halls120

+1

Alpha Golf

No one cares what Scary mary thinks. She has zero credibility.

Seriously? $5,000 for a diversion?

FlyWorld

I can barely keep up with this thread anymore but I have one question that I think is of supreme importance:

How do the recent spate of mechanical issues compare with the norm for United Continental and for other airlines in general?

Are we experiencing a massive increase in mx activity or are we just spending a lot of time focusing on events that happen routinely all the time.

I'd think we could answer this question if we knew delays caused by mx.

I tried to figure this out on the RITA web site

(http://www.transtats.bts.gov/OT_Dela...ause1.asp?pn=1)

But they don't seem to report (in a way or place I could find) the cause of a delay or cancellation.

One thing I was able to do was to look at March and April 2015 compared to the same period in 2011 before United Airlines was under control of Continental Airlines systems, policies, and people.

Choosing that comparison, I could look at delays due to Air Carrier Delay (and I assume mx is a subset of this).

For this period 2011, that represented 3.23% of all delays. The same reason accounted for 7.68% of all days in 2015.

Maybe someone knows better than I how to look at total delays attributable to mx across time and across airlines. But, taking a stab at it, with disclosed assumptions, it would appear that Air Carrier Delay under Smisek control has increased by 237%.

No rational person can look at that data and say Smisek's approach is even close to the performance of the airline when it was run by United Airlines Inc.

If Air Carrier Delay is a proxy for mx and it has increased 237% then can we conclude that mx is off the charts on a historical proportionate basis?

jpezaris

And a refund of that leg. That single leg, EWR-LHR. Refunding only the affected leg is just being stingy when generosity is called for. I mean, isn't compensation for a simple IDB in the range of $500?

fgirard

Question: I'm not sure if the Bermuda II agreement can still be used, but one of the reasons why UA didn't continue YYR-LHR was due to slot control. Now, IIRC under the provisions of Bermuda II, US carriers could use STN, LGW and LTN as alternate London airports, so