2015 - When do we get to officially call this Summer from Hell II?
Jun 24, 2015, 1:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 99
2015 - When do we get to officially call this Summer from Hell II?
Crazy diversions with no recovery plan, cancelled and 5h+ delayed flights left and right, embarrassing technology, surly flight attendants and gate agents, long tarmac delays, rock-hard seating, ancient planes, distant and arrogant management.
Everything I've seen so far this month meets and exceeds the level of service disruption and poor service from the notorious Summer from Hell in 2000 that many of us lived through. When do we pull the trigger and officially brand this as the Summer from Hell II?
Everything I've seen so far this month meets and exceeds the level of service disruption and poor service from the notorious Summer from Hell in 2000 that many of us lived through. When do we pull the trigger and officially brand this as the Summer from Hell II?
Jun 24, 2015, 1:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K and MM, Marriot, Hilton
Posts: 804
don't forget catering issues
Jun 24, 2015, 1:37 pm
#3
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Location: Bay Area, CA
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I'm with you.
Technically summer started just a few days ago, but if you say June 1 is roughly the summer season, I've already been delayed 4+ hours once, and OAL'ed another time.
My other carrier flights have been on time, with the exception of a couple minor delays (AA 45 minute MX, and AS 15 minute MX). I was delighted when AS announced the MX and was able to find and swap a plane in 15 minutes. We took about a 15 minute hit. My companion just looked at me and said, "This would easily be 3 hours on CO!"
On the AS delay, my UA instinct already kicked in, I was looking for availability to alternate airports and other flights, but then they announced they had a plane, and we'd be moving gates real fast. My UA training wasn't necessary on that one.
Technically summer started just a few days ago, but if you say June 1 is roughly the summer season, I've already been delayed 4+ hours once, and OAL'ed another time.
My other carrier flights have been on time, with the exception of a couple minor delays (AA 45 minute MX, and AS 15 minute MX). I was delighted when AS announced the MX and was able to find and swap a plane in 15 minutes. We took about a 15 minute hit. My companion just looked at me and said, "This would easily be 3 hours on CO!"
On the AS delay, my UA instinct already kicked in, I was looking for availability to alternate airports and other flights, but then they announced they had a plane, and we'd be moving gates real fast. My UA training wasn't necessary on that one.
Jun 24, 2015, 1:39 pm
#4
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The difference being that this time I know enough to stay clear of UA and watch the fireworks from a distance. But, yes, things seem terrible. The summer of 2012 was no picnic either -- I did persist with UA through that, climbing the learning curve -- and it will be interesting to see if key performance stats are worse than '12 this year.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:11 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
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Posts: 2,862
Hmmm...I am looking at fares to Europe in August and CO is showing up as the cheapest with internal flights on *Alliance carriers. Close to 40% below DL/KL. Should I hazard a 40 min connection in IAD to AMS which might end up in Goose Bay?
Just unable to find anything decent on AA. Might settle for DL to ensure I get there on time.
Just unable to find anything decent on AA. Might settle for DL to ensure I get there on time.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:14 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K since 1998 & 3 Million Miler & ex-GS; DL Diamond 2015-2022; BAEC Silver; Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 1,018
This has been the continuous and never ending Summer From Hell since March 3, 2012. 
I survived the original Summer From Hell rather well. During that time I was flying weekly between SFO and TPA. Not once was I stranded in an airport. Only once did I have to overnight in a hotel in MIA, and UA paid for that hotel ... after flying me in F on a 3-cabin 763 nonstop SFO-MIA! Yes, that SFH was a bit stressful, but the AMAZING agents in the 1K Rooms took care of me. I will forever be thankful to those agents that went above and beyond to get me where I had to go.
Today we have to fend for ourselves. I don't like that.
I have mostly DL flights over the next few weeks ... with a UA LHR-EWR flight in the mix. I really have no interest in "doing a Goosie".
I survived the original Summer From Hell rather well. During that time I was flying weekly between SFO and TPA. Not once was I stranded in an airport. Only once did I have to overnight in a hotel in MIA, and UA paid for that hotel ... after flying me in F on a 3-cabin 763 nonstop SFO-MIA! Yes, that SFH was a bit stressful, but the AMAZING agents in the 1K Rooms took care of me. I will forever be thankful to those agents that went above and beyond to get me where I had to go.
Today we have to fend for ourselves. I don't like that.
