one person in a sea of hundreds who do the same thing, now can you?

Uhhhhhhh CAPTAIN Chip has over 100 posts as well..did you ask him when does he have time to fly a plane ? Before you insult someone as to how they spend their time, you shd know when "revisions" or edits are made after a short amount of time from the original posts, it adds a number to your replies, but its not really an extra post. In fact, just to add this last bit of info here, I edited this one 10 minutes after original posting and it tacked on "3" more replies whereas I really only have "2" posted thus far today. Checkmate.

 

[RealityCheck]

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On 9/2/2002 2:32:51 AM

The reality is, if the weak get away with it, the fault is with your local management.

Bingo, and the department and its pencil pusher management people as well.As my DAd used to say,"These folks are useless as nips on a boar."
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I can't understand why some who are so bitter about their jobs and this company continue to stick it. Those people must be a real pain to live with, because they are the same ones who bring their work problems home with them

You'll be surprised how little about this suicide mission in a bottle is spoken outside of work.

 

[diogenes]

While ALPA is giving productivity tips to agents, might I suggest a few for ALPA?

1.Taxi in at a normal rate of speed, not like you're conning the Battleship North Carolina into berth.

2.Quit 'kicking the brakes off' while you're still chocked up and the jetway is on the a/c. I've got 'out' times for flights that are five minutes PRIOR to commencing pushback. BTW, it's unsafe and hazardous to the ramp rats.

3.The company directive says shut down the APU and use ground power/air. Why doncha?


Now it's just one man's opinion, but items 1 and 2 wouldn't have anything to do with increasing flight time (and pay) would it? And 3 wouldn't have to do with proving to the company you can increase it's costs at will, would it?

 

[MCORORES]

A320 Driver...which bogey number are you referencing. That seems to change after every CWA proposal. BTW to all frontline employees...do not take it out your frustrations on the people who pay our salaries. It is not their fault for the situation we are in. I for one refuse to make them part of the game. Still give them the best customer service possible that I can and will continue to do so until I elect to either continue with the company or go elsewhere. Hey when I found this job I was looking for one, might have to do that once again....

 

[navyguy]

Diogenes had suggestions for improving pilot productivity. I am a long time lurker but just had to respond.
1. We 'kick off the brakes' as soon as the doors are closed and the tug is hooked up. This captures an out time; thus, even if there are traffic delays on the ramp, or radio congestion, the company gets an on-time departure. No one is ever endangered, if we are doing our job.
2. Of course you taxi in slowly. There are people on the bus, and they paid for and deserve a smooth flight, start to finish. To do less would be unprofessional. Pilots who taxi in at warp speed are cowboys, and that is not a term of endearment.
3. The Ops manual says our priorities, in order, are: safety, pax comfort, schedule, efficiency. Pax comfort usually means cool ( or warm in season ) airplanes with moving air inside them, and that usually requires APU air. Besides, on the little Airbus we always use the APU, as per the pilots' handbook.
4. Just for today, for a change, let me do my job and you do yours. Let me negotiate my contract and you negotiate yours.Your previous posts have shown some insight;you blew it by this comment (at least for me). It takes a lot of time to rebuild credibility once it has been lost.

 

[N628AU]

The Airbus must use the APU at the gate due to a flaw in the flow control valve. They have traced using the PC Air at the gate to causing a malfunction in the valves, which has lead to many delays and cancellations. The usage rate on this valve is in fact so high, we never have sufficient stock, and other carriers will not loan us any as they have the same problem. As AOG-N-IT can attest, the vendor is rarely of any help to us outside normal business hours. The valve is currently the subject of an EO, and are being reworked to correct this flaw. Once a signifcant number of valves have been reworked and replaced, the Airbus will go back to the policy of shutting the APU down similar to the rest of the fleet.

As for taxi speeds, while I do not condone any unsafe acts, Southwest crews taxi much faster than ours, and I have yet to see where it has caused them any problem. Yes, some of our crews could probably speed that up a little. Will it lead to any enhanced productivity? Probably not. We are still a hub and spoke airline, so the traffic will still get caught up in arrival-departure banks anyway.

 

[Meriel]

Boomer,

Excellent post re bankruptcy/labor contracts. Even if we weren't the folks in the ring getting punched on, this is going to be in an interesting case.

 

[RumorS]

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[/quote]
Please elaborate on the "NOT CORRECT WAY TO DO A RI FOR THE ATO" line above ..I dont understand?!?..if its done its done..when the pnr goes from a TTE/(DATE) to T-(DATE), guess what?? It's reissued. Duh, imagine that.The passgr has a newly reissued tkt via rez within one hour of ending the record and they chk in and get a brd pass on day of departure.
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[/quote]

Well its not done correctly. The correct way would of been you taking the time to charge the add collect and the change fee. Keep doing it. Just be careful they are watching. We just lost 2 reps in PIT one in gen resv and one on CSD. Rumor has it that we also lost 2 in INT??? Maybe you will be next. I am very well trained in all departments so I won't even go there. All you need to do is take the time and charge the correct fees! Remember they can't fire you for your talktime or callwork but waiving the fee for no reason so you can get to that next call This my friend is the fast way to losing your job. So keep up the GREAT JOB!!!!!!

