G Gates

[CoolSidePillow]

There is one answer for all the problems everyone complains about. "Welcome to America" USofA in the 21st century. Scary thing is we havent even hit bottom yet. Walmart economics. Spreading the limited wealth that 95% of the population fight over so thin you can see through it while 5% control most of the money and power while we still pat ourselves on the back and say how great it is here and how much better we are than anyone else. Yeah no kidding those 5% ruined every other place on earth and we are the last to exploit. We here say the french are wimpy and gutless and so bad. Hmmmm not only did they overthrow their powerful but they cut their heads off. Viva la France!

 

[Prop2Jet]

I am proud to be in that 5% class and I enjoyed ruining everypart of G-gates! Now onto Paris and the battle of the Bulge encore!

 

[FCNelson]

I have flown there for the last 3 months at Dulles and I have to say G gates blows.

1Man that place just sucks....

Done ranting!

Merry X mas !

Oh! Aren't you something special! So you've been flying out of IAD for a whopping three months! Aren't you just the grizzled veteran airline pilot who's been there, done that, seen everything, and lived to tell about it. And I suppose because the rampers don't move quick enough for your liking, thats UNSAT in your books and UAL should spend millions to fix the problem. I suppose your next complaint will be that you've been with your airline for six months, haven't got awarded an upgrade, and are pissed, because all your buddies are going to JetBlue, SWA, and FedEx while you're still an FO.

Kid, you don't even have enough hours for an ATP. Get real. I suppose you're perfect and don't get off your airspeed one knot on approaches. Live a bit, then come back and post a bit more. I'm going to enjoy reading your posts, you certainly seem to have mastered the art of complaining like a 25yr Eastern veteran.

FCNelson

-An over 5yr vet off/on of IAD-basing.

 

[suupah]

Oh! Aren't you something special! So you've been flying out of IAD for a whopping three months! Aren't you just the grizzled veteran airline pilot who's been there, done that, seen everything, and lived to tell about it. And I suppose because the rampers don't move quick enough for your liking, thats UNSAT in your books and UAL should spend millions to fix the problem. I suppose your next complaint will be that you've been with your airline for six months, haven't got awarded an upgrade, and are pissed, because all your buddies are going to JetBlue, SWA, and FedEx while you're still an FO.

Kid, you don't even have enough hours for an ATP. Get real. I suppose you're perfect and don't get off your airspeed one knot on approaches. Live a bit, then come back and post a bit more. I'm going to enjoy reading your posts, you certainly seem to have mastered the art of complaining like a 25yr Eastern veteran.

FCNelson

-An over 5yr vet off/on of IAD-basing.

Dang Nelson, if it takes someone longer than 2 weeks to figure out that the G gates suck, they probably shouldn't be a pilot. I have been going there regularly for the past 2 months and clearly see that it is really inefficient.

 

[NEDude]

I think the piss poor service is due to a few factors. And I don't believe pay is really the root. As mentioned SWA doesn't pay much better than anyone else, but the folks there seem to work harder.

I think the root cause is the bean counters at most airlines. As pilots we have not been the only victims of cost cutting. At many stations I have been to the staffing has been greatly reduced over the last few years. As a result, the fewer employees are having to do more work, many times for the same or less pay then before. I have come into a station several times only to find three people trying to handle two flights at the same time. Nobody called in sick, only three people were scheduled for that shift. The flights were on time, so it wasn't like one of the flights wasn't supposed to be there. It was just three people to check in PAX, off load PAX, load/unload bags, get paperwork, call the fuelers and cover anything else that was needed. That, I believe, is the root of the problem.

When I used to pump fuel for the airlines, it struck that me that the biggest difference between SWA and the other airlines was that when a SWA plane came in, there were anywhere from 10 - 12 rampers that worked the plane. At other airlines there were three, maybe sometimes four.

 

[millhouse21]

I think the piss poor service is due to a few factors. And I don't believe pay is really the root. As mentioned SWA doesn't pay much better than anyone else, but the folks there seem to work harder.

