US Air cruises to top service rank

US Airways and great customer service have rarely been synonymous.

Five years ago, a Christmas sickout of employees led to 10,000 lost bags in Philadelphia and weeks of bad press. And in the spring of 2007, a botched transition to a new computer reservation system led to long lines nationwide, especially in Charlotte, N.C., where hundreds missed flights and frustrated gate agents told travelers simply to go home.

But the maligned airline has found itself in a new spot: one of the nation's best-performing airlines, at least when judged by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Among the five legacy carriers, the airline in May had the top spot in the DOT rankings for on-time arrivals and had the fewest baggage mishaps and customer complaints. In June, the most recent month available, US Airways was the top legacy carrier for on-time arrivals and fewest customer complaints, and finished second to Continental for least amount of mishandled luggage.

The last time US Airways had topped the three categories was in 2002, said airline spokesperson Michelle Mohr.

"It's their own personal version of worst to first," said airline consultant Robert Mann of Port Washington, N.Y.

US Airways said it began to turn around customer service three years ago, when it started a program called RCA - Reliability, Convenience and Appearance.

"We had a lot of challenges with merging our reservations systems, and we trailed the industry by a wide margin," said Kerry Hester, US Airways vice president for reservations and customer service planning. "We have seen really big improvements from all workgroups."

The airline made an effort to ensure planes left on time, and added some extra time to its schedule to make it easier for flights to arrive on time.

It also installed new computer technology for gate agents that gives them better cues as to when to board, and when the overhead bins are filling up, so it can gate-check carry-on luggage faster.

The airline also spent more money in Philadelphia, its second-largest hub after Charlotte. Philadelphia had been the source of much of the airline's lost-luggage problem, so the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline opened a satellite headquarters there.

In late 2008, the airline began scanning luggage at all airports, and ground crews were given a real-time luggage report. Crews have a print-out of what luggage should be on a plane. If a Charlotte-Los Angeles flight is missing two bags from Raleigh, the ground crews can hold the plane and hunt for the bags.

"Philly has seen the most dramatic improvement," Hester said. "It used to be so far below the industry average [for lost luggage]. Now it's close to average, and close to Charlotte."

The opening of Charlotte's third parallel runway in February has also given US Airways more room for error at its largest hub. When the weather is poor, the airline can land more planes quickly, boosting on-time arrivals.

In 2007, when US Airways and America West were merging, the airline was near the bottom of U.S. DOT rankings.

By the end of 2008, however, US Airways had climbed to near the top of federal government rankings for on-time arrivals, though it still lagged in baggage complaints and was last for customer complaints.

Part of its lag on customer complaints could have been due to its aggressive implementation of fees, for checked luggage and, for a brief period in 2008, in-flight nonalcoholic drinks.

The airline in 2009 started serving free drinks again, and the other legacy carriers have instituted fees similar to US Airways'.

While the airline has undoubtedly improved, it's unclear whether it has translated into a better image. The most recent JD Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study has US Airways ranked last. Alaska and Continental Airlines were ranked first.

"Certainly they've made impressive progress," said Seth Kaplan of Airline Weekly. "Will the public view them like it views Southwest anytime soon? No, that reputation has been built over 40 years."

One possible hurdle toward a better reputation is that US Airways spends little on ads.

In July, the airline bought a full-page ad in USA Today touting its first-place finish in the U.S. DOT's May rankings for on-time arrivals, customer complaints and baggage handling. It bought a similar ad in 2009 touting its on-time performance.

It also bought billboards in its hub cities of Charlotte, Phoenix and Philadelphia.

The airline, however, has not made it a linchpin of a larger ad campaign.

Charlotte investment banker Dan Smith flies twice a month on US Airways. He said much of the airline's service is the same, though he has noticed his luggage arrives faster.

"I've definitely seen an improvement in how much time it takes for my luggage to arrive," Smith said. "A year ago, it was 35 minutes, guaranteed."

US Airways employees at Charlotte/Douglas are pleased by their newfound standing on top of the DOT's rankings, which can translate to cash bonuses. Said one veteran supervisor: "[The airline] used to get trashed."

The airline's improvement has happened even though the 2005 merger with America West is still not complete.

The flight attendants and pilots don't have a new contract that blends the "east" and "west" staffs. That means the two staffs can't be commingled, a logistical headache for planners in Tempe.

Todd Fieser, a US Airways pilot who is a media representative for the US Airline Pilots Association, said pilots are pleased with the performance ratings, but they want to be rewarded.

"The [rankings] are good," Fieser said. "But there is a growing sense of frustration that our compensation is the lowest among major airlines."