More Woes For Northwest Airlines

(CBS/AP)  Northwest Airlines was struggling again with end-of-the-month cancellations this week.

Northwest canceled 127 flights of its 1,424 scheduled flights Monday, or 9 percent, according to the Web site FlightStats.com. Only 82 percent of its flights were on time. By midday Tuesday, it had already canceled 60 of 1,421 flights.

"Northwest, I think, right now is pushing all the buttons," Tom Parsons of BestFares.com said on CBS News' The Early Show. "They just came out of bankruptcy. Their pilots can only work up to 90 hours a month, and they've been pushing every single one of those guys up to 90 hours. And with the bad weather we've had around North America, those crews fly around and use up all their time."

"I wish maybe I had chosen another airline," Detroit passenger Carolyn Parker said.

Northwest Airlines Corp., which emerged from bankruptcy protection on May 31, said on Tuesday that it earned $273 million during its second quarter before accounting boosts related to its reorganization.

Northwest spokesman Roman Blahoski said the airline expected cancellations to drop on Monday versus Sunday, when the carrier scrubbed 225 flights, according to FlightStats.

He said Northwest completed about 92 percent of its flights over the weekend — less on Sunday — and a little over 91 percent on Monday. By comparison, Northwest said it completed about 98 percent of its flights during the first three weeks of July.

The airline once again blamed a surge in pilot sick calls, especially on narrow-body flights.

"We're looking at pilot absenteeism, pilots not reporting for duty as scheduled," Blahoski said.

Pilots have said the problem is that pilots are flying more tightly-packed schedules than before. Northwest boosted the monthly cap on flying hours from 80 to 90 hours in bankruptcy, and pilots have said that's a more grueling schedule. And as the end of the month approaches, pilots can hit their hours ceiling more quickly than expected if weather delays cause them to fly more hours than planned.

"They're overworked, they're tired, they can't get up," Parsons told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

"We're very disappointed that the company is trying to blame us for what we see as quite obviously a lack of staffing," said Monty Montgomery, a spokesman for the Northwest branch of the Air Line Pilots Association.

"We've been, shall we say, treated as pawns in a labor dispute," said passenger Bill Carnarvin at the Detroit airport. "It's very annoying."

Northwest has recalled furloughed pilots and has said it expects to hire 200 to 250 pilots in the next year. However, furloughed pilots must be retrained before they can fly again.

"It takes about 40 days to train a pilot to get them back in the air," said Parsons. "I think this problem will be around for the month of august, towards the end of the month."

Northwest also reduced its August flying schedule by 4 percent and canceled a Detroit to Frankfurt flight beginning July 18.

The entire U.S. airline system is stretched to the limit, says Parsons, and Northwest is not the only airline with problems.

"I call it the Band-Aid operation, fixing everything as we go," he said. "We have an air traffic control system that should be much better than it is today to let these planes fly around storms better. You've got airlines pushing airports like La Guardia (in New York) to the max when they shouldn't be doing that. It's just one big, big mess. I think the biggest problem, though is weather."

Including reorganization items, Northwest earned $2.15 billion, or $8.20 per share, during the quarter that ended June 30. Northwest's finances benefited from $1.94 billion in reorganization items during the quarter, which included two months operating under bankruptcy protection and one month after it emerged.

[wondering3]

I accept and agree with many of your comments, but what makes their salaried position different than any other salaried position? I (and I'll assume you) as a salaried employee work many more hours than we get paid for but who (in the end) really cares? Take our discussion further, if you and I are getting paid for a 40 hour week, and work 60 the people we work with in a blended work area (hourly and salaried mixed) see and understand that we may be under paid (or overworked (depending on how you'd form the argument))(assuming even further that they cared).

If the pilots wanted to make a case that'd gain genuine empathy they need to properly represent their hours. Crying about working 80 or 90 hours per month is NOT going to get the working guy sitting on his couch at the end of a long day to care (maybe even resent the complaint).

And yes safety is a concern but you know what, I worry as much or more about what the mechanics, loaders and all of the other people that keep the planes in the air are doing. When the statements get made as they are above it rings as more threat than concern.

Yes I have priced the trains and that really baffles me. It would seem that you could carry substantially more cargo (human and material) cheaper that a plane (go figure).

Thanks for the discussion.

[shredore451]

Response to Wondering3.

For the record I need to rectify the pilots working hours. You seem to be confusing working paid hours vs actual working hours. It is natural of course as most people do get paid for every hour that they work, pilots on the other hand have the privilege to work 3 to 4 times more hours than they actually get paid for, and being away from home up to 23 days a month now. Additionally it would be beneficial for you to understand that during the flying time pilots are required absolute concentration, not comparable to the usual work environment where you are allowed the occasional break, socializing with colleagues, lunch breaks, coffee breaks and a home life.

A pilot could be required to fly for 8 hours often more, with a duty day reaching nearly 13 hours, having little or no breaks. I am surprised that safety being the main concern of most flying passengers you would be willing to compromise that vital element by taxing pilots with more working hours.

Your attention should be turned to the management of those hours, notice that the other airlines are properly staffed for the historically busy summer season. I hope this gives you more respect for the life of a pilot whose main concern is your safety.

By the way, if you haven't noticed it's cheaper to fly today than ride the train.

Shredore

shredore451

[wondering3]

These guys amaze me. They (the pilots) make substantially more than the average guy. They can't work (or won't work) more than 90 hours per month? The average person just trying to make ends meet will work 160 or more hours per month and make far less. Oh I know the first thing they'll say (in their defense) is that public safety is their top concern. That statement is nothing more than a thinly veiled blackmail of the American public.

Isn't this the same group that's trying to get the older pilots back in the seat. How about they quit talking out of both sides of their mouths?

Maybe it's time to start reviving the rail industry?

[feedback3-2009]

Believe it or not "bombadil4" not all that many people die in cancelled flight plane crashes.

[bombadil4]

This is an example of another part of our infra-structure beginning to crumble, as we have seen with roads, bridges, power grids, etc. The difference here is that significant loss of life and possibly the demise of the industry could result as we stand by and watch. We might attempt to fix it, but remember--we're at "war." Perhaps faith-based charities will come to the airlines' rescue.

[usayesterday]

Okay, I know this is ridiculous, but every time I see the new logo design for North West (NWA) it always reminds me of the 80's-90's gangsta rap group called 'NWA' -- N'ggas With Attitude.

Oh well, I avoid that airline whenever possible anyway, no matter what they call themselves!