I have mostly DL flights over the next few weeks ... with a UA LHR-EWR flight in the mix. I really have no interest in "doing a Goosie".
Jun 24, 2015, 2:18 pm
#7
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The difference being that this time I know enough to stay clear of UA and watch the fireworks from a distance. But, yes, things seem terrible. The summer of 2012 was no picnic either -- I did persist with UA through that, climbing the learning curve -- and it will be interesting to see if key performance stats are worse than '12 this year.
The fact that it's happening 3 years later is just an embarrassment.
I think we (mostly) all agree the "savvy" leadership team needs to go...time to clean house.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:23 pm
#8
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The official "summer from hell" goes back to I believe 2000, and far predates the merger.
Neither the 2012 SFH or this one is the same as 200o, which was directly related to union action and "working to the books", where if there was an excuse to delay a flight someone would find it.
Both 2012 and 2015 - to my mind - are more just general UAs ineptitude in getting planes to/from their destinations on anything close to a schedule, and then seeming to not care when they go south.
Neither the 2012 SFH or this one is the same as 200o, which was directly related to union action and "working to the books", where if there was an excuse to delay a flight someone would find it.
Both 2012 and 2015 - to my mind - are more just general UAs ineptitude in getting planes to/from their destinations on anything close to a schedule, and then seeming to not care when they go south.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:33 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
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I dunno about "hell", but had some wacky experiences getting to the Bay Area yesterday.
The 11:50am DEN-SJC hit minor mx that turned into major mx (flustered GA: "Ops is telling us there are emergency lights everywhere, we're going to on-decision with a 1:30 go/no-go time"). Ultimately they sourced a new aircraft and took a 4.5hr delay (landing at 5:30pm instead of 1pm).
I (foolishly?) switched onto the 2:30pm DEN-SFO, which took a 1hr delay because its inbound LAX-DEN landed an hour late because *its* inbound had been reassigned and it was recommitted a later-arriving plane (not clear if mx).
And then the DEN-SFO wifi didn't work.
Also, on 2 of the 3 sectors I took yesterday, I ended up as #1 on the upgrade list when the flights left (F full). "1K: you're #1 (on the upgrade list)!". But that's my own fault for making last minute travel plans & changes.
Some operational reliability issues in the network for sure. Unclear if there is actual labor action by mechanics' union.
The 11:50am DEN-SJC hit minor mx that turned into major mx (flustered GA: "Ops is telling us there are emergency lights everywhere, we're going to on-decision with a 1:30 go/no-go time"). Ultimately they sourced a new aircraft and took a 4.5hr delay (landing at 5:30pm instead of 1pm).
I (foolishly?) switched onto the 2:30pm DEN-SFO, which took a 1hr delay because its inbound LAX-DEN landed an hour late because *its* inbound had been reassigned and it was recommitted a later-arriving plane (not clear if mx).
And then the DEN-SFO wifi didn't work.
Also, on 2 of the 3 sectors I took yesterday, I ended up as #1 on the upgrade list when the flights left (F full). "1K: you're #1 (on the upgrade list)!". But that's my own fault for making last minute travel plans & changes.
Some operational reliability issues in the network for sure. Unclear if there is actual labor action by mechanics' union.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:39 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 99
For those in the know, isn't the current situation with the mechanics somewhat analogous to the situation with the pilots in 2000?
Jun 24, 2015, 2:46 pm
#11
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This has not been my experience. It's actually been quite a while since I've run into a less than good flight crew (or a surly gate agent) on UA. On IAH-SFO yesterday, the purser provided some of the best service I've ever had on any airline.
Yes, there are reasons to legitimately gripe, but let's not unfairly denigrate front-line employees who likely share many frustrations about the way the company is being managed.
Yes, there are reasons to legitimately gripe, but let's not unfairly denigrate front-line employees who likely share many frustrations about the way the company is being managed.
Jun 24, 2015, 2:49 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
I dunno about "hell", but had some wacky experiences getting to the Bay Area yesterday.
The 11:50am DEN-SJC hit minor mx that turned into major mx (flustered GA: "Ops is telling us there are emergency lights everywhere, we're going to on-decision with a 1:30 go/no-go time"). Ultimately they sourced a new aircraft and took a 4.5hr delay (landing at 5:30pm instead of 1pm).
I (foolishly?) switched onto the 2:30pm DEN-SFO, which took a 1hr delay because its inbound LAX-DEN landed an hour late because *its* inbound had been reassigned and it was recommitted a later-arriving plane (not clear if mx).
