Where is PSA When We Need Them?

adn.com | front : Alaska Airlines slips to last in on-time ranking — This used to be a great airline. Now Alaska Airlines is ranked as the worst airline in the nation for on-time arrivals and departures during May, according to a new federal report.

The airline said its June on-time performance was also horrible but that July’s numbers have improved.

This caused me to write a remembrance of the great little airlines of the West Coast (PSA, Western Airlines, AirCAL) that were ruined by merger fever leaving us with nothing. It starts with a tale of Alaska Airlines.

So whatever happened to Alaska Airlines? It went from first to worst. Alaskan used to serve the best food too. It was actually edible. On the West Coast they used to run lots of TV commercials ridiculing the other airlines and the crap they served . Then one day a bean-counter didn’t like what he saw and that was the end of the food.

Read the entire essay by clicking here.



  1. James Fee says:

    Great Eassy John! I recall a trip to hawaii just after Delta finished buying Western (the DC-10 was just repainted in Delta’s colors). When we landed in Maui, the flight attendent thanks us for flying Western Airlines. Everyone cheered, and then she quickly got on and corrected herself to Delta Airlines. “Long live Western” was they cry, but alas it didn’t…. Southwest is the closest to PSA that I’ve ever run into since, but even their “LUV” isn’t the same as that smile.

    I was just commenting yesterday about how Southwest might have the best meals in the industry (at least domestically) these days with their Oreo cookies snack packs. The days of eating venison on Alaska flights from LAX to ANC are long gone and that is just too bad.

  2. Brenda Helverson says:

    “This was due to a faulty screw gear in the tail fin.”

    Actually, it was worse than that. The screw gear failed because it was not properly lubricated and long overdue to be replaced. An A&P recommended replacing the screw gear but was overruled by a supervisor. The worn screw gear jammed and the airplane became impossible to control. Same bean counter, I’m guessing.

  3. Jim Dermitt says:

    Most of the smaller airline operations got bought up by the larger carriers, were reorganized as subsidiaries and then ruined or busted apart by executives. The airline business is a shitty business. It was great when there were smaller carriers, World War Two guys operating things and everybody was making money. The finance and stock people took it over and turned it into giant bust out game. See the movie Wall Street for the details. It’s about the same as the bust out games that killed all the savings & loans. I guess the auto industry is next in line.

  4. Mike Voice says:

    I also enjoyed flying PSA.

    Even after they became the butt of the “People Scattered Around” joke. 🙁

  5. Doc Searls says:

    Well put.

    My “Yes, and…” is here.

    Doc

  6. Just wait until Virgin America starts up its US domestic network. Hub will be in SFO.

  7. leonardo says:

    Well put John. You will some day learn not to take life too seriously. “Row-row-row our boats, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”.

  8. Ken Rosenstein says:

    Can hardly disagree with anything you said except for two points. First (and a bit trivial), the name of the airline is Alaska, not Alaskan, Airlines. Second, Alaska did not bench their fleet of MD-80s. They were grounded for inspection for a short time after the crash, but they resumed service. I flew on one 3 weeks ago.

  9. Frank IBC says:

    I loved their parody ads – “SkyHigh Air”.

  10. Frank IBC says:

    Jim Dermitt –

    See the movie Wall Street for the details.

    You expect me to take anything made by Oliver Stone Seriously?

  11. Frank IBC says:

    The finance and stock people took it over and turned it into giant bust out game

    And of course, union greed and intransigence has nothing to do with it.

  12. Captain Midnight says:

    And of course, union greed and intransigence has nothing to do with it.

    Comment by Frank IBC — 7/14/2005 @ 7:11 pm

    Shouldn’t that be management greed and intransigence? Alaska’s CEO’s compensation for 2004 was $1.8 million. Not bad for the company with the worst on-time record out of 20 major carriers. It was Alaska management that replaced 472 experienced union ramp workers in Seattle with 400 low-paid, inexperienced, unmotivated non-union contract employees at the start of the busy summer season. Alaska can not turn an aircraft in its main Seattle hub in less than an hour now, where it used to take 30 minutes with experienced, motivated union labor. It’s Alaska management that ‘nickels and dimes’ the heavy maintenance repairs, which results in long delays waiting for micrometer inspections and parts. Southwest, which uses the same vendor for heavy maintenance, has a parts kit ready for each airplane scheduled for a heavy check, based on the parts’ time in service. They just replace everything and get the plane back in service. It’s Alaska management that has to borrow 737 nose tires from bankrupt United Airlines in Alaska’s own main Seattle maintenance base, causing an extra hour delay on a through flight. Alaska’s problems are NOT the fault of the unions!

