SWA on-time performance
 

Hello SWA folks! First of all I want to thank you guys/gals for still providing the best hospitality to jumpseaters I have ever experienced. I have been treated better by your gate agents and CS agents than I get treated at my airline.

I've been looking at the latest DOT stats and was surprised to see SWA's on-time performance really drop in the past year. I'm curious as to what's the reason behind this as I'm sure you guys are still the fastest at turning planes out there - so I'm wondering what has changed from the previous years? Is it the passengers that take longer to get settled and ready, or just the schedule which is too tight?

A large part of it is lack of motivation/slow down on the ramp due to contract negotiations.

I won't deny the statement above, but an equally large part is a re-vamp of the schedule trying to fly a larger number of flights with a smaller number of airplanes. There was a double down of management to try and maximize profits by expanding the schedule without expanding the fleet. For the record, I think even management will admit this experiment was a miserable failure.

+1 Was at LAX a few days ago and what should have been a 30 minute turn became an hour entirely due to the ramp workers VERY SLOWLY loading the bags on the belt loader. Frustrating...........

Don't forget that these guys are expected to turn aircraft up to a B737-700 with only 2 ramp guys. Abuse of mandatory overtime has caused many to quit or take injury time. Worked them so hard, they were injured in the process.

Not to safe when your ramp agent starts at 0600 after working the night before until 0000. Sounds like no sleep at all. That type of mandatory overtime usually is followed by the ramp agent having to work his next shift at 1530. They sometimes clock off for a ten hour rest rule, leaving the company short.

While it might be frustrating, you have to cut them some slack and have a little understanding. They have been "mandoed" to death and the company's obviously dragging their negotiations out. What if you were at your wit's end with your hands tied by the RLA?

With the way out negotiations are going you'll have a chance to answer that soon enough.

For once Whack, you and I are in complete agreement. :eek:

Throwing bags for 5 years in the PHX heat probably gives me a soft spot for our rampers.

I wasn't clear with my previous post. Was just trying to relay that we are having major ramp problems. Was not trying to assign blame in the previous post --
However, now that I am on the topic.....
I know clearly where the blame lies and it lies with management trying to save a dime and it will eventually cost them many, many dollars. Mgt is too cheap to hire a few extra rampers and staff the operation properly despite PLENTY of money available to do so. In my short time here I have noticed a drastic reduction in the number of rampers
that meet the plane and are available to unload the bags and cargo.

Well, to comment on that......when I first transitioned over, I was shocked at how many rampers per arrival/departure there were. Even with that many though, the below wing grounds ops was deplorable as was the operation. I'm honestly not trying to boast but we had fantastic baggage and on-time numbers at AT with at least a third less rampers. It has gotten better though, or maybe I've just grown immune to it.

Either way, when you back a person into a corner, the "I don't give a ^%#*" attitude quickly surfaces.

It's a shame to hear about the ramp workers at Southwest Airlines. We have that same problem at expressjet. Not really with baggage handler Union but it just seems they are not very motivated to get the flights out on time.