The union doesn't write letters about EWR, management owns that.

Things will improve when the company hires, trains and retains enough staff to properly service the scheduled number of flights each day, plus enough people to account for irregular operations. Full stop. APU usage, SE Taxi, PAs, hugs and kisses for GS pax, none of these have any influence on not getting fueled, catered, etc. Period.

With the exception of getting to EWR early due to intentionally flying fast or departing early, there really isn't much of anything flight operations as a whole can do to fix the epic suck that is EWR. Anyone thinking otherwise is just inflating their ego or can't let go of their former job where they had an ops role. I'd like to also point out that management has consistently screwed up communicating this very simple concept to our pilots, as well. Lol.

 

You’re really triggered by that dinosaur comment huh? I’m not pretentious enough to believe I have the answer. However, I am rejecting the belief that is so prevalent in this thread that
nothing can be done to improve the situation at EWR. You pessimists are like the overweight people that say “I’ve tried everything, I can’t lose weight”. Well if they tried everything, wouldn’t they have found something that worked and lost the weight?

 

Management has increased staffing in the past, trained, empowered, added hard assets like tugs, ground air units, etc. It never takes very long for EWR to revert back to EWR being what it is known for. Some things just don’t change.

 

We fly. They manage. Period dot end of sentence. I learned years ago when I sent in a picture of a twisted and unusable ground air hose that they don’t care. The reply I got was snarky and unprofessional. I learned they don’t care about our suggestions so I control what I can control. My airplane will be comfortable for me and my passengers. I will do everything in my power to make it as pleasant a flight as possible for my crew and my passengers. I’ll even play the SE taxi game when it makes sense to do so and can be done safely. I’ll fly efficiently when it makes sense. I’ll do my best to make sure I’m not early into EWR to the extent that I can. I will not solve their mis-management issues though or suggest how to do so. They’ve told me they don’t care about my opinion about issues I see. Fine. I fly. They mis-manage.

 

This guy gets it.

 

Sounds like you’re just Marvin to fix the EWR ramp situation! Go get em tiger……

 

I actually feel it’s gotten much better compared to late last year . Yes have I waited recently for gates and ramp congestion no doubt , but nowhere as bad as it was due to very low staffing while recovering from Covid Layoffs .

that being said , if your in 737 please turn on the APU , 2 engine idle (let alone 1 engine idle) just isn’t enough to keep decent air flow in a 737 while waiting for that Gate, The cockpit is much cooler than the folks in the back . You almost have to be cold in the cockpit for it to be decent in the back while on the ground.

 

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There are things in our control and scope of work that we can do better at to help the operation. We are a small part - but we ARE a part.

 

What is the reason for not apologizing to customers or coworkers when a gate isn’t available?

What are the reasons a pilot would purposely avoid apologizing on the PA?