Can't Trust United (regarding posted cause of flight delay)
Oct 14, 2012, 7:54 pm
#46
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...parture-2.html
See post 75. This is an IT shortcoming (and a pretty significant one since customer facing) and not nefarious. Internal systems apparently reflect the correct delay reason.
See post 75. This is an IT shortcoming (and a pretty significant one since customer facing) and not nefarious. Internal systems apparently reflect the correct delay reason.
Oct 14, 2012, 9:05 pm
#47
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+1 - Passing for a minute the apparent tenor of this thread to the effect that UA's senior management flies around in black helicopters concocting lies to tell pax about the reasons for delays, it may sometimes be helpful to consider:
1. There are many occasions when there are many reasons for a delay. Even the reasons such as WX can have many variations (at depature, enroute or destination). Thus, even the "it's clear and sunny here at xxx and UA is lying because the website says WX" crowd simply don't get it.
2. Delay reasons on the website, GDS and other customer-facing means are limited to a couple of characters. But, all that really matters is that the fact of the delay is known. The "real" reason may be multiple and may not even really be known until after the flight departs and all the pieces are considered.
3. Here, it seems relatively simply based on the few facts (as opposed to who thinks they saw what). A) The aircraft was held due to WX at destination. Alternative is to let the aircraft go on time and hold over SFO. That wastes fuel, creates needless risk and doesn't get the pax to their destination any faster. B) The aircraft also had a MX. But, that didn't cause the delay because it was repaired prior to the permitted departure time anyway. C) Despite the various delays, the aircraft only landed 58 mins. late.
4. So, after all the ranting, we have a TCON on the gate at arrival less than an hour delayed.
Sounds to me that the OPS folks spent their time working on a fix and a reroute which made up for lost time, not on conspiring to lie to OP by making up fake delay codes.
1. There are many occasions when there are many reasons for a delay. Even the reasons such as WX can have many variations (at depature, enroute or destination). Thus, even the "it's clear and sunny here at xxx and UA is lying because the website says WX" crowd simply don't get it.
2. Delay reasons on the website, GDS and other customer-facing means are limited to a couple of characters. But, all that really matters is that the fact of the delay is known. The "real" reason may be multiple and may not even really be known until after the flight departs and all the pieces are considered.
3. Here, it seems relatively simply based on the few facts (as opposed to who thinks they saw what). A) The aircraft was held due to WX at destination. Alternative is to let the aircraft go on time and hold over SFO. That wastes fuel, creates needless risk and doesn't get the pax to their destination any faster. B) The aircraft also had a MX. But, that didn't cause the delay because it was repaired prior to the permitted departure time anyway. C) Despite the various delays, the aircraft only landed 58 mins. late.
4. So, after all the ranting, we have a TCON on the gate at arrival less than an hour delayed.
Sounds to me that the OPS folks spent their time working on a fix and a reroute which made up for lost time, not on conspiring to lie to OP by making up fake delay codes.
Apr 10, 2013, 5:19 pm
#48
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Why does UA lie about delays?
I'm waiting on UA 225 UAD-SFO. It's delayed over an hour and I looked at where its coming from to see what's really likely. Turns out the A/C is on its way to FLL and is expected to depart 25 minutes after departing. Then it's expected to depart IAD 25 minutes after arriving. They're not southwest, I've never seen any UA mainline aircraft turn around in anything like that. Maybe double that . . . It's impossible, why do they build that assumption into their delay estimates? They end up with these rolling delays that make them look ridiculous as reality asserts itself. I've been conditioned to just add at least an hour to anything they say, and get annoyed in the process. Don't they understand the notion of under promising and over delivering?
Apr 10, 2013, 5:30 pm
#50
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Think out of the box: tail swap. Dispatchers have the discretion to sub one a/c for another. It doesn't happen all the time, but it shouldn't be news when it does.
Apr 10, 2013, 5:33 pm
#51
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There might be an argument to be made that they're failing to comply with ~2011 DOT Passenger Protections.
Requiring prompt notification of delays of over 30 minutes, as well as cancellations and diversions.
A DOT inquiry might help them 'reassess communication policy.'
Requiring prompt notification of delays of over 30 minutes, as well as cancellations and diversions.
A DOT inquiry might help them 'reassess communication policy.'
Apr 10, 2013, 5:40 pm
#52
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It's not going to make you feel any better but AA is just as bad.
An inbound is delayed and scheduled to arrive 20 minutes before the outbound sked time. Yet, the outbound will still show ON TIME.
Then there is the wonderful creeping delay. On a DFW-SJC flight last year, I recall receiving 8 separate email updates, each tacking on an additional 15 minutes to the new departure time.
