Just An Observation

[SpinDoc]

Exactly! We need to stop with the excuses!

Don't blame Dave, don't blame the rampers. Stop pointing fingers. Make it work.

I've sat and watched the rampers stare at the airplane for five minutes before someone else parked the A/C. When I asked why the he didn't come over and park the aircraft, he said, "you're not in my zone." I've gotten yelled at because I helped pull bags off the airplane when there weren't enough people to do the job. This mentality of, we'll keep acting like children and blame the other guy, needs to stop (to both managers and front line employees). If it doesn't, U will continue to fall until we're all working for another company.

We all know that what this place needs more than anything is a change in our corporate culture. That change has to begin from all sides.

Yes, we're working under not so competent management [in my humble opinion], but WE are the ones that are on the front line. We have to stick together and make it work for the sake of the our most important people, OUR PASSENGERS. They pay the bills and our salaries.

Okay, I'm finished ranting now.
Thank you for your time!
:blink:

It comes down to personal responsibility and work ethic. Every aircraft that arrives at the airport early calls "in range" before it touches down. The "in range" call is passed down to the ramp by the tower coordinator via radio and everyone with a radio is well aware that the aircraft is incoming.
From the time the "in range" call comes to the time the plane is at the gate is more than 10 minutes. This gives the agent who is assigned to marshall the aircraft in, the gate agent/jetway operator, and the ramp agents/offloaders more than enough time to finish what they are doing, or wake up from their breakroom nap and be where they are supposed to be when the plane hits the T. This includes shift managers who have radios and should know who is assigned to bring that aircraft in. They should be actively looking for the responsible employees and ensuring the gate is properly staffed when the plane arrives. It takes a full team effort to orchestrate each arrival, and there is no excuse for leaving a plane at the T for more than 3 minutes. Southwest does not let a shift change affect the flow of aircraft and if an aircraft arrives between shifts, someone should be there. Agents should not leave their post to clock out until someone shows up to relieve them. If we are going to beat Southwest at their own game in PHL, we need to be better than them at every aspect of the game and we can start by developing a work ethic that does not hide behind a union excuse.

 

[N513AU]

Last Tuesday (11/25) was flying out of PHL and was in the club fairly early for my flight.

Looking at the window there were zero planes at the gates between B/C

One U plane laned and taxied into the alley between B/C. The pilot stopped way short of the gate. C22 Apparently he was waiting for someone to guide him to a stop.

The catering truck, the fuel truck were all poised near the area the aircraft was going to park at.

I clocked this wait - 12 minutes. I'm sure there are a thousand reasons why this could happen but to me it is an embarrassment. I know I've been stuck getting to the get in philly many many times, but there were no other planes in the area.

Even when I worked in PHL years ago this was a problem....why? Staffing. We often had too few people to man all the gates. Ops would do a gate change because a flight was stuck on the gate and those agents need to stay there....now we have a flight with nobody available to meet it or work it. Many times, you'd see a PSS running between concourses to meet a flight that we didn't have people for. Blame it on Dave, folks.

 

[Chuck]

Even if it wasn't managements fault, it happened on their watch. This stuff simply doesn't happen at SW, the customers know this and the employees need to know it as well. <_<

 

[MarkMyWords]

Even when I worked in PHL years ago this was a problem....why? Staffing. We often had too few people to man all the gates. Ops would do a gate change because a flight was stuck on the gate and those agents need to stay there....now we have a flight with nobody available to meet it or work it. Many times, you'd see a PSS running between concourses to meet a flight that we didn't have people for. Blame it on Dave, folks.

How can it be a staffing issue when it was the only plane in the area? Why is it that Catering and Fueling knew to be there on time, but no on was there to parke it. Could it be an issue of the person/people working the gate were not proactive enough to ensure the flight wasn't arriving early?

Again, we do not have all the details of the problem, but to blame it on staffing is a cop out, especially when there were few, if any, planes on the ground.

 

[T-bone]

I have no personal knowledge of PHL but in pit most mechs are tied up with repairs at hangar or where ever. Also the ramp employee's are trained to receive A/C. That is the most likely reason for Mechs not being there---repairs on other equipment. As for ramp employees they might not have been alerted of the A/C's being there or were busy else where.

 

[A320 Driver]

How can it be a staffing issue when it was the only plane in the area? Why is it that Catering and Fueling knew to be there on time, but no on was there to parke it. Could it be an issue of the person/people working the gate were not proactive enough to ensure the flight wasn't arriving early?

Again, we do not have all the details of the problem, but to blame it on staffing is a cop out, especially when there were few, if any, planes on the ground.

DITTO...

