Most delays & cancellation seem to be on sUA aircraft?
Hi everyone,
This post is not meant to debate the operational deficiencies of the two subsidiaries (UA and CO) -- we are way past that point -- but rather to point to the fact that sUA might have more MX issues that sCO, due to the older age of sUA's aircraft fleet.
Having observed both the domestic and international delay/cancellation threads, I have noticed -- though I have to admit did not have time for a detailed statistical analysis -- that a lot of the flight numbers affected are in the 200-999 range. These are flights operated by sUA. From my small, admittedly non-scientific sample, it appears that sUA aircraft are affected by MX issues to a larger extent that sCO aircraft are.
Given the rock-bottom interest rate environment, would in not make sense for UA to replace its aging fleet (both sCO and sUA) with newer aircraft?
This, along with a less aggressive scheduling that allows for more aircraft downtime, should considerably improve reliability. I am very disappointed with the airline's on-time performance this summer. It's a pity, because I have seen improvements in some areas in the past two years. However, the high frequency of flight delays and cancellations are now forcing me to look elsewhere.