Strand 17 people to save 2 min?
May 20, 2018, 4:37 pm
#1
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Strand 17 people to save 2 min?
Ok, this crowd is tough ... so, all the the caveats to this post exist ... I know NOTHING about how hard it is to run an airline. And often the airlines have to make hard decisions.
Today I was connecting at DFW where they had lots of weather related problems ... I was actually late due to an over loaded 737-800 that required them to unload the plane of people and cargo before we could go (that is another story for another day).
When I finally arrived to DFW I decided to run to my gate despite the fact that I thought I did not have a single ounce of a chance of making it. I arrived at the gate 2 minutes before departure time which of course is way less than the 10 min before departure time required. What shocked me was when I arrived there was a group of 17 people travelling together that was at the gate just standing there. They told me they arrived about 2 minutes before me. So, the flight is to GJT is on a regional. There are never very many empty seats on these flights. I was dumbfounded that no one thought that just maybe delaying the flight by 2 min would be better than stranding a group of 17 people.
I did not really care about me ... I just was left with a sort of angry/sad feeling about a company that did not empower it's employees to make reasonable decisions like this.
yes, of course, I do not know what I do not know.
Today I was connecting at DFW where they had lots of weather related problems ... I was actually late due to an over loaded 737-800 that required them to unload the plane of people and cargo before we could go (that is another story for another day).
When I finally arrived to DFW I decided to run to my gate despite the fact that I thought I did not have a single ounce of a chance of making it. I arrived at the gate 2 minutes before departure time which of course is way less than the 10 min before departure time required. What shocked me was when I arrived there was a group of 17 people travelling together that was at the gate just standing there. They told me they arrived about 2 minutes before me. So, the flight is to GJT is on a regional. There are never very many empty seats on these flights. I was dumbfounded that no one thought that just maybe delaying the flight by 2 min would be better than stranding a group of 17 people.
I did not really care about me ... I just was left with a sort of angry/sad feeling about a company that did not empower it's employees to make reasonable decisions like this.
yes, of course, I do not know what I do not know.
Last edited by timbre; May 20, 2018 at 4:42 pm
May 20, 2018, 4:53 pm
#2
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Parker's AA is all about D0, and gate agents can get in trouble for making their own decision to hold a plane. Do you know where the flight was headed after GJT? It's possible that it could have caused a delay for a flight bribing other passengers to a hub causing them to mis-connect as well, and the snowball effect continues from there.
May 20, 2018, 5:07 pm
#3
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AA has no qualms about leaving people behind to pad their ontime departure stats. AA once stranded 50 people at DFW after their inbound from SEA was delayed due to ice storms at SEA and AA refused to hold the connecting flight to AUS, which was the last flight of the day. All 50 had to overnight at DFW before flying to AUS the next morning. AA didn't provide lodging as weather led to the misconnect.
May 20, 2018, 5:08 pm
#4
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Parker's AA is all about D0, and gate agents can get in trouble for making their own decision to hold a plane. Do you know where the flight was headed after GJT? It's possible that it could have caused a delay for a flight bribing other passengers to a hub causing them to mis-connect as well, and the snowball effect continues from there.
May 20, 2018, 5:15 pm
#5
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If you're looking for good reasons to depart leaving 17 people, I can think of just two:
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.
May 20, 2018, 5:38 pm
#6
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If you're looking for good reasons to depart leaving 17 people, I can think of just two:
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.
May 20, 2018, 5:43 pm
#7
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3. ATC issues such as danger of losing their takeoff slot and/or place in the flow going west.
4. They had filled up the plane with previously-delayed passengers or standbys wishing to leave sooner so it does not matter to them because they are net even.
5. They need the gate now and there are seats later.
6. Things were undoubtedly a general mess during the unexpected rain this morning. Was not in the forecast. Perhaps why they lightened your inbound.
7. Flying out of DFW somewhat frequently, I can assure you it is not unusual at all for RJ's to pack up and leave early, or at least pack up early and be closed to further boarding. Have nearly done it to myself a few times being too leisurely over breakfast. Don't really know why but suppose if you need to move around the dispatch pieces it's easier to shift a small RJ on a short turn than a long-haul heavy.
8. System-wide they have said for years an empty lobby at T10 can mean stow and go. I've been burned too.
4. They had filled up the plane with previously-delayed passengers or standbys wishing to leave sooner so it does not matter to them because they are net even.
5. They need the gate now and there are seats later.
6. Things were undoubtedly a general mess during the unexpected rain this morning. Was not in the forecast. Perhaps why they lightened your inbound.
7. Flying out of DFW somewhat frequently, I can assure you it is not unusual at all for RJ's to pack up and leave early, or at least pack up early and be closed to further boarding. Have nearly done it to myself a few times being too leisurely over breakfast. Don't really know why but suppose if you need to move around the dispatch pieces it's easier to shift a small RJ on a short turn than a long-haul heavy.
8. System-wide they have said for years an empty lobby at T10 can mean stow and go. I've been burned too.
Last edited by jayer; May 20, 2018 at 6:05 pm
May 20, 2018, 6:18 pm
#9
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May 20, 2018, 6:32 pm
#10
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May 20, 2018, 6:40 pm
#11
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I’m confused by the idea of saving 2 minutes. If OP arrived at D-2 and the other 17 arrived at OP-2, then what’s being asked is for AA to have held the door open until D-4 for a total of 6 minutes which is a stiff ask in my eyes.
May 20, 2018, 7:15 pm
#12
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May 20, 2018, 7:31 pm
#13
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Happened to me too - not much to do. AA Eagle flight (last AA of the night LAX-SAN). A good number of us sat in the LAX hold purgatory until a gate opened up. Raced to take shuttle to Eagles Nest. E-170 was still at gate but we were denied boarding.
Wound up rebooked on United at 11:00 pm. First 737-900 flight in a long time and first flight where every passenger basically had their own row of seats to themselves.
Wound up rebooked on United at 11:00 pm. First 737-900 flight in a long time and first flight where every passenger basically had their own row of seats to themselves.
May 20, 2018, 7:40 pm
#14
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Funny, for 32 years the AA my father flew for seemed to be able to NOT STRAND people like this without him timing out once or any of the dozen other excuses we can fabricate.
I uncovered another glitch in the system last week, EXP supervisor admitted to me they know and don’t know why customers are not being notified. No, I don’t plan on disclosing, I’m sure all the “insiders” here who don’t have to follow forum rules can elaborate.
This airline left its morals at the merger, and I can name no less than 2 dozen employees who would agree. Welcome to DP’s world.
Cheers,
TG
I uncovered another glitch in the system last week, EXP supervisor admitted to me they know and don’t know why customers are not being notified. No, I don’t plan on disclosing, I’m sure all the “insiders” here who don’t have to follow forum rules can elaborate.
This airline left its morals at the merger, and I can name no less than 2 dozen employees who would agree. Welcome to DP’s world.
Cheers,
TG
If you're looking for good reasons to depart leaving 17 people, I can think of just two:
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.
1. The crew is at risk of timing out, which would lead to cancellation of a flight.
2. They're trying to get in and out of GJT before a big storm comes.
Maybe others can offer more reasons. I don't know how 17 people are likely to get to GJT without a significant delay, given service is all RJ from DFW, PHX, SLC and DEN.