Rant: Rolling delays
 

10 updates in 5 hours, each with a 30 or 60 min addl delay. The promised plane is coming from dfw, an hour away. Other AA services between the 2 seem to be coming and going, just not mine. 1pm dep now currently 6:30. I know there's "weather, " but dry all day here and mostly in dfw. Thanks for letting me rant

Nothing more gets my gut when I'm at an AA gate and I hear my dreaded text message go off and see it's AA. It means one thing only : rolling delays and get ready. I always see where the flight is coming from on flight aware so I can track the positioning flight. I then look on expert flyer to see what they say about the delay. If I gamble correctly I will either wait if I don't think it's going to be too long or ask to get on another flight to my destination (more or less a DFW based option based on availability).

"Weather."

lol

AA being AA.

I'll say though, after flying out of DFW Today, I believe a lot of the issues stemmed from ground support staff shortages (TSA, check-in agents, aircraft cleaners, catering, etc.), due to the area weather and people not being willing and/or able to drive in to work.

The aircraft arrived at AUS from PHL at 12:26 PM (AA 2610), but instead of using it for the the OP's 1:05 PM departure to PHL, AA sent it on an AUS-DFW-AUS run before using it for the delayed AA 860 flight.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n763us#

Sounds exactly like DL tonight. But in their defense, it was first nearly 3 hour delay and tacked the additional delays after that.

Same at DCA. My 20:06 ATL flight started rolling delays due to crew and I preemptively booked a hotel because YOU KNOW, I rebooked at the club for tomorrow afternoon and sure enough, my original cxld while waiting for a ride to the hotel. My partner's SDF also cxld. He's on stby for the 0800-ish but it's iffy.

DCA is a mess tonight and it looks like delays and cancellations are continuing for early tomorrow. I'm on a 17:24 flight and the snow will be well over by then. DCA E club staff were SUPER helpful and holding up under the stress. A lot of people are not getting anywhere tonight.

So, once boarded we were privileged to sit at the gate for about 1:45 while the ground crew tried to figure out a problem with cold-weather fueling procedures on our 319, according to the captain's "another 20 minutes, folks" updates. It being 6:30PM after a full day of sub-20 degree temps I wonder why this might have become a problem?

I highly doubt that they anticipated this issue when they boarded you. Something went off plan.

I get very annoyed with AA and how they handle delays, but that's on how they manage the communication, aircraft availability, the rolling delays etc. However, the actual pilots, maintenance and ground staff aren't yanking your chain.

With FlightAware I get less irritated by this than before with AA, but it’s always been one of my biggest frustrations with them.

Now that I’ve been flying with other US airlines more, I’m always shocked when I’m at the lounge and know the arriving plane is late, to actually get an alert that indeed the airline has delayed boarding by 15-30 min, something AA almost never does.

I'm sorry if it read that way, not my intent. I suppose they wouldn't want to announce that the gas cap is frozen and they can't get it open.

A few years ago AA gave us eight full hours of rolling delays out of PIT, which is a maintenance base for them but somehow they couldn't get us another plane. Another AA flight took off and landed at the destination whilst we waited.

Today trying to get home it was a comedy of texts and delay announcements, and I was sure my flight would cxl, but after a 6+ hour delay we left DCA. Talk about rolling delays... first it was crew, then we had crew minus one, then when he showed up applause broke out, then waiting to de-ice... this after my flight last night cxld and I'd preemptively booked a hotel room because spidey sense.

Bad week to travel but who knew this storm system would be almost nationwide.

Crews hate them too.