How common are diversions?
Aug 16, 2012 | 11:09 am
#1
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How common are diversions?
Reading stories here, and talking to friends who fly more RJs than I do, they don't seem to be that uncommon. However, in well over 1,500 flights, I've only ever had 2 diversions for any reason:
1) NW flight MSP-YVR, diverted to SEA for about 90 minutes due to YVR being fogged in.
2) CO flight CDG-EWR turned back to CDG halfway over the atlantic (8 hour+ flight to nowhere) due to EWR/DC/NY/BOS all closed for a blizzard.
Any other thoughts?
1) NW flight MSP-YVR, diverted to SEA for about 90 minutes due to YVR being fogged in.
2) CO flight CDG-EWR turned back to CDG halfway over the atlantic (8 hour+ flight to nowhere) due to EWR/DC/NY/BOS all closed for a blizzard.
Any other thoughts?
Aug 16, 2012 | 11:16 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Three in my lifetime, which is a very low percentage:
- from FLL to MIA - about 35 years ago, so I have no idea why it happened
- from PWM to MHT in 2004 - late start out of DCA, then PWM had closed by the time the plane got there (I still can't imagine how the airline did not figure this out before takeoff!)
- from BOM to PNQ this year - thunderstorms in BOM
- from FLL to MIA - about 35 years ago, so I have no idea why it happened
- from PWM to MHT in 2004 - late start out of DCA, then PWM had closed by the time the plane got there (I still can't imagine how the airline did not figure this out before takeoff!)
- from BOM to PNQ this year - thunderstorms in BOM
Aug 16, 2012 | 11:21 am
#3
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In fifteen years I have had three and all were due to low fuel because flying around storms. One USAir PIT/FLL flight was diverted to MIA to take on more fuel because of thunderstorms around FLL. Then when we got to the gate and we were told we were going to be bused to FLL. About 30 minutes later we would told we would be flown back to FLL because storms had passed. Then thunderstorms rolled in to MIA and we sat on the tarmac for over an hour. The flight finally took off (nine minutes flying time originally) but again had to circle for another hour because storms rolled back into FLL. The entire diversion took over four hours.
Aug 16, 2012 | 11:41 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2007
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I've flown a good bit and never encountered one.
I know someone whose traveled extensivley for business (a stretch of 10 years of 2-3 flights a week) and only once landed halfway between the east coast and chicago at Akron due ot weather issues at the destination, then they picked up.
Finally they had one when POTUS was going to arrive at their airport so they had to divert from CLE to CMH, then the filght resumed.
I know someone whose traveled extensivley for business (a stretch of 10 years of 2-3 flights a week) and only once landed halfway between the east coast and chicago at Akron due ot weather issues at the destination, then they picked up.
Finally they had one when POTUS was going to arrive at their airport so they had to divert from CLE to CMH, then the filght resumed.
Aug 16, 2012 | 12:25 pm
#5
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In all my years of flying by myself as an adult for work or pleasue., I have not had any. It's possible I had one a long time ago as a little kid, and I just don't remember it.
Aug 16, 2012 | 3:21 pm
#6
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All the diversions I've experienced occurred in the Pacific Northwest. I used to say that, if a winter flight was scheduled to go to Portland or Seattle, it would probably go to Portland or Seattle, but you couldn't predict which. If they were both fogged in it might land in Salt Lake City.
Aug 16, 2012 | 3:31 pm
#7
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Four times for me, in about 2 million BIS miles, over 28 years:
All weather related
- Going into DEN, went to COS
- Going into MCO, went to TPA
- Going into ATL, went to SAV
- Going into PHL, ended up IIRC in RIC
All weather related
Aug 16, 2012 | 5:30 pm
#9
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1 diversion in 30 yrs flying, but the funny thing is went further than originally intended. UA NRT-JFK, blew an engine somewhere, thankfully a four holer, went to IAD instead I assume because they had more maintenance capability there. They put us on a 757 back to JFK.
Aug 16, 2012 | 6:08 pm
#11
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Sounds like my experience is pretty typical then. I just see these stories on FT of people who seem to have diversions all the time (medical, mechanical, weather, etc) so I thought maybe I was extra-lucky.
Aug 16, 2012 | 6:33 pm
#12
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Once ever. It was medical. We were SJU > IAH, when suddenly I saw South Florida and MIA getting bigger and bigger. It made much of the flight so late for connections that we were put up for the night and shipped out the next day.
I fly a lot less than most here, so it looks like I should have bought a lottery ticket while I was at it.
I fly a lot less than most here, so it looks like I should have bought a lottery ticket while I was at it.
Aug 16, 2012 | 6:39 pm
#13
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I can remember only 2 from the last 5 years. One was DFW-SFO, diverted to LAS due to a medical emergency. Other was LGA-DFW, diverted to MCI due to massive storms that settled over DFW, completely shutting down ground operations. (I feel like there may have been 2 more over the last 15 years - one due to low fuel from circling and another due to weather...but memory's a bit hazy on those.)
Aug 16, 2012 | 7:49 pm
#14
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Once, PHL-DFW and got diverted into SAT due to storms in DFW. We sat on the ground for (maybe a little over) an hour. It was actually kind of nice as I had gotten a rare upgrade to F and the drinks kept flowing. I peeked back behind the curtain and Y was packed. They didn't look happy.
Last edited by bitburgr; Aug 17, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Aug 16, 2012 | 8:45 pm
#15
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I think a lot of it depends on when/where you are flying.
I've had one diversion in ~100 trips--there was a typhoon near our destination. It was far enough inland that it didn't get flooded or anything but there must have been too much wind or something. We weren't told why beyond simply the typhoon. I would say it was roughly 6 hours later when we did get there. (Our original flight simply skipped the city and went on to it's next scheduled location and they then put us on the next flight going the other way which was held on the ground for a while before they let us fly.)
I've had one diversion in ~100 trips--there was a typhoon near our destination. It was far enough inland that it didn't get flooded or anything but there must have been too much wind or something. We weren't told why beyond simply the typhoon. I would say it was roughly 6 hours later when we did get there. (Our original flight simply skipped the city and went on to it's next scheduled location and they then put us on the next flight going the other way which was held on the ground for a while before they let us fly.)