12 December 2008

US Airways workers profit from airline's on-time rating


http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/12/us-airways-work.html

What’s being on-time worth to US Airways workers? So far this year, it's been worth $450. That's because the airline pays a $50 to all 34,000 of its employees each month the carrier ranks among the top three big airlines in the federal Air Travel Consumer Report. And in October, the month covered in the latest report, US Airways placed in the top three for the ninth time this year, according to The Arizona Republic. The paper writes the airline had an "on-time percentage of 87.5 in October, its best since the 2005 America West/US Airways merger. That put it third among the nation's 10 major airlines, behind Northwest at 90% and Southwest at 89.6% ... ."


The Republic adds US Airways workers are eligible for the bonus in other categories, "but all but one of this year's bonuses have been for on-time performance. The airline still lags its peers in baggage handling and customer complaints," though workers also get $50 bonuses if US Airways finishes among the top three big airlines in those categories.
On a down note, however, the Pittsburgh Business Times writes "US Airways ranked worst among the top domestic airlines for consumer complaints in October. US Airways had 1.57 complaints for every 100,000 passenger trips, placing it last among 19 major airlines, the U.S. Department of Transportation says.


The industry average was 0.82 complaints." The Republic says US Airways COO Robert Isom "put a positive spin on the complaint numbers." In a newsletter to employees, Isom says the airline saw "remarkable improvement" in the rate of complaints during October. The Republic adds the airline's complaint level reach its lowest level since January 2007

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