My personal opinion: things would be just fine if The Home Team did not let go of the rampers and replaced them with those losers from Menzies.

They should have a metric on how long it takes to pickup baggage when arriving into Seattle because Menzies really is horrible in that department.

Also, can't an airline game on-time performance? Just buffer additional time into each flight and then you are "on time" or early for each flight?

They do have a metric and watch it very closely. Menzies is actually really good now. Alaska has a baggage delivery guarantee that promises you will recieve your bag within 20 minutes of the aircraft blocking in or recieve a $20 credit or 2000 mileage plan miles.

Yes. Airlines can "game" on-time performance. However, the more they increase the times, the more they have to pay the pilots, and less efficient the operation becomes. Airlines have been forced to increase the block times between cities just to be "on-time" due to the antiquated air traffic control system. If it were up to the airlines they would be able to block the flights at the same time as the flights in the 1960s. They would save millions and use far less crews per airplane.

Absolutely correct. But some Einstein decided that pushback time is just as important as arrival time, so that has now become a statistic by which we are judged. It is moronic, and for the most part irrelevant. It has forced a gun into the ear of the gate agents to shove the airplane-with or without the passengers- all in the name of satisfying that metric. I am sure that the late running businessman who has just run thru the airport only to watch the door close "on time" feels so much better watching his flight push on time... but without him. I know that if limits weren't good enough, they wouldn't be limits, but this statistic now has eliminated any possibility of injecting common sense and customer service into the equation. Sad really... I always thought we were in the customer service business.

Perhaps back in the regulated days but not so any more. Airlines are in the people moving business, not the customer service business. At least most of them.

Their only concern is competing on price now, as it seems to be the only metric that matters. Even on-time performance is a distant second as even the slowest airlines that get all the headlines still manage to fill their seats if the price is right. The people wanted subway cars in the sky and by golly we're going to have to provide that if its the only way this business is going to make money. The only airline that I can think of that's trying to get away from this model is JetBlue who only sells tickets on their own web site (not directly competing on ticketing sites like Orbitz) and trying to market a slightly more premium service. However, for everyone else, its all about efficiency in price and performance.

Sadly this is fairly true. Also. I don't think the darling sells on Orbitz or any of the other sites either.... which is actually genius when you think about it. You get 'em on YOUR website, and they know that people don't really shop fares.. they go to who they THINK is the lowest... get on that site, and buy the ticket.. even though they might get a better deal elsewhere. It's not just airline seats where this applies... people are lazy when it comes to price consciousness... as long as they THINK they are getting a good deal.. they are happy. Why else would women go to the half off sale at Neeman Marcus?

I disagree. In the past, smaller cities had maybe 1-3 mainline flights per day. Today, most of those small and medium cities have 5 to 10 RJ flights per day, all going back to the same hubs. Hell, there's probably about 20+ or so RJ flights between NYC and Chicago.

Sure, ATC is a large part of the equation. But another large part is that 50% or more of today's passengers fly on airspace-inefficient RJs into larger and larger cities. It doesn't take much to cause a meltdown.

A little off topic, but can any of you Alaska guys update the payscale on your airline page on APC? The note still says that the April 1st pay bump is not yet reflected in the pay table.

I E-Mailed the April 1 payscale (which is not much of a pay bump anyway) to the powers that be a little over 2 months ago. I guess our meager April 1 pay raise doesn't warrant a quick update... especially since there's soooooo much going on with other airlines. Okay, I'm in a grumpy mood.

So you'd rather have a gun to the pilot's head and define the metric with arrival time?