AirTran labor problems?

[cathaywannabe]

Hi,

I'm a fractional pilot with a question.

I was scheduled to leave on an AirTran flight from PHL on Sunday 9/09. 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave the gate informed us a pilot wrote up a tire and that a new tire will need to be flown in from ATL and that it would take several hours.

I'm not sure if the flight CXLD or not, I ended up on a SWA flight and got home at a reasonable hour.

The timing of the "tire write up" seemed a bit odd. I was wondering, are some AirTran pilots purposely causing delays because of their contract issues (unofficially of course)?

Just curious. I'm not criticizing if they are, this is the way things work. I hope you guys get a decent contract soon.

 

[njcapt]

I doubt it was any kind of renegade job action. FL schedules flight crew for some ridiculously short turns, including aircraft swaps at outstations. Under these circumstances, finding a cut tire ten minutes before departure is understandable.

Of course, the flight could have been delayed/canceled due to short staffing and the GA was lying through their teeth. The level of animosity of the agents to the pilots is shocking at AirTran. Zero respect and zero acknowledgement of authority.

 

[IronCityBlue]

Hi,

I'm a fractional pilot with a question.

I was scheduled to leave on an AirTran flight from PHL on Sunday 9/09. 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave the gate informed us a pilot wrote up a tire and that a new tire will need to be flown in from ATL and that it would take several hours.

I'm not sure if the flight CXLD or not, I ended up on a SWA flight and got home at a reasonable hour.

The timing of the "tire write up" seemed a bit odd. I was wondering, are some AirTran pilots purposely causing delays because of their contract issues (unofficially of course)?

Just curious. I'm not criticizing if they are, this is the way things work. I hope you guys get a decent contract soon.

First of all, even if a pilot or pilots were conducting a "write up campaign" as you so imply, do you think anyone would come on here and officially admit it? And even if they were engaging in a renegade job action, no pilot can demand a tire be changed. They can only write it up and if it does not need to be replaced, MX will say so in their corrective action. The pilot then has the right to refuse the aircraft of course, but you can better believe there would be consequences if there was nothing wrong, especially if it resulted in a many hour delay/cancellation.

Second of all, if they blew a tire on takeoff and ran off the runway hurting everyone on board, and it was on the CVR "Captain, there's a cut in the tire, I think I see some cord" "Oh don't worry about it, we'll write it up at the hub for company and passenger convienience" would you throw your hat in the ring for your cut of a multimillion dollar lawsuit, or would you refrain yourself? Would you sue the pilot's personally, you know for "pain and suffering" and go after the equity in their homes, their 401(k)'s and their kid's 529's?

If something is broke, write it up. You're not doing the company, your passengers or yourself any favors by looking the other way. However you are putting your but on the line for no reason whatsoever. Talk about "high risk, low reward".

 

[Wowjack]

Quick turns are typical in this industry, I found a blown tire once upon landing. And the gate agent had already sent our people to board.

 

[atlcrashpad]

Discovered on pre-flight.... when else can you write it up? You're reading into something that is not there.

 

[easydoesit]

I doubt it was any kind of renegade job action. FL schedules flight crew for some ridiculously short turns, including aircraft swaps at outstations. Under these circumstances, finding a cut tire ten minutes before departure is understandable.

Of course, the flight could have been delayed/canceled due to short staffing and the GA was lying through their teeth. The level of animosity of the agents to the pilots is shocking at AirTran. Zero respect and zero acknowledgement of authority.

It must be your attitude or something that causes the agents that come in contact with you to act the way they do. In my experience, most agents are just like any other carrier. If you are nice to them, they are nice to you. Human nature. Are you some Mr. Captain type? Mr. Joe Pilot?

I'm not trying to tick you off, I just don't agree with you...

 

[njcapt]

It must be your attitude or something that causes the agents that come in contact with you to act the way they do. In my experience, most agents are just like any other carrier. If you are nice to them, they are nice to you. Human nature. Are you some Mr. Captain type? Mr. Joe Pilot?

I'm not trying to tick you off, I just don't agree with you...

Well, you're entitled to your opinion. You seem to have a problem with mine, though. I was just a junior FO with experience as Mr Captain and Mr FO at five other airlines. I left AirTran because I couldn't stand working for an employer that fostered the environment of abuse and ridicule that I saw in my eight months there.

I always managed to stay out of the agents' sights by being helpful and courteous and all the other boy scout stuff, but I frequently saw ATL agents ignore, undermine, and belittle Captains with absolutely zero provocation. I would ask if they had a history with that particular agent, and none admitted to any. The lack of respect for authority by most of the employees toward the pilots (as encouraged by management) was severe enough to be a potential detriment to safety.

Have a nice day.

 

[jetdawg]

my brother, you have had as it seems more trouble or your captains have had more trouble and you got to witness all in your 8 months here than it seems I have had in my 8 years here. Of course there seems to be the azz clown in any work group big or small but to say this is the worst or a potenetial for a problem is way into left field. good luck at you next airline job. I am glad I have been able to remain employed as long as I have had here and sure it would be nice to have a little more respect but look at any airline and you have had allot of experience or any USA job and you may see about the same.

 

[mnboyev]

bla bla bla.... bought a gate agent some lunch in ATL the other day..... she was great... rarely do I have problems... and when I do... they are are stessed to the max and just plain scared for their jobs... Got to teach em .... we are not the enemy... Cant walk around like Capt Fantastic and get what you want... period.. (back in the day it may have worked that way) ... I start nice and move towards asking questions... like.. what do you think...what do you need to do... then go to "This is what I need and what our crew needs".... If that doesnt work.. have em call a supervisor... Coach and Floy have always backed me up and have never had a problem ... I have always won my little spats with the gate agents.

Work action... well... thats illegal... right ?

 

[Ralph Cramden]

Hi,

I'm a fractional pilot with a question.

I was scheduled to leave on an AirTran flight from PHL on Sunday 9/09. 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave the gate informed us a pilot wrote up a tire and that a new tire will need to be flown in from ATL and that it would take several hours.

I'm not sure if the flight CXLD or not, I ended up on a SWA flight and got home at a reasonable hour.

The timing of the "tire write up" seemed a bit odd. I was wondering, are some AirTran pilots purposely causing delays because of their contract issues (unofficially of course)?

Just curious. I'm not criticizing if they are, this is the way things work. I hope you guys get a decent contract soon.

Not a Trannie driver and have no comment on their quest for a contract except "Hang in there".

I will comment on tires for your enlightenment. In the airline world, most tire problems are noted in the log with "request inspection". The reason is there are new tires, recaps and "end of life recaps" with differing wear limits for each. A new tire will be replaced most quickly to save the carcass for retreading. After a set number of retreads on a tire (usually 2) the tire is a throwaway and will be allowed to go to the most wear possible. As flight crew we have no knowledge of which is which, so we just ask them to look at it.

Also remember there are multiple tires on each wheel set. If a landing was made with one low pressure tire, it is common to replace both tires on the set as the good one was overstressed. Some stations don't have the supplies needed to do this.

Lastly, just about every airline requires at least one pilot to do a walkaround at every stop. Some require both crews to do the walk during crew swaps. This is where you will find those tire issues. Can't see 'em in the air!