Originally Posted by
matt21
Flabbergasted at what just happened on our flight today. STL to FLL at 12pm on a direct flight which I'm on weekly. Here are the text messages from Southwest and their timestamps:
805am - Departure now 101pm
817am - Departure now 1212pm
901am - Departure now 1206pm
Starting to think everything is good and getting ready to head to the airport.
1059am - Departure now 149pm
I wait 15 minutes, no changes and call Southwest. What follows is probably the best call I've ever had with them - they know my name, my flight and that it's delayed before I say a word. The CSR explains it's due to weather over Florida that's been happening all morning. I look at the weather radar and there is a storm in North FL so I guess that makes sense. Hang up with her at 1130am.
1133am - Departure now 505pm
1134am - Departure now 810pm
Wow, this is getting worse.
1135am - Departure now 12pm (on time)
I panic, but figure there is no way that's possible, call Southwest back. I get a rep who tells me that it's going out on time because they did a plane swap (???) and if I don't reschedule now I'll forfeit my fare. I'm not particularly worried about this since Southwest has always treated me right, but .... He seems to not care that they've delayed it multiple times and says he can't see that (???).
At this point I give up, doubting we can make it on time, and reschedule online for a different flight tomorrow into MIA. The plane appears to have departed 14 minutes late and we wouldn't have made it.
I get weather delays, but this seems to be something else. Is it worth a call to complain or will this just be chalked up to weather?
this is not unique to Sputhwest
its very common at airline hub airports which STL is one for southwest to trade planes and crews for flights ehrn issues happen.
for r ample thst incoming flight to STL was delayed from elsewhere or the assigned crew was delayed which cause the initial delay.
thrn thry stsrt to try and fix things in know how much is crew delayed or plane delayed and how it it to
1. What planes that's sitting here for a later 3 pm flight can be flipped with this plane?
2. is there an on call crew at or near airport we can call in to run this flight? This might involved multiple crew changes in later flights? Hoe long to get here if offsite?
airlines have command centers that are trying to fix these things with aircraft and employees factoring in various constraints like required duty time, plane work requirements?
if an airline gives you a late delay then moves it up try can’t screw u over in rebooking as a no show for a flight.
It can be weather delay
mechanical delay— airline on hook
crew time out — airline on hook
southwest is more buffered by weather delays because they do many continuation flights. Thus it creates a chain reaction over the day.
with other airlines must routes are hub and spoke flights with many in the day so it is easier to cancel one and re-adjust with minimal impact to other flights.