RTWSTARALLIANCE

According to the agent I spoke with you must complete travel by the early Nov date and if you elect not to fly the change fee plus fare dif will still apply after this date. Sounds like a weak policy given the magnitude of the storm and esp after reading the T&Cs from UAs waiver. I would love to be wrong so please correct me. Maybe I just got a bad agent.

NYCQuaker

Considering the main hit is supposed to be on the 30th, it seems like allowing changes to the 4th seems like a pretty good expanse. I'm sure AA will undoubtedly extend this is there are serious operational issues, but if operations are close to normal before the 4th, I doubt there is a change.

Remember, inclement weather means "help our customers move to avoid being stuck in the irrop times when they wouldn't fly anyway" not "let our customers do whatever/whenever they want."

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Lots of meetings are being cxld because of this storm and will not be rescheduled before the 4th. Period.

jbdk

Same thing I got. NYC is pretty much preparing for a complete shut down on Monday into Tuesday. Our NY office will be closed Monday. If I go, I will be stuck in a hotel, which could lose power, etc... I am due to leave JFK on Thursday. If this storm materializes, I doubt I will be leaving JFK. I will make the call Sunday am before my flight from LAX. No sense to be in NY and be a burden. With Irene, I believe the NY airports were closed for three days.

I rather pay the $150 versus stuck in NY another day or two at $400 a night. Plus, I will get reimbursed the $150 anyways...

supergrandslam

I believe JFK/LGA/EWR closed from 12:00PM Sat Aug 27th to all day Sun Aug 28th.

JFK/LGA reopened from Mon morning on Aug 29th for arriving flights and 12:00PM for departing flights.

Hurricane Irene hit NYC on Sun Aug 28th.

DevilsX

I just called AA when I finally noticed the alert.

Original route: ATL-ORD-JFK-BRU Departing 29th, landing at JFK around 4PM EST.

AAgent put me on ATL-DFW-JFK-BRU Departing 28th, landing at JFK around 2:30PM EST.

All the legs on the new itinerary are now M booking code, whereas they had been O before. Will this automatically give me the 1 EQP on those legs? Or will it still be under O since that's what I paid for.

Also, what are my chances of making those flights, since I assume they will be oversold, as the AAgent told me he cannot issue me a confirmed seat on them. He told me to keep calling back and checking. I'd appreciate any advice on how to proceed with this.

mvoight

I don't think the forecast is accurate enough that a estimate of 28 or 32 MPH is really much of a difference.

beachmouse

JFK is the diciest airport in hurricane conditions not just because of winds, but because of storm surge- it takes relatively little surge coming from the wrong direction to put the complex underwater, and current models for Sandy are setting up a possibly very ugly scenario about how much damage it could take.

LGA is relatively sheltered from Sandy because of projected surge direction, even though it's a pretty low elevation itself.

coremill

Anyone have an idea how long flights will keep operating between NYC and MIA? The NYC airports should be fine until late Monday I'd think but the storm is going to be right in the flight path.

progapanda

That's not what the @WSJWeather twitter feed seems to think:

"@WSJweather: For now, NHC has highest surge near City Island, LGA, Raritan Bay, Atlantic City, Cape May. 7-9 ft possible. #Sandy"

jbdk

Realize I had the group1/early standby/$75 flight change that I purchased for $38. Tried to change my flight, but was told the I will still have to pay $150. The $75 change does not apply to this situation??? I asked why and they said because I am changing due to a weather related issue. I will try back again later and see what another agent says... the wait time was over 40 minutes.

[Update].. was able to change online for $75. Amazing.. told one thing over the phone and it is completely different online.

gemac

They can fly around it. It's the weather at the origin and destination of the flight that is the critical factor.

srk123

AA does show some flexibility. 10 days ago, my wife and I booked a RT from LAX to DCA leaving Saturday (Oct. 27) and returning Tuesday (Oct. 30) for a weekend special price of $200 RT (yes--that cheap!). We were looking forward to the 3-day trip when news of the hurricane was announced. As soon as I saw the notice that AA posted on Friday afternoon, I called AA to cancel my flight as I couldn't make the trip before Nov. 4 (or any other time in November). I asked for a refund or credit voucher. The CSR put me on hold to check with a supervisor and came back to tell me that he would send me a voucher for my full fare and cancel the itinerary. I'm sad that I had to cancel my plans the day before leaving and not being able to go to Washington DC for only $200 RT from L.A., but under the circumstances, I was quite happy with the way AA handled it for me. Could the fact that I'm PLT have anything to do with it?

jbdk

I think it had everything to do with it.

Herb687

Surface wind at 28-32 mph (not knots) generally would not be an issue, in and of itself. Heck, that's just a normal afternoon at SFO! Similarly, 1/3 inch of rain spread over a 6 hour period of time doesn't seem bad either.

The bigger issue would be if some severe thunderstorm activity decides to plant itself around key arrival and departure gates for NYC airspace and important corridors of enroute airspace. That's what really screws things up (that, of course and thunderstorms on top of airports!).

Once an ATC facility starts dramatically increasing in-trail spacing requirements in order to preserve the ability for controllers to manage deviations around weather, reroutes, diversions, etc. the system quickly grinds to a near halt. Just way too many airplanes fighting for way too little airspace. This, more than wind and rain at an airport, is what would potentially make flying around ZDC/ZNY a mess of epic proportions!