kellwolf
Piece of Trash
Okay, it's official now. We've gotten an extension on the Delta flying. Not sure for how long, but the rumor mill says 90 days to prove ourselves. I didn't see any time frame in the memo except that the operational changes being made will take effect in August. Here's some of the things we're doing to increase the performance numbers:
One hour show time for the ATL domicile. It's been signed off on by the union and an LOA is forthcoming. Still have the option of just calling crew scheduling from the gate, though. If you take that option over "checking in" in the crew room on the computer, it's still 45 minutes prior to departure.
Every flight can leave 10 minutes early without prior approval from dispatch. We were limited to 5 minutes before. This, however, is gonna depend more on gate agents and rampers than pilots and FAs, but at least it helps a little in the outstations.
Use high speed climb and descent profiels. Speed up the cruise speeds. Not sure if this will affect more than the gas burned, but I don't know -900 fuel burns that well....or at all.
Alter the t/o profile to speed up to 250 kt at 1,000 AGL rather than stopping at 210, then speeding up to 250 at 3,0000 AGL. ATL TRACON says thank you.
Cracking down on delay reports. You're late, flight ops is gonna wanna know why. Honestly, we should be doing this on the NWA side, too. I do, but I know a lot of CAs that don't.
Any MX issues need to be brought up on the in-range call. This is another thing I don't know why people don't do it already.
Some other changes are increased staffing (7 crews per plane rather than 5) and ready reserve, having check airmen more readily accesible, TDYing an assistant chief pilot to ATL (wait, why didn't we have one before?), and doing complete drawer swaps when galley servicing instead of inventorying what needs to be replaced.
We've already got the performance going back in the right direction AFAIK based on the last couple of months. I think this is just to make damn sure we don't slide back. Honestly, the best thing they can do is settle the contract and get us all on the same team. Some of these changes, I wouldn't mind seeing on the NWA side of flying, and if it goes well in ATL, maybe we will.
One hour show time for the ATL domicile. It's been signed off on by the union and an LOA is forthcoming. Still have the option of just calling crew scheduling from the gate, though. If you take that option over "checking in" in the crew room on the computer, it's still 45 minutes prior to departure.
Every flight can leave 10 minutes early without prior approval from dispatch. We were limited to 5 minutes before. This, however, is gonna depend more on gate agents and rampers than pilots and FAs, but at least it helps a little in the outstations.
Use high speed climb and descent profiels. Speed up the cruise speeds. Not sure if this will affect more than the gas burned, but I don't know -900 fuel burns that well....or at all.
Alter the t/o profile to speed up to 250 kt at 1,000 AGL rather than stopping at 210, then speeding up to 250 at 3,0000 AGL. ATL TRACON says thank you.
Cracking down on delay reports. You're late, flight ops is gonna wanna know why. Honestly, we should be doing this on the NWA side, too. I do, but I know a lot of CAs that don't.
Any MX issues need to be brought up on the in-range call. This is another thing I don't know why people don't do it already.
Some other changes are increased staffing (7 crews per plane rather than 5) and ready reserve, having check airmen more readily accesible, TDYing an assistant chief pilot to ATL (wait, why didn't we have one before?), and doing complete drawer swaps when galley servicing instead of inventorying what needs to be replaced.
We've already got the performance going back in the right direction AFAIK based on the last couple of months. I think this is just to make damn sure we don't slide back. Honestly, the best thing they can do is settle the contract and get us all on the same team. Some of these changes, I wouldn't mind seeing on the NWA side of flying, and if it goes well in ATL, maybe we will.