Good intentions turned bad
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Good intentions turned bad
Was in Dallas earlier this week with a group of co-workers. With a 7:00am departure flight, I hit the sack around 9:00pm. At around 12:15am, all 4 of us received frantic calls from our significant others stating Continental had called our homes over 1,200 miles away with a message to call a 1-800 number as the flight time had changed.
So all 4 of us called Continental. The story was that due to thunderstorms / tornados, the crew and plane was diverted to Houston and didn't arrive until after midnight and our 7:00am flight would now leave at 9:04am. O.K I thinks, that was nice of them to let me know. I can get a couple of extra hours sleep.
To be doubly sure, I asked: "That's a 9:04am departure, so i don't need to be at the airport until 7:00am. Correct?"The answer staggered me..."No sir, you need to be at the airport 2 hours before 7:00am just in case we find another crew !!"
I'm thinking that would be great if they could find another crew. Then it dawned on me, if I still have to be at the airport as though the flight was leaving at 7:00am, why the heck did they call me and wake me up? I'm sure they have a reason, but for the life of me I can't figure it out. Needless to say, we did actually leave at 9:04am...
What am I missing?
Newarksmells
So all 4 of us called Continental. The story was that due to thunderstorms / tornados, the crew and plane was diverted to Houston and didn't arrive until after midnight and our 7:00am flight would now leave at 9:04am. O.K I thinks, that was nice of them to let me know. I can get a couple of extra hours sleep.
To be doubly sure, I asked: "That's a 9:04am departure, so i don't need to be at the airport until 7:00am. Correct?"The answer staggered me..."No sir, you need to be at the airport 2 hours before 7:00am just in case we find another crew !!"
I'm thinking that would be great if they could find another crew. Then it dawned on me, if I still have to be at the airport as though the flight was leaving at 7:00am, why the heck did they call me and wake me up? I'm sure they have a reason, but for the life of me I can't figure it out. Needless to say, we did actually leave at 9:04am...
What am I missing?
Newarksmells
Company staff are no longer educated or encouraged to use initiative. They act robotically to company rules/policies without applying any logic. This is just one of many examples of the modern day world we now live in.
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Everything is a PROCESS nowadays. And the PROCESS is implemented many times by people who do not have any touch with the industry and in increasing number of cases by people who are many continents away When half the travel agency staff in India dont even know that airlines from Mumbai still operates from two terminals of the SAME arport and not two different airports, is it any wonder that people will not know that Vancouver and Tornonto lies in two different ends of the country (if they are able to identify the country in the first place - that is!!!).
Not suggesting that this call was handled from India, but this is the way things will turn out soon enough!
Not suggesting that this call was handled from India, but this is the way things will turn out soon enough!
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To expand a bit on the 2 posts above, which both are correct IMO:
These things are obviously at odds with eachother. The money has to come from somewhere.
What do airlines do?
They tighten procedures. No leeway for late pax, no leeway for pax coming in on a late arriving AC. No extra grnd staff to handle emergencies. No extra tech staff to fix broken ac. No large supply of spare parts. No extra AC available to take the place of a broken one.
They also outsource as much as they possibly can to the lowest provider of whatever service it is they need. (Ground handling, catering, wheelchair pushing, reservations, whatever you can think of).
Why can these outside agencies offer services cheaper than the airline itself can do it?
because they hire cheaper people. People who they can pay less, due fewer qualifications and often lower age.
So you get a youngster, not employed by the company itself. Perfectly able to do run of the mill stuff, as found in the manual. The fun starts when the shi!t hits the fan as it so frequently does in aviation.
When problems arise, solutions often need creative thinking. Our 'Agent' does not do creative thinking. She/he has not been hired with that in mind. She/He has not been empowered to make any decisions either. So all they can do is slavishly follow the manual, however idiotic that course of action might be. As sadly shown in newarksmells' example.
I see this maddening phenomenon in action every single day at work.
