Stranded at ORD -- You'd think they would be prepared for this
Nov 11, 2019, 6:36 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,225
. . . now up to a 12 hour delay. And sure enough, our inbound equipment is now coming from Miami, which is where we think they diverted our equipment at the last minute notwithstanding all of us being at the gate to board our already significantly delayed flight. Whoever asked about the app updates: they were pretty good, but the info on incoming aircraft often was wrong, so we went to flight status instead, which usually had it right. As a total backup, I've booked a refundable flight Tuesday morning on Delta since American flights tomorrow were looking quite bleak. Another reason Delta is getting more of my business. Compared to American and United, which together have close to 3 million real miles from me, Delta hardly knows me but lately has been giving me much better service.
Oh yeah, the app keeps trying to re-book me on a few remaining and terrible routings tomorrow and the Admirals Club staff keep telling me to ignore it. They think the incoming equipment is going to take us to LAX tonight and further tell us a new crew is arriving in half an hour for the flight. So why is the app trying to convince us NOT to take this flight after waiting 12 hours for it ?
Oh yeah, the app keeps trying to re-book me on a few remaining and terrible routings tomorrow and the Admirals Club staff keep telling me to ignore it. They think the incoming equipment is going to take us to LAX tonight and further tell us a new crew is arriving in half an hour for the flight. So why is the app trying to convince us NOT to take this flight after waiting 12 hours for it ?
Nov 11, 2019, 6:36 pm
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
It's (relatively) hard and expensive to add more personnel. It's easy to spin up more instances of a cloud computing server that runs algorithms to help people rebook onto sensible routes.
At present, these algorithms are poor, as you have seen. But the rebooking problem should be easy to solve. Computationally, there is no reason passengers should have to wait for a human to get rebooked in routine situations like weather delays.
So, I vote that AA invest funds into the software engineering and R&D that will obviate the need for more frontline warm bodies.
At present, these algorithms are poor, as you have seen. But the rebooking problem should be easy to solve. Computationally, there is no reason passengers should have to wait for a human to get rebooked in routine situations like weather delays.
So, I vote that AA invest funds into the software engineering and R&D that will obviate the need for more frontline warm bodies.
Improving automated rebooking via the website, app, and kiosks, would of course also free up the limited human capacity to handle those less capable and those with complicated situations.
Nov 11, 2019, 6:40 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I'm sympathetic and I'm not. Since I retired my travel patterns haven't often thrown me into the malestrom, but my usual attitude was that I can weather it better than 99% of the other poor travelers who don't know what to do. I know not to believe a departure time at all until the inbound flight has left, and even then it's still hardly a guaranteed thing. I've learned to walk into the gate area and say "I'm renting a car to drive to Podunk, who wants to go with me?" I remember one time I reserved a car while at the gate which was good because by the time I got to the rental counter they were sold out.
Agents can't create flights/seats of thin air and they probably have less useful information that we do about when flights will actually arrive and depart.
My last experience with this kind of thing was a delay on an outbound that had a 1 1/2 hour connection in LAX, and I was getting alternate routings. I thought about taking the opportunity to switch from a connection to a nonstop but I decided I'd rather fly 5 1/2 hours in Envoy suites and an hour in domestic F, than a straight 4 1/2 shot in F. When all was said and done, we arrived maybe 10 minutes late.
I'm not sure how much better off you'd have been if there had been more phone or AC agents, unless you could identify a better itinerary that wasn't being offered on the app.
Agents can't create flights/seats of thin air and they probably have less useful information that we do about when flights will actually arrive and depart.
My last experience with this kind of thing was a delay on an outbound that had a 1 1/2 hour connection in LAX, and I was getting alternate routings. I thought about taking the opportunity to switch from a connection to a nonstop but I decided I'd rather fly 5 1/2 hours in Envoy suites and an hour in domestic F, than a straight 4 1/2 shot in F. When all was said and done, we arrived maybe 10 minutes late.
I'm not sure how much better off you'd have been if there had been more phone or AC agents, unless you could identify a better itinerary that wasn't being offered on the app.
Nov 11, 2019, 8:04 pm
#19
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I'm not willing to give AA a pass here. I've been flying a long time. Winter weather isn't materially different today than it was 30 years ago but airlines have completely lost their ability to run their operations in even moderately inclement weather.
