Frequent Delays on Airbus Long-Haul Routes?
Sep 21, 2018, 8:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AA Gold, DL Silver, Starwood Gold, Marriott Silver, HH Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 135
Frequent Delays on Airbus Long-Haul Routes?
Maybe it’s just my bad luck, but in the last 3 months every Alaska flight I’ve been on from Los Angeles to the East (i.e. the old Virgin America routes) has been delayed for at least 3 hours for departures. First, it was because of the crappy Airbus planes (you can tell I’m not a fan) but now, even the routes with 737’s are delayed.
Has as anyone else seen this trend or is it just my bad luck? While I’m MVP Gold with AS I don’t have a problem switching to JetBlue if this keeps happening to me.
Has as anyone else seen this trend or is it just my bad luck? While I’m MVP Gold with AS I don’t have a problem switching to JetBlue if this keeps happening to me.
Sep 21, 2018, 9:20 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
Have been on 3-4 LAX based transcons the past few months (mostly DCA and BOS, and mostly Airbus) without significant delays. The most I can recall is about 30 mins on an outbound to DCA.
Sep 21, 2018, 9:28 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
I cannot speak to AS delays (I've had several trips on them this year transcon, Airbus equipment, that were on-time enough). But you might not find better results at JetBlue...especially on their Mint planes.
JetBlue Heads for Worst Year of Flight Delays in a Decade | Fortune for further information there.
JetBlue Heads for Worst Year of Flight Delays in a Decade | Fortune for further information there.
Sep 21, 2018, 10:58 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,847
DCA is a small, slot restricted airport so no delays there is no surprise at all. If the OP is in LA, B6 has way more flights and a better inflight product to JFK/BOS/FLL if those are the main destinations in question. Delays are frequent for NYC airports--especially when the summer thunderstorms come through and winter is always a wild card as well. So unless there is new technology to eliminate bad weather or LGA gets shut down, it will be difficult to avoid delays into NYC for about 1/2 of the year at least.
Sep 21, 2018, 11:20 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 153
It’s not just AS. Weather has been a frequent culprit this summer on the east coast and in the Midwest. In the past 3 months:
AS LAX-BOS flight was delayed 3 hours
AA CVG-PHL-PVD: PHL a mess, delays up to 6 hours, one cancel
AA ORD-CVG canceled, canceled, delayed 2 hours
WN CVG-BWI delayed 2 hours
DL BOS-CVG delayed 2 hours
And I could go on.
AS LAX-BOS flight was delayed 3 hours
AA CVG-PHL-PVD: PHL a mess, delays up to 6 hours, one cancel
AA ORD-CVG canceled, canceled, delayed 2 hours
WN CVG-BWI delayed 2 hours
DL BOS-CVG delayed 2 hours
And I could go on.
Sep 21, 2018, 11:54 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 540
Right on cue, my transcon was delayed by 2.5 hours, but Alaska accommodated me on a different airline without issue. (Now I'll have to see if I can get FF miles for both)
Did not mention the reason. There is that runway out at SeaTac for the next few months, but I would not call that Alaska's fault, and I assume that has a smaller impact on the former Virgin transcons.
Did not mention the reason. There is that runway out at SeaTac for the next few months, but I would not call that Alaska's fault, and I assume that has a smaller impact on the former Virgin transcons.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:22 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: AS, SQ, SPG, IHG
Posts: 319
I have noticed a slight uptick in delays, but this is mostly if a plane is coming from SEA before it operates SFO-IAD or something like that. My most recent SFO-IAD was delayed three hours for this reason. When flow control hits one of SEA or SFO, shorter hauls are de-emphasized, and when those short-hauls are then the equipment used for a transcon like SFO-IAD, yeahhhh, that transcon is getting delayed.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Sep 21, 2018, 1:41 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 801
I have noticed a slight uptick in delays, but this is mostly if a plane is coming from SEA before it operates SFO-IAD or something like that. My most recent SFO-IAD was delayed three hours for this reason. When flow control hits one of SEA or SFO, shorter hauls are de-emphasized, and when those short-hauls are then the equipment used for a transcon like SFO-IAD, yeahhhh, that transcon is getting delayed.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Sep 21, 2018, 2:00 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
FR24 is pretty good the day of a flight, but I've found that AS very often does tail swaps overnight (particularly for jets starting the day at SEA or LAX)
Sep 21, 2018, 4:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,278
Tho, new Alaska Airlines is supposed to be a mixture of 737 and A320, but my guess is that significant number of A320 still fly in/out of delay prone SFO. Until airline is truly functioning as one, with aircraft and employees all mixed, we will continue to see SFO effects, mostly to A320 operations.
Jiburi
Jiburi
Sep 26, 2018, 2:48 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AA Gold, DL Silver, Starwood Gold, Marriott Silver, HH Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 135
I have noticed a slight uptick in delays, but this is mostly if a plane is coming from SEA before it operates SFO-IAD or something like that. My most recent SFO-IAD was delayed three hours for this reason. When flow control hits one of SEA or SFO, shorter hauls are de-emphasized, and when those short-hauls are then the equipment used for a transcon like SFO-IAD, yeahhhh, that transcon is getting delayed.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Of course, I have no way of knowing where my equipment is coming from when I book a ticket, so I guess I'll just have to live with this until construction's finished.
Sep 26, 2018, 3:11 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SFO, mostly
Posts: 2,204
It looks like you're right----at least for the most recent delay that I experienced. They claimed it was due to flow control out of the SEA ATC. Guess it's just my bad luck flying with Alaska since my previous (5 hour delay) was back in June. I'm just spoiled because I've never had such bad delays flying with Alaska over the past 6 years and nothing like 2 trips in a row, 3 months apart.
Sep 26, 2018, 3:52 pm
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
OP - What is it about the 320's which is causing the delays?
All carriers are experiencing higher average delays into the East Coast because of poor weather over a number of months. So, I'm trying to figure out why you think it is AS and the 320's on what you call a "long haul" (we're talking 5-1/2 hours max on the eastbound).
Or is it that you are still bitter about the VS acquisition which is done, over, and in the past?
All carriers are experiencing higher average delays into the East Coast because of poor weather over a number of months. So, I'm trying to figure out why you think it is AS and the 320's on what you call a "long haul" (we're talking 5-1/2 hours max on the eastbound).
Or is it that you are still bitter about the VS acquisition which is done, over, and in the past?
Sep 26, 2018, 6:46 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
I don't know if this is an Airbii issue so much as a legacy VX crew issue? Without the East Coast hub presence that everyone else has on the route, I think AS has struggled with the disruptions that have come from difficult summer weather this year. I status matched GS over to AS and while I prefer the old VS seats, this has become disruptive enough that I am headed back to my old friendly skeis pals.