And to be fair, the same very much goes for the companies in-house hiring practices. To save money, they will hire the lowest qualified (read cheapest) person they can find for any line job.
These same people in line jobs are the one that will have to fix YOUR problem once an AC goes tech, the weather goes mad or any other problem arises.
Pax numbers are back to pre-911 levels I just heard. You passengers are putting up with this cr@p for the sake of lower ticket fares. Management rubs it's hands in glee at the money flowing into their bank accounts and the shareholders ditto.
Those of us with a functioning brain and a dedication to service despair and hang our heads in shame at what is happening to our industry.
Those of you who expect the service levels you got before 911 and the onset of the locos despair equally.
- Shareholders want a good return for their money
- Top management wants ever bigger salaries, 'packages' and 'bonusses'.
- The flying public wants low fares from all companies, not only the established loco's.
- Not to mention fuel prices.......
These things are obviously at odds with eachother. The money has to come from somewhere.
What do airlines do?
They tighten procedures. No leeway for late pax, no leeway for pax coming in on a late arriving AC. No extra grnd staff to handle emergencies. No extra tech staff to fix broken ac. No large supply of spare parts. No extra AC available to take the place of a broken one.
They also outsource as much as they possibly can to the lowest provider of whatever service it is they need. (Ground handling, catering, wheelchair pushing, reservations, whatever you can think of).
Why can these outside agencies offer services cheaper than the airline itself can do it?
because they hire cheaper people. People who they can pay less, due fewer qualifications and often lower age.
So you get a youngster, not employed by the company itself. Perfectly able to do run of the mill stuff, as found in the manual. The fun starts when the shi!t hits the fan as it so frequently does in aviation.
When problems arise, solutions often need creative thinking. Our 'Agent' does not do creative thinking. She/he has not been hired with that in mind. She/He has not been empowered to make any decisions either. So all they can do is slavishly follow the manual, however idiotic that course of action might be. As sadly shown in newarksmells' example.
I see this maddening phenomenon in action every single day at work.
And to be fair, the same very much goes for the companies in-house hiring practices. To save money, they will hire the lowest qualified (read cheapest) person they can find for any line job.
These same people in line jobs are the one that will have to fix YOUR problem once an AC goes tech, the weather goes mad or any other problem arises.
Pax numbers are back to pre-911 levels I just heard. You passengers are putting up with this cr@p for the sake of lower ticket fares. Management rubs it's hands in glee at the money flowing into their bank accounts and the shareholders ditto.
Those of us with a functioning brain and a dedication to service despair and hang our heads in shame at what is happening to our industry.
Those of you who expect the service levels you got before 911 and the onset of the locos despair equally.
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quote:
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Those of you who expect the service levels you got before 911 and the onset of the locos despair equally.
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Studies in the general business world have warned that service standards are and will continue to decline everywhere as price becomes the only factor that matters to the majority (and ultimately something called perfect capitalism is achieved but thats another story).
Unfortunately the airline industry has to follow suit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those of you who expect the service levels you got before 911 and the onset of the locos despair equally.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Studies in the general business world have warned that service standards are and will continue to decline everywhere as price becomes the only factor that matters to the majority (and ultimately something called perfect capitalism is achieved but thats another story).
Unfortunately the airline industry has to follow suit.
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Our 'Agent' does not do creative thinking. She/he has not been hired with that in mind. She/He has not been empowered to make any decisions either.
Then of course, there's the new union restrictive practises. Once upon a time, it was easy, if you didn't belong to the right "tribe", and have the correct membership, you were not allowed to do certain things.
Now, it's changed. tribal affiliations are no longer the mantra, it's "HEALTH & SAFETY". Don't get me wrong, I am very much in favour of properly implemented health & safety rules and controls, but there are more and more examples of H & S becoming another way of introducing restrictions on working practises that have no basis or foundation in any sort of reality.