Nov 11, 2019, 8:13 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Houston
Programs: UA 1K and Million Miler, *A Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hertz Five Star,
Posts: 1,301
Of course weather can cause delays. But AA knew days ago about the expected heavy snow. You'd at least think Mr. Parker and team would add some staff at the Admirals Club, at the call centers and at the airport generally. Nope. Platinum call center recorded message said wait time to speak to an agent would be one hour and four minutes "would you like us to call you back?" Admirals Club had only four people at the desks and a line of at least 20 at any given time. Knowing that there would be weather problems, wouldn't it have made sense to beef up the call centers, airport staff and Admirals Club staff? That said, the staff who are here are fantastic. That's what makes a great airline, not cutting corners.
On top of everything else, two hours ago the App started proposing alternative flights that would put me on routes with one or more stops and that made no sense at all (ten hours and up versus my 4-1/2 hour nonstop) and in Economy versus my paid First Class fare. The App has another bad feature. When it offered alternative flights, one said First Class, versus all the others that said Economy, but when I tentatively clicked on it, the system suddenly said Main Cabin instead. Had I clicked "confirm," lord only knows what I was going to get. So I waited in line and finally was able to ask the Admirals Club staff what to do. They called both dispatch and the tower and told me to ignore the proposals on the App. My original but now seven hour delayed nonstop was going to leave before any of the alternative flights, I was going to keep my First Class seat, and I was going to get home five or more hours earlier than what the App was offering.
Mayor Jane Byrne got voted out as Chicago's mayor long ago because she didn't handle snow very well. I hope AA's board keeps that in mind for current management.
On top of everything else, two hours ago the App started proposing alternative flights that would put me on routes with one or more stops and that made no sense at all (ten hours and up versus my 4-1/2 hour nonstop) and in Economy versus my paid First Class fare. The App has another bad feature. When it offered alternative flights, one said First Class, versus all the others that said Economy, but when I tentatively clicked on it, the system suddenly said Main Cabin instead. Had I clicked "confirm," lord only knows what I was going to get. So I waited in line and finally was able to ask the Admirals Club staff what to do. They called both dispatch and the tower and told me to ignore the proposals on the App. My original but now seven hour delayed nonstop was going to leave before any of the alternative flights, I was going to keep my First Class seat, and I was going to get home five or more hours earlier than what the App was offering.
Mayor Jane Byrne got voted out as Chicago's mayor long ago because she didn't handle snow very well. I hope AA's board keeps that in mind for current management.
Nov 11, 2019, 8:20 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,225
Load factors were not anywhere near 90% thirty years ago. There was a lot more slack in the system to absorb weather issues...
Nov 11, 2019, 8:21 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LAX, ORD, DFW, SNA
Programs: AAdvantage, Emerald Club
Posts: 67
I'm at DTW. I can't argue as seeing this first hand, I see what a crapshow it can be. This was a clusterF everywhere. The city was not prepared with the salt trucks and plows, advisories weren't pushed to the apps (Spirit, AA) and the only people who can look smug with "I told you so" are overpaid meteorologists.
My original flight was a throwaway on Spirit which flat out cancelled the flight I needed.
Using my miles, AA at least got me a more respectable route home and has worked with me to let me pick alternate routes/destinations should that one get cancelled.
Unfortunately you have to make the best of a situation and enjoy another beer in the terminal restaurants.
It would be great to see technology help in situations like this with AI and predictive modeling, however I just don't see big corps like the airlines investing in this.
AirBnB, Turo, Lyft and Hotwire will continue getting my money in situations like this when I need to accommodate these situations.
Last edited by jadc82; Nov 11, 2019 at 8:34 pm
Nov 11, 2019, 9:19 pm
#23
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Thirty years ago, minor snowstorms were minor events to airlines.
Nov 11, 2019, 9:23 pm
#24
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Nov 11, 2019, 10:05 pm
#25
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
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“Platinum service center”. There’s no such thing, merely a line into the same service center that prioritizes based on status. No special knowledge, no magic response.
Nov 11, 2019, 10:26 pm
#26
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880
I wonder if AA even tried to get help or not. Offering OT sounds great but not everyone can support it on short notice, especially if AA isn't offering a work-from-home system. Also, even time and a half might not be enough incentive to get into a queue of back to back angry customers.
Nov 12, 2019, 12:12 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
The other day my seatmate (presumably a consultant) was working on a deck entitled "IRROPS Task Force" so at least American knows their IRROPS is a sh*tshow and is trying to get better. (Corollary: use privacy screens, especially if your client is the airline you're flying...)
Nov 12, 2019, 1:31 am
#28
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
. . . now up to a 12 hour delay.
Nov 12, 2019, 6:56 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Rolling Lakes Yacht Club
Posts: 4,985
Nov 12, 2019, 8:57 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880