Originally Posted by
flyallnite
I don't understand the cynical tone. How long have we been the #1 on time airline? A year... if that? Where were we 3 years ago? Dead last? Passenger complaints? Baggage?
This is all about big data. It's working for us and if you don't want to participate, well I guess you'll just be one dot on the matrix that doesn't get counted. I'm glad our management is finally trying to find out where the root problems lie and fix them. 10 years ago, we held every day into ATL when it was CAVU. Now, I barely do two turns when it's thunderstorms at the field. The gate is usually available, and the ground crew was out there in the pouring rain waiting for us to park last week. I'd call that a major improvement from before.
It's amazing when you think about how far flung our operation is and how many challenges we face and despite all that, we are killing it. I for one want to see it get better because I know it can. I've never seen an opportunity at this company to really get things where they needed to be until recently, from an operational perspective.
Will there be problems? Yes! Will JFK run 100 percent on time? No! Will ramp ops get fouled up? Of course they will! But if the processes are going to get changed, there has to be data showing exactly what the problem truly is for things to get the needed attention. That's the whole point. There ARE problems. If we "do the agents a favor" and show on time, we are covering for a myriad of problems to include RJ's blocking the ramp, etc... So STOP covering for everyone, and let the problems come to light. If someone asks you what happened, it's not because they are trying to punish you, it's because they realize you are in a unique position to see what the problem really is, and they want to hear your answer!
I'm at the point now where I just ask the captain before I turn the beacon on. I honestly could give a crap seeing as the extra minute I am trying to cheat the company on probably doesn't count seeing as most of our flights are scheduled overblock anyway.
I'll go out on a limb here and say that most of us are sick and tired of a constantly changing, dynamic block out time policy. (No later than D-0, no more than D-5, but not before Pre-Pushback Message, and only before the WDR, but, now, only when the aircraft is about to move imminently, hard focus on imminently/no standing definition of imminently).
Standing by for a flow chart........
I think the next big step is going to be towards reducing those scheduled block times, but make no mistake here gentlemen this is about cost reduction nothing more, nothing less. If they can improve the "latency" on the front end, then shaving off block times will follow without effecting our on time performance.
If the 4th floor wonder-kin can find a way to shave 5 minutes off of a majority of our flight block times, then that would translate to a significant cost savings from a labor standpoint. Just my two cents here, but I think that is the long term strategy. Just as they are looking at reducing the actual difference between transmitted block out time versus actual pushback, they are also looking at the difference between scheduled block time versus actual average block time.