Flight delay question

[Jim Bow]

The news is full of U S domestic flight delays and cancellations. We’ve got an IcelandAir flight coming up at summers end. Are foreign flagged airlines suffering as well?

[bluedog225]

I’ve seen press that said yes. If I were traveling, I’d try to arrange a lot of flexibility on both ends.

[AndanteEd]

The entire global aviation industry is a real mess right now.

You'll probably be fine but, as Bluedog suggests, it would be good to have some flexibility in your plans so if you get bumped for day or so at either end it won't matter too much.

[LeeG]

I’m looking around for airline travel statistics. Could the pandemic and oil prices mark a significant decline in airtravel intensity?

https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput

doesn’t look thatsignificant of a drop.

[Canoeyawl]

My sister was stuck in Morocco for ten days about a month ago. Of course she enjoyed it, but that wasn't part of the plan.

[Reynard38]

I’m looking around for airline travel statistics. Could the pandemic and oil prices mark a significant decline in airtravel intensity?

https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput

doesn’t look thatsignificant of a drop.

I take it you haven’t flown lately. Every, and I do mean every plane I fly is full. Butt in every seat. As far as domestic US air travel is concerned the “pandemic” is over and has been for some time.

[ron ll]

Just heard Delta is offering $10,000 to anyone who will give up their seat in an overbooked flight.

[The Ranger]

Time to spare, go by air.

[LeeG]

I take it you haven’t flown lately. Every, and I do mean every plane I fly is full. Butt in every seat. As far as domestic US air travel is concerned the “pandemic” is over and has been for some time.

It’s been three or four years.

[ron ll]

Time to pump some money into Amtrak.

[The Gentleman Sawyer]

Just heard Delta is offering $10,000 to anyone who will give up their seat in an overbooked flight.

Just heard Delta is offering $10,000 to anyone who will give up their seat in an overbooked flight.

I read that earlier and until Delta confirms I believe I’ll have to throw the BS flag….

Ken


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[Reynard38]

Just heard Delta is offering $10,000 to anyone who will give up their seat in an overbooked flight.

I’ll bite, and mine’s got a better view.

[Dave Hadfield]

Just completed a marathon of unpleasant travel from Toronto to Vancouver Island for my daughter's wedding. Pretty much all flights are full and all lounges are jammed.

Many low-wage airport employees who were laid off due to covid have not come back -- got other jobs. Same with the airlines. Result: delays at most stages of travel.

Having a Nexus-type trusted-traveler card sure helps at Security, as well as going light and not checking a bag.

[The Q]

Heathrow airport has been cancelling flights because it cannot cope...
311742.jpg

[LeeG]

Time to pump some money into Amtrak.

Thelma and Louise didn’t take the train.

[LeeG]

Sounds like fuel isn’t too high to bring demand destruction.

[AndanteEd]

A lot of families in Dubai will normally try to head off somewhere cooler over the summer. Mine are leaving next week.

The cost of flights out of here are currently about double what they used to be, yet the demand remains high driven in part by people's limited ability to travel over the last two years.

As with other parts of the world, a good number of the region's airline employees were laid off two years ago. There's the added complication here that in many cases the laid off employees then returned to their home countries, found new jobs and now don't want to return. The roster-gods are keeping the schedules for the flight crew that remain absolutely packed.

In very general terms many airlines simply don't have the staff, or in some cases the aircraft capacity, to deal with the current demand. Even when they do get their side worked out, they then have to rely on the airport infrastructure, which is in a similar sort of mess, being able to cope.

Then add the issues with global cargo and the mess that sea freight is in that's creating the sky high price for shipping containers. This has pushed more freight into aircraft, much of which travels below deck on passenger aircraft. We're seeing air cargo rates that are now more than double what they were six months ago on many major international routes.

An increase in fuel costs is an inconvenience for the airlines, but because demand is so strong it can simply be passed on to consumers by charging more and, from what we see so far, the punters appear to be happy to pay what's being asked. I don't think that increasing the cost further will do anything to change the underlying capacity problems. That will take time.

[bamamick]

Air travel is a crap shoot. Passenger trains don't even run to most of the country. The interstate system is so overloaded with tractor/trailers that it's being pounded into dust and travel delays of great length are the norm for anyone driving any distance at all.

Greatest country in the world, or a country that is fraying at the seams so quickly that sooner or later a breakdown in essential services is inevitable?

Mickey Lake

[Reynard38]

Air travel is a crap shoot. Passenger trains don't even run to most of the country. The interstate system is so overloaded with tractor/trailers that it's being pounded into dust and travel delays of great length are the norm for anyone driving any distance at all.

Greatest country in the world, or a country that is fraying at the seams so quickly that sooner or later a breakdown in essential services is inevitable?

Mickey Lake

Avoid the interstates, go around large cities, budget in the extra time. Lot more pleasant way to take a road trip. Actually see something.

[LeeG]

Air travel is a crap shoot. Passenger trains don't even run to most of the country. The interstate system is so overloaded with tractor/trailers that it's being pounded into dust and travel delays of great length are the norm for anyone driving any distance at all.

Greatest country in the world, or a country that is fraying at the seams so quickly that sooner or later a breakdown in essential services is inevitable?

Mickey Lake

What could go wrong when gov’t policy encourages consumption and faux conservatism restricts infrastructure upgrades while passing costs off to the grandkids.

[Ian McColgin]

Modern flying is like particle physics.

You can know where you are.

You can know where you're going.

But you can't know both.

[Ian McColgin]

Modern flying is like particle physics.

You can know where you are.

You can know where you're going.

