ASA:Sorry State

[wil]

Ralph- How about a center seat on a 737 or 727? The CRJ is far more comfortable. And, our new A/C have wider seats with a nice headrest. As long as the traveling public wants to pay 99 cents to travel cross-country you better get used to the RJ!!

 

[jarhead]

just had my first ride on the Comair CL-700 RJ last Friday. Went from MSP to CVG. I had flown in the cabin of the fifty seater many times before, so I was anxious to evaluate the ride in the 70 seater, as a comparison. The airplane obviously was new, and in a nice state of "newness". Nice blue leather seating, and higher backrest. Windows were higher with respect to the seat, so easier to see out of. It used more runway on the takeoff roll, but all 70 seats were occupied, so that's part of it. There are two bathrooms, and the rear head is quite a bit bigger than on the 50 seater. A little more headroom in the center Aisle in the 70 seater.

On a negative note, I thought there was quite a bit more engine noise in the cabin, as compared to the smaller RJ. Also, wind noise in the cabin from the air conditioning was a bit annoying. Due to the constant engine noise being at the decibel level it was at, I find that from a personal evaluation, I like the ride in the 50 seater more, because it seems to be a quieter airplane.

 

[SkyWstman]

passengers often ask when the planes are going to get bigger again and I ache to reply, when you are willing to pay for it.

 

[jarhead]

The ticket price for a trip to CVG from MSP is identical on a 50 seat Comair RJ, to a ride on a Delta 737-800. Like the girl says, it isn't size that matters......just how you use it

 

[climbhappy]

if the focus of the problem is lost baggage, then low pay, high turnover, and high school dropouts are what you're gonna get at the regional level.

ASA isn't alone in that regard, the deal is the newspaper has to take cheapshots at the hometown airline. any newspaper that bashes a local concern as complex as an airline isn't informed and probably has it half right.

 

[KingAirer]

Id much rather fly in a "cramped" RJ from DFW to GSO then to fly in a "comfy" md88 and connect in ATL to another Md88. Connecting sucks.

 

[sleepy]

You can't expect employees to treat customers any better than management treats the employees. If you have rude crappy customer service agents its likely they hate their jobs and are treated like crap by management. Give them a raise and a happy working environment and the employees will treat the customers well because the employees will be happy.

But then again I guess if they did that the ticket prices would go up ten cents and consumers would fly the cheaper airline.

So you guys who are in the know (I’m not) are ticket prices lower now thanks to a cheaper contract at Mesa?

On a side note, I flew ASA this weekend and thought the FA looked about as unhappy as could be. She didn’t crack a single smile the whole time. The Delta Flight attendants seemed much friendlier. While I’m at it, 2 hours in a regional jet stinks! What a miserable way to travel.

Sorry about your bad experience Ralph. I fly the CR7 for ASA. The last few FA crews that I have flow with have been outstanding. I was really surprised to hear all of the PAX thanking the 2 FA's for the great flight as they deplaned on almost every leg (even though we had all of the usual ASA delays in ATL). We do have some great FA's at ASA, I hope you get some next time.

 

[Ace757]

OK....we all realize now that ASA has some serious problems on the ground in ATL. Its not the flight crews, they are great. So long story shot is there anything that us the general public can do to try to help turn around ASA, and to make it string in ATL

 

[ReportCanoa]

Give them a raise and a happy working environment and the employees will treat the customers well because the employees will be happy.

Negative! The whole idea of increasing compensation is to attract a higher quality candidate! Simply paying more to the same person will not do a darn thing. Think about it....

 

[Anaconda]

seen on a bathroom wall in ATL near ASA ops (so DON'T FLAME ME i didn't write it):

ASA = africans standing around

and right below it:

ASA = anglo saxon a$$holes

jarhead, interesting comments on the 70-seater. i fly as a pax on it a lot and i've found it to be entirely over-hyped. i don't find it to be any more comfortable than the 50, except for the windows being higher up. i think the seats aren't that great. having two lavs is nice, but that one in the front sure is small. i have personally found the noise to be less, i usually wear earplugs in the 50 but less so in the 70. the pa system is much better in the 70, but that could be because it is new. my understanding, although it could be urban legend, is that the 70 is supposed to have shorter takeoff rolls due to the leading edge slats.

