Logan in the Wintertime...
 

All,

How bad do the delays/cancellations get at Logan during the wintertime? I have some meetings that I absolutely need to get to in the December/Jan timeframe but I'm concerned that flying into Logan might be impossible because of weather.

I'm considering taking the train into South Station since it seems that the train is much more reliable when there is snow on the ground. I'm also considering flying into Manchester, NH and driving into Boston.

Comments?

BOS actually has fewer cancellations than you might expect. Because the airport is on the harbor, the airport is usually warmer than the rest of the region. So, when the Boston area gets snow, it's not uncommon for Logan to either have rain or substantially less snow than the rest of the area. Obviously, the airport can get substantial amounts of snow (esp with wetserly winds, which tend not to bring the same amount of moisture as southerlies, or with a monster storm regardless of wind direction.

While it's true that BOS has more weather-related delays in winter than in summer, it's rare that Logan is actually closed. Manchester is not at all a good alternative choice: MHT gets far, far more snow than does BOS each year, there are far fewer flights into MHT, and the drive from MHT to Boston can be awful in a snowstorm. Amtrak is no guarantee, either.

It's also obviously wise to arrive the afternoon or evening before any -Have-To-Be-There meetings.

You actually make a good point. I might be able to arrive on Monday and stay in a hotel. That would increase my costs but give me a little more downtime as opposed to trying to squeeze it in on a single day.

I'm confused about what you said regarding Amtrak. Many people suggested that Amtrak had a better on-time record vs. airline arrivals to Boston during the winter months. Do you have any information to support your conclusion?

I find that Amtrak very rarely cancels trains. Most get through, they may be late but finally get there. Airlines cancel flights and airport may close. Amtrak may be late, but will operate unless conditions are too bad. But if they are, the airlines and airports will not operate. And if they're that bad, I wouldn't want to be driving either.

Given the choice, I would rather be sitting on a train (even if it is 2-3 hours late) than be sitting at the airport or stuck on a snowy road!

Anecdotal information is not the same as fact. From the Boston Globe:

link to Boston Globe Article

77.6% means that one out of every four trips arrives more than 20 minutes late. In April of 2005 (when the article was written), 81.46% of flights at Logan were ontime. The two shuttle carriers (Delta and USAirways) had 83.56% and 80.84% respectively.

The 83.56% and 80.84% on-time shuttle rates include the summer when it is 80 and sunny. What about the winter when it is 15 degrees, snowy and the airport is closed? I don't think it is 80% then!

I think in those conditions, Amtrak would be better then the shuttles.

The airline shuttle services are far more reliable than the train, even in inclement weather. Yes, there are some days when the airports just shut down, but it's rare.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics lists all of the airline data on their website.

In January of 2004, only 0.56% of Delta flights were delayed due to weather. Even if you add on 11.79% for "National Aviation System" as weather (which I don't think is fair, but...), that's still only slightly above 13% weather delays in a month that was full of snow.

I'm as much of a train nut as the next person (well, more, actually :D ) but Amtrak's reliability is not good, at least partially due to the fact that Metro North owns the tracks south of New Haven.

Just take an earlier flight if you are worried about making the meetings. You have as good a chance of an Amtrak being delayed 3+ hours as you do your flight being delayed. I fly to and from Logan weekly in the winter, and am usually on time. I think I was seriously delayed only once last winter. Of course, use common sense and check the weather before you fly. An hour flight beats a 6 hour train ride any day.

Thanks for your post! This is VERY good information. I've been speaking to the gate agents for the airlines that I fly and the occasional pilot. They all said that Logan in particular has very good availability even during the winter months. Your direct experience confirms that opinion.

I'm already booking my flights so that I arrive on the ground in Boston about 4.5 hours before my first meeting. This gives me plenty of time to handle any delay in normal operations. Of course, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't widen that window even a little more during the winter months to cover any eventuality. I could arrive the day earlier but the hotel prices are a bit worrisome. I've been trying to make these day trips if possible.

I fly in and out of Logan a fair bit. I think I've actually experienced more delays in the summer afternoons due to thunderstorms than delays due to winter weather. In fact I've been rather amazed what the planes are able to take off and land in during the winter. The only two times I've been affected by Logan closing in the winter have been during full out blizzards (Dec 2002 and Jan 2005 come to mind), in which case the entire city has shut down anyway, Amtrak isn't running, and you won't get to your meeting regardless.

What's interesting is the last time I was snowed out of Boston, I was in NYC. Amtrak wasn't running, the airport had reopened but all the planes were elsewhere. Greyhound was the only way back into the city. As the highways were well plowed and most people were off the roads, it actually took less time than the regular Amtrak to get home.

Well, that settles it. I had been on the fence about taking the train vs. flying but you folks seems to have convinced me that flying in wont be too big a deal.

I'll book the tickets as soon as I get the chance.

Thanks for your help.