Gate Agent / Ground training issues endemic, or unlucky?
May 17, 2013, 4:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
Gate Agent / Ground training issues endemic, or unlucky?
I want to preface this by saying that I still fly about 70% of my travel on UA, so that's a larger chance that this kind of thing will happen to me on UA than DL or an Asian carrier. Possibly this happens all the time, everywhere, not just at UA??
Anyhow, I landed in DEN today (early), and spent about 10 minutes waiting while they tried to bring up the jet bridge. Apparently the ground staff allowed the plane too far forward, so they had to move everything back away from the aircraft, close up the hold, hook up the tug and push the plane back about 10 feet (with 30% of pax standing in the aisles while they did so) before they could take another crack at getting the jet bridge in place.
Not more than 2 weeks ago in CLE, we pulled up in a RJ, and were again, too far forward. In this case, the rolling footbridge that they put into the door was "jammed" in the middle of the walkway between some kind of extendable railing inside the jetway. (I could see it through the window from 2A.) Basically, the jetbridge made it up to the side of the plane, but it was so far retracted that the railing telescoped into the landing and was acting as a barrier, blocking access to the walkway and pinning the wheeled bridge against the wall of the jetway. Again, disconnect, push back, try again... (On this one, I'm betting that the jetbridge took some damage too!)
Finally back in March, I flew into BOS, and it was the opposite. Plane too far back. Get everybody back in their seats, fire up an engine, move forward 10 feet. Another ding, and everybody tries to get off the plane again.
That's 3 misses on parking a plane in 2.5 months! While this stuff does happen occasionally, the last time I can remember it happening to me on some other airline was maybe ~3 years ago on DL. Whereas I have these 3 times in the last 2 months, and at least 2 others I can vaguely remember in the last year or so.
Has there been a lot of turnover in ground staff, and/or has something changed about UA parking procedures, where they'd suddenly have a significantly higher rate of stopping a plane outside the range where the jetbridge could service it?? Or is this a coincidental unluckiness that I've been on planes where it's happening?
Anyhow, I landed in DEN today (early), and spent about 10 minutes waiting while they tried to bring up the jet bridge. Apparently the ground staff allowed the plane too far forward, so they had to move everything back away from the aircraft, close up the hold, hook up the tug and push the plane back about 10 feet (with 30% of pax standing in the aisles while they did so) before they could take another crack at getting the jet bridge in place.
Not more than 2 weeks ago in CLE, we pulled up in a RJ, and were again, too far forward. In this case, the rolling footbridge that they put into the door was "jammed" in the middle of the walkway between some kind of extendable railing inside the jetway. (I could see it through the window from 2A.) Basically, the jetbridge made it up to the side of the plane, but it was so far retracted that the railing telescoped into the landing and was acting as a barrier, blocking access to the walkway and pinning the wheeled bridge against the wall of the jetway. Again, disconnect, push back, try again... (On this one, I'm betting that the jetbridge took some damage too!)
Finally back in March, I flew into BOS, and it was the opposite. Plane too far back. Get everybody back in their seats, fire up an engine, move forward 10 feet. Another ding, and everybody tries to get off the plane again.
That's 3 misses on parking a plane in 2.5 months! While this stuff does happen occasionally, the last time I can remember it happening to me on some other airline was maybe ~3 years ago on DL. Whereas I have these 3 times in the last 2 months, and at least 2 others I can vaguely remember in the last year or so.
Has there been a lot of turnover in ground staff, and/or has something changed about UA parking procedures, where they'd suddenly have a significantly higher rate of stopping a plane outside the range where the jetbridge could service it?? Or is this a coincidental unluckiness that I've been on planes where it's happening?