But you can't know both.

[JTA]

The only industry allowed to charge you hundreds of dollars and not promise you a thing.
Oversold? Sorry, we might get you there tomorrow.
Crew Shortage? Sorry, here is a credit for a future flight. We will probably bump you off that flight as well.
Already seated and one of our Crew wants your seat? Get your ass off our plane and don't complain on the way out the door.

This complaint is not directed at the fine flight crews and pilots that work really hard to get us delivered safely. It is a complaint against the industry,

Jack

[Reynard38]

The only industry allowed to charge you hundreds of dollars and not promise you a thing.
Oversold? Sorry, we might get you there tomorrow.
Crew Shortage? Sorry, here is a credit for a future flight. We will probably bump you off that flight as well.
Already seated and one of our Crew wants your seat? Get your ass off our plane and don't complain on the way out the door.

This complaint is not directed at the fine flight crews and pilots that work really hard to get us delivered safely. It is a complaint against the industry,

Jack

Yeah, except that quip about “One of the crew wants your seat”. That’s BS. No airline is going to do that because an employee “wants” your seat. They absolutely will do it if they need to get a crew member somewhere to operate a flight. I’ve been that crew member several times when I’ve been rerouted 20 minutes before a flight and had to make my way across a crowded airport to arrive at the gate as they are closing the door on a full flight. Yes they kicked somebody off. No they were not happy about it, but had I not gotten on that flight there would have been 110 upset somebody’s at our destination that we’re waiting on me.

Lesser of 2 weevils.

[JTA]

Sorry to offend you Reynard, but if they take my money for a seat I believe I should have some guarantees that I will get that seat. Not get bumped because the industry is not willing to pay a few spare pilots to be at the airport just in case.

[bamamick]

The European Union has some pretty set-in-stone rules about flying to protect the passengers. I don't understand why we can't do some of these things?

Mickey Lake

[Reynard38]

Sorry to offend you Reynard, but if they take my money for a seat I believe I should have some guarantees that I will get that seat. Not get bumped because the industry is not willing to pay a few spare pilots to be at the airport just in case.

Hey no offense taken, but the company isn’t about to have pilots sitting around getting paid at every airport we fly to. At an airport like Savannah we operate 2 types of aircraft. That’d be 2 captains and 2 copilots. Now if you want them available from the time the first flight leaves until the last one departs double that. So 8 pilots, each getting a full days pay to sit around.
We operate to 242 destinations. We have 7 pilot bases, so 235 airports without a pilot base. Some have only one type of aircraft flying to them, some have as many as 4, but let’s stick with 2.
So 8 pilots multiplied by 235 airports so occasionally you don’t run the risk of getting bumped. That’s 1880 extra pilots.
And we aren’t yet even talking about hotel costs, per diem, etc.
Rough arithmetic places the cost of salaries alone at more than a third of a BILLION dollars for this. Add in the aforementioned costs + medical and 401k contributions and now we are well above 1/2 a BILLION.

But hey, we are in contract negotiations, and we could use all the help we can get. Give our CEO a call and tell him your plan. I’ll be waiting to hear his response.

How much do you want to spend on a ticket?

But in all honesty I understand your frustration. I see it from our passengers every day and I hate it. We have a great bunch of employees that truly want to get you to your destination, but some decisions by “mahogany row” have made doing so extremely difficult.

[sp_clark]

Avoid the interstates, go around large cities, budget in the extra time. Lot more pleasant way to take a road trip. Actually see something.

Pay close attention to speed limits and other things like potential speed traps. It's too easy having 'cruise control' let you miss a change that will costs you hundreds for the transgression then hundreds more in insurance premiums for the next few years.

There's a 7-mile stretch of divided hiway outside the town where I live now. It's nine times out of ten I'm on it that the Staties have a team working one or both sides. Mostly trucks getting stopped, once in awhile it's a private vehicle.

If I were going to fly someplace on a tight timetable I'd book travel insurance....

[Tom Wilkinson]

Sorry to offend you Reynard, but if they take my money for a seat I believe I should have some guarantees that I will get that seat. Not get bumped because the industry is not willing to pay a few spare pilots to be at the airport just in case.

I have bumped many a passenger as an employee.
Mine was always for emergency maintenance. Five guys needed to change an engine somewhere gets priority even over paying passengers. If you cannot move the people to get the other plane repaired then you have 2-300 in another destination that are stuck. It is necessary sometimes.
And passengers are usually volunteers that are compensated to give up their seat and take a later flight.


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[Too Little Time]

Air travel is a crap shoot. Passenger trains don't even run to most of the country. The interstate system is so overloaded with tractor/trailers that it's being pounded into dust and travel delays of great length are the norm for anyone driving any distance at all.

Greatest country in the world, or a country that is fraying at the seams so quickly that sooner or later a breakdown in essential services is inevitable?

I feel comfortable talking about the interstates. Over the last 20 years I have made over a dozen 2000 mile trips each year. With 2 exceptions I have had no problem in maintaining a 70+mph speed. I was parked on the interstate for 2 hours one afternoon due to a couple trucks being overturned. I drove through a large city during rush hour once. I have been delayed more often by my failure to identify worn out tires prior to a trip and needing to get replacements.

I have always found the interstates both faster and more relaxing than secondary roads.

My wife and I have been traveling more my air recently. I have a trip by air in October. We find that going when demand is low is much better than dealing with crowds and the issues that come up when demand matches capacity and everything needs to work perfectly.

Experiences are usually colored by expectations. I don't expect much from transportation. If I eventually get close to my destination, I am usually happy.