An inbound is delayed and scheduled to arrive 20 minutes before the outbound sked time. Yet, the outbound will still show ON TIME.
Then there is the wonderful creeping delay. On a DFW-SJC flight last year, I recall receiving 8 separate email updates, each tacking on an additional 15 minutes to the new departure time.
Apr 10, 2013, 6:19 pm
#54
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What's surprising about it - this is the new UA!
Can't tell you how many times I've been sitting at the gate at departure time, the plane isn't even there yet, and the flight still isn't showing a delay! (Those of us who flew PMCO are used to this.)
Heck, remember the Unimatic shutdown last Nov 15th? As I posted back then, my flight was still showing on-time despite the inbound plane having an estimated arrial one hour after my scheduled departure. (The eventual delay on pushback for my flight was more than 5 hours, btw.)
The lack of communication from UA is particularly annoying for those of us who have UC memberships who could otherwise wait longer in the club.
Can't tell you how many times I've been sitting at the gate at departure time, the plane isn't even there yet, and the flight still isn't showing a delay! (Those of us who flew PMCO are used to this.)
Heck, remember the Unimatic shutdown last Nov 15th? As I posted back then, my flight was still showing on-time despite the inbound plane having an estimated arrial one hour after my scheduled departure. (The eventual delay on pushback for my flight was more than 5 hours, btw.)
The lack of communication from UA is particularly annoying for those of us who have UC memberships who could otherwise wait longer in the club.
Apr 11, 2013, 2:58 pm
#55
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That doesn't sound like anything unique to CO. Just flew BA, and I had a couple of delayed flights. Plane still hadn't arrived, and we reached scheduled departure. Board still showed flight as "on-time" with the original departure time posted. We were delayed 1 hour
Apr 11, 2013, 3:22 pm
#56
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That makes it hard to judge when to leave the Club as well as (sometimes) making it a challenge to be proactive with reaccommodation. I've had agents tell me several times, "Your flight is still on time..." and I have to show them that the inbound makes that impossible before they'll even consider putting me on alternate flights.
Apr 11, 2013, 4:37 pm
#57
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Apr 11, 2013, 5:36 pm
#58
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haha i don't know if anyone was at IAD yesterday because of the storm in NYC, but it was a mess this morning. i was rerouted and delayed and canceled at IAD and early this morning i was trying to take the 7:30A flight to EWR. at the gate every few minutes we could hear the GA calling asking where the crew is. they announced to the passengers that they were waiting on the crew. nobody knew where the crew was. once the crew got there they were talking about crew scheduling issues and trying to hash out where the planes are going. 2.5 hour delay. i looked online, ua.com had the delay listed as weather.
sigh.
sigh.
Nov 15, 2013, 9:03 pm
#59
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UA Misinformation on flight delays
This morning UA1156 was loaded and the door closed for an ontime departure. For the next thirty minutes or so, baggage or mail or cargo was loaded onto the plane. Captain explained this was the situation. I would estimate the pushback as about 8:40 instead of 8:04. Arrived ORD late--Flight Status says the delay was 21 minutes "Airport conditions preventing departure." 
And as for the 2:25 arrival; don't know exactly when the jetway door opened, but it was later than that. Lots of pax frantic about misconnects.
What percentage of the Flight Status posts are accurate in their explanation of delays--and of actual arrival times??
Flyer 420
in Chicago
And as for the 2:25 arrival; don't know exactly when the jetway door opened, but it was later than that. Lots of pax frantic about misconnects.What percentage of the Flight Status posts are accurate in their explanation of delays--and of actual arrival times??
Flyer 420
in Chicago
Nov 15, 2013, 9:18 pm
#60
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Flightstats has UA1156 SEA-ORD 15 Nov 2013
•Actual Gate Departure Changed To 11/15/13 08:36 AM
•Actual Runway Departure Changed To 11/15/13 08:52 AM
•Actual Runway Arrival Changed To 11/15/13 02:14 PM
•Actual Gate Arrival Changed To 11/15/13 02:25 PM
this the real time data and the data used for ontime stats. Delays in the jetway and door opening are not included.
"Airport conditions preventing departure" is not a WX report but rather suggesting operational issues -- which sound like what you reported.
what is inaccurate?
•Actual Gate Departure Changed To 11/15/13 08:36 AM
•Actual Runway Departure Changed To 11/15/13 08:52 AM
•Actual Runway Arrival Changed To 11/15/13 02:14 PM
•Actual Gate Arrival Changed To 11/15/13 02:25 PM
this the real time data and the data used for ontime stats. Delays in the jetway and door opening are not included.
"Airport conditions preventing departure" is not a WX report but rather suggesting operational issues -- which sound like what you reported.
what is inaccurate?