MSPeconomist

Given that UA (and other airline) flights divert to YYR on a somewhat regular basis, I wonder why the airline doesn't at least have a contract and procedures in place with the service company that runs the civilian side of YYR to provide something for passengers beyond the military barracks and mess hall? They could easily arrange for pizza and beer deliveries to the barracks and to have additional blanket brought out of storage and distributed to displaced passengers (who should have also been instructed to bring their blankets from the aircraft when deplaning at YYR even if only to use for sitting on the floor in the initial processing building before returning the items to UA after leaving YYR).

In fact, I wonder why UA and other airlines don't somehow get the service company to upgrade the barracks to something more like a basic hotel standard or even to construct more hotel space to use in such situations. If passengers' local expenses are charged to the airline during diversions, more money could be collected for hotel-standard accommodations. It would be worth some money to airlines to be able to avoid all the bad will and bad publicity that these situations generate. Even if the hotel space isn't needed often, in an isolated place, very high rates could be charged to the captive airline. The service company has staff that can be called upon for overtime work or locals could be used for the occasional labor that this enterprise would require. It wouldn't be luxury, but it wouldn't be barracks style living either.

It sounds like the barracks are rarely if ever fully occupied here, so the upgrades wouldn't necessarily be subject to a lot of wear and tear. Military personnel would appreciate the relative luxury in their living quarters when they find themselves at YYR. If the service company runs the barracks, as they appear to do, they might be able to pass some of the additional expense to the military for the rooms that are used by YYR staff. It's unclear how much additional expense would be involved in keeping the barracks at more of a hotel standard when all this housing seems to largely be unused except during major diversions.

Please don't attack me.....I'm just thinking aloud here and I know some of this is speculation or even fantasy.