Air India 126 DEL-ORD how is this flight experience?
Feb 25, 2011, 9:06 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
AI takes a more southerly route just hitting the southern tip of Greenland and then goes over Moscow etc. AA OTOH goes further north almost to the north end of Greenland and then comes down.
AA is 300 miles shorter (and roughly 1 hour less time). Still dont get why any airline would *choose* to go a longer route (more fuel burnt, longer flight time etc). The return for AI is almost 16 hours (AA return flight is 14 and half hours).
AA is 300 miles shorter (and roughly 1 hour less time). Still dont get why any airline would *choose* to go a longer route (more fuel burnt, longer flight time etc). The return for AI is almost 16 hours (AA return flight is 14 and half hours).
In winter there are often stronger W to E winds and so westbound flights take longer in winter than in summer, while eastbound is the opposite. But it depends on the actual winds that day; it's not the same all season.
An apparently longer route can be in effect shorter for the plane because of the winds that day; ORD-DEL will tend to fly a southerly route to catch the west wind (even though that is longer than the great circle route) while DEL-ORD will fly further north to avoid the wind. Of course there are many other factors involved so there is no rigid rule.
A comparison between airlines is meaningful ONLY if you have data for AA and AI flights the same day (they now fly within minutes of each other and so should take essentially the same route and the same time).
Feb 25, 2011, 5:30 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA lifetime gold, United Mileage Plus silver, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 503
One more time: every flight travels a different route, depending on winds and ATC. There is no AA distance or AI distance. If you fly AA so much, you should have noticed that every AA flight is different.
In winter there are often stronger W to E winds and so westbound flights take longer in winter than in summer, while eastbound is the opposite. But it depends on the actual winds that day; it's not the same all season.
An apparently longer route can be in effect shorter for the plane because of the winds that day; ORD-DEL will tend to fly a southerly route to catch the west wind (even though that is longer than the great circle route) while DEL-ORD will fly further north to avoid the wind. Of course there are many other factors involved so there is no rigid rule.
A comparison between airlines is meaningful ONLY if you have data for AA and AI flights the same day (they now fly within minutes of each other and so should take essentially the same route and the same time).
In winter there are often stronger W to E winds and so westbound flights take longer in winter than in summer, while eastbound is the opposite. But it depends on the actual winds that day; it's not the same all season.
An apparently longer route can be in effect shorter for the plane because of the winds that day; ORD-DEL will tend to fly a southerly route to catch the west wind (even though that is longer than the great circle route) while DEL-ORD will fly further north to avoid the wind. Of course there are many other factors involved so there is no rigid rule.
A comparison between airlines is meaningful ONLY if you have data for AA and AI flights the same day (they now fly within minutes of each other and so should take essentially the same route and the same time).
Maybe I just caught AI on a real windy day. Though here is another data point. For flights on the same day AI has a planned time of 1 hour greater than AA. Maybe AI is more conservative?
Feb 25, 2011, 6:54 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
AA 1635-1745
AI 1545-1705
That's a ten-minute difference in scheduled flight time. The return is similar.
The incorrect 1-hr difference resulted from your comparing AA's summer outbound schedule (daylight saving time in the US), with AI's winter outbound schedule (standard time in the US). The difference would be reversed (the winter flight would appear 1 hour faster) if you were looking at the return. It has nothing to do with AA vs AI.
Last edited by SeeBuyFly; Feb 26, 2011 at 11:50 am
Feb 28, 2011, 10:02 am
#19
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
I do not know if it is AI or some other factors involved like seasonal deployment, but AA has cut back from daily to 6 times a week in the summer, when VFR travel is at the peak. After AI joins star alliance, it could get worse for AA unless they cut their J fares. Already the economy fares for AA are comparable or less than AI to DEL.
AI's inflight product is generally very good, I travelled with them and compared to other US carriers, the experience was better.
AI's inflight product is generally very good, I travelled with them and compared to other US carriers, the experience was better.