WSJ recommends booking away from AA
Sep 18, 2012, 10:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 797
WSJ recommends booking away from AA
Could not find this posted yet...
http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2012.../?mod=yahoo_hs
not very encouraging.
http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2012.../?mod=yahoo_hs
not very encouraging.
Sep 18, 2012, 10:49 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
This is BS. UA is 10* worst. We should only book DL?
Sep 18, 2012, 11:09 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Monte Sereno, California
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, 2 mm, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,398
The operational performance they are talking about is just the past few weeks, (Since AA tossed out the union contracts) not the summer or past year...
30 RT flights so far in 2012, only 2 have been canceled due to weather, and the majority on-time. This will pass.... Living in the SF Bay Area I have many friends who work for UA and loss everything during their reorganization, I expect the same with AA... Hopefully this will bring in lower fares this fall.
30 RT flights so far in 2012, only 2 have been canceled due to weather, and the majority on-time. This will pass.... Living in the SF Bay Area I have many friends who work for UA and loss everything during their reorganization, I expect the same with AA... Hopefully this will bring in lower fares this fall.
Last edited by Radiant Flyer; Sep 18, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Sep 19, 2012, 12:58 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Yesterday AA cancelled 5.8% of its flight and had an "on-time" arrival (less than 14 minutes late) of 39%, truly an operation in shambles given the clear skies. I'm not sure who doesn't have an idea on what's being talked about.
BTW, this probably belongs to the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ct-2012-a.html
BTW, this probably belongs to the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ct-2012-a.html
Sep 19, 2012, 1:08 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
Yesterday AA cancelled 5.8% of its flight and had an "on-time" arrival (less than 14 minutes late) of 39%, truly an operation in shambles given the clear skies. I'm not sure who doesn't have an idea on what's being talked about.
BTW, this probably belongs to the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ct-2012-a.html
BTW, this probably belongs to the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ct-2012-a.html
Sep 19, 2012, 1:16 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
I'm no UA or AA defender, but this article is about AA, not UA. And looking forward, the likelyhood that UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever will have an operations in shambles due to having to hand write BPs is rather low, while the likelyhood that AA will still have problem with "sick" or "to the T" pilots are rather high.
Emotionally, please book AA (instead of UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever): they need all the revenue they can get. Factually it's another story. And personally, I think they'll get everything back to acceptable levels by 1OCT. Just a hunch, based on experience, but nothing more.
Sep 19, 2012, 1:24 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
Factually, I am not sure why that's relevant. You're comparing something that happened for a portion of a day with an ongoing issue.
I'm no UA or AA defender, but this article is about AA, not UA. And looking forward, the likelyhood that UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever will have an operations in shambles due to having to write BP is rather low, while the likelyhood that AA will still have problem with "sick" pilots are rather high.
Emotionally, please book AA (instead of UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever): they need all the revenue they can get. Factually it's another story. And personally, I think they'll get everything back to acceptable levels by 1OCT. Just a hunch, based on experience, but nothing more.
I'm no UA or AA defender, but this article is about AA, not UA. And looking forward, the likelyhood that UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever will have an operations in shambles due to having to write BP is rather low, while the likelyhood that AA will still have problem with "sick" pilots are rather high.
Emotionally, please book AA (instead of UA, DL, WN, B6, VX or whatever): they need all the revenue they can get. Factually it's another story. And personally, I think they'll get everything back to acceptable levels by 1OCT. Just a hunch, based on experience, but nothing more.
Theres also a difference between 10 flights arriving 30 minutes late (AA) which shows a mess, and 2 flights delayed 24+ hrs (AA) which is an airline in total failure. The handling is also rather different. UA in many cases simply leaves pax hanging. AA has excellent IRROPs management. There's even a thread here with an AA phone rep instructing a UA airport agent how to issue a ticket.
UAs day to day OPs are not working. Try to do a simple SDC. The agents are clueless, everything takes multiple calls to help centers. AA might not be running on time, but things are working.
Simply look here for the threads of UA elites and corp accts who can't rely on UA anymore, and moved to AA.
The idea that UA is more reliable than AA is laughable. Now, DL might be the best, but to make AA the worst is grossly incorrect IMHO.
Sep 19, 2012, 1:30 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
The issues with UA are ongoing, I was just bringing that extreme example.
Theres also a difference between 10 flights arriving 30 minutes late (AA) which shows a mess, and 2 flights delayed 24+ hrs (AA) which is an airline in total failure. The handling is also rather different. UA in many cases simply leaves pax hanging. AA has excellent IRROPs management. There's even a thread here with an AA phone rep instructing a UA airport agent how to issue a ticket.
UAs day to day OPs are not working. Try to do a simple SDC. The agents are clueless, everything takes multiple calls to help centers. AA might not be running on time, but things are working.
Simply look here for the threads of UA elites and corp accts who can't rely on UA anymore, and moved to AA.
The idea that UA is more reliable than AA is laughable. Now, DL might be the best, but to make AA the worst is grossly incorrect IMHO.
Theres also a difference between 10 flights arriving 30 minutes late (AA) which shows a mess, and 2 flights delayed 24+ hrs (AA) which is an airline in total failure. The handling is also rather different. UA in many cases simply leaves pax hanging. AA has excellent IRROPs management. There's even a thread here with an AA phone rep instructing a UA airport agent how to issue a ticket.
UAs day to day OPs are not working. Try to do a simple SDC. The agents are clueless, everything takes multiple calls to help centers. AA might not be running on time, but things are working.
Simply look here for the threads of UA elites and corp accts who can't rely on UA anymore, and moved to AA.
The idea that UA is more reliable than AA is laughable. Now, DL might be the best, but to make AA the worst is grossly incorrect IMHO.
And AA indeed has an excellent IRROPs/OSO handling -- their outstanding autoreaccommodation tool, along with 90%+ of AA employees, makes them awesome.
Sep 19, 2012, 1:57 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,658
I think the writer is bringing out his anger at AA because he lost his EXP status recently and he is very mad about it 
Sep 19, 2012, 4:23 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
Before you buy into the article's FUD, be sure to verify that the grass is actually greener.
Sep 19, 2012, 4:33 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
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UA is a disaster, especially since the start of the summer. My planes have been hours late or in one particularly grim instance, I had a terrific double mechanical of a p.s. redeye in July that led to my flight being cancelled at 4:30AM.
Before you buy into the article's FUD, be sure to verify that the grass is actually greener.
Before you buy into the article's FUD, be sure to verify that the grass is actually greener.
Sep 19, 2012, 5:59 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.
Posts: 2,862
LOL. That is what it sounds like. COdbaUA is in complete and utter chaos in comparison with AA. I wonder what makes Scott suggest AA is in a worse shape? Flying every week, I am confident with AA getting me there than COdbaUA.
Sep 19, 2012, 6:32 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
The fact that UA is a disaster is not in doubt. But it wasn't always. A year ago everything was fine (or I should say as fine as any American carrier can be). But UA's downward spiral started somewhere just like AA's looks like its starting now. It's to late for UA to fix things quickly now. It's to much of a mess. It's not to late for AA But it will be soon if they don't get it together. If you think things are looking bad at AA now just wait for this merger. AA will be EXACTLY in the same shape as UA if this merger Is allowed to happen
But it seems we agree telling people to stay away from AA is pathetic. They should stay away from UA.