Does the race to imiprove ontime statistics hurt passengers?
Nov 29, 1999, 12:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 301
Does the race to imiprove ontime statistics hurt passengers?
Does the competition to achieve good on-time statistics hurt passengers, particularly those who are taking connecting flights and are flying on the last flight of the day. If the first flight is late, the connecting flight may take off on time in order to have better on-time statistics. This leaves passengers stranded.
This happened to me yesterday. Scheduled arrival was 8:33 p.m., actual arrival was 9:39 p.m. The connecting flight was at 9:30, but they departed at 9:29 (according to the automated phone line). I arrived at the gate at 9:43p.m. and saw an empty gate. The next flight didn't leave until about 10 a.m. the next day.
This happened to me yesterday. Scheduled arrival was 8:33 p.m., actual arrival was 9:39 p.m. The connecting flight was at 9:30, but they departed at 9:29 (according to the automated phone line). I arrived at the gate at 9:43p.m. and saw an empty gate. The next flight didn't leave until about 10 a.m. the next day.
Nov 29, 1999, 3:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 442
Virtually the same thing happened to me recently with American. My in-bound flight to O'Hare was delayed, but my out-bound flight to Denver, the last one of the day, took off exactly on time. I get to the gate 3 minutes after scheduled flight time and find no one there. To top it all off, there was a convention in Chicago, so no hotels were easily available.
Nov 29, 1999, 4:03 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Million Miler (mostly earned on CO)
Posts: 2,599
Same thing happened to me on a Continental flight SFO-EWR-BOS a few months ago. My originating flight was about 40 minutes late coming into EWR, and after a long run to my gate, I found out that the door was closed even though it was several minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Fortunately, the equipment was still sitting at the gate. I pounded on the door and they let me in!
They had released my seat, which was an upgrade, and there was nothing left in FC, so I lost the upgrade.
A wholly unsatisfying experience. Second time it's happened to me at EWR. IMO this is one area where UA treats its elites better than CO.
They had released my seat, which was an upgrade, and there was nothing left in FC, so I lost the upgrade.
A wholly unsatisfying experience. Second time it's happened to me at EWR. IMO this is one area where UA treats its elites better than CO.
Nov 29, 1999, 5:58 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: See pitflyer
Posts: 1,620
My experience has been on USAirways that they will not hold any flight except the last one of the day. I fly that often from PIT as my originating flight and often we sit for a few extra minutes to let people make it.
I think that's the best policy. The last four flights I've been on USAirways all arrived 15 minutes early and left five minutes early. It works well when every flight is like that
I think that's the best policy. The last four flights I've been on USAirways all arrived 15 minutes early and left five minutes early. It works well when every flight is like that