And what drives me crazy in PHL are the people that walk by your airplane idling short of the gate and won't take 1 lousy minute to park you. They try not to look at the aircraft or make eye contact with us in the cockpit. Sometimes I wish I had a video recorder just to show those folks how ridiculous they look...and how totally ridiculous they make U look. I've had this problem in CLT and PIT as well.

This CERTAINLY is not representitive of all of our employees at PHL. Without question some of our finest talent works very hard there to keep the airline moving and without these fine people, we'd be toast already. We have to find some way to reach the others beit culture change, management change or whatever. IMHO it is not a matter of money or work rules. It's a matter of being appreciated and being properly motivated (not with a hammer).

Now, before some of you slam me for the first part of my post, let me be PERFECTLY CLEAR that I appreciate the hard working folks at PHL and I FULLY realize that the people there that just don't care are a small percentage of our workforce. Still, it only takes one person in the right place to make the hundreds of us around him/her look like fools.

A320 Driver :blink:

 

[Hope777]

There are too many factors to ASS/U/ME............Never assume. If you dont have all the facts how can you pass judgement? Could it be that the crew was in a training class and it was a gate swap? Was the crew busy doing there FAA mandatory computerized Tests? And Driver, maybe the guy that walked by your aircraft at idle wasnt on the clock yet. If he parked it and something happened what becomes of his job since he wasnt suppose to be there? Just too many factors to GUESS at what the problem is.

 

[Hope777]

Just an added note, maybe the CREW DID NOT call on the ground. Sometimes when you are busy, which PHL normally is, you might miss that little one line message that says your on the ground. Also there are times that the ACCARRS does not function properly or dumps, so the ground crew does not know you are there. Also a question to our Pilot Group, has the Company once again changed the policy on Single Engine Taxiis? Meaning, the last we all saw was the CREW was suppose to shut down the number 2 engine on Boeing aircraft prior to reaching the Gate. This allows the Ground crew to give better customer service by being able to start the unloading process once the aircraft reaches the gate. It seems NUMEROUS CREW members refuse to shut the engine down until the Jet Bridge is pulled up to the aircraft, thus increasing pay which is stealing in my eyes.

Any Thoughts Pilots?

 

[a320av8r]

Hope,
1-The crew doesn't call "on the ground", that went out years ago. ACARS reports the on event.
2-The engine is not shut down until either 5 minutes after returning to forward thrust or arriving at the gate, whichever occurs first. Of course this is at the discretion of the captain due to weather, ramp conditions, gross weight, etc.
The reason for this is engine cool down- it saves millions in engine overhauls.
3-Ground power and air availability is shown on the ACARS in-range message, that is what we use when deciding to start the APU or not. We don't use the APU when possible because it costs 10X as much to use APU than ground power and air.

I hope this helps explain our side of the windscreen. Of course I can't speak for everybody else but 99.9% of the pilots, like everyone else here, gives their personal best.
It's the .1% who screw it up and need to resign.

 

[av60]

OK,
Here I go strolling on by, see an a/c needs to be parked.
I take the intiative and attempt to park it. A bag cart comes blowing
across the ramp and hits the aircraft. Do i get a "that a boy" ? NO I GET
A TRIP TO RELIEVE MYSELF FOR NURSE RATCHET.

I've stood out side on the ramp (in a designaeted smoking area) myself in
street clothes smoking with flight crews, and have watched planes wait to
be parked. And wait and wait, mind you im standing with flight crews ( remember a previous post "ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE") I tell you what they only see it from
the cockpit and back of the aircraft.

So tell mister i had to wait at the hangar 40 mins. was it you who watched me change an electric hyd pump on a 737-400? Yeah remember? Standing there in the wheel well, while a plane was waiting to be parked? On the next gate, calling on the radio that i could hear loud and clear. Maybe you are deaf thats why you fly. Surely you can't be the same moron who after your plane was fixed, you sat in your warm cockpit calling for a pushback. Sorry but i had to wash my hands, skydrol you know. OH you don't, its hydraulic fluid you ssa.

It might have been some time since that hyd pump change on your 737 and you waiting for that airstairs for your 330. But one thing hasn't im still your mechanic, and if you don't like the way i do my job come look me up.

IM STILL HERE
NOROM

 

[JetMech]

CaptBud,
Here is the flaw in Dave's manpower plans and the explanation to why there are SOME who do not give it 100% each day. Manpower is cut to reduce expenses....employees work harder to make up the diffirence......Dave cuts further.......employees work harder yet...............Dave says cut more.........employees now only give it 70% effort.....the operation suffers more losses...Dave says we need to cut more expenses.......yada yada yada....do you see the downward spiral!!!!