me4yankees

What is sad is that 60-63% is now deemed "good!"

BoeingBoy

While I can't say with certainty, I suspect that the outstation cancellations were due to the cancellation of the inbound flight from the hub - a "trickle down effect" if you will.

The same effect explains why the shuttle was hardest hit - if the DCA-BOS is canceled due to lack of crew, it does no good to have a crew available in BOS for the subsequent BOS-DCA segment that plane was to fly because the plane is still in DCA.

Jim

martin33

The relative and tenuous "good" disappeared completely in the most recent week. As of Friday October 5th, reporting is merged for US East and West, so the PHL/CLT figures will include all systemwide flights from here on:

Monday 10/01: on-time mainline departures 27% PHL, 55% CLT
Tuesday: 30% PHL, 42% CLT
Wednesday: 20% PHL, 43% CLT
Thursday: 16% PHL, 29% CLT
Friday: 18% PHL, 28% CLT
Saturday: 32% PHL, 47% CLT
Sunday 10/07: 35% PHL, 36% CLT

Jumpgate

I think a more accurate "health" check would be on time arrivals instead of departures.

I flew PHX-EWR last week. We departed 1 hour late and arrived exactly on time.

martin33

We have discussed the merits of both over the course of this thread. Departures checks show the general health of the hub terminal experience in a way that arrivals would miss. Are people stressed and waiting and crowded, or are things running smoothly? Is there an actual schedule being kept, or not? Do people shop for tickets based on convenience of departure time or arrival time?

In a "normal" airline, it doesn't make much difference which you check, arrivals or departures. US isn't normal. Compared to the others they have padded their schedules to a much greater degree; this ensures that their arrivals numbers don't look quite so far below the competition as the departures.

me4yankees

The schedules are VERY padded. I flew 1958 CLT-EWR and it departed 1 hour 40 mins. late and arrived only 1 hour 10 mins. late. The delay was "operational." This flight is described on flightstats.com as being 34% on time with an average delay of 61 mins. I fly the same flight again in two weeks. I have already received two vouchers for the delay!

SS255

US 1421 (PHL-LAX) used to depart at 2:40PM and arrive at 5:13PM. Ha!!!! Now it departs at 2:40PM and arrives at 5:28PM.

Talk about messing with the numbers!

martin33

So much for the "good" while it lasted. PHL appears to be sinking again, with no weekdays above 20% in the current period. Granted Tuesday and Thursday were bad weather days for pretty much everyone in the Northeast, with a lot of cancellations, but it's hard to tell those are especially bad anymore amid such overall malaise.

Monday 10/08: on-time mainline departures 18% PHL, 40% CLT
Tuesday: 20% PHL, 30% CLT
Wednesday: 19% PHL, 35% CLT
Thursday: 14% PHL, 30% CLT
Friday: 18% PHL, 27% CLT
Saturday: 33% PHL, 54% CLT
Sunday 10/14: 33% PHL, 38% CLT

MJonTravel

My shock continues.... actually, I'm not shocked anymore.

I will say this.... at my previous employer (which was by no means perfect) which shall remain nAAmeless... a consistently awful performance for such a consistently long time like this would've resulted in the termination of someone or several someones in a position to make it somewhat better. Or at the very least, a set of best wishes for a healthy retirement for those same someones. Personally, as a former frontline manager at said nAAmeless employer, I would be ashamed of numbers like these. I mean...everybody has a bad day, or even a bad week from time to time. But this has gone on for what, 7 months now? I still have trouble believing it's this bad, but the numbers are right there. But given that I purposely haven't set foot on a US jet since 11/24/06, I can't speak from any experience.

The schedules are so padded that the truly terrible on-time departure performance is not fully appearing in on-time arrival performance which is what gets tracked and reported by DOT.

micfly

Is US posting wheels up time instead of gate departure time? I flew LAS-FLL
last friday (10/12) and push back was at exactly 4:05PM/scheduled 4:10PM. When I randomly check the flight status on saturday it gave the departure time as (from memory) 4:25 ( or so) which was the time we rolled??? I've noted this a few times in the past.. has anyone else seen this?

jagadheep

If the padded schedules results in a better punctuality with regard to arrivals, I am wondering why they do not push back the departure times accordingly. Then, at least there will be some semblance of a schedule...

martin33

PHL's average was about the same as the prior week, but the variance shot up and Thursday/Friday saw a most unwelcome return to the sub-10% Zone. CLT overall went down a notch, with no days above the mid-40's.

Monday 10/15: on-time mainline departures 26% PHL, 43% CLT
Tuesday: 29% PHL, 42% CLT
Wednesday: 31% PHL, 45% CLT
Thursday: 9% PHL, 32% CLT
Friday: 8% PHL, 25% CLT
Saturday: 36% PHL, 32% CLT
Sunday 10/21: 29% PHL, 38% CLT

martin33

finishing up october and on into november:

Monday 10/22: on-time mainline departures 24% PHL, 37% CLT
Tuesday: 50% PHL, 71% CLT
Wednesday: 49% PHL, 48% CLT
Thursday: 9% PHL, 16% CLT
Friday: 7% PHL, 8% CLT
Saturday: 26% PHL, 28% CLT
Sunday 10/28: 30% PHL, 31% CLT

Monday 10/29: on-time mainline departures 38% PHL, 32% CLT
Tuesday: 37% PHL, 53% CLT
Wednesday: 37% PHL, 53% CLT
Thursday: 32% PHL, 32% CLT
Friday: 22% PHL, 31% CLT
Saturday: 39% PHL, 37% CLT
Sunday 11/04: 33% PHL, 31% CLT

martin33

a significant up-tick this past week, at least until the weekend came along... perhaps someone has finally picked up the dropped ball?

Monday 11/05: on-time mainline departures 59% PHL, 71% CLT
Tuesday: 62% PHL, 63% CLT
Wednesday: 58% PHL, 68% CLT
Thursday: 70% PHL, 71% CLT
Friday: 72% PHL, 67% CLT
Saturday: 42% PHL, 39% CLT
Sunday 11/11: 44% PHL, 50% CLT