Boeing’s Response to the Airbus A320 Revamp Is Simple: Nothing – BNET Headwinds
Now that Airbus has decided to re-engine the A320, Boeing has to decide what to do. I don’t think we’ll see anything for awhile.
Silver Lining: A380 Grounding Helps Qantas Maintain Its Safety Reputation – BNET Headwinds
The A380 grounding has been a mess for Qantas, but in the end is does help it keep a strong safety reputation.
How Southwest Could Deploy a Larger 737 for Greater Profits in New Markets – BNET Headwinds
Now that the 737-800 is all but a done deal for Southwest, it’s time to think about where those airplanes are going. I’ve got a good idea myself.
In the Trenches: Looking Beyond the Customer for Revenue – Intuit Small Business Blog
This talks about our decision to start booking travel via Cranky Concierge and why we did it.
Southwest’s Performance Problem: How to Fix Those Late Arrivals – BNET Headwinds
Southwest didn’t have the best month for on time arrivals in October and it looks like some bigger changes may be required to get back on track thanks to a changing model.
How to Set a Travel Policy for Your Business – Intuit Small Business Blog
Talking about a travel policy is not usually at the top of the list for small businesses, but it should be. Here are some ideas for getting started.
6 comments on “Cranky on the Web (December 6-10)”
Southwest says:
Record load factors during the month contributed to our decisions to delay aircraft and hold for Customers who we wouldn’t have been able to accommodate if we had cancelled flights.
That’s not exactly satisfying. It makes it sound like Southwest is just going to have a worse operation because it has more people on its flights. But that’s not acceptable, so I asked for a follow-up.
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I’d be interested to know the load factors for all these carriers for the month of OCTOBER and then compare it to this statement of Record Load Factors caused them to be at the BOTTOM of the ON TIME stats.
Doesn’t matter what load factors were for other carriers but rather how different it was for Southwest. Each airline is built to operate differently so it’s only the change in the mix for that airline that matters. Southwest has tended to lag other airlines for years and is only now closing the gap, so it is a change for the airline.
They blamed the delays on…..LOAD FACTORS. Also, over the years, Southwest has consistently had “lower” load factors then the legacies. Yet, the Legacies out perform them in on-time statistics even when these major airlines have hubs in the MOST CONGESTED airports in the country.
Everyone’s load factors have increased, yet WN sinks to the bottom of the on-time list in front of Jetblue who’s major (congested) hub is JFK.
Southwest’s on-time performance since then has been challenged by record load factors, or the average number of seats filled on its planes, Mainz said. That figure hovered in a range of 65 percent to 70 percent from 2000 through 2005, and expanded to 79.1 percent through October of this year.
Jets that once sat idle at airport gates for only 20 minutes between flights helped Southwest make efficiency gains on competitors in years past. That turn time has swelled to 30 minutes, Mainz said.
Travel policies: Maybe it’s just the few places I’ve worked in, but I find that giving employees maximum freedom works great. For example, I know that spending more on travel means fewer (desirable) travel opportunities for me and my colleagues, and thus I have a positive incentive to economize and be happy about it. Letting the traveler do what they want may just be the best option, as long as the travel assignments are structured in a way to make employees want what’s best for the business.
It is pretty remarkable how many strict travel policies end up costing the company more. But there needs to be something there to keep those people in who will take advantage otherwise. It shouldn’t be strict but there should be guidelines.