US Airways - April 2013 - (Page 11)

? embark Did You Know? How do airports prepare for heavy summer travel? This summer, US Airways will begin seasonal service to Athens, Barcelona, Glasgow, Lisbon, Shannon, and Venice. To prepare for the heavy seasonal travel, the first order of business is staffing and training. Many employees work in the reservations department during winter and then work as airport supervisors and agents during summer. The next major task is readying the facilities. “We work with airports to make sure there are adequate check-in counters, gates, computers, and ground equipment” says Steve Raeder, managing director of customer service. “We also work with catering suppliers to make sure they’re aware of any menu changes. And we work with customs and security staff so they know how many passengers to expect and when to expect them.” All these elements must be in order by May when the seasonal service officially begins. What does it take to get a plane ready to fly abroad? illustrations by nigel holmes in February, when sunscreen and bermuda shorts are still distant concepts for most people, us airways starts to prepare its wide-body fleet for transatlantic summer flights. aircraft undergo the requisite inspections to ensure that everything is shipshape. “the interiors are also inspected and cleaned, and some carpet is changed. We check all the cosmetics,” says scott mcgovern, managing News, Notes, and Inflight Insights How are crews staffed for the peak season? ★ US Airways carefully plans its crew staffing for peak travel periods, including summer. “About ten months before summer, we begin to identify our need for additional crewmembers,” explains Sumit Batra, director of crew planning and analysis. Batra and his team estimate the need for pilots and flight attendants based on several variables, including the number of hours the airline will be flying. Current pilots can apply to additional positions on planes that will be flying extra hours in the summer. Depending on overall staffing, the airline may need to hire new pilots. Additional positions for flight attendants are posted based on need. “Getting additional crewmembers ready to fly requires aircraft-specific training,” explains Batra. “We work closely with human resources, flight operations, and the inflight groups to meet our need for pilots and flight attendants.” Crewmembers bid for their monthly schedules in advance. After they complete their training, the new crews take flight. director of technical operations planning. “We do quite a bit of preventive maintenance,” he explains, so the aircraft won’t have to be taken out of service during the peak season. mcgovern and his team also look at any maintenance issues from the previous season and check the affected planes before they’re put back into service this summer. “Come may 4,” mcgovern says, “our planes are healthy, clean, and ready to go.” usairwaysmag.com aprIl 2013 11 http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - April 2013

US Airways - April 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Ballpark Food
Hub Crawl: San Francisco International Airport
Wine & Dine: 20 Wines Under $20
Wine & Dine: True Brew: Puerto Rico Coffee
Great Tastes: Luna Red
Great Escapes: Couples Resorts
Adventure: Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Great Escapes: Fairmont San Francisco Hotel
Adventure: High Springs, Florida
Gear Up: Golf
Special Section: Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Travel Feature: Grazing in Venice, Italy
US Airways Feature: 50+ Year Employees
No Strings Attached: Brad Paisley
The Rise of Hotel Restaurants
Phoenix Flair
Celebrate New Orleans: Art. Culture. Music.
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - April 2013