Any UA pilots or mechanics on FT: why so many MX this year?
Jun 30, 2015, 10:45 pm
#76
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,686
I don't care a damn about the DOT statistics. For me as a customer it only matters what I can expect and what I routinely experience when flying UA. Don't care if the EWR-LHR widebody is running fine when the UAX BOS-EWR goes MX.
Flightaware and others can parse this out just fine.
what are you talking about? DL regionals are MUCH better than UA ... by a LOT actually.
Flightaware and others can parse this out just fine.
what are you talking about? DL regionals are MUCH better than UA ... by a LOT actually.ExpressJet™
Compass
GoJet Airlines
Endeavor Air
Shuttle America
SkyWest
Only unique one there is Compass
Are you saying by debating my previous post that DL regional numbers are better/same than their mainline numbers? If not, then they are worse, and including them would make them look worse, which was my statement. I stand by that statement, unless you can prove that DL express contributes to a higher completion/on time than DL mainline. And I say you can't show that.
Jun 30, 2015, 11:19 pm
#77
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,745
Not when you take into account this management's stated operational methods and goals.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 30, 2015 at 11:58 pm Reason: Discuss the issues, not the posters
Jun 30, 2015, 11:30 pm
#78
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,617
The high number of RTG (return to gate) delays / cancellations, and board / deboard / cancel reports, seem to indicate -- circumstantially -- that aircraft are being delivered to the line allegedly ready to fly, but flight crews discover issues during preflight or taxi which demonstrate otherwise. That does not seem to point to a mechanics' slowdown. That seems like a labor force that does not have enough time to keep the fleet airworthy given the demands of the schedule.
Several years ago I was talking to a UA pilot about the then-upcoming summer. He told me it was going to be miserable, because management was scheduling more flights than pilots available to fly them, and that management was counting on pilots to voluntarily work overtime. Which, he said, wasn't going to happen because the pilots didn't believe management was treating them fairly.
Looks like it is deja vu all over again.
Jun 30, 2015, 11:58 pm
#79
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: WN, AA, UA, DL
Posts: 1,313
But don't forget, DL's numbers are misleading. They will "delay" a flight overnight instead of cancelling it. It's all for stat padding that intentionally misleads customers. Not an ethical airline I want to give my money too.
Jul 1, 2015, 12:10 am
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
I guess I would rather give my money to an airline that is committed to flying its entire schedule at whatever cost over an airline whose published timetable qualifies as science fiction.
Jul 1, 2015, 1:14 am
#81
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,745
I believe that was 72 days without a cancellation in 2013. Not in a row. That's practically impossible.
But don't forget, DL's numbers are misleading. They will "delay" a flight overnight instead of cancelling it. It's all for stat padding that intentionally misleads customers. Not an ethical airline I want to give my money too.
But don't forget, DL's numbers are misleading. They will "delay" a flight overnight instead of cancelling it. It's all for stat padding that intentionally misleads customers. Not an ethical airline I want to give my money too.
Want to rethink that one?
Jul 1, 2015, 1:31 am
#82
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Yesterday (Tuesday) UA ended up canceling 71 US departures by the end of the day. How many would you say, for comparison, that DL delayed overnight and then plan on flying out today (Wednesday)?
Jul 1, 2015, 6:32 am
#83
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
At worst, United's management is incompetent. There are no statements or basis to continually imply the current situation is intentional and/or based on personal greed. Irresponsible claims so disconnected from reality detract from relevant and purposeful discussion.
Jul 1, 2015, 7:44 am
#84
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,146
The 'quotes' being referred to, and posted earlier in this thread, are fiction, woven from statements with entirely different intents.
At worst, United's management is incompetent. There are no statements or basis to continually imply the current situation is intentional and/or based on personal greed. Irresponsible claims so disconnected from reality detract from relevant and purposeful discussion.
At worst, United's management is incompetent. There are no statements or basis to continually imply the current situation is intentional and/or based on personal greed. Irresponsible claims so disconnected from reality detract from relevant and purposeful discussion.
Would they be able to be 100% on-time? Of course not. But saying that more than 80% reaches diminishing returns implies that 80% is "good enough." You have to set high goals and do your best to achieve them, not set mediocre goals and celebrate when you occasionally surpass them. It's like a student saying, "Well, I only have to get a C to graduate, so any additional work is really not worth it."
