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AS1949 3+ hour wait to de-board early this morning at SFO
The flight was originally scheduled to depart LAX at 11pm last night and land at 12:25am this morning. It was delayed an hour and landed at 1:30am. Then, we sat on the plane until almost 5:00am before we could leave the plane. The first couple of hours were spent waiting for a gate at Terminal 2. Then they gave up and taxied to the international terminal where they found (after an hour) that the jet bridge at that gate couldn’t be configured to work with our smallish A320. They started working on using stairs until they realized that wouldn’t work for a wheelchair passenger. We finally were pushed back and taxied to a nearby international terminal gate with a properly working jet bridge. I’m trying to understand how, at that time in the morning, there were no T2 gates available for several hours. Are a number of the gates blocked by planes parked overnight? |
Yes.
You may be assured that there is no chance AS paid a crew and operated an aircraft for three hours if that was avoidable at another gate. Most carriers have parked the first flight out in the AM at their gate so that it doesn't have to be taxied over in the AM. |
I am usually pretty open minded about these things but that is inexcusable. If you have to, use the fire department emergency stairs and a cargo lift for the handicapped passenger.
We keep seeing the same thing over and over, AS has no plan for IRROPS |
Oof. #northofexpected Maybe that BUF diversion a few months ago wasn't as flukey as Alaska claimed it was?
From FLIFO: OFF: 0031 ON: 0131 IN: 0445 So they exceeded their three hour limit by 14 minutes. They used to use hardstands at SFO (maybe they still do?). Surprised they couldn't move that turboway ramp to bring people off, or as their policy says: "coordinate with airport officials and other airlines to share facilities, equipment, and gates, allowing our customers to safely deplane to a terminal or other facility following a lengthy tarmac delay. " Then again, this occurred at SFO, where a year ago it took Alaska nearly two hours to find my airplane on the ground. As I told the captain: "the tail is 40 feet high. You'd think someone would notice it." He just shrugged and said nobody was looking for it. |
That is ridiculous!
I was furious about a 45 minute wait last night at 12:30 a.m. after a flight that was already delayed 1:40 due to AS's fault. They had a ton of gates with empty planes in them. Not sure why, at that time of the night, they couldn't push a plane out of one of those to let people off. |
I assume you were offered food and drink? I would ask for (politely demand) a full refund of your ticket as a start.
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Originally Posted by KevinSFO
(Post 31382636)
The first couple of hours were spent waiting for a gate at Terminal 2. Then they gave up and taxied to the international terminal where they found (after an hour) that the jet bridge at that gate couldn’t be configured to work with our smallish A320. They started working on using stairs until they realized that wouldn’t work for a wheelchair passenger. We finally were pushed back and taxied to a nearby international terminal gate with a properly working jet bridge. I’m trying to understand how, at that time in the morning, there were no T2 gates available for several hours. Are a number of the gates blocked by planes parked overnight? |
Originally Posted by RAD_PDX
(Post 31383096)
I assume you were offered food and drink? I would ask for (politely demand) a full refund of your ticket as a start.
Not only would I demand a refund, I'd expect compensation on top of that. |
Originally Posted by RAD_PDX
(Post 31383096)
I assume you were offered food and drink? I would ask for (politely demand) a full refund of your ticket as a start.
I'm not sure who I would go to for compensation in this case. The ticket was originally purchased from Delta on 006 stock, then the return got re-ticketed by Air France on their ticket stock. Any chance this situation is covered by EU-261 since the return was ticketed and operated by Air France and originated in French territory? |
Does the USA DOT three hours on the tarmac rule apply here, meaning that AS would owe a big penalty to the USA government (but not the impacted passengers)? Or is that regulation only applicable to delays before takeoff? [I think not, as IIRC part of the impetus for the regulation was the incident when passengers were sitting in planes for up to about twelve hours after arriving in ATL when there was a dusting of snow.] |
Originally Posted by NoLaGent
(Post 31383523)
Wow. I'm sorry you had to suffer through that. I sure hope you were at least in a crusty old white leather seat up front during that mess...
Not only would I demand a refund, I'd expect compensation on top of that. As I mention above, compensation is complicated as I was re-accommodated by Delta/Air France onto the AS flight. |
I know bus gates get a bad rep, but in this instance, a bus gate would have been beneficial for all parties concerned. That said, not sure if bus gates are a thing at SFO. Earlier this year, AA, as they usually do at LAX, bus gated us on an international flight from PEK (787-9). Also plenty of bus gates at non-US airports.
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Originally Posted by KevinSFO
(Post 31383686)
As I mention above, compensation is complicated as I was re-accommodated by Delta/Air France onto the AS flight.
Likely, it’s the actual carrier you’re on, though. |
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
(Post 31383774)
Silly rabbit, this is FT! You ask them all for compensation. Likely, it’s the actual carrier you’re on, though. The mess started with a 3-hour delay of my Air France flight. However, they notified us of this delay two days before the flight. Does that get them off the hook? |
It’s not complicated. What happened before this flight, how you ended up on it and who issued the ticket are all irrelevant. AS was the one with the service/ops issue. If you get any compensation (and you absolutely should), it’s owed by them. |
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