And then the DEN-SFO wifi didn't work.
Also, on 2 of the 3 sectors I took yesterday, I ended up as #1 on the upgrade list when the flights left (F full). "1K: you're #1 (on the upgrade list)!". But that's my own fault for making last minute travel plans & changes.
Some operational reliability issues in the network for sure. Unclear if there is actual labor action by mechanics' union.
The 11:50am DEN-SJC hit minor mx that turned into major mx (flustered GA: "Ops is telling us there are emergency lights everywhere, we're going to on-decision with a 1:30 go/no-go time"). Ultimately they sourced a new aircraft and took a 4.5hr delay (landing at 5:30pm instead of 1pm).
I (foolishly?) switched onto the 2:30pm DEN-SFO, which took a 1hr delay because its inbound LAX-DEN landed an hour late because *its* inbound had been reassigned and it was recommitted a later-arriving plane (not clear if mx).
And then the DEN-SFO wifi didn't work.
Also, on 2 of the 3 sectors I took yesterday, I ended up as #1 on the upgrade list when the flights left (F full). "1K: you're #1 (on the upgrade list)!". But that's my own fault for making last minute travel plans & changes.
Some operational reliability issues in the network for sure. Unclear if there is actual labor action by mechanics' union.
As you say, wacky, but in no way does it correlate to what was actually a 'Summer from Hell' 15 years ago.
Why do people bring up the mechanics? Do you have any evidence that the mechanics are doing anything disruptive at this point? (Besides wild and irresponsible speculation on FlyerTalk. Where the only people who have commented responsibly - the pilots - have said they do not believe there is any action by the mechanics.)
The summer from hell was actually a summer from hell if you were a UA flyer.
How old are the posters here? Do you have any personal recollections of the summer from hell?
"Summer From Hell Exacted Heavy Toll
Pilot Work Slowdown, Merger Try Disastrous"
"Of all the 25,000 canceled flights"
Jun 24, 2015, 2:52 pm
#13
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
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I figured the recent complaints were just the usual FT echo chamber, but sure enough, this is the worst post-merger June for UA/CO flight operations:
D is for departure, A is for arrival, the number indicates the number of minutes you can be late and still be "on time". CXL is cancellations.
Code:
month | d0 | d30 | a0 | a14 | a60 | cxl ------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------ 2011-06-01 | 53% | 87% | 56% | 77% | 92% | 1.0% 2012-06-01 | 40% | 82% | 51% | 71% | 91% | 1.5% 2013-06-01 | 47% | 83% | 58% | 74% | 90% | 1.1% 2014-06-01 | 44% | 83% | 54% | 73% | 91% | 1.2% 2015-06-01 | 38% | 77% | 52% | 69% | 88% | 2.2%
Jun 24, 2015, 2:55 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LA
Posts: 1,281
When did Summer from Hell ever end in the first place??
Jun 24, 2015, 2:58 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: UA Gold MM, HHonors Gold, Hertz Five Star Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis First
Posts: 462
Wifi did not work, you didn't get upgraded.
As you say, wacky, but in no way does it correlate to what was actually a 'Summer from Hell' 15 years ago.
Why do people bring up the mechanics? Do you have any evidence that the mechanics are doing anything disruptive at this point? (Besides wild and irresponsible speculation on FlyerTalk. Where the only people who have commented responsibly - the pilots - have said they do not believe there is any action by the mechanics.)
The summer from hell was actually a summer from hell if you were a UA flyer.
How old are the posters here? Do you have any personal recollections of the summer from hell?
"Summer From Hell Exacted Heavy Toll
Pilot Work Slowdown, Merger Try Disastrous"
"Of all the 25,000 canceled flights"
As you say, wacky, but in no way does it correlate to what was actually a 'Summer from Hell' 15 years ago.
Why do people bring up the mechanics? Do you have any evidence that the mechanics are doing anything disruptive at this point? (Besides wild and irresponsible speculation on FlyerTalk. Where the only people who have commented responsibly - the pilots - have said they do not believe there is any action by the mechanics.)
The summer from hell was actually a summer from hell if you were a UA flyer.
How old are the posters here? Do you have any personal recollections of the summer from hell?
"Summer From Hell Exacted Heavy Toll
Pilot Work Slowdown, Merger Try Disastrous"
"Of all the 25,000 canceled flights"
As post #13 shows UA has serious problem. It's time to accept that fact.