How likely for DUB ORD to divert in the summer?

Summer isn't the problem. The headwinds pick up in winter that force the gas and gos.

Only twice last summer, June and August, so 2%?

In the summer there is almost no headwind and the day and night flighttimes are identical. It took me 6 hours to get there this summer and 6 hours back.

Speed reached 550 over ocean aswell.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps165cd1d2.jpg

I wouldn't be surprised if UA made a bigger profit on the 757s than DL on the 767s. Sure, the widebodies carry more passengers, but they're also more expensive to operate (more fuel, more crew).

Besides, I'd rather take a chance on a 1-hr delay than a guaranteed 1-hr of extra time connecting through some EU hub.

Some widebody products are crappy e.g British Airways. The 757 avod is pretty good so often you are actually getting a better service..

I was on AA121 the other day when it made a few stop. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as was expected. That said, my big complaints were the following (I'd guess a lot of these complaints apply to UA too):
1) Little-no communication. No email from AA about delayed arrival, CDG agents knew basically no more than AA.com. AA.com was on the fritz and seemed to think it would be a 3.5 hr delay (which it wasn't)
2) No additional food. We were 1hr20 delayed and it wasn't a big deal, but they barely feed you enough for 8.5 hrs, nevertheless 10. They could've at least given everyone a 10EUR voucher to buy an extra snack in the airport
3) This is a known issue. It would not kill them to put a bit of a notification on the website when you buy. Maybe something to the tune of "at times, this flight will have to make a brief fuel stop in North America."

Honestly, as I said, it wasn't that big a deal. But it was enough of a nuisance that I would probably fly DL/AF on my next flight back from CDG rather than have to deal with it again.

They don't put it on the flight reliability stats or notify passengers in advance because this counts as a weather issue.

And it is to an extent -- but...

In fact, as we all know, the deeper cause is an operational/management decision to operate a route using equipment that has range for *most*, but not *all* of the typical operating conditions during a year. Just like JetBlue and their A320s.

Not criticizing their choice, but that is the explanation for it.

There are many sins that "weather" covers. Just like the root cause of airport capacity or hub airline flight prioritization causes huge delays, but can be covered by the excuse of "weather" as well.

Do they let you get off the plane?

Another D-Day over the atlantic today with UA63 (MAD-EWR), UA69 (ARN-EWR) and UA121 (BCN-EWR) visiting northern Canada for fuel...UA125 (the flight I am monitoring before taking this in February) is not operating today as a few other 757-flights.

To be honest though the winds in Europe are predicted to be very high today and over the weekend, though, so this may in fact be a uncommon weather situation even for this time of the year.

Greetings - Dirk

The high winds have stopped now. It reached 70mph here last night now its still.

The winds never at any point affected Madrid or Barcelona.

Well, were I live (western part of Germany) we currently brace for the winds, estimated to be 120km/h and higher. Supposed to go on like that over the whole weekend...

Greetings - Dirk

Jet stream wind speeds at altitude are different than the wind speeds reported at ground level.

Here is a report that shows eastbound TATL travel can also be an adventure: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/tr...ds-745mph.html


SunLover

YQX isn't northern Canada! At 48-49N it's further south than the U.S./Can border out west. YYR at 53N is more northerly but in a country that extends to 80N that's positively tropical :) eastern Canada would be a better description. Sorry to knit pick, just a sensitive Newfoundlander here who tries to spread the word about our beautiful little rock in the ocean. Most North American maps do use a projection that shows us near Greenland but I live farther south than Seattle. Minor geography lesson for today. Now back to your regular program...

Holy bad winds today - looks like almost EVERY westbound transatlantic made a fuel stop today, including LHR-IAD and LHR-EWR! Only SNN-EWR was planned nonstop along with 115 LHR-EWR. The other 757 LHR-EWR canceled :rolleyes:

edit: DUB-EWR overflew a planned BGR stop, looks like they had enough fuel after all