Personal example. I used to be a ramp agent. I also hold ME CPL/IR, and have close on 500 Hrs, mostly ME, in things like Seneca.
A while back, we had an Seneca ambulance flight in that managed to get a flat battery. As a CPL holder, I got very closely trained in how to get things like a Seneca started in that situation, so that's what we did, using external power from a ramp vehicle, as that was the only source of 12V DC on the airfield, and the aircraft departed happy to be on his way, and I went to my next task.
2 weeks later, I'm fired, for a H & S breach, including "putting others at risk". Given I was the only person other than the captain within 200 Metres, that's not funny!!!
That's how crazy the world has got.
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I believe this may explain why:
HOW COMPANY POLICY BEGINS
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
_
Before long, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result – all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.
After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.
Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.
And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.
HOW COMPANY POLICY BEGINS
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
_
Before long, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result – all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.
After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!
Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.
Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.
And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.
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Wilco83
That's the best laugh I've had in a while, but the sad thing is that you are so right!!!!!
Been there, shredded the T shirt, and been covered in cold water for my pains.
Out of the loop now because I decided that I wasn't playing that game, so the next new game was introduced.
AS I mentioned earlier, Health & Safety has now been hijacked by all manner of well meaning and totally corrupted monkeys.
The result is that if you've not been trained by the company, even if you've paperwork a mile long that is internationally recognised, and is training to a far higher standard than that required by the company, that counts for nothing, if you have not been trained by them, you can't do it, and if you do, that's the way out of the door. Happened to me not long back, so I know what I'm talking about here.
I reckon that one of the best things that could happen would be for ambulance chaser solicitors that offer no win no fee to be told that if they lose, the solicitor will be personally liable for ALL fees, and they cannot pass them on to the client. Maybe then we'll see a change in the culture back to something approaching sanity, instead of the crazy knee jerk that happens because someone who knows exactly what they are doing has successfully done it.
Been there, shredded the T shirt, and been covered in cold water for my pains.
Out of the loop now because I decided that I wasn't playing that game, so the next new game was introduced.
AS I mentioned earlier, Health & Safety has now been hijacked by all manner of well meaning and totally corrupted monkeys.
The result is that if you've not been trained by the company, even if you've paperwork a mile long that is internationally recognised, and is training to a far higher standard than that required by the company, that counts for nothing, if you have not been trained by them, you can't do it, and if you do, that's the way out of the door. Happened to me not long back, so I know what I'm talking about here.
I reckon that one of the best things that could happen would be for ambulance chaser solicitors that offer no win no fee to be told that if they lose, the solicitor will be personally liable for ALL fees, and they cannot pass them on to the client. Maybe then we'll see a change in the culture back to something approaching sanity, instead of the crazy knee jerk that happens because someone who knows exactly what they are doing has successfully done it.
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What am I missing?
I have a departure out of JFK at 1710. Due to the length of drive and traffic, we leave the hotel from downtown at 1510 -- 2 hours early is standard, however, on this particular day, there's a blizzard. We get to JFK, walk to the gate, and find that the flight's been cancelled. Except that it's been cancelled since 0800 that morning. Sure glad the company took the time to tell us about that one. How many hours did they have to notify us? 7 hours? To make matters worse, we determine that our schedule has been changed and now has us departing from Laguardia...in less than one hour. All this during a blizzard. Guess which flight out of LaGuardia didn't leave on time?
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Irish Steve,
Getting a bit of deja-vu here. Have you mentioned that on another thread recently? I'm interested to know because I'm trying to find examples of policy/procedure vs common sense & how it can affect safety on the ramp. Ta.
Sky
Getting a bit of deja-vu here. Have you mentioned that on another thread recently? I'm interested to know because I'm trying to find examples of policy/procedure vs common sense & how it can affect safety on the ramp. Ta.
Sky
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Have you mentioned that on another thread recently
What sort of things are you looking for?
I may indeed be able to help
