Austin gate issue
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
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Austin gate issue
There have been thunderstorms in Austin this evening so I decided to tune into liveatc to see how the airport is doing. It is 11:40pm right now.
There are 3 Southwest flights on the ground without a gate and 2 more in the air landing very soon.
Southwest has 6 gates in AUS with 5 occupied by planes parked overnight which they are not planning to move. They plan for all the late arrivals to cycle through one remaining gate.
Is this normal? How quickly can a plane unload and then move out of the way. I wouldn't want to be in the fifth plane in the queue for the same gate.
There are 3 Southwest flights on the ground without a gate and 2 more in the air landing very soon.
Southwest has 6 gates in AUS with 5 occupied by planes parked overnight which they are not planning to move. They plan for all the late arrivals to cycle through one remaining gate.
Is this normal? How quickly can a plane unload and then move out of the way. I wouldn't want to be in the fifth plane in the queue for the same gate.
#2
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: CBP Global Entry, WN A-List Preferred, WN Companion Pass
Posts: 2,006
Both Dallas & Houston have been having significant issues for several hours much of the day due to severe weather, so presumably lots of diversions (not just into Austin).
http://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_list.jsp?WhichAdvisories=ATCSCC&AdvisoryCatego ry=All&dates=Sunday%2C+05-28-2017&AirFlow=AirFlow&Ctop=Ctop&Gstop=Gstop&Gdelay= Gdelay&Route=Route&Other=Other
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http://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_list....te&Other=Other
http://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_list.jsp?WhichAdvisories=ATCSCC&AdvisoryCatego ry=All&dates=Sunday%2C+05-28-2017&AirFlow=AirFlow&Ctop=Ctop&Gstop=Gstop&Gdelay= Gdelay&Route=Route&Other=Other
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http://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_list....te&Other=Other
Last edited by steved5480; May 28, 2017 at 11:19 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,486
That doesn't really sound like a gate issue per se. It sounds like a boneheaded decision if they actually didn't move any of those RON planes to allow offloading of inbound flights. (I'd be shocked if they didn't)
#4
Join Date: Jun 2015
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Posts: 682
Planes can be easily moved but does not do any good if you do not have the ground crew and gate crew to staff it.
Probably just another case of it being cheaper to make passengers suffer then staff appropriately or adapt to conditions.
Probably just another case of it being cheaper to make passengers suffer then staff appropriately or adapt to conditions.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
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#6
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That's a yes.
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
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One time, a few years ago, I was flying ORF-BWI. Storms in the Baltimore/DC area had ORF taking WN diversions. They had an extra 6-8 737's at remote stands. The whole terminal was just full of passengers. The vendors were overwhelmed. The staff did what they could. Sometimes things happen and you have to take them in stride.
#8
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Pushing back a plane with no one on it takes less time than deplaning a 737 and then pushing it back for the next one @:-)