Originally Posted by
evergrn
Something needs to be done about their TPAC winter schedule. It's always running late.
I flew BR 9 the other day and missed my connection to CTS.
Looking at the recent past flights over the last 13 days, only 1 flight arrived at the gate at/before the scheduled arrival time of 5.35am. 8 out of 13 times, the flight arrived after 6am. Basically I'd be missing my connection half the time.
BR 9 is allocated 12hr50min from gate to gate. Our flight left on time, but took >30min before takeoff for taxiing and de-icing (cold day, but no wind/rain/snow). But even then, the total taxiing time at YVR+TPE (including de-icing) was just 40min and yet the flight arrived >45min late. The flight itself was uneventful, seatbelt sign off almost the entire flight, no deviation from usual route. Even then the flight time was 12hr50min. Looking back over other past recent flight times, that is very typical. They really should add on 25min taxi time for YVR and TPE combined (hence, the flight should be allocated ~13hr15min), but they don't. Yet they sell these very aggressive connections at TPE. FA's were handing out those tight connection stickers to practically half the pax in the PE cabin.
At the transit desk, I was reassigned to a flight 3hrs later and so decided to swing for either lounge voucher for 2 (family of 4, but I can only take 1 guest in to EVA lounge). I wasn't holding my breath as I expected a no, but their reply ticked me off. They flat-out said no voucher because it wasn't their fault... they said the delay was caused by weather requiring de-icing. I didn't press the issue, of course, but we would've still been >25min late without the de-icing.
We missed our connection this time, and a year ago we did make it but we were sweating bullets in doing so. I wouldn't book any EVA connection at TPE that's <70min during winter months. Moreover, they really need to figure something out to address their schedule issues.
Originally Posted by
TennisNoob
At first I was going to be lenient and say they were new going into IAH but they've been experienced now. CA is on time, BR is almost always late.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
BR ground staff is helpful and efficient if they want to help you. I was met by an agent at the gate who told me to go to the transfer desk. FA told me there were 10 other people on the flight connecting to the same flight as us, so plenty of people missed the connection.
12:50 flight time is really typical for BR9. From 2/11-24, the flight time has ranged from 12:16 ~ 13:10 with median flight time of 12:45 (per Flightaware).
BR is always late, because their schedule is out of whack. If it takes longer to fly TPAC westbound in winter, then adjust your schedule EVA!
Allocating 12:50 gate to gate time for a flight whose flying time is 12:45 on average does not work out.
I will repeat what I said in another thread about BR's OTP. It's horrible, and they know it but they do not care. Simply put it, other than the CNX and CEB flights, they have backups in case you miss your original connection. If your inbound is late, they simply reconnect you onto the next flight. They only hold specific flights in the event the connection flight that you would be rebooked on cannot take you. The current policy is a hold of up to 20 minutes before a VP needs to make the call (and they avoid doing so because it screws up the outstation and the tight turn there). CEB and CNX passengers would just get hotel vouchers for the night. YVR is not a station BR scheduling considers as "normal" for deicing, and it therefore is not taken into account. Currently, only JFK, YYZ, and ORD are considered stations that require slack for deicing. Everyone needs to let the company know by writing in; otherwise, they will just continue their current practice.
They have such tight flight times because they choose the cheapest slots at outstations and they need to space out the North American arrivals. You will see BR's weird timings, such as a 00:05 SFO departure. Why? Because SFO slots are cheaper the moment the clock strikes midnight. They only shell out when they have to. They also have enough slack in the fleet to cover for any kind of delays; they will just tow another plane into its place for the day. Easy for them. BR also has a policy of not kicking people off the flight if they can't find you. They will literally run around to find you and hold the plane till they do. On the rare occasion you really push it, they will just rebook you for free (although I feel this may go with the new no-show fee).