Late arriving crew for a flight the next day?
May 3, 2013, 12:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Ex Plt
Posts: 1,630
Late arriving crew for a flight the next day?
Can anyone explain this? I have a flight tomorrow and I received an email 19H in advance that the flight is delayed because the crew is going to be late. I am trying not to rant but the crew is late a day in advance? Really?This delay makes me miss my connection which is the real PITA.
United flight UAXXXX on May 4 is delayed and awaiting arrival of the crew.
Now departs: #:## a.m. on May 4 from gate X, Baltimore, MD (BWI)
Now arrives: #:## a.m. on May 4 at New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty)
Please be at the gate for boarding prior to the original scheduled departure time of #:## a.m., as the departure time could be revised again.
Information is subject to change. For up-to-the-minute flight status information, go to united.com, use the United mobile app or check flight information screens at the airport.
Now departs: #:## a.m. on May 4 from gate X, Baltimore, MD (BWI)
Now arrives: #:## a.m. on May 4 at New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty)
Please be at the gate for boarding prior to the original scheduled departure time of #:## a.m., as the departure time could be revised again.
Information is subject to change. For up-to-the-minute flight status information, go to united.com, use the United mobile app or check flight information screens at the airport.
May 3, 2013, 12:45 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN, SQ Gold
Posts: 479
Would you prefer to learn about the delay no earlier than upon arrival at the airport? 
I find it actually pretty good customer service to inform the customer in the very moment a problem becomes known - instead of last minute.
Crews have schedules and turnarounds, max duty times and such, ya know?
I find it actually pretty good customer service to inform the customer in the very moment a problem becomes known - instead of last minute.
Crews have schedules and turnarounds, max duty times and such, ya know?
May 3, 2013, 12:47 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Ex Plt
Posts: 1,630
Cheers -
Agree on the CS but it's only your last line is helpful since that is information that I asked about.
Has this happened to others - a crew designated as late a day in advance?
Would you prefer to learn about the delay no earlier than upon arrival at the airport?
I find it actually pretty good customer service to inform the customer in the very moment a problem becomes known - instead of last minute.
Crews have schedules and turnarounds, max duty times and such, ya know?
I find it actually pretty good customer service to inform the customer in the very moment a problem becomes known - instead of last minute.
Crews have schedules and turnarounds, max duty times and such, ya know?
Last edited by iluv2fly; May 3, 2013 at 3:44 pm Reason: merge
May 3, 2013, 12:53 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
The snippets which carriers use are not intended to provide deep background. "Late arriving crew" in this particular context likely means that UAX already knows that the crew schedule for this flight will arrive too late to operate the flight tomorrow. FAA rules strictly limit the # of hours worked and mandate crew rest periods.
As to the PITA, namely missing the connection at PHL, if you have no other good connections, you can ask for a refund of the segment (not a voucher, but a credit to the original form of payment) and take the train to PHL in less than 2 hours.
As to the PITA, namely missing the connection at PHL, if you have no other good connections, you can ask for a refund of the segment (not a voucher, but a credit to the original form of payment) and take the train to PHL in less than 2 hours.
May 3, 2013, 12:56 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
There is an active weather waiver in Chicago today, it's likely that your flight tomorrow is a down-the-line flight impacted by the weather in Chicago today. Crew backed up somewhere because of delays in Chicago and due to FAA regs, etc., they may have needed to swap crews which means the new crew is coming from another location, etc, etc. Not that uncommon when weather waivers are in effect at the hubs.
May 3, 2013, 12:58 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Ex Plt
Posts: 1,630
Thank you
It's part of a mileage run and I am having a hard time making the rest of the flights work [part of the risk of a complicated routing for miles]. I understand that a direct is better at this point but my last UA generated route change was more hassle than it was worth trying to get original routing credit. UA CS stated that it would be a one-time exception and no more.
Cheers
It's part of a mileage run and I am having a hard time making the rest of the flights work [part of the risk of a complicated routing for miles]. I understand that a direct is better at this point but my last UA generated route change was more hassle than it was worth trying to get original routing credit. UA CS stated that it would be a one-time exception and no more.
Cheers
The snippets which carriers use are not intended to provide deep background. "Late arriving crew" in this particular context likely means that UAX already knows that the crew schedule for this flight will arrive too late to operate the flight tomorrow. FAA rules strictly limit the # of hours worked and mandate crew rest periods.
As to the PITA, namely missing the connection at PHL, if you have no other good connections, you can ask for a refund of the segment (not a voucher, but a credit to the original form of payment) and take the train to PHL in less than 2 hours.
As to the PITA, namely missing the connection at PHL, if you have no other good connections, you can ask for a refund of the segment (not a voucher, but a credit to the original form of payment) and take the train to PHL in less than 2 hours.
There is an active weather waiver in Chicago today, it's likely that your flight tomorrow is a down-the-line flight impacted by the weather in Chicago today. Crew backed up somewhere because of delays in Chicago and due to FAA regs, etc., they may have needed to swap crews which means the new crew is coming from another location, etc, etc. Not that uncommon when weather waivers are in effect at the hubs.
May 3, 2013, 12:59 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
If this inconvenience is too much to bear, call res and see what they have to offer. Good luck!
Added after original post--- I see you called them and got some sort of assistance!
May 3, 2013, 1:02 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Thank you
It's part of a mileage run and I am having a hard time making the rest of the flights work [part of the risk of a complicated routing for miles]. I understand that a direct is better at this point but my last UA generated route change was more hassle than it was worth trying to get original routing credit. UA CS stated that it would be a one-time exception and no more.
Cheers
It's part of a mileage run and I am having a hard time making the rest of the flights work [part of the risk of a complicated routing for miles]. I understand that a direct is better at this point but my last UA generated route change was more hassle than it was worth trying to get original routing credit. UA CS stated that it would be a one-time exception and no more.
Cheers
May 3, 2013, 1:10 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
I'm fascinated that you criticize all of our helpfulness, due to reasons that you didn't post in the initial e-mail. You could've noted that you were already working on a re-route or on an MR. But now you claim you care more about "why is the crew going to be late" than the missed connection.
For some reason the airplane that the OP wants to fly on ain't going to fly when it was originally scheduled & it don't hardly matter WHY, cause it ain't happening. Being a 1k or a 99Z won't get this aircraft out any earlier. Suck it up and move on to "Plan B"! Actually, I think that UA was being very customer service oriented by notifying the OP in advance so that he can make other arrangements!
May 3, 2013, 1:19 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Mileage Plus Premier Silver
Posts: 29
I'm fascinated that you criticize all of our helpfulness, due to reasons that you didn't post in the initial e-mail. You could've noted that you were already working on a re-route or on an MR. But now you claim you care more about "why is the crew going to be late" than the missed connection.
I would actually prefer to find out this information in advance than get a big surprise at the airport when I am checking in. I am no UA cheerleader, but in this case, I think they did the right thing by the customer.
May 3, 2013, 1:34 pm
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 981
and why bother helping the OP answer the question when he's being snippy about it.
May 3, 2013, 5:20 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
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I actually find the OP's original question pretty clear. Wanted to know how a delay 19 hours in advance is possible. He wasn't asking about how to reroute.
I find many of the responses overly critical.
I find many of the responses overly critical.
May 3, 2013, 8:12 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
The snippets which carriers use are not intended to provide deep background. "Late arriving crew" in this particular context likely means that UAX already knows that the crew schedule for this flight will arrive too late to operate the flight tomorrow. FAA rules strictly limit the # of hours worked and mandate crew rest periods.