Jul 1, 2015, 7:59 am
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1132...p=qanda&l=last
Fiction?
“You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means” - Inigo Montoya
From Barclays, we have David Fintzen on the line. Please go ahead.
David Fintzen - Barclays
You know you mentioned I think as Jim mentioned sort of corporate customers around a bit of detour, I’m curious obviously there is a lot you can do to improve the operation, but if (inaudible) find someone else, how do you make sure they know what you’re doing and the piece of that is if you’re hitting sort of your on-time performance targets, is it really your target that matter or do you think you have to make sure that you are towards to the top of the industry, so you can maybe show a customer who has gone somewhere else that your competitive in terms of the operation. I’m curious how you think about that both in terms of the outreach and in terms of the absolute performance and the relative performance on the on-time side.
Jeff Smisek - Chairman, President & CEO
It's a combination of things, it's not just the on-time performance and you need to be reliable and different levels of reliability above 80% have diminishing returns, but it's really also -- it’s many different factors, it's also very important as the customer service and which is why we’re focusing so heavily on customer service this year as you know I mean you all fly. A good customer service can take even delayed flight or a flight where there is an issue on-board the aircraft, a broken piece of IFE (ph) or something.
David Fintzen - Barclays
You know you mentioned I think as Jim mentioned sort of corporate customers around a bit of detour, I’m curious obviously there is a lot you can do to improve the operation, but if (inaudible) find someone else, how do you make sure they know what you’re doing and the piece of that is if you’re hitting sort of your on-time performance targets, is it really your target that matter or do you think you have to make sure that you are towards to the top of the industry, so you can maybe show a customer who has gone somewhere else that your competitive in terms of the operation. I’m curious how you think about that both in terms of the outreach and in terms of the absolute performance and the relative performance on the on-time side.
Jeff Smisek - Chairman, President & CEO
It's a combination of things, it's not just the on-time performance and you need to be reliable and different levels of reliability above 80% have diminishing returns, but it's really also -- it’s many different factors, it's also very important as the customer service and which is why we’re focusing so heavily on customer service this year as you know I mean you all fly. A good customer service can take even delayed flight or a flight where there is an issue on-board the aircraft, a broken piece of IFE (ph) or something.
Fiction?
“You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means” - Inigo Montoya
Jul 1, 2015, 8:02 am
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
The quote regarding beating 80% on-time offering diminishing returns wasn't fiction. At best, it's suggestive of a management culture who sets too low of goals--honestly, they should have said, "We strive for 100% on-time arrivals, and when we're unable to meet that goal, we must take care of passengers with a minimal impact to their travel plans."
Jul 1, 2015, 8:13 am
#87
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
This is almost a mirror of the late 90's exact dates unk. (If you remember them you weren't there.) Every 3rd / 4th long haul was MX'ed. There was a long and not nice union contact negotiation at that time. It was not unusual to have 30min to 2hr delays that often extended until the last alternative departed.
Jul 1, 2015, 8:18 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
In that environment, 79% is better than 81% since 81% wasted resources to achieve.
Jul 1, 2015, 8:22 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
Cross-fleeting, hub-choking, tight turns, outsourcing ground staff, firing the IT guru who warned SHARES meant meltdowns, not enough maintenance time, zero slack in crew scheduling, denying irrops tools to CSAs, encouraging them to blame UA's own problems on weather to save money -- all these must have looked great on a white board. Not so much in real life.
These strategies were the theoretical approach to impressing Wall Street, jacking up the stock price, and securing the top echelon's personal financial futures.
To paraphrase Jessica Rabbit, they didn't intend to destroy the airline in the process, it just turned out that way.
They are not savvy.
Jul 1, 2015, 8:48 am
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,694
I believe that was 72 days without a cancellation in 2013. Not in a row. That's practically impossible.
But don't forget, DL's numbers are misleading. They will "delay" a flight overnight instead of cancelling it. It's all for stat padding that intentionally misleads customers. Not an ethical airline I want to give my money too.
But don't forget, DL's numbers are misleading. They will "delay" a flight overnight instead of cancelling it. It's all for stat padding that intentionally misleads customers. Not an ethical airline I want to give my money too.
UA delays flights overnight too, and their stats still suck.