New ASA Boarding Procedure w/o Pilots!

[shamrock]

Wow, can you imagine how mad all those passengers are going to be when their flight is cancelled for lack of crew after they've been sitting on the airplane for over an hour?

 

[CFI2766]

The airplane will have a GPU & an air cart running when this procedure is in effect.

Also, the FAs are supposed to have access to a jetway phone, ergo, communications with (gate agent/ramp/Labreque/someone who cares...)

This policy has the potential to save some time. However, it also has some serious risks. I don't get the feeling that the risks to the passengers have been adequately addressed. As well, I suspect the first passenger that comes to grief over this process will have an easy time in court proving negligence on the part of the airline. Also, let's face it, the FAs who will be babysitting these aircraft will more than likely be the most junior FAs. What will happen when a junior FA comes in contact with a unhappy/rowdy/drunk passenger? Leave the aircraft unattended to access the phone in the jetway to call for help?

A more likely scenario is operations folks boarding an airplane without really knowing where the crew is, or when they will actually get to the airplane. We all know that the gate agents are much more concerned about getting the passengers out of their gate area than about whether or not the airplane actually should be boarded. I see the potential for aircraft having to be boarded and then un-boarded several times as the scheduling displays their normal efficiency in locating flight crews.

 

[Palerider957]

The airplane will have a GPU & an air cart running when this procedure is in effect.

This is where the policy will fail. I can't imagine ASA/GSE reliability has improved a bit, so this policy will be a paper policy almost never used.

 

[IamHYPOXIC2]

Ok, this is a retarded rule. It might work for DELTA...but not ASA. Ground facilities or not, the inbound crew might wait 30 minutes for wheelchairs and then satisfy physical needs before even thinking about getting to the plane. People may sit on board a cramped RJ for 45 min to an hour before their pilots even show up. Then the airplane might be put in MTC or who knows what....DEPLANE!! DEPLANE!! This will make passengers very happy. Another well thought out idea by our mis-managed airline.

 

[Jmoney]

Nuts!

jmoney something else man, you only get violated, if you did something that caused the incident or accident to happen. If you arent there then you cant get in trouble. In order to hold you accountable they have to prove that you had a duty to act, and that you breached that duty!! You will be ok man. Be a captain dude, not a worry wart !!

This is simply nuts! Lets say a fuel truck hits the airplane, fuel starts dumping out everywhere, and now you have a situation. Pilots know how to use the radios, know the technical aspects of what risks are involved, and can make an informed judgement about the situation. What will some "transient" FA who has been here two weeks do?

If you read the memo on this crap, there is one FA on the plane, out of communication with everyone, and he or she is supposed to acutally ask panicked passengers to do many of the things she can't do-like get off the plane and call someone. Why the hell does the intercom between the flight deck and FA have to be working for dispatch? Because the FA needs to be able to communicate! This is a huge f-ing mess!

The lawyers will have a field day with this if anything ever happens, and you can bet they will sue/attempt to violate everyone who had anything to do with this aircraft. When the landing gear fell off a few years back and some woman sprained her ankle during an evacuation, she sued everyone who had anything to do with that flight, all the crew, the dispatcher, the freaking gate agents, etc. I do not want to be involved in something similar! Don't bet ASA will spend a dime to defend your butt!

-Find something better to suck up to these retards about!

 

[sweptback]

I think you guys are missing the best part. With the jetway hooked to the aircraft, one FA on board, and ground services running, the flight crew may leave the aircraft with passengers on board.

Waiting for 5 wheelchairs on the last flight of your 4-day? Tough luck, see you on the bus!

 

[SuperPilot]

So if I'm correct at how this will work, the plane will have a GPU and air hooked up and a FA on board. Who turns the airplane on to actually utilize the ground power? And who is the one who will shut off the plane when the GPU plug is accidentally knocked out or stops supplying power and the tubes overheat?

I don't work there, just curious.

--SP

 

[HoserASA]

my crystal balls are cloudy. .

They have shots for that www.!

Hoser

 

[HoserASA]

As long as you're not there, you are not responsible for what may occur. ASA/DAL is taking responsibility for this, and as been mention, Delta does it routinely. Should be comical to watch though. Fly Safely!

Hoser

 

[crjskipper]

jmoney take your meds. what if a fuel truck crashes into a delta jet at a15. fa's will do the same thing on us as delta fa's do. remember the letter says only at delta gates. and btw, the emer lite can be turned on from the fa phone panel, and gpu power can be turned on from the outside,they dont need the cockpit.

 

[Smoked Toilet]

The big question: "How about them 'Emergency Exit Lights' that lead to the the emergency exits?" Who is going to arm those?

Fortunately, the flight attendant Emergency Light Switch is the one switch they have control over that will "override" the flight deck. It works regardless of flight deck selection of the switch.

As far as boarding without pilots, I see no problem with it.

 

[shamrock]

As far as boarding without pilots, I see no problem with it.

Nor do I, as long as the company is OK with letting passengers sit on the airplane for long periods of time while their pilots get something to eat, hit the head, and hoof it from E to A. And you thought we had some surly passengers now!

 

[Jmoney]

Problems

jmoney take your meds. what if a fuel truck crashes into a delta jet at a15. fa's will do the same thing on us as delta fa's do. remember the letter says only at delta gates. and btw, the emer lite can be turned on from the fa phone panel, and gpu power can be turned on from the outside,they dont need the cockpit.

Maybe you missed the part about the ONE flight attendant we have on our aircraft. That means that ONE FA is going to be telling 50 panicked people what to do alone. How many passengers will totally lose their poop? Our FA is going to have to ask one of them to do this and another to do that, because our FA can't leave the aircraft?

This whole procedure is silly. It invites trouble and clearly was not designed for us. Comparing our plane to Delta's is not valid-they always have at least 3 or more Flight attendants available to handle things.

If anything happens, just wait and see what a legal poop storm comes up!

 

[Oakum_Boy]

I wonder what will happen when the external flight deck power switch is left in, the aircraft is powered up and the display cooing fan goes inop. The CRTs burn up, the pax get evacuated, and fire services called on scene. Pilot Error, I'll betcha. Even though you were in the men's room. Sounds good.

 

[bailout]

how long is the FA going to be onboard before the pilots gets there? they usually walk over somewhat together from the last airplane to the new one and the pilots usually get there first anyway.