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Flight delayed due to crew rest?
Is it safe to trust a delay due to crew rest? I'm on aa126 on 1/1 and the 1:45 delay until 5:30pm means I would try to leave HKG instead of hanging out in the lounge.
3HKG/ETD1730 CRR-DELAY DUE TO CREW REST REQUIREMENTS *0452 2DFW/PRE1750 *0452 Can I assume this is caused by aa125 arriving about 8 hours late at 1:30am local time on 12/31? Is the scheduled 40 hours not enough rest time? AA won't be able to magically find another crew and have this flight leave closer to the scheduled time, right? |
Are you prepared to risk a "no show?" I would call AA closer in and determine how solid that delay is. If you cannot obtain confirmation, AA's rules are clear and there are multiple rants on FT from people who have been left behind because AA has located crew.
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Thanks, I obviously wouldn’t risk this at an AA hub, but the crew pretty much has to have come from the LAX or DFW flights to be in HKG right? I know the crew normally has a 2 day turnaround but I’m surprised that 40 hours isn’t enough in the case of a prior delay, unless they are getting additional rest for New Years. |
Originally Posted by flightrisk
(Post 30589572)
the 1:45 delay until 5:30pm means I would try to leave HKG instead of hanging out in the lounge.
If so, no, I can't imagine was I would do with >2 hours leaving an airport property to make up for possibly missing my flight. |
I doubt that 40 hours crew rest is due to a government regulation, but it might be some union requirement. Based on what we know, I wouldn't assume anything at this point. YMMV. |
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
(Post 30589970)
I doubt that 40 hours crew rest is due to a government regulation, but it might be some union requirement. Based on what we know, I wouldn't assume anything at this point. YMMV. |
Originally Posted by CPRich
(Post 30589959)
Can I infer from this that you're connecting/will already be in the airport and instead of wainting in the lounge there, you're going to leave the airport property?
If so, no, I can't imagine was I would do with >2 hours leaving an airport property to make up for possibly missing my flight. It looks like the inbound aircraft was changed from the 12/29 departure of aa193 lax-hkg (which was diverted back to lax and delayed 20 hours and just took off on 12/30) to the “original” 12/30 departure which is scheduled to leave shortly and arrive in hkg at 7:25 on 1/1. So if we also get the same crew, the delayed departure to aa126 would give the crew a 10 hour turnaround. Long story short... still don’t know if I can trust the delay since there is no way to know if Aa is shuffling their crew in HKG, but it sounds like no one thinks it’s worth the gamble. I guess I should leave the airport only if I am sure to be back by the original departure time, which doesn’t seem impossible. |
Originally Posted by mvoight
(Post 30590113)
I doubt there is a union requirement of a 40 hour rest period, is there?
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With 5 hours guaranteed and 7 likely, I'd totally go for it. Hong Kong is great, even if you only get a few hours of it.
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The OP could always take advantage of the flat tire rule too.
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...and one day FT-members will complain, that the flat tire-rule was scrapped, because pax tried to take advantage of it!
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Originally Posted by C46
(Post 30590501)
...and one day FT-members will complain, that the flat tire-rule was scrapped, because pax tried to take advantage of it!
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As great as HK is I think this is a really bad idea unless this swing through HK is a once in a life kind of situation.
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Originally Posted by donotblink
(Post 30590611)
hey—this would seem like a legitimate use of the flat tire rule to me—the airline posted a delay but then took off on time and the OP relied on the airlines bad delay notification.
It'd just be a lie - there's no need for ethical gymnastics. Either OP risks a new crew being located, or brought in, or they talk to AA and get more information. |
I haven't looks at the specifics of this flight or schedule but general comments...
There is no 40-hr rest requirement but there is a 30-hour requirement. 30-hours free from duty within the past 168 hours measured at the start of a flight duty period. The other consideration for a long haul flight like this is the duty day limitation which is based on the number of legs and the report time in the acclimatized theater. They may be delaying the start of the flight duty period until it is within the window which allows a longer flight duty period which is needed for the long haul flight. With the (relatively) new 14 CFR 117 flight and duty limitation rules, at least for pilots, we all pretty much fly to the regulation. There are very few additional restrictions added by the union contracts as 14 CFR 117 is, in most cases, more restrictive. Another thought, though it wouldn't apply to this flight, is that once the crew rest delay is covered, they might not be able to depart on a long-haul flight due to noise curfews or based on the time that immigrations opens at the destination airport. i.e. can't arrive at 3am if immigration opens at 6am. |
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