  13. C Thistlethwaite says:

    American Airlines has a history of gobbling up regional carriers on the West Coast. First it was Air California, then plucky little Reno Air. In the case of Air Cal, it was suposedly acquired for its landing slots at Orange County. American then acquired Reno Air for its slots in San Jose, yet American still has relatively few West Coast flights.

    Reno Air competed well with both Alaska and Southwest and managed have offers like earning one free round trip ticket for every four flown and serving Gordon Biersch microbrews in both the coach and first class cabins.

  14. Andy Anderson says:

    I travel constantly – used to love Alaska as well, the employees had great relationship w/ mgmt up until a few years ago during labor dispute. Not sure all details, but now the employees hate their management, and it shows. Used to love flying PSA and AirCal from PHX to SAN, and SNA on those little BAE-146 high-wing jets. They were cool predecessors to all of the current jet commuters out there (on the other hand I hated the BAC-111’s, always felt like an engine was on the verge of falling off). Worst thing that ever happened to commercial aviation service was the whole Allegheny / Republic / Southern / Piedmont / Hughes etc. merger(s) back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. A lot of good regionals became a few bad transcons. Remember when Northwest (Orient) was considered to be high class? I worked in commercial aviation throughout the 70’s and 80’s and it’s hard to believe how things were, and how things are now. On the other hand I don’t miss the CAB, and I don’t miss regulation.

  15. Gerbil says:

    I agree with your insights. I’ve blogged twice about this!

  16. JRobert says:

    Airline related, but out in left field.

    I am trying to locate a series of radio ads featuring the adventurers Louis & Clarke. Was it Alaska/ Alaskan Airlines that had these ads?. They were
    amazingly funny.
    Anyone? Any suggestions?
    Cheers,
    JRS

  17. Michael Waldock says:

    http://www.comeflywithus.com has great images of flight attendants and facts from aviation’s wonder days, excerpted from the book Come Fly With Us! A Global History of the Airline Hostess. I co-wrote the book and Alaska released great images from their archives.

  18. Amanda Matilda says:

    The Lewis and Clark radio ads are by Alaska’s subsidiary Horizon Air.

  19. david Conrad says:

    On Sat., Oct.29,05, I flew Alaska Flight #28 from Seattle/Tacoma to Chicago O’Hare. I have nothing but good things to say about the flight. It left on time. It arrived as scheduled. The seats were comfortable. The meal was the best that I have had on an airplane in years. (It was actually hot) The cabin crew was very pleasant and helpful. The cockpit crew pointed out various landmarks on the ground as we passed overhead. I would not hesitate to fly on Alaska Airlines again anytime in the future. I might add that this was my first experience with Alaska Airlines so I have no previous flights to compare it to. David Conrad, Upton, MA

  20. Tom Gilkison says:

    You’ll have to check out “My Bad Experiences with Alaska Airlines”. Too much information to post on a Blog comment.

  21. Curtis says:

    Why does Alaska Airlines pretend they do not own Horizon Airlines? Does anyone know the answer to this? They bought them in 1986 for heavens sake. I wanted to take my dog to Arizona with me because we are not coming back for two months. We were going to go through Missoula Montana on Horizon to visit the folks. We had reservations on Alaska and Horizon when out of the blue Horizon decides not to take any pets or animals between December (close to Christmas till after the first of the year) I cant remember the dates for sure. What a disaster that has created for us as well as many other people traveling with pets. What is Horizons problem? What is Alaskas problem? What a bunch of ass’s. So much for customer satifaction or service. I will go along ways out of my way to not fly with either of them after this. I like to refer to Alaska Airlines as the LARGEST UNSCHEDULED AIRLINE IN THE WORLD. In Fairbanks we need a competitive airline to compete with Alaska and in the western United States we some one to compete with Horizon (AKA Alaska) Soon. Horizon and Alaska, can go under tomorrow as far as I am concerned.

    CC

  22. Dick Lill says:

    John…enjoyed your comments. I too remember PSA and had flown on them many times when I lived in San Diego. Word was they “all were models or could be models as far as the very good looking flight attendants, and contrary to some beliefs, they were pretty well educated too. As I used to say….”not a hog in the house” when you flew with them. Go to a website “catchoursmile.com” for the full story about PSA….and also some great pictures of their smiling aircraft and their smiling flight attendants. PSA had it going well for quite awhile…..I doubt they would bave gone for the merger with US Airways…….BUT, even PSA started to run into money problems due to rising fuel costs back then, not staying with the all California routes………buying Lockheed L-1011’s that ended up being parked due to fuel hogs and fuel consumption, and also Union costs going up…..they were going down the tubes prior to the merger, just like some of the big boys are today. A great airline however before some mis-management got them too…read the story of what really happened to them on the web I mentioned. As for Alaskan…..also one of my favorite airlines who I have flown and still fly now with some concern, they USED to do it well as you said….but I too am now concerned about them and their safety issues here. What kind of bothered me from their accident with the jammed “jack screw” that locked up the horizontal tail stabilizer where they could not control the up and down of the plane, and I think it snapped/broke from the force of the hydraulics trying to move it while jammed….and the rest is history……..as mentioned, no lubrication on the unit…..and even after that….a couple reports come in the past year or so that other inspections have again found lack of lubrication on the same part…..years after the accident happened, one would think you don’t mess with that problem again and make sure it is serviced as should be………I don’t care about the meals and all that, they all have gone cheap on that, but I don’t want any of them going cheap on safety.

