Lincoln From United States, joined Nov 2004, 3744 posts, RR: 15 Posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
Ok, not exactly earth shattering, but while checkign the flight status, I noticed that my Continental Express/ExpressJet flight this evening (CO2300, CLE-RDU) is scheduled to depart from C26.
I thought C at CLE was mainline only for CO and all of the regional stuff was in D... have I been wrong all along? Is this a recent change? Any particular reason?
BTW-- Anyone at CLE tonight I'll be the 6' guy in a red collared shirt with the black shoes, black slacks
Lincoln
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
Frequentflykid From United States, joined Nov 2001, 1169 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1004 times:
This has been going on for some time. I see more COEx flights out of C1 than mainline flights, for example.
FlyCMH From United States, joined Jul 1999, 2194 posts, RR: 16 Reply 5, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 933 times:
It's been a few years now that Continental Express ERJs have used the C Concourse at CLE. From what I've seen though, I think it's limited to gates closest to Concourse D. On a related note, how many gates, if any, are capable of handling mainline equipment on the D Concourse. Since the prop piers aren't quite as utlized as when COEX flew the ATRs and the EMB120s through CLE, I would think parking mainline at D during irregular ops could help the operation (i.e. park mainline at D during snow removal from the C Concourse apron). The ERJs could then board/deplane from the ground level piers, which I have seen them do on several occassions.
Brakes released, steering in-op, you are clear to push.
MasseyBrown From United States, joined Dec 2002, 3997 posts, RR: 8 Reply 6, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 921 times:
Quoting Frequentflykid (Reply 2): I see more COEx flights out of C1 than mainline flights, for example.
I've arrived at C1 on flights from DCA. I believe it's difficult for larger planes to maneuver in and out of C1. Love it when it happens; if I catch the train right away, I can be downtown 30 minutes after unbuckling the seat belt.
HPAEAA From United States, joined May 2006, 995 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 860 times:
Falcon can shed some light on the towers philosopy, but from what I've seen it doesn't matter where xjet parks over on C since CO has the contract to work all their flights in and out... unlike EWR and IAH where there are dedicated Xjet gates because Xjet personel work the flights... I usualy saw a pretty even mix as I used to walk up and down C...
N766UA From United States, joined Jul 1999, 6812 posts, RR: 51 Reply 9, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 835 times:
Jetlink has been using C forever. That's all they had back before D was built and even when D was finished they still put RJs in C. I've been seeing alot of 738s and 739s at C-2 lately, though, which used to be exclusively an RJ gate.
If God meant man to fly, He'd have given us bigger wallets.
Falcon84 From United States, joined Sep 2004, 14843 posts, RR: 81 Reply 10, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 802 times:
Quoting FlyCMH (Reply 5): It's been a few years now that Continental Express ERJs have used the C Concourse at CLE. From what I've seen though, I think it's limited to gates closest to Concourse D
The following gates are used for RJ's on C Concourse: 2, 7, 11, 18, 19, 20, 23 thru-29. C-3, 5, 9, 16, 17, 21 and 22 are strictly mainline gates.
Lincoln From United States, joined Nov 2004, 3744 posts, RR: 15 Reply 11, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 774 times:
Thanks for all of the replies...
Quoting Falcon84 (Reply 10): The following gates are used for RJ's on C Concourse: 2, 7, 11, 18, 19, 20, 23 thru-29. C-3, 5, 9, 16, 17, 21 and 22 are strictly mainline gates.
Hmm.... I guess I haven't been paying enough attention, after all. I could swear that in the year and a half I've lived in/been flying out of CLE, I've never noticed an RJ at one of CO's 'C' gates.
Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 8): unlike EWR and IAH where there are dedicated Xjet gates because Xjet personel work the flights...
This makes sense, occasionally I'll get to taking to a gate agent at CLE and they'll mention that they "always wind up over on the D gates"...and that's usually accompanied with a follow up about how they like the PA over there better (though, recently I've noticed the agents are using dial-in paging from the podium which seems much better than making them walk to the jetway and back for a simple page)
Lincoln
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
Falcon84 From United States, joined Sep 2004, 14843 posts, RR: 81 Reply 12, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 744 times:
Quoting Lincoln (Reply 11): This makes sense, occasionally I'll get to taking to a gate agent at CLE and they'll mention that they "always wind up over on the D gates"...and that's usually accompanied with a follow up about how they like the PA over there better
The PA system on D is light years better than the one on C. When you do a Concourse page on D, you can actually HEAR IT on the concourse. On C, you're lucky if you hear it beyond the gate. Also on D, the audio system is set up so that there's no overlap of announcement, so every announcement, either from the gates, or from airport information, is heard in its entirty, whereas on C, announcements are always interrupted.
AirTranTUS From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 720 times:
Quoting Frequentflykid (Reply 2): I see more COEx flights out of C1 than mainline flights, for example.
The gate area for C1 is quite small. I don't think you could fit a mainline plane sized load in that area.
This shot I took on Dec. 31, 2006 shows 2 ERJ's at C. You can also see how small the parking area is for planes at D. Fitting a mainline jet would be difficult. They would probably have to put one for every 3 gates.
N766UA From United States, joined Jul 1999, 6812 posts, RR: 51 Reply 14, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 704 times:
Quoting AirTranTUS (Reply 13): They would probably have to put one for every 3 gates.
D was never designed to hold mainline jets, nor will it ever likely need to. I once saw a 737 RON at D, but it was in the corner nowhere near a jetway.
If God meant man to fly, He'd have given us bigger wallets.
