United (EV) CVG-EWR Flight is the "WORST Flight in America" WSJ
May 30, 2013, 4:57 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Another issue the article highlights -- and which I'm guessing many of us have experienced -- is the tendency to blame many delays on "weather," when the actual cause is more likely related to the systemwide problems already discussed.
May 30, 2013, 7:01 pm
#33
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When EWR capacity is limited and the FAA runs a delay program, UA controls the slots for UA and UAX. UA is choosing what flights to delay (swap slots) or cancel. The regional partner does not control their delay program slots.
May 30, 2013, 7:42 pm
#34
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May 30, 2013, 7:56 pm
#35
Join Date: May 2002
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I fly CVG-EWR a fair amount and can certainly attest to the delays. It's funny, as a PMUA guy I would try to avoid ORD due to the weather delays that could pop up there. After the merger I started flying through EWR more and quickly realized that ORD was paradise.
I am flying CVG-EWR next week en-route to an international destination that is only served through EWR. Fingers crossed...
I am flying CVG-EWR next week en-route to an international destination that is only served through EWR. Fingers crossed...
May 31, 2013, 12:41 am
#36
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May 31, 2013, 1:00 am
#37
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Let's face it...EWR is one of the worst airports in the country to fly into and out of. For years, I used to fly evening flights on CO back to AUS weekly. I expected delays pretty much every week. But eventually, delays become too big an issue. After several bad delays and dwindling upgrade rates in 2008, I moved to AA as my primary carrier after a 7pm departure became a 3am departure the next morning. Weather, mechanical x2, late crew, crew timed out...it was like every reason a flight could get delayed was happening in waves.
Along with my move to AA as primary, I swore that I would fly only morning flights from thereon out. I still fly UA, and I still occasionally fly evenings (if my schedule dictates it), but I have found that staying an extra night at a hotel and flying out first thing in the morning has significantly reduced the number of delays I am exposed to.
Beyond that, I believe UA should be flying more widebodies and mainline out of EWR for domestic, and reduce the RJ frequencies so that the congestion will get slightly better. Unless we all start booking away from RJs, management will not get the message...
Along with my move to AA as primary, I swore that I would fly only morning flights from thereon out. I still fly UA, and I still occasionally fly evenings (if my schedule dictates it), but I have found that staying an extra night at a hotel and flying out first thing in the morning has significantly reduced the number of delays I am exposed to.
Beyond that, I believe UA should be flying more widebodies and mainline out of EWR for domestic, and reduce the RJ frequencies so that the congestion will get slightly better. Unless we all start booking away from RJs, management will not get the message...
May 31, 2013, 7:52 am
#38
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I think SFO and EWR are very different. With SFO, delays are much harder to predict. At EWR, delays are very easy to predict and usually at the same time of day...
May 31, 2013, 8:18 am
#39
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it's when my boarding pass tells me to fly UAX out of terminal A, that's when i immediately assume i'll be delayed for hours... maybe i just have bad luck but i honestly can't remember the last expressjet flight i've had out of terminal A that left on time, and i've been doing it for years.
...now i wonder why i bother. maybe i'm a glutton for punishment.
May 31, 2013, 8:29 am
#40
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also when i fly mainline out of EWR, for the most part it's usually okay.
it's when my boarding pass tells me to fly UAX out of terminal A, that's when i immediately assume i'll be delayed for hours... maybe i just have bad luck but i honestly can't remember the last expressjet flight i've had out of terminal A that left on time, and i've been doing it for years.
...now i wonder why i bother. maybe i'm a glutton for punishment.
it's when my boarding pass tells me to fly UAX out of terminal A, that's when i immediately assume i'll be delayed for hours... maybe i just have bad luck but i honestly can't remember the last expressjet flight i've had out of terminal A that left on time, and i've been doing it for years.
...now i wonder why i bother. maybe i'm a glutton for punishment.
May 31, 2013, 9:19 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
I feel that SFO's reputation is worse than reality.
I've lived here for more than a decade and have experienced not even an handful of weather related delays arriving or departing. I know we have clouds. I know we have fog. I see it every day. And, yet, I simply have not encountered many weather related delays!
Maybe it's because I usually leave in the morning before the fog arrives and usually arrive at night when the fog has settled and traffic is low?
I do agree that UX is much worse than mainline. Including here. It seems like UX is just delayed, period, regardless of any other factor.
May 31, 2013, 9:54 am
#42
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For what it's worth, coming from the pmUA side, turn times INCREASED on RJ's after the merger. pmUA 50 seaters required a 24 minute turn, pmCO 50 seaters required 25 minutes.
May 31, 2013, 10:56 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Here's the year so far, for United Airlines mainline flights from SFO and EWR:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wcd3maht7...son.pdf?v=1mci
As far as ExpressJet (as referenced in the article)-- I'm not sure how to break those out from the data since they fly for more than one airline.
Data from the BTS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wcd3maht7...son.pdf?v=1mci
As far as ExpressJet (as referenced in the article)-- I'm not sure how to break those out from the data since they fly for more than one airline.
Data from the BTS
May 31, 2013, 12:40 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
Here's the year so far, for United Airlines mainline flights from SFO and EWR:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wcd3maht7...son.pdf?v=1mci
As far as ExpressJet (as referenced in the article)-- I'm not sure how to break those out from the data since they fly for more than one airline.
Data from the BTS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wcd3maht7...son.pdf?v=1mci
As far as ExpressJet (as referenced in the article)-- I'm not sure how to break those out from the data since they fly for more than one airline.
Data from the BTS
To what extent can an airline influence who is chosen for delay? I've always had an impression that dominant carriers have a certain amount of power and their dominant airports, such that they can influence delays to be given to less significant carriers. Any truth to that?
Jun 2, 2013, 12:49 pm
#45
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From what I understand, there are insufficient flight numbers available in the post-merger UA, so that leads to a lot of flipping around of flight numbers. There was a thread on this, but I can't find that right now to link to.