  23. Dick Lill says:

    Added post here about the MD-80………..I disagree with Mr. Mott, I also have ridden the MD-80 alot………I find that any rear engine airplane is VERY quiet IF you are not riding in the back where the engines are, if you are riding mid-coach toward and including first class……it is as quiet as a mouse peeing on a piece of cotton if you ask me. The aging B-727’s are also a quiet and smooth ride IF you are not in the back…….I have had extreemly smooth rides in both the MD-80 and the B-727 due to wing design and no engines on the wings to interrupt airflow, but I also have had rough rides in both if in CAT…..(clear air turbulence)

  24. Greg says:

    I finally understand the problem now. In January, I redeemed my miles for a first class flight to Europe. Flew out on Lufthansa and back on United. Lufthansa was an amazing experience. The food and service were incredible. They made us feel very special to be flying with them. United was just business class with better alcohol and a larger seat. Hardly worth the extra money.

  25. Jay Bernal says:

    There seems to be some misunderstanding. The carrier’s name is ALASKA AIRLINES, not ALASKAN. Saying ALASKAN AIRLINES gives you away as someone who is clueless about ALASKA AIRLINES.

  26. pedro says:

    I worked for Rolling Stone (in SF) in the early 70’s and certainly remember those PSA foxy “stewardi” and those steaks and other great meals on ALASKA AIRLINES (in coach!) ..A few years ago I had to take a ALASKA flight out of Mexico .. an hour or so into the trip I was basically tossed a Saran wrapped roll (stale) which had one paper thin slice of turkey (I think it was turkey) .. these idiots: bean counters, take over crapsters, save money on bad mechanical servicing managers and “take the fun and quality out-meisters” have invited in what they are getting: bad press, no profitability, and unhappy customers

  27. Jake says:

    callipygous -great word, I love it Mr. D.

  28. J. Callahan says:

    I worked with one of the aviation law firms that defended Alaska Air in the Flight 261 crash and spent more than a year exmaining the jack screw failure and testing identical units in every imaginable condition.

    The fact is that although the unit was not properly maintaned the entire jack screw unit with it’s hydraulic system was fatally flawed in design. It was proven that if a pilot kicked the rudder hard to one side during flight (as did Flight 261) the hydraulic fluid would back-pressure and actually deflect the rudder fully in the opposite position. It would then lock the rudder in that position until the pilot released the rudder pedals which *may* have allowed the fluid to equalize and restore control.

    Imagine driving your car and suddenly having to turn to avoid a collision – you steer hard right but the vehicle goes hard left instead.
    You’d never figure out the problem in time to avoid a wreck – much less in a large jet with vastly more complex systems and pitch, yaw and roll to handle as it quickly departs from any recoverable flight.

    The fact of the poor maintenance and the greater issue of the supervisory refusal to comply with proper maintenance certainly did not help matters and ultimately cost Alaska more than they could recover from in my opinon – the jury was far more interested in this than cut-away models of the jack-screw and piles of incredibly boring test data. They rewarded accordingly and this was on top of already staggering legal costs over years of trial prep and defense.

    This hit Alaska Air at a critical time when they were already struggling to compete and – in my opinion, lacked a clear strategy to do it.

    I’m amazed they are still operating at all – but the fact is, as was and can be proven over and over, the jack screw reversal was not caused by lack of lubrication – rather by poor design of the hydraulic line placement in the valve assembly.

  29. Dave Wiebe says:

    Actually, it’s Alaska Airlines, not Alaskan. AS is a pretty good carrier, what do you guys want for $59 fares, a steak and lobster? Get used to the reality of the airline business now. You’re worse than some of the people I read on airliners.net!

  30. Ed says:

    Oh yeah, Alaska Airlines. I remember flying the Seattle to Eugene route on many occasions in a Alaska/Horizon plane that held about 15 1/2 passengers. It was always full and usually ran about $423 round-trip for the 250 miles flight to Eugene. Why so expensive? (Of course, they were the only airline that flies non-stop on that route.) They did have free beer and wine and a nice bag of snack nuts.


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