Lincoln From United States, joined Nov 2004, 3744 posts, RR: 15 Reply 15, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 670 times:
Quoting Falcon84 (Reply 12): information, is heard in its entirty, whereas on C, announcements are always interrupted.
You know... I haven't even been in the airport for 10 minutes yet, and I've heard at least two groups of announcements stepping on each other.
Not to mention the "illegal to solocit rides...going places" announcements which have a bit of subtle irony to them (and sound even funnier when buts are chopped out like the one I just heard "please do not ride with someone").
And don't get me started on why pages are all-called throughout the airport. If I'm on 'D' I have approximately 0 chance of making it to any the United or American flights that a "Final and Immediate" borading call was announced for.
But as horrible as the PA on C at CLE is, it's light years better than what CO's using at LAX. When I first saw it I thought it was just a hastially assembeled temporary stop-gap solution of the "Quick...buy something, anything!" variety [and it didn't exactly leave a wonderful first impression for the airline]...a year and a half later, it's become clear that that's the permanant PA system.
Lincoln
[Sitting by C26 as I type]
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
Falcon84 From United States, joined Sep 2004, 14843 posts, RR: 81 Reply 16, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 646 times:
Quoting AirTranTUS (Reply 13): The gate area for C1 is quite small. I don't think you could fit a mainline plane sized load in that area.
Since the end of the apron renovation project on C, gate C-1 is no longer active. All you'll see are bag carts parked there. Eventually, C-2 is supposed to go inactive.
Quoting AirTranTUS (Reply 13): You can also see how small the parking area is for planes at D. Fitting a mainline jet would be difficult.
Some of the parking area's are small. Some aren't. D was built entirely for RJ's and props.
KAUSpilot From United States, joined Jan 2002, 1858 posts, RR: 51 Reply 17, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 603 times:
Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 8): Falcon can shed some light on the towers philosopy, but from what I've seen it doesn't matter where xjet parks over on C since CO has the contract to work all their flights in and out... unlike EWR and IAH where there are dedicated Xjet gates because Xjet personel work the flights... I usualy saw a pretty even mix as I used to walk up and down C...
Unfortunately, you are incorrect about that. All three CO hubs are completely staffed by CO except for the express/connection pilots and F/A's. The only non-flight crew Xjet employees at CLE, EWR, and IAH are chief pilots and flight attendant supervisors. All ramp personell and gate agents are CO employees. At IAH, for instance, employees simply bid on which concourse they prefer to work in (or at least that's the impression I get from eavesdropping). IMHO, dedicated express employees would do a better job. CO does not emphasize workplace performance on the express concourses the same way the do on mainline concourses. The work ethic, while still passable, is clearly not at the same level.
Falcon84 From United States, joined Sep 2004, 14843 posts, RR: 81 Reply 18, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 568 times:
Quoting KAUSpilot (Reply 17): CO does not emphasize workplace performance on the express concourses the same way the do on mainline concourses. The work ethic, while still passable, is clearly not at the same level
I don't know where you get that from, my friend. The agents are the same, if you will on both sides. Most have worked both sides. On D-and on C with the Express flights, you normally have a one-agent gate, unless the flight is overbooked. That does tend to mean a little less customer service than a mainline gate staffed with 2 or 3 agents, but at least from my experience, which is about 14 years of gate experience, the agents work pretty much the same.
In fact, I'm leaving Ops on March 1, and going back to the floor. I'll probably be working the Express side of the gates, and be mostly on D side come then.
OMA2FAI2SAV From Netherlands, joined Jan 2006, 253 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 529 times:
Quoting KAUSpilot (Reply 17): The only non-flight crew Xjet employees at CLE, EWR, and IAH are chief pilots and flight attendant supervisors. All ramp personell and gate agents are CO employees. At IAH, for instance, employees simply bid on which concourse they prefer to work in
Hmmm......When did this happen? When I trained in I(AH with expressjet, the ramp workers were all XJT employees. And when I was a trainer at IAH, I trained all XJT employees. Not sure when that changed over.
If the best things in life are free, why am I always so broke?
KAUSpilot From United States, joined Jan 2002, 1858 posts, RR: 51 Reply 20, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 513 times:
Quoting Falcon84 (Reply 18): I don't know where you get that from, my friend. The agents are the same, if you will on both sides. Most have worked both sides. On D-and on C with the Express flights, you normally have a one-agent gate, unless the flight is overbooked. That does tend to mean a little less customer service than a mainline gate staffed with 2 or 3 agents, but at least from my experience, which is about 14 years of gate experience, the agents work pretty much the same.
In fact, I'm leaving Ops on March 1, and going back to the floor. I'll probably be working the Express side of the gates, and be mostly on D side come then.
I'm not talking about the gate agents as much as the ramp personell. It is a struggle to get the bags loaded on time, to have marshallers and wing walkers meet the plane, to establish communication in a timely fashion so an out time can be captured, etc etc. You never see that happen at terminal C or E. Then again, delta at ATL makes CO's IAH ops look like a swiss watch. The gate agents are behave about the same no matter where you are at IAH.
Quoting OMA2FAI2SAV (Reply 19): Hmmm......When did this happen? When I trained in I(AH with expressjet, the ramp workers were all XJT employees. And when I was a trainer at IAH, I trained all XJT employees. Not sure when that changed over.
XJT does train in IAH, I'm not sure where or how they train the rampers, but the rampers at terminal B are on the CAL payroll, not XJT or CHQ. Same for D at CLE and C2 at EWR. I think Colgan might have their own people, at terminal A, but I'm not sure.