Originally Posted by CO FF
Sorry if going back to the topic is taking this thread away from its path...
Does AA really think it can make these schedules work? They're expecting 35-40 minute turns of MD80s all day long...that leaves exactly NO room for error.
What gives?
Actually, the schedule at
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051213/datu027.html?.v=38
indicates that the short turn times are only for Eagle (which means RJs, not MD80s), not for mainline.
As for Eagle, they'll probably play one or both of the games WN plays on their "shuttle"-type routes:
1) Publish a block time far in excess of actual flight time. (Southwest actually goes one better, deleting the departure time from their web site once the flight has departed so no one knows how late the flights depart.)
2) Just let the flights get later and later as the day goes on.
Welcome to the Southwest Effect.