On the 3pm flight to SJU on 12/26. Looks like we should beat the snow by a couple hours, fingers crossed.

On the EWR-DXB flight on 12/26. It's a 777-300ER and it looks almost full. Hoping they still get that one off the ground.

Received a notification from United that my flight UA164 EWR-DWB is proactively delayed by just under two hours.

I appreciate that United is planning ahead. Also, I'm curious what criteria would have led humans/computers to pro-actively delay this flight in response to the oncoming weather, and how that will help. Any ideas?

I'd guess that it is to allow for a lower arrival rate and waiting for potentially delayed inbound connections since recovery is problematic. By doing it this early, they can reset the crews sign-in time and preserve their allowable duty day.

Makes sense, thanks for the insight.

Waiver updated

I have a question. What might be the reasons that United would a day ahead proactively cancel the 2 pm and 4 pm 12/26 flights from ORD-LGA but not cancel the 3 pm and 6 pm flights? Depending on the weather report, snow is not supposed to start until 4 pm EST at the earliest. All the aircraft appear to be 737-800s.

Aircraft and crew positioning. Either the inbound to ORD being the issue or not wanting/needing to strand them in LGA if they can even make it. Snow won't start until late this afternoon but it will be very heavy this evening and the later flights from ORD are 99.999% likely to be cancelled. If the higher forecasts verify (9-10" at KLGA) then it will take them all night to dig out.

Also, they will sometimes cancel the lightly booked flights to consolidate ahead of time and hopefully run one or two of the ORD-LGA frequencies. Today is a light travel/flying day overall so fewer passengers will be disrupted.

On 12/14 when LGA had 6" of snow I was flying ORD-LGA. I changed my flight five times (2p, 12p, 11a, 10a and finally the scheduled 755a). I wound up confirmed on the 755a (departed at 1115am) while all the others cancelled and one was delayed 4 hours. I got lucky. Most did not.

LGA/EWR are going to be the proverbial crap show later today and through most of tomorrow as they try to ramp things back up. Get on any flight that's going and take whatever seat you're given. That's my mantra in these situations.

-RM

The FAA airspace plan for 12/26 also included the following:
AFTER 4:00 PM EST LGA/JFK GROUND STOP/DELAY PROGRAM PROBABLE
AFTER 4:00 PM EST EWR/TEB GROUND STOP/DELAY PROGRAM PROBABLE

Based on that information, the weather forecast, and UA's experience flying to and from LGA, they are using their best judgment to estimate how many planes they will be able to get in/out of LGA this PM. Once things go south at NYC airports, they tend to go south pretty quickly.

This flight did indeed go out, but it took hours for de-icing and taxi. Got into DXB about 4 hours late. Still better than not getting there at all.