Can somebody tell me why?
 

Can somebody tell me why some Captains wait to start the APU if the temperature is even remotely uncomfortable? The airline I work at has no profit sharing or and incentives whatsoever, yet some Captains would "rather wait" to start it because they want to save gas. ARE YOU KIDDING?! Until our management starts thinking a little less about themselves there should be no hesitation to leave the second engine running and hold of on the APU. I would love nothing more than to work hard to save gas, but where's the incentive?

Saving the environment..maybe they're hippies

Incentive is not being furloughed.

x2 on not losing your job.

Think about it, If every flight was able to save $10 on gas, multiply that over 500-1000 flights per day per week per month per year...

Now of course management would never see this saving effort being done or appreciate this on an individual level, however if it's not done, they'll notice increasing fuel costs right away.

Though an employee profit sharing plan would be nice, poor performance affects everyone regardless of status.

If they are lifers, they have to try to keep their regional competitive for the long haul.

Fuel burn is an easy metric to use, and was critically important last year. Pax satisfaction is a little harder to quantify.

There is a little thing called, the right thing to do..............you just have to figure what that is. Although, I agree for the small cost of running the APU for a few minutes it's a pretty good trade off. But, had we all done things the right way through out the history of aviation, for example single engine taxis and shutting down the APU before it was a cost issue, then we would all be used to it and it wouldn't even be an issue to use it when it's hot. But we are screwed either way now.

If they will notice and increase in fuel costs right away then maybe they'll decide to do something about it. Like offer an incentive to save gas. We have to play hardball too, but it seems like no one wants to do that. Something like "we will save more gas, but we want something out of it, not just the subsidizing of your BONUS". Everyone is so afraid of losing their job they are willing to work for pathetic wages to keep it.

If you end up getting furloughed because everyone starts using the APU more often, then you were probably going to lose it anyways...

Then you might as well run it. It is not a matter of what's right and wrong; its a matter of what's comfortable. And once again...where is the incentive? Is it wrong to use the APU liberally?

Agree on the environmental aspect.

There are also other ways to keep the cabin comfortable. Closing the shades and opening the gaspers during a turn can help.

On the job security end, you are talking about cost -vs- comfort. If you give the pax a choice between saving a couple bux on the ticket price -vs- maybe being a little warm for a few minutes while waiting for the push, what do you think the pax would say? The businessman/woman who didn't pay for the ticket anyway would rather not have the sweat stains under his/her arms and maybe a little odor problem. I think the Southwest crowd would be fine with a little sweatiness if it meant they could save another $2.50 off the ticket price.

As Compass is part of the Delta system, I have always felt that Delta would like to save the fuel but is willing to spend it for passenger comfort. I believe they leave it to the judgment of the crew. I've always tried to find a balance.

I think the guidance should come from the company. Personally, I prefer to stay out of marketing decisions and just stick to operating the equipment how they tell me to. If the company doesn't want to provide guidance, Then I would say that the Captain is Pilot in Command. If you want to decide when to run the APU, maybe you should upgrade.

I've noticed from your previous post that you are often seeking an incentive from your employer. Are you saying that you should get extra for helping the company remain viable? Many people feel that they will experience success if the company they work for experiences success.

What does Compass say about running the APU?

The true measure of a man is not what he does when one is watching, but what he does when nobody see's. You should need no incentive to do what is right for the world around you, and every little bit helps...especially when multiplied as stated earlier.