 

[DDpaysoff]

Anybody go to ATL this weekend?

Wow, apparently after the bashing article middle managers had a knee jerk reaction and went off on day-to-day employees. So the excuse I heard all weekend was that 50 rampers quit on Friday. That is some managment. I am sure somebody will disagree w/ me, but I don't beleive ASA has the infastructure in place to run a descent operation there. Can't keep blaming the troops, that is rediculous.

I am starting to feel sorry for the rampers, they are dealing w/ inadequate managment and infastructure. They basically run around all day like their heads are cut off and service these airplanes, they don't know what to do until somebody yells at them. The other night we had a turn there and the whole operation acted as if they did not know we were coming, like they were surprised. Don't give me that demographics crap, we are talking about working airplanes not a master thesis. Given the turnover there you expect them to eventually get a descent ramper there. No organization!

Pilots and FA's are great, but your mgmt. is, oh well nevermind I am probably preaching to the choir. In a perfect world ASA and CMR pilots and FA's would join and ASA mgmt. would be dropped. DAL would have something great, but because they are so terrified of 2800 pilots negotiating at the same time we have to work for an airline that plays not to lose, instead of to win.

The bottom line is we are all here to make our customers, stockholders and employees happy. Are any of them happy right now, LEO? Maybe, it is time to bite the bullit?

No, just give more bonuses to the people that are keeping everybody so happy right now. Unbelievable.

 

[FL000]

Re: Anybody go to ATL this weekend?

Don't give me that demographics crap

"Demographics" is the difference between having proactive rampers and inactive rampers. Proactive rampers, if they exist (Walt), would get the job done regardless of what management throws their way.

Look at the pilot demographic. Management isn't out there stroking us every day, but we get the d@mn job done.

 

[DDpaysoff]

You get the job done, because you have well trained professional captains who can coordinate (manage) in a crew environment to safely compete a flight. Sure, you don't have the best ramp potential in the world but your crop, so to speak is not that different then the folks at Airtran or LUV. If your people don't know what to do or why they should do something that is mgmt's. fault. But, my argument is mostly infastructure. When we need catering or fuel etc. we can call ops or find a coordinator. Then what happens. Well, the FCC might as well take back 129.0 and 130.32 because the frequency is useless. The only thing that person has the authority to do is input times. When you ask them a question, they do not have the tools or communications ability to get you a prompt answer. Let's look at the working conditions of the person to whom we are talking to. What does their workstation look like, simple ergonomics can go a long way. How about workload? What about the tools they use, is their computer up to current technology, is there an efficient way to pick up the phone, dial a number and get another supervisor on line right away. What about the person they are calling? Are you looking to fill that position with people that actually have the skills neccesary to operate well in that type of environment? If not do you have somone w/ enough experience or the proper skillset above him/her to identify the problem and fix it? Does that person have the tools to identify the problem or are they overloaded or in a position where they do not have the tools or skills to identify such a problem. What about that persons superior? Can they identify potential leaders?
This can go on and on, and probably has.

To manage is to create a structure, provide tools and motivate individuals to acheive conformance. I don't know about the motivation, you can argue that but I am positive based on things that I see there that the structure and tools are inadequate. As a business oriented idividual I believe to attack this problem one should identify where the structure is weak and rebuild it w/ new leadership

 

[FL000]

I agree with you on all points. My only point was that, even without the goods, a proactive worker will find a way to get the job done. All they really have to do is push us or park us. Most of the rest we can improvise.

 

[DDpaysoff]

I agree w/ that. If there is one thing those rampers certainly are not it is proactive. See you around.