Originally Posted by
billdokes
According to Expert Flyer, the JL flight is scheduled at 25 mins longer than the AC flight and operates on-time 83% of the time with an average 20 min delay. The AC flight operates 72% of the time with an average 33 min delay.
Sounds pretty much like a wash to me.
It is nowhere near a wash. I specifically mentioned the aircraft and the cruising speeds. JL is using a B767 which has a slower cruising speed than the AC B787-9. That is why JL has the longer flight. The critical issue is one of the very late and the extreme delays. These are the delays that cause a passenger to miss a connection. The AC extreme delay on this route is 33% greater than JL's. Why?
Yes, the delays are manageable for a point to point passenger, but Air Canada is not a reliable carrier if one is connecting. And if we go back to my initial illustration of AC 5 where AC sells its flights to BKK with a 50 minute connection allowance, on a route where it manages an on time arrival on only about 1 out of 4 flights and where the average arrival delay is close to 50 minutes, what does that say about the airline? AC also sells a 2 hr connection option which is a crap shoot too since the excess delay is over 2 hours topping out at 2 1/2 hours. AC 5 is an illustration of the carrier's entrenched arrogance: It sells the connecting flights, even though the airline will most likely fail to deliver the passengers on time so that they can make the connection.
Originally Posted by
warrens
Airline data analysts would certainly use vastly more precise data than a single number all routes, timetables and plane types, which also ignores weather, security and other extenuating circumstances. They have all this information available to them, why would they ignore it?
Again, repeating myself: OTP is an extremely reductionist number that doesn't have any usefulness outside of giving outsiders something to argue about.
Case in point:
Yeah, it's incomprehensible -to- -you- because -you- want to reduce all the complexities of why planes can be late down to something simple enough to start an Internet argument over.
The "complexities" that apply to AC are similar to the "complexities that apply to JL and KE. However, Air Canada has the distinct advantage of operating from 2 of its hubs. Both JL and KE operations are at a distinct disadvantage at YVR and YYZ, as they have neither excess crews, nor equipment to swap out at these locations. And yet, both KE and JL both manage to deliver their customers on time or with sufficient time to allow a smooth onward connection. Air Canada's substandard performance and it's dishonest practice of selling flight connections that cannot be consistently delivered, is inexcusable.