I think the root cause is the bean counters at most airlines. As pilots we have not been the only victims of cost cutting. At many stations I have been to the staffing has been greatly reduced over the last few years. As a result, the fewer employees are having to do more work, many times for the same or less pay then before. I have come into a station several times only to find three people trying to handle two flights at the same time. Nobody called in sick, only three people were scheduled for that shift. The flights were on time, so it wasn't like one of the flights wasn't supposed to be there. It was just three people to check in PAX, off load PAX, load/unload bags, get paperwork, call the fuelers and cover anything else that was needed. That, I believe, is the root of the problem.

When I used to pump fuel for the airlines, it struck that me that the biggest difference between SWA and the other airlines was that when a SWA plane came in, there were anywhere from 10 - 12 rampers that worked the plane. At other airlines there were three, maybe sometimes four.

You can really see that in PIT where SW parks right where we used to park. We still park nearby and the difference is stunning. When one of their jets arrives, it is literally swarmed with rampers trying to get the thing turned. We just have the gate saying "are you ready to board?" and coding the delay on the crew since the answer was "no."

 

[NEDude]

We just have the gate saying "are you ready to board?" and coding the delay on the crew since the answer was "no."

Or worse, you tell them yes and they take 25 minutes to start boarding, and then code the delay on the crew.

 

[CFIse]

FCNelson

-An over 5yr vet off/on of IAD-basing.

Wow - that's great news then - if you do it for 5 years either the rampers recognise your high and mighty 5 years and provide better service or you become immune to the incompetence.

Anybody who spends 5 minutes at the G gates can tell it's the gateway to hell, it doesn't take 3 months.

 

[shuttlepilot]

I was one of the lucky ones who broke in the rampers on the g -gates. They were a whole lot worse at first, try being nice to the rampers, gate agents and smile. I rarely had any problems..., I may have waited for a ramp twice, always had great service from those guys and gals.

 

[BRA]

Oh! Aren't you something special! So you've been flying out of IAD for a whopping three months! Aren't you just the grizzled veteran airline pilot who's been there, done that, seen everything, and lived to tell about it. And I suppose because the rampers don't move quick enough for your liking, thats UNSAT in your books and UAL should spend millions to fix the problem. I suppose your next complaint will be that you've been with your airline for six months, haven't got awarded an upgrade, and are pissed, because all your buddies are going to JetBlue, SWA, and FedEx while you're still an FO.

Kid, you don't even have enough hours for an ATP. Get real. I suppose you're perfect and don't get off your airspeed one knot on approaches. Live a bit, then come back and post a bit more. I'm going to enjoy reading your posts, you certainly seem to have mastered the art of complaining like a 25yr Eastern veteran.

FCNelson

-An over 5yr vet off/on of IAD-basing.

Actually at colgan if you wait over 6 months to upgrade people do complain. 6 month upgrades do happen there if people have the time. I upgraded in 14 months. And that took forever. You didn't happen to be one of those colgan people that quit to go to ACA around the 2002 time frame were you???

 

[Prop2Jet]

deleted

 

[Prop2Jet]

O yeah, Merry XMAS

 

[FCNelson]

Hey FC Nelson.:

People like you just SUCK. Nothing more about it. By the way "old man" I am not a kid so stick it up your ass you disgruntled old fart. Do yourself a favor and pop a few viagra to take the edge off your not so nice aviation speak.

Why thank you for the the compliment, Prop2Jet.

You really don't have a clue, do you. Let me ask you, do you have any idea how expensive it is to live in the Northern VA area, near IAD. Here's a clue: you couldn't touch a basic townhouse for under $350k. Let me tell something else. Unemployment in Loudoun County, VA, where IAD is located is under 2%. Any given day of the week, I could literally go to any place of employment and be hired for just about anything. Last week I talked to a guy who hooks up cable for Adelphia. After a 2 week training course, he's made over $80k this year.

