Is ASA America's worst airline?
 

I hate to generalize from personal experiences, but the general incompetence I recently experienced flying ASA through ATL would easily peg them as the worst domestic airline.

It wasn't just the fact that each of my flights was 3 hours late (without significant weather issues). It was the WAY in which the flights were late. Leaving ATL tonight, up until 10 minutes before departure, we were "on time." Without providing a consistent explanation -- I heard late inbound aircraft, late arriving crew, aircraft swap, etc. -- we slooowly incurred a 3 hour delay. All in 20 minute increments. They certainly appeared to be Manana Airways. And while there are no departure boards in D (a nice touch, along with the out-of-service bathrooms), I doubt there was a single ASA flight close to being on time tonight.

I know it's a tough summer this year with ATC delays and such, but ASA seems to be entirely unable to cope with any irregularity. Their system just collapses. I would submit that in their current form, the airline is unflyable. I will look for other alternatives.

My answer is No.. :D

My answer is: Yes!

Atlanta's Substandard Airline -- the Delta Misconnection.

They are called that for a reason.

American Eagle is no gem either but I find ASA to be vastly worse... the employees dont seem to care and there is a total lack of professionalism in most everything they do. Total amateur hour - just what I want in an airline!!!!!

Delta seriously neglected ASA after they purchased the airline. Rather than upgrade automation at both Delta and ASA and merge the IT shops, Delta continued to run ASA separately. The IT shop there was just a couple of geeks and home built software in the office with green screen terminals at the gates from the 1980's (and they still are mostly).

ASA wasn't given any of the new toys that Delta built and is taking advantage of to run a better airline. I don't think that's the case with American Eagle. Senior management at Delta doesn't understand even to this day that people associate ASA's suckitude with Delta. When people have a bad experience on ASA they have a bad experience on Delta.

Hopefully the DL management that lurk on this forum would understand this ...

I'm sure the management who lurk on this board understand this; it's their bosses who don't. Senior management doesn't lurk on these kinds of boards - only their lackeys.

Well, how do you define senior management? There are some people right up there on the totem pole at Delta that read this. I don't think Jerry G. is one of them but I think he hears about some of the stuff first hand. Of course, if we have a good idea, I am sure the manager that brings it up takes credit for it. :)

ASA is right up there with the worst IMHO. There are other regional airlines that aren't very good either. I am not a huge fan of Great Lakes Aviation. I was just on ERA and that is pretty much a joke. Mesaba has never struck me as terribly professional either.

From my limited experience, ASA's inflight service was fine -- the flight crews seemed professional and (hopefully!) maintenance is as well. Where the airline breaks down seems to be is in nuts and bolts operational management, and also in recruitment of quality ground staff and facilities in ATL.

In my 4 hours at ATL's Terminal D yesterday, I could see that the airline was having a hard time matching up crew with aircraft, leading to several delays. I'm sure the weather was bad SOMEWHERE in their system yesterday (not ATL), but this kind of mickey mouse "no one to fly the planes" ops was ridiculous. There were also a bunch of unexplained maintenance delays. NOBODY was getting out on time, and obviously the delays were just cascading through the system.

They also seemed to be making "seat of the pants" scheduling decisions. My flight was actually called (only 20 minutes late!) before they told us to sit back down. They decided to use our aircraft for another, later flight. The gate agents then seemed to have absolutely no idea when our flight would be rescheduled. This was a scene repeated over and over: none of the pax in the terminal had any real idea when they would be leaving.

The gate agents seemed like rookies who either didn't know how to retrieve accurate flight information or simply weren't provided with that information. I saw several pax leave for other terminals to talk to "real" DL employees about reaccomodation and such.

Terminal D is also uncomfortable, with lots of ripped chairs and carpeting and inoperable restrooms. One half of the concourse (and it's huge) currently has no restrooms, which is kind of a problem when you have absolutely no idea when your flight will be called and they keep doling out the delays in 15 and 20 minute intervals.

There are also no flight schedule monitors in the terminal and, at the gate, the display information tends to run on autopilot. Like the screen flashes "boarding" for your flight even though your plane isn't yet in ATL! When they do decide, inexplicably, to board your flight, unless you are sitting within 20 feet of the gate (good luck finding a seat!), you'll find it almost impossible to hear the gate announcement.

Just a very bad experience. I know DL is losing customers with this kind of service.

Those of you who ask/agree with this obviously have never had the (dis)pleasure of stepping aboard Trans States, Air Wisconsin, or Mesa!

Now that Comair is likely to be history, expect a lot more ASA in your Delta flying routine.

Not true. I don't know about Grinstein, but I know several who report directly to him do.

They are also ware of the many issues and are working with Sky West to clean it up. I've suggested they clean house in ATL and start all over. One of the biggest issues are the unions and they complicates the matter.

One of the less colorful names I have for ASA is "America's Sorriest Airline" If I'm really upset with them I tend to switch the "S" word, which I can not type on here lest I go the cornfield..........

I really don't understand where you get this from?!? Please explain.

That's BS. They've been 'working to clean up' ASA for 5 or 6 years now.

If they wanted ASA to be better it would be better by now. It's not the most difficult task they are facing by far and would have one of the greatest returns on investment. Unfortunately a lot of that return wouldn't appear immediately on the income statement or balance sheet so they don't bother.

It seems to me that ASA and Colgan are competing for this title. Bleh.