Oct 12, 2020, 1:39 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
At the beginning of the Covid “era” flight loads appeared quite light. As AA refined flights, routes and aircraft, many fewer seats has meant in some instances full aircraft and oversold flights. In others higher capacity widebody aircraft may offer less crowded cabins. International flights are often operating way below capacity at this time, as many nations have bans in place for American and other specified country’s visitors other than those permitted to travel for essential services. Check aa.com sherpa for further information about international destinations’ current Covid-related restrictions.
AA does not block middle seats in coach.
AA does not block middle seats in coach.
How AA are flight loads being affected by Coronavirus?
Sep 24, 2020, 1:58 pm
#421
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SLC
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Plat
Posts: 616
Every one of my flights so far this week 100 percent full:
SLC DFW
DFW GSP
GSP CLT
CLT PHL
PHL CLT
CLT SDF
Of bigger note- my flights over the past 30 days, ORD light QTY of PAX in terminal, DFW light QTY of PAX in terminal, PHL a ghostown in terminal, CLT jammed with PAX everywhere. And the line for food at every CLT food stand was longer , much longer than pre COVID. If you are changing planes in CLT, might be a good idea to bring a sack lunch instead of waiting in extensive food lines at CLT. And also, CLT is not cleaning tables regularly where people eat, they were all filthy.
SLC DFW
DFW GSP
GSP CLT
CLT PHL
PHL CLT
CLT SDF
Of bigger note- my flights over the past 30 days, ORD light QTY of PAX in terminal, DFW light QTY of PAX in terminal, PHL a ghostown in terminal, CLT jammed with PAX everywhere. And the line for food at every CLT food stand was longer , much longer than pre COVID. If you are changing planes in CLT, might be a good idea to bring a sack lunch instead of waiting in extensive food lines at CLT. And also, CLT is not cleaning tables regularly where people eat, they were all filthy.
Sep 24, 2020, 2:46 pm
#422
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,382
Well, I really hope it's essentially zero for both carriers. If the mitigation of mandatory masks at all times, plus HEPA air recirculation, is not effective at a prevention rate of 99.95%+, then air travel is going to be hobbled, at least until the US get to 60% vaccination/ herd immunity.
Sep 24, 2020, 4:30 pm
#423
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: charlotte NC
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 573
Well, I really hope it's essentially zero for both carriers. If the mitigation of mandatory masks at all times, plus HEPA air recirculation, is not effective at a prevention rate of 99.95%+, then air travel is going to be hobbled, at least until the US get to 60% vaccination/ herd immunity.
Sep 24, 2020, 4:59 pm
#424
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,005
THIS.
Nothing. It would have been all over every news. In fact I haven't heard about any airline having covid. It has to be the masks.
Time to bring back service to pre-covid levels. Sorry no one is getting sick Parker--open up your (almost empty) wallet and not use cheapness as an excuse for safety.
Nothing. It would have been all over every news. In fact I haven't heard about any airline having covid. It has to be the masks.
Time to bring back service to pre-covid levels. Sorry no one is getting sick Parker--open up your (almost empty) wallet and not use cheapness as an excuse for safety.
Sep 24, 2020, 7:06 pm
#425
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Globe, AA EXP, Marriott Gold
Posts: 90
Oversold flight CLT to LGA Wednesday night.
On a recent trip, I flew Delta domestic F there and AA domestic F back. Night and day with regards to the different load factors. Delta is blocking all middle seats in coach and adjacent seat in F. Whether or not this is actually safer or just precieved safety remains to be seen. Regardless, my wife now would rather layover on Delta (and pay more $$$) instead of flying direct on AA (albeit both F).
On a recent trip, I flew Delta domestic F there and AA domestic F back. Night and day with regards to the different load factors. Delta is blocking all middle seats in coach and adjacent seat in F. Whether or not this is actually safer or just precieved safety remains to be seen. Regardless, my wife now would rather layover on Delta (and pay more $$$) instead of flying direct on AA (albeit both F).
Sep 24, 2020, 9:30 pm
#426
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 158
Every one of my flights so far this week 100 percent full:
SLC DFW
DFW GSP
GSP CLT
CLT PHL
PHL CLT
CLT SDF
Of bigger note- my flights over the past 30 days, ORD light QTY of PAX in terminal, DFW light QTY of PAX in terminal, PHL a ghostown in terminal, CLT jammed with PAX everywhere. And the line for food at every CLT food stand was longer , much longer than pre COVID. If you are changing planes in CLT, might be a good idea to bring a sack lunch instead of waiting in extensive food lines at CLT. And also, CLT is not cleaning tables regularly where people eat, they were all filthy.