UAL & affiliates thru DGS is well aware of the situation they have at IAD. Its not that they don't want to staff the ramp properly, its that they can't at the pay rates they offer. And its not like the ramper pay rates there are going to come up anything significant anytime soon. So thats why you have the 'G' gate situation and will continue to have it. And its not like ACA did things any better when they were UEX, nor did Presidential or whomever came before then. As a regional airline, your company operates on slim profit margins, and with that mentality, you'll never attract top notch talent (for long) to service your airplanes. Personally - I think anybody who works on the ramp at the 'G' gates is foolish, because they could be pursuing so many other better means of remuneration in the IAD area. But what may seem a glaring weakness to you - I'm sure a 3 minute wait for a marshaller has you dying of a heart attack - has a negligible effect on the entire UAL operation. Net result: People get in the terminal a few seconds later, connect to their flight, and go on with their day. There is a flex factor built in to the system to accomodate inefficiencies. Obviously the 'G' gates has some physical limitations, but these people who routinely vow to never travel on UAL again always come running back to the airline that offers the lowest fare & best connections out of IAD (usually UAL).

I've got news for you Prop2Jet. I suspect that when you got hired on by whichever loser operator who populate the 'G' gates (take your pick of Colgan, Mesa, Trans States, or Chautauqua), you thought you were going to airline heaven. You had this image of you gliding through the terminal in this crisp pilot uniform, flying a powerful regional aircraft, and being serviced by top-notch aviation professionals. Guess what: It ain't like that. It ain't close to perfect. If you think adding a few more rampers to the mix would smooth things out, it won't. Every hub has issues. Ask an ASA or DAL guy about ATL. Ask a UAL guy about ORD. Ask an AA guy about DFW. The sooner you learn that everybody, and I mean everybody not sitting in your seat is actively attempting to ensure you never make another dime flying airplanes is the day you'll be a better person.

FCNelson

P.S. Say 'hi' to your friend FlyChicaga for me.

 

[rtmcfi]

Every hub has issues. Ask an ASA or DAL guy about ATL. Ask a UAL guy about ORD. Ask an AA guy about DFW.

Right, and I think the whole point of this was that IAD Ghetto gates have more "issues" than other places. If you have flown anywhere further than Ashburn, you surely realize this.

 

[Prop2Jet]

Your right Nelson. I am sorry for the rude email, I was angered at your comments, it was unprofessional of me. I don't know FlyChicago either.
At one point I lived in Alexandria, and yes very expensive!
I guess I was fired up from your insulting and condescending email in this thread.

I will just sit in my seat and tell the folks in the back that due to the low wages of rampies you will all be late and good luck with your bags!

 

[FCNelson]

Right, and I think the whole point of this was that IAD Ghetto gates have more "issues" than other places. If you have flown anywhere further than Ashburn, you surely realize this.

You have got to be the most naive, fresh-faced CFI kid I've ever seen in my life. If you think the 'G' gates at IAD have more issues than anywhere else, you ain't seen nothing.

Nelson

 

[FCNelson]

I will just sit in my seat and tell the folks in the back that due to the low wages of rampies you will all be late and good luck with your bags!

If you really want to change things at the 'G' gates, that would actually be a reasonable way to go about it. Keep your nose clean and you'll be out of there before you know it.

Nelson

 

[suupah]

Why thank you for the the compliment, Prop2Jet.

....I've got news for you Prop2Jet. I suspect that when you got hired on by whichever loser operator who populate the 'G' gates (take your pick of Colgan, Mesa, Trans States, or Chautauqua), .....
FCNelson

P.S. Say 'hi' to your friend FlyChicaga for me.

Blanket insult for half the industry. If you are a captain i hope to never fly with you.

I think the problem with the G gates is lack of organization. The rampers do a good job i think, when they know what to do. Maybe if they hired some talent/experience in some key positions that would help.