WTAE-4 attacks US Airways - Merged Topics

[MarkMyWords]

Agreed. The bottom line is always going to be the perception of US being a screw up. No one really cares about the facts. They just want their bags to be in the claim area as soon as they arrive.

I just would have prefered to have seen the piece done with more facts. Giving REAL explainations and less finger pointing.

 

[Dog Wonder]

The lead in story to this one was carry-on bags you would 'never have to check, even on a regional jet'.

These weren't clutch purses. Most were 18" square bags.

 

[ClueByFour]

While many customers may feel that the use of the automated system is no excuse for "late" bags to the claim area, I feel it has a lot to do with it. We operate 180 departures a day in PIT. Our flights are timed in "banks" to arrive in a short period of time. Imagine the number of additional rampers we would have to hire to move 40 airplanes worth of local bags to the claim area without using the system. Now think of NW, DL, WN and UA. The maximum number of flights they have on the ground at any one time would be what? 3?

The point is that customers don't (and should not have to) care. This is a US problem. All the customer sees are late bags.

I personally don't think the automated system is the reason for late bags. According to the article, the maximum transit time on the system is 14 minutes. That tells me that the huge difference in bag times has everything to do with the airline's staffing and operating model on the ramp.

Yeah, the piece was kind of a hatchet job, but on the other hand, why should a customer care why it takes much longer with US to get their bag? "It's a hub" (not really, according to the airline's other mouthpieces) or "staffing for efficiency" are of no concern.

 

[MarkMyWords]

Clue....

So it takes 14 minutes for the bags to work their way through the system. It also takes 10-15 minutes to get them off the plane and into the system.

If this was a new problem, then I would agree that the wait times MAY be due to the changes in staffing. Wait times are the same now as when the airport first opened, when staffing levels were higher. If it was taking longer to load/unload airplanes, then the ground time objectives would have changed and on time performance would have suffered.

I agree that customers don't care why the bags are "late" to the claim area, they just hate to wait. It is just something else to *itch about.

Lastly, people need to get over this "hub" bullcrap. WN doesn't consider BWI or MDW a "hub", but they sure do connect a lot of people there. We do not consider DCA, LGA, BOS and LAS a hub, but we sure do seem to conneect a lot of people there. Call it what ever you want - hub, focus city, station, etc. It doesn't change the dynamics of the fact that we still ahve a fairly large operation here that has complexities.

 

[700UW]

I would like to see a passenger come down and unload a full 757 from the west coast then reload it going back out, maybe then they will get a better appreciation for what the ramp does.

Or do the above have the flight cancel then have unload and reload another plane, thousands of pounds of bags, cargo and mail, not a fun thing to do.

Do you know airline workers are the second highest rate of on the job injuries?

 

[MarkMyWords]

One of the points in the original article was that flights from Florida take longer then most any other flight. Well, duh. Have you seen the number of checked bags to a leisure destination like MCO or FLL versus a more business oriented destination like BOS or LGA?

 

[Whatnow?]

The one thing that I noticed in the news story was most of the flights on the other carriers were on RJ's...not as many people or bags on those flights compared to the larger planes, which are no doubt full flights passengers and bags on US. And the other carriers can't possibly have as many flights arrive at the same time as US does. Just another slow news day in PIT....so why not do what they always do....bash USAirways over and over again! Wonder why her family flew US instead of SWA from Florida? Hmmm?

 

[Travels2mch]

I would like to see a passenger come down and unload a full 757 from the west coast then reload it going back out, maybe then they will get a better appreciation for what the ramp does.

Or do the above have the flight cancel then have unload and reload another plane, thousands of pounds of bags, cargo and mail, not a fun thing to do.

Do you know airline workers are the second highest rate of on the job injuries?

That's the next step in cost savings. Pay for the service or load/unload yourself!

 

[ClueByFour]

If this was a new problem, then I would agree that the wait times MAY be due to the changes in staffing. Wait times are the same now as when the airport first opened, when staffing levels were higher.

Oh, the time has gone up.

Before 9/11, I could reliably walk off the plane, walk to baggage claim, smoke, and my bag was there.

Last time I checked bags into PIT, I stopped at Sam Adams, had a beer and a smoke, popped into the club to check VM. Went to baggage claim. Nada. Smoked again. Nada. Waited another 10 minutes.

Now, I don't check bags, with the exception of RDU and AVL. RDU does a great job.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

This was what they call in the media a "mercenary piece." In a nutshell, the chick was pissed that US Airways lost her kid's carseat. She then persuaded those crazy folks at the telly station to help her with her "missing luggage Fatwa." Look, US Airways is always going to be the bad guy. So, I say, embrace that image! It's time to let the passengers fend for themselves!

Eye

 

[john john]

That's the next step in cost savings. Pay for the service or load/unload yourself!

Were getting close with the RJ plane side carryon check

 

[insp89]

I suspect no other airlines (except our express carriers) interline many bags at PIT. In that respect LUV isn't that much different from the others. On the other hand, LUV probably connects more bags than any other airline but US/HP.

To me it boils down to the usual, according to the spokesperson - it's not our fault, we can't help it, the others have advantages we don't. Until a problem is recognized, it can't be fixed...

Jim

What do you think Jim,
Maybe Usairways should discontinue transfering bags [interlining] to and from other airlines, and put the extra employees[that were previously interlining], connecting bags between company aircraft only.

 

[Dog Wonder]

What do you think Jim,
Maybe Usairways should discontinue transfering bags [interlining] to and from other airlines, and put the extra employees[that were previously interlining], connecting bags between company aircraft only.

Interlining has nothing to do with bag delivery in PIT. Every other airline (according to a report following bags you never have to check even on a RJ) got bags to claim in less than 14 minutes.

A bag takes 14 minutes to get to claim, at a minimum, when it goes into a very impressive bag sorting system. Either ditch the system or wait for your bag.

The airport authority blaming it on human factors ignores the fact no matter how fast the human factor is, the bag takes 14 more minutes from the time it gets to the first belt to get to the claim belt.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh the airport authority is a great place to get a job doing nothing to serve customers.

 

[delldude]

I would like to see a passenger come down and unload a full 757 from the west coast then reload it going back out, maybe then they will get a better appreciation for what the ramp does.

I can do it......btw,when in detroit....i helped train the samsonite gorilla.