SLC DFW
DFW GSP
GSP CLT
CLT PHL
PHL CLT
CLT SDF
Of bigger note- my flights over the past 30 days, ORD light QTY of PAX in terminal, DFW light QTY of PAX in terminal, PHL a ghostown in terminal, CLT jammed with PAX everywhere. And the line for food at every CLT food stand was longer , much longer than pre COVID. If you are changing planes in CLT, might be a good idea to bring a sack lunch instead of waiting in extensive food lines at CLT. And also, CLT is not cleaning tables regularly where people eat, they were all filthy.
The only exception is the new A concourse where all the non-AA flights operate out of. That is a true oasis compared to the rest of the airport.
Sep 25, 2020, 4:35 am
#427
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,775
AA is concerned about the most efficient way to crew flights throughout the whole system, not on specific legs. The crew that operated that flight may already have operated several legs that day. Perhaps they weren't ORD-based. Flight scheduling isn't generally dictated by crew scheduling. It's dictated by demand, network resource use, timing of flight banks, etc.
They could not have possibly flown for eight hours in a day before taking a flight that leaves at 1:30 PM. Why is it that Allegiant manages to fly from a hub to an outstation and back with the same crew (never an overnight layover) but AA can't?
Even if they started their day at 6 AM and flew constantly and the 1:30 PM flight puts them at the 8 hour limit in one direction, then why doesn't AA find someone else to fly there and back on the same flight? It just makes no sense to have crew overnight when it is completely unnecessary.
Sep 25, 2020, 11:22 am
#429
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Sep 25, 2020, 12:59 pm
#432
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 591
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...20the%20flight.
Sep 26, 2020, 9:51 am
#433
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,482
They were Chicago based. They announced it.
They could not have possibly flown for eight hours in a day before taking a flight that leaves at 1:30 PM. Why is it that Allegiant manages to fly from a hub to an outstation and back with the same crew (never an overnight layover) but AA can't?
Even if they started their day at 6 AM and flew constantly and the 1:30 PM flight puts them at the 8 hour limit in one direction, then why doesn't AA find someone else to fly there and back on the same flight? It just makes no sense to have crew overnight when it is completely unnecessary.
They could not have possibly flown for eight hours in a day before taking a flight that leaves at 1:30 PM. Why is it that Allegiant manages to fly from a hub to an outstation and back with the same crew (never an overnight layover) but AA can't?
Even if they started their day at 6 AM and flew constantly and the 1:30 PM flight puts them at the 8 hour limit in one direction, then why doesn't AA find someone else to fly there and back on the same flight? It just makes no sense to have crew overnight when it is completely unnecessary.
Airline crew scheduling is as complicated as yield management when you think of all of the factors that go into developing an optimal crew schedule for the month.
AA's network is far more complex than Allegiant's. Allegiant won't even sell connecting itineraries, right?
Sep 26, 2020, 11:44 pm
#434
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,775
Unclear whether you are talking about pilots, FAs, or both but can you really not see a scenario where taking 3-4 seats out of inventory AND having to count hours spent deadheading crew to SUX as duty time winds up being a lot more expensive than just paying for hotel rooms in SUX???
Airline crew scheduling is as complicated as yield management when you think of all of the factors that go into developing an optimal crew schedule for the month.
AA's network is far more complex than Allegiant's. Allegiant won't even sell connecting itineraries, right?
Airline crew scheduling is as complicated as yield management when you think of all of the factors that go into developing an optimal crew schedule for the month.
AA's network is far more complex than Allegiant's. Allegiant won't even sell connecting itineraries, right?
My point is that if AA is going to operate one flight a day that flies to SUX and then turns around to go right back, then have the crew do the same thing. If AA, for whatever reason, is going to overnight crew there (two pilots and the FA), then change the schedule and have the plane fly there in the evening and spend the night and fly back in the morning. It makes connections far easier.
Early in the morning at DFW, you can see the traditional hub-and-spoke operation in action, in that almost every single jetway is empty. Arriving on an early morning flight, it looks like AA has abandoned DFW. But all those planes (as well as the crew) are spending the night somewhere else and will be there in a couple of hours. It costs more to run an operation that way, but it makes connections easier.
Allegiant doesn't offer connecting flights because a connecting itinerary is so rare that it's not worth the time to try to build a schedule for them. Most cities have one flight a day, not even 7 days a week, making the chances of being able to fly from point A to point B via a hub quite low without an insanely long layover. Apparently they're willing to live with that in exchange for a lower cost of operation, in that at night at an Allegiant hub such as LAS, every jetway they have is occupied by an airplane, and all of their crew are at home.