Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
It now arrives at 5:50pm, at least most days.
I was told by the purser and a FA that the TBIT bus routine started about a month ago. AFAIK since then this has been the procedure for every arrival of this flight and there is no plan to change.
Despite what others say, my impression was that CBP decided that they did not want to work this flight in Terminal 5 and DL decided to use the bus rather than trying to negotiate or obtain a gate to use briefly at TBIT for this plane, at least most days when it is on schedule.
Its not that they don't want to work the flight, its that they aren't staffed to work the flight. LAX has a very big problem with FIS staffing, they can't hire them and can't keep them if they do hire them. the cost of living is to high in LA to work in FIS. So the way LAX works is, if they have to close a FIS they close the one that is not being used/used the least. I believe both TBIT and T2 are 24/7/365 staffed(if T2 isn't it is pretty close) so AA/DL/UA get the shaft if they don't have the bodies to work.
and PS LAWA is control of all of the terminals and FIS at LAX except Terminal 2, in which they own 1/3 of the share that they got from Delta when NW moved to T5. All Delta can do is ask that T5 (or T6/7) FIS is open.
Hopefully the US government will wise up and pay people more in hard to fill stations. All of the US airlines give people insensitive to work in places like WAS/NYC/LA where the cost of living is so high, and AFAIK the Us gov. doesn't. (and this is why this kind of crap happens in these places....I have seen it at JFK too.)
forgot to add, it is much cheaper to use a gate a T5 and bus to TBIT. Buses are a heck of a lot cheaper(in fuel) than moving a A330 to and from terminals.