Uncle Rico and D-0/ Auto-board

[CFI2766]

Soooo, looks like we will now be required to be at the airplane at 55 minutes prior to departure. Thus, 55 minutes of unpaid time now before each flight as opposed to 45.

That being said, I really don't mind, IF the net result is progress. We are a scheduled airline, we should be able to get flights to leave when they are scheduled.

However, I think that we could be at the airplane 2 hours early and still not have any affect on departure times: the flight crew is not the weak link in this equation. Now, with even less control over the ramp operation, I suspect that there isn't really anything that ASA management can do to make the situation better.

I'm probably a bit optimistic here, but I really hope that this new 'initiative' amounts to something more than trying to re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

[Crash Pad]

As a flight crew member I hate to say this... But occasionally we cause a delay by getting to the aircraft late.

This new guy is a stickler for professionalism... Uniforms, ipods, be at the plane on time. I'm sure he brings this vigor to the rest of the operation which would indicate some improvement.

Note: ATR captain reserve. Month to date: 0 Block.

 

[outtahere]

Sweet I'm on reserve on the 200, Month to date block 5.4

 

[OCP]

In over 5 years here I have never been late out of an out station because the crew got there 45 min before departure. Maybe the van was late or something along those line, but not if the crew was there 45 min prior.

 

[FishandFly]

Duty in 60 min prior.
Check mailbox 59 min prior
Take a look at wx 58 min prior
Find flight kit 57 min prior
Run from C to airplane in 2 min.

Yeah, this is a great idea.

And by the way, what's the delay code for "had to take a leak at the outstation"?

 

[snozberry]

How's that gonna work when you have a 40 minute turn scheduled in ATL and you have to swap planes?

 

[Crash Pad]

So you have never done the NAP classic... sometimes 5 am show classic of... Show time 5:00... "we'll take a 4:55 van"

Chug through security, run on the plane, tell the gate agent "we're ready"... Then whoops we still need fuel. Not a probelm if you are at the plane on time.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Duty in 60 min prior.
Check mailbox 59 min prior
Take a look at wx 58 min prior
Find flight kit 57 min prior
Run from C to airplane in 2 min.

How the heck am I supposed to make it to the plane in 2 minutes? Doesn't Brad know how hard it is to run in Doc Martens while wearing a ski jacket with a backpack on? Geez Louise!!!!

And by the way, what's the delay code for "had to take a leak at the outstation"?

08M: Crew Late Checklist.

 

[crjskipper]

i think we are reading it wrong, it doesnt say be there 55, the release is 55. boarding is 25 and all the other stuff falls in between. i think sh told a recurrent class he doesnt care when you are on as long as you are ready to board as 25.

 

[wms]

We'll be ready, but everyone else required to do their jobs won't be. Until DAL gets it's rampers under control the radio chatter will just go from bugging ops to get some service to calling ops to hold boarding until everyone decides to do their jobs.

 

[Papa Woody]

"Cap'n, k'ai add fo' mo' bagz?"

 

[rickair7777]

Serious question...how can they make an arbitrary decision that you have to come to work earlier? Doesn't your contract spell that out? Seems like you should get paid block time to make up the difference.

Hell, they could just have you check in three hours prior to departure...that would improve operational performance because it would give them plenty of time to try to get hold of you and then call out a reserve if you no show.

 

[JoeMerchant]

The problem isn't ASA/Skywest...... it is Delta.... The crews could be at the airplane 2 hours prior to departure in ATL, but the bags still won't be there until departure time...

I've talked to 2 people who are flying tonight in ATL with the ice, and they say this is bad as they've ever seen it..... so much for Delta "fixing" things.....

 

[79%N1]

The problem isn't ASA/Skywest...... it is Delta.... The crews could be at the airplane 2 hours prior to departure in ATL, but the bags still won't be there until departure time...

I've talked to 2 people who are flying tonight in ATL with the ice, and they say this is bad as they've ever seen it..... so much for Delta "fixing" things.....

Agree 100%! I have sent many questions on askASA on why ASA takes the brunt of the criticism, and is even held accountable by Delta for our "poor performance", when they are tasked with

* Making the schedules (ie. 40 mi turns with concourse swaps, etc)
* Providing the gate space (ie. may next flight could go out on time, but when I arrived to ATL 10 min early and then waited 45 min for parking because there was no gate available)
* Sending out the release
* Catering the plane
* Fueling the plane
* Boarding the passengers
* Counting the bags and pax
* Gathering a crew of 3 for pushback
* Pushback

What the heck else is there????? It is NOT ASA that has a problem with performance. It is DELTA. All we do is fly the plane from push-back to parking, serve cokes, and turn wrenches!


PS. 200 reserve CA, 0.0 hrs Block for Jan.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Agree 100%! I have sent many questions on askASA on why ASA takes the brunt of the criticism, and is even held accountable by Delta for our "poor performance", when they are tasked with

* Making the schedules (ie. 40 mi turns with concourse swaps, etc)
* Providing the gate space (ie. may next flight could go out on time, but when I arrived to ATL 10 min early and then waited 45 min for parking because there was no gate available)
* Sending out the release
* Catering the plane
* Fueling the plane
* Boarding the passengers
* Counting the bags and pax
* Gathering a crew of 3 for pushback
* Pushback

What the heck else is there????? It is NOT ASA that has a problem with performance. It is DELTA. All we do is fly the plane from push-back to parking, serve cokes, and turn wrenches!

Ask Gen. Lee..... He will tell you that the world revolves around Delta Air Lines.....

 

[JettBoii]

55 minutes to get ready to board a 50 seat airplane? Whats wrong with this picture?

 

[spudskier]

However, I think that we could be at the airplane 2 hours early and still not have any affect on departure times: the flight crew is not the weak link in this equation. Now, with even less control over the ramp operation, I suspect that there isn't really anything that ASA management can do to make the situation better.

There is something management can do, more bases.

THis many pilots, this many airplanes, ONE crappy location with horrid ramp service... Of course we look bad! Delta ramp operations improved for a minute and went back to what they always have been and will be.

More bases (maybe CVG where ramp operations are 10 times better) could mean more on-time starts... Just a thought.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Uncle Rico's announcement (and I love how he takes credit for it... I'm SURE it was his idea ) only shows nothing has changed at ASA. Now we have to get to work even earlier. Apparently they still blame the flight crews for all of the company's problems.

Now we have 10 more minutes to sit on an empty, unfueled, uncatered, uncleaned airplane, with Shanaynay in the "Tower" yelling every 5 minutes wha' yo' 'ain't ready to bo'd????

 

[ehaecker]

I was waiting to go to PFN the other night. We were all boarded up and ready to go, except for fuel. "ding - efis comp" I look to the right, sure enough, there is a fuel truck. After about 5 minutes, I notice our fuel is still sitting where it was before the truck pulled up. I look out the window to see the fuel truck leave our plane and go to the RJ next door. I put in a call to ops to tell them what just happened. "Copy dat" was the response. 20 minutes later (15 passed departure) I call again and ask if Atlanta is out of fuel. "Y'all already dun bean fueled?!?!"
What a joke this place is...

 

[Muff-N-Man]

I've only been at ASA for 7 years, but in that time this is the 3rd time I've seen this exact same thing done. "Let's change the timeline, and that'll fix the problem". We've slowly moved from having to be on the a/c 30 prior, to 45, now 55; and on time hasn't changed much. I'm preaching to the choir, but obviously the problem isn't (always) us. It's the other 95% of the operation that needs to be fixed, ie accountability. Until they do that, nothing will change. Especially with all the BS late coding of 'late check list' and the like.

I'm outey - good luck with all that.