anytime an airline has to keep planes grounded,whether its for a mechanical issue or weather or something else,they lose money..the business is transportation..southwest is coming into the "new age" of flying with the big boys and they are discovering they have the same issues as the others,from faa mandates,to ticket sales,to air emergencies,to a shortage of faa atc at many airports during a shutdown..it would be of interest to see the $60 million figure broken down into categories to see the hows and whys and wheres of this very large sum...

(Written on 2019/02/21)(Permalink)

jim..I do know that flight attendants with aa prior to the merger,had worked out a deal with the union and the company regarding "reserve" or "ready reserve" status..the old way was newly hired flight attendants were on a reserve status for approximately 2 years or more before being able to "hold" a schedule,and those employees generally did not commute for that reason,as they had to be as you said within a couple of hours of the airport where the flight began. with some input from the union and a new contract,it was then changed to be more accommodating with a one month on,one month off reserve status..i don't know if or how long you were with a carrier (maybe us air or hp),but the 2 "tiered" a or b staus was not a long standing existing policy for American,and there was a lot of flack as it affected pay scales and bidding for flight crews and ground personnel when it was implemented,and it was based upon your date of hire..i can only speak to the "old" american airlines,when they use

(Written on 2019/02/20)(Permalink)

this is actually a good idea..amazon does an enormous business and its expanding daily..most people love to order from them,and get delivery asap..maybe this will speed up the process..

(Written on 2019/02/20)(Permalink)

if history and my memory serves me correctly,PAN AM had a helicopter service many years ago with the same concept,and a helipad on top of the pAN AM building in the heart of new York city..i don't think they had it in los angeles however..in any case,large corporations and the like have their own private jets to "shuttle" executives and others around, and they do not have to go through tsa screening,nor worry about a limo to and from the airport..people who are using mileage points or buying a first class ticket,or even a coach ticket,more than likely will not or cannot put out the extra money for his service because it is fairly expensive..why doesnt american just put a little extra money into upgrades on their current service and aircraft, which most can afford??

(Written on 2019/02/20)(Permalink)

this is an important issue whether you are southwest,american or united..its all computerized now but the numbers still need to be correct as "average" passenger weights (adults and children)are included in the "average" and "overweight "bags and also cargo..then there is the weight of the fuel..i remember having to do this manually for smaller regional aircraft and accuracy was of utmost importance,even as to how many people could go on board and sometimes where they had to be seated!

(Written on 2019/02/19)(Permalink)

this is not an uncommon occurrence..airlines close bases or move people around all the time, and particularly after a merger..by the way, flight crews, both cockpit and flight attendant,often commute between where they live and the city in which they are based,by choice,not by being forced to do so..i have known many.many from both groups who were commuters, as they can always ride the jump seat if need be,and other travel is an employee benefit at no charge if they go in coach..by" needing to move", it only means they will have to fly out of another city to start and end their trip,not be forced to relocate..it just requires planning on commute time when bidding for a schedule..also, flight crews do not work a 9-5 daily schedule,but generally 2 or 3 day trips with time in between..

(Written on 2019/02/15)(Permalink)

unless policies and procedures have changed with regard to a passengers status,as you must have some verification of a flight to go through a security checkpoint,i find this story hard to believe..a person is not "kicked off" an oversold flight unless they volunteer to do so and already have an assigned seat..agents are told to tell the person at the counter they are running late and the flight is in final boarding,so they may not have a seat..they are not told to "mislead" passengers..maybe only only air Canada does that.there are codes on a boarding pass such as the ssss for exta screening,or the stby for a non confirmed person/employee..this article is misleading...

(Written on 2019/02/14)(Permalink)

jmt123..it has been my experience that the captain who last flew an aircraft,makes notations into a logbook with reference to maintenance needing to be done,,the maintenance can be written off as deferred to later if it is not urgent,or by faa regulations, needs immediate attention..for urgent matters, a captain will call ahead to advise the station to have maintenance meet the aircraft..there is a lot involved in the process and the logbooks are checked by the captain and maintenance at each stop..the flight crew also goes around and checks the exterior of the aircraft for anything that might seem wrong..there is also a difference between intermediary maintenance and the kind where an aircraft is what we use to call an "overnighter"...as I said,there is a lot involved and in places where contract maintenance is used,it is also practice with larger carriers to fly in the airlines own people and or parts from the main base or hub...if the unions for maintenance and flight attendants hav

(Written on 2019/02/10)(Permalink)

if you search ,you can find and read the exact letters sent to both parker at American airlines and Kelly at southwest airlines by the unions..the issues listed for each carrier are a little different..both have to do with serious safety concerns in overlooking maintenance,but the one with southwest also mentions the outsourcing of maintenance work outside the united states,definitely a union issue..generally when union contracts are at a negotiating time,benefits,work schedules,seniority and pay are the main terms of negotiation..they do not deal with doing shoddy work,but depend upon the workers to follow faa rules and regulations and to voice any safety concerns...mr Kelly and mr parker are aware of faa inspections and the fines they can incur if things are not done properly,and the unions,both those representing maintenance and those representing the flight attendants,do hold sway with management,as they should...

(Written on 2019/02/08)(Permalink)

I wish united airlines the best with this new service,new configurations and new aircraft..this is only on select routes however..everyone wants bigger seats and more amenities,so this is a start!

(Written on 2019/02/07)(Permalink)