 

[RealityCheck]

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On 9/2/2002 151 PM

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Well its not done correctly. The correct way would of been you taking the time to charge the add collect and the change fee. Keep doing it. Just be careful they are watching. We just lost 2 reps in PIT one in gen resv and one on CSD. Rumor has it that we also lost 2 in INT??? Maybe you will be next. I am very well trained in all departments so I won't even go there. All you need to do is take the time and charge the correct fees! Remember they can't fire you for your talktime or callwork but waiving the fee for no reason so you can get to that next call This my friend is the fast way to losing your job. So keep up the GREAT JOB!!!!!!
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[/quote]

Send your phoney baloney pseudo-perfectionist best wishes to someone who needs it.. In the last month I have printed and saved for my records(and a court if need be) dozens of hard copy print outs of pnrs by agents not doing reissues properly..Now I suppose all those people shd be fired with your philosophy also, right?? That would make DAVE, and the other unions folks, really happy. And apparently you also. You think a monitor supe knows when you shd charge the diff and when not to? Whether its deliberate or accidental? They haven't a clue..my own direct supe is clueless on fares and reissues as evidenced in one on one discussions.All they want you to do is use their name once in a call and ask the right questions. Just Like in kindergarten.
And yes, FYI, they do threaten agts with high TT and CWT with disciplinary, I've seen the memos and heard it from agents, but most agt. mistakes go unchecked/undisciplined anyway..its inconsistent and that's why I save the copies...furthermore, any form of repeat disciplinary, TT ,CWT,attendance, etc can lead to firing, is that not correct?

 

[diogenes]

Navyguy,

Perhaps a little more info will clarify my intent.

1. Taxi - a long time ago and far away we used to calculate taxi delays. The allowable taxi time varied according to distance from runway to terminal, and amount of manuevering required. This little exercise impressed upon me the average amount of time needed to taxi from each runway to the terminal. Obviously, a cowboy could land short, stand on the brakes, rush his taxi, and beat the average. Obviously, waiting for a bunch of G.A.to takeoff/land before crossing the runway would cause you to exceed the average. However, the average was fairly accurate. And what I'm talking about is exceeding that average on a regular basis. Now, if there's a good operational reason for it, I'm prepared to be educated, and stand corrected.

2. Out times - Look closely - I said while the jetway is still on the a/c. From the pushback it is plain to see the door still open, sometimes a last minute passenger boarding, and frequently the c/s agent bringing the paperwork onboard. All with nary a hand signal to/from the ramper regarding chocks. I never pull the chocks until all equipment/personnel is clear of the a/c, and have communicated via hand signal to the captain. Also, I've seen the birds roll when the chocks are pulled. I favor the brakes being set when I'm wrestling the chocks, and released when I am in the clear.

3. APU - am aware of the 'Bus issue, but this occurs with the Boeings, as well. And yes, on a hot, humid day, ground air is not enough, and you need to drive the packs. And, yes, on a short turnaround, it costs more to shut down and then restart the APU. I agree, I would never let the directive override common sense. But again, what I'm seeing happens on days when the ground time is 30-45 minutes and the ground air is sufficient. I've had crews bust off the APU well before departure, and then come downstairs and turn off the ground power/air THEMSELVES. Just as an aside, I would never go into a cockpit manned by the crew, and start flipping switches in the panel, even though I am fully qualified to do so. None of which obviates the company directive to save the APU's, at least as a general rule.

Navy, I'd like for us all to live up to your idea - you tend to your business;I'll tend to mine. But if you have lurked for any amount of time, you've surely read Chip and others know what's best for us. You have to show some folks where to get off.

No offense intended, and if it wasn't clear, not every crew is doing this stuff. But a noticeable increase.

 

[N628AU]

ACARS will not kick an out time with a door open. As a matter of fact, if you open a door (cargo specifically), after the out time, it will show a return to gate.

 

[navyguy]

Diogenes: This thread seems to be evolving toward a forum where people talk about micro-issues, what we 'down south' might call 'stepping over dollars to pick up pennies'. Needless to say, when an aircraft pulls into a gate, or prepares to leave, pilots, f/a's and ground crew all have specific, unrelated duties. Keeping planes cool is one of mine, as a pilot. Ground air may or may not work. Ground crews may plug it in, but on their schedule, not mine. And I have gone outside to turn off the ground air handler, because it was pumping out air too hot, or too cold. Regarding brake release, I don't know anyone who would release brakes with the door open, or chocks not in, or the tug not hooked up. Wouldn't do any good anyway. All that said, APU usage protocols won't save this company. Macro issues will: decent leases, higher aircraft utilization, proper hedging for fuel supplies, and better utilization (and cross-utilization) of human assets. Today's pay issues are like triage; once the patient survives we can talk about recovery, but we all have to insure the patient survives.

 

[Oliver Twist]

Under no condition am I willing to do something that will inconvenience a customer, or endanger life or limb.

No matter how angry I am with the Company, or Union Leadership, will I (not) be angry with the people paying my salary.

For the first time in a long time, we are doing what is right. Yes, it is scary.

Stand or Sit. NOW is the time.

But not with the Customers!

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I could not agree more... My frustrations with the company and its mangement are no fault of the passengers, and therefor I will not let those frustrations be taken out on them..
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[/quote]


I find this most refreshing. It's amazing how long it took for someone to say it. As it says on everyones paycheck, "Brought to you by the customers who make US Airways their carrier of choice"

Everything we do, or might do can have an effect on the one group that pays all our bills- our customers!!!!! Remember that the next time you think about delaying a flight, messing with a bag tag, hanging up on a customer, or any of the hundreds of ways to jerk our customers around. It will only take more money from us all.

Oh, and before the flamers hit me, I know it's happened every day - someone gets ticked off about something and who gets hit? The Customer!. I've seen and heard it all so don't for a minute think blowing smoke or hiding under some transparent veil of rightousness or a stretch of the "rule" can excuse what some of our fellow workers do on a daily basis. It's embarassing.