OP
MarkMyWords
Veteran
- Aug 20, 2002
- 1,900
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- #16
Respectuflly Lindy I disagree with you. While there have been some weather events that have missed their forecast, there have been plenty of others that were right on target. Yet we react to these events the same way time after time. I am not asking OCC or anyone to cancel flights 12-18 hours out, but to come up with an operational plan if the event does happen and allow for ample time to impliment the plan. If we cancel 3-4 hours in advance, we give reservations time to make contact with the customers PRIOR to coming to the airport. Instead our operating mind set is to continue to try and operate everything until the operation hits a brick wall and comes to a complete hault. WE PLAN FOR NOTHING UNTIL IT HAPPENS and the operation is beyond recovery. Then we have crews that time out, or overnights that are reduced beyond FAR minimums and start the next day with crew rest delays. Crew resources are at a premium, so recrewing isn't always an option.
I would prefer to see the company come up with a plan for these events and when the time comes, impliment the plan, but alas, we can't seem to plan for anything. What you may call Monday Morning Quarter Backing, I call Customer Care. I know there is a problem, I acknowledge it and try to come up with solutions that benefit the company and the customers.
Let me use yesterday as an example of where we and the ATC system failed. We pack so many flights into PHL in the morning that yesterday with just snow flurries in the morning, we were taking up to 90 minutes from push back to take off. It is my understanding that we are able to deice aircraft faster then ATC can get them airborn, so we have to slow down the deicers to make sure we don't have to send anyone back. Given these types of situations, what do you think life in PHL will be like tomorrow? If we were able to go in and selectively cancel some flights for the betterment of the rest, isn't that better then operating the entire system behind schedule?
Bottom line, we all know that there is going to be a problem, we have yet to plan for it, we won't plan for it, and we will react to it when it happens tomorrow, when the customers are already at the airport. In my book this is wrong.
PIT MTC -
It probably is the third time that I have brought this up.....and for good reason....NOTHING CHANGES! If you know that you are driving your car towards a brickwall, are you going to wait until you hit the wall to react, or are you going to try to take corrective actions before hand?
I don't want us to fail.....quite the opposite. I want us to shine. Imagine you are a customer and are scheduled to fly through PHL tomorrow. What is your impression of our airline going to be when you pushback from the gate at the upline station and then get stuck in a ground stop for PHL. Once you arrive in PHL you make it to your connecting gate to find out that it has been canceled due to the weather. You are now stuck for 3 hours until the next flight. Then next flight is delayed for 30 minutes due to late arriving equipment and when you pushback from the gate, it takes you 90 minutes to get deiced and airborn. Imagine what the experience would be like if 3 hours before your flight you were called and advised that because of weather problems in PHL your flight canceled. you make arrangements with the RES agent for a connection via PIT later that afternoon. you arrive at the airport and your trip runs very smoothly with minimal delays. What makes a bigger impression on you as the customer?
I would prefer to see the company come up with a plan for these events and when the time comes, impliment the plan, but alas, we can't seem to plan for anything. What you may call Monday Morning Quarter Backing, I call Customer Care. I know there is a problem, I acknowledge it and try to come up with solutions that benefit the company and the customers.
Let me use yesterday as an example of where we and the ATC system failed. We pack so many flights into PHL in the morning that yesterday with just snow flurries in the morning, we were taking up to 90 minutes from push back to take off. It is my understanding that we are able to deice aircraft faster then ATC can get them airborn, so we have to slow down the deicers to make sure we don't have to send anyone back. Given these types of situations, what do you think life in PHL will be like tomorrow? If we were able to go in and selectively cancel some flights for the betterment of the rest, isn't that better then operating the entire system behind schedule?
Bottom line, we all know that there is going to be a problem, we have yet to plan for it, we won't plan for it, and we will react to it when it happens tomorrow, when the customers are already at the airport. In my book this is wrong.
PIT MTC -
It probably is the third time that I have brought this up.....and for good reason....NOTHING CHANGES! If you know that you are driving your car towards a brickwall, are you going to wait until you hit the wall to react, or are you going to try to take corrective actions before hand?
I don't want us to fail.....quite the opposite. I want us to shine. Imagine you are a customer and are scheduled to fly through PHL tomorrow. What is your impression of our airline going to be when you pushback from the gate at the upline station and then get stuck in a ground stop for PHL. Once you arrive in PHL you make it to your connecting gate to find out that it has been canceled due to the weather. You are now stuck for 3 hours until the next flight. Then next flight is delayed for 30 minutes due to late arriving equipment and when you pushback from the gate, it takes you 90 minutes to get deiced and airborn. Imagine what the experience would be like if 3 hours before your flight you were called and advised that because of weather problems in PHL your flight canceled. you make arrangements with the RES agent for a connection via PIT later that afternoon. you arrive at the airport and your trip runs very smoothly with minimal delays. What makes a bigger impression on you as the customer?
