CCIE_Flyer

Boarded UA3742 this afternoon but nothing doing. We were eventually informed that, due to weather in TX, we had been given routing via New Mexico down to skim along Old Mexico and then out over the Gulf for a total flying time of 3.5 hrs! Obviously extra fuel, and requested volunteers to deplane. Since there was little doubt of making the last flight out of IAH to MIA, I volunteered. Nice certificate ($600). Interestingly, wouldn't give me my checked bags back. Meh. Be interesting to see the final track...

sbm12

Yes, planes fly around the weather. Not all that surprising.

LarryJ

Looks like they didn't quite make it to Mexico.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/U...115Z/KCOS/KIAH

CCIE_Flyer

Yeah, I figured they'd work it out en route, but wasn't willing to take the chance of 3.5 hrs on a CR7 (the now-defunct COS<->IAD cured me of that notion) and then potentially camping out at IAH for the night (not sure the situation there, could've been a zoo at the Marriott).

Sorry, I fly COS->IAH pretty regularly and found routing all the way down to Mexico a bit extreme, esp since they had to deplane six PAX to take on that much fuel. I'm not sure that it was correct since I don't ever recall such a short journey, but the pilot said our original routing was at 1hr 20mins (in reality was probably 1hrs 50mins) that went up to 3.5 hrs. I also found it interesting that they allowed volunteers to deplane, but didn't deplane luggage, but perhaps that's allowable given the circumstances. I further found it interesting that they gave what I regard to be fairly generous compensation, given that it was WX and there were standbys onboard they could've forced off. Apologies if I wasted anyone's time with a who cares thread.

Wayside

There is no positive passenger bag match for domestic flights. They probably didn't want to cause a further delay digging around for bags.

CCIE_Flyer

1.5M miles w/ UA alone, and I did not know that - thank you. Since most of my travels are on behalf of clients, I do not normally volunteer to deplane (turned down $1k just last week), so I guess I never had the opportunity to learn that important tidbit. Two weeks ago at ORD I was on a plane returned to the gate due to positive match, but that was to PUJ come to think of it...

Always more to learn, love FT.

Additional learning opportunity for OP here:

Is it normal to rebook into B under such circumstances, or is it just what's left at the time of rebooking? This was originally a very inexpensive L fare (am a recent P fare refugee, no longer really seeing the value in the extra $$ outlay). I know that the "accruals for this flight" is pretty flakey, but that's what I'm seeing now (actually a combination of B/R, but presumably B/B to start with).

WineCountryUA

The latter -- and may give you some flexibility if further changes needed.

However, generally, when the flights post, it will be based on the purchased fare, not the re-booked fare. (in the past the re-book fare earnings was more common, but not so nowadays)

EmailKid

Thanks for posting, I for one love this kind of tidbit ^ @:-)

Indeed.

CCIE_Flyer

Thanks a bunch! Can't really complain either way - the cert was a whole number multiple of my original fare. And the additional flexibility makes sense - who knows what COS/IAH/MIA has in store tomorrow...

Thank you. It's easy to feel like a fool around so many knowledgeable members.

Seat1A

my last rebook in B, I was upgraded to R on one leg out of two. The upgraded leg posted as ZV, 1x earning. The economy leg posted as B with 1.5x earning.

sbm12

Better than not flying at all, though.

My guess is the original ATC plan had them going south of the the bigger storm in South Texas and then things cleared up enough that they got to cut through between the cells. Or they needed additional fuel because of expected circling or alternate airports further away.

Nasty weather down there today.

CCIE_Flyer

Agreed. I was just really wondering what kind of crazy routing could've led to essentially a full doubling-plus of planned air time. I've of course been routed around weather, put into endless holds - etc. But this was a new one one me (even though it ultimately didn't come to fruition). In an event, glad to not be spending the night @ IAH - COS ain't a bad place to spend a summer Sunday evening...

Cheers

Strangeness. I'll be interested to see how this shakes out (exact same scenario at this point), although either way it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

EmailKid

Love your sig line ^

LarryJ

It's not as unusual as you might think.

Got a re-route on EWR-IAD last Spring that took our 0h46m flight time up to 1h31m. Fuel burn was way up because they also limited our altitude to 8,000' (in a 737).

The weather often changes, of course, so you don't end up flying the new plan, either. That can cause problems if you're planned, and fueled, for a very long route that ends up being significantly shortened enroute. You may arrive at the destination too heavy to land because you haven't burned a lot of the fuel that you were originally planned to burn.

Some days you just can't win. Heading home, or the hotel, with a nice voucher in your back pocket can really pay off.

cblaisd

Back when UA flew ONT-LAX (planned at 17 minutes w/u to w/d), we once got re-routed in a giant clockwise circle when the LAX landing pattern shifted to the unusual from-the-west landings and the 17 minute flight became an hour and 15 minutes. On a bouncy EMB120 (which was cool; I love turbulence - reminds me of learning to fly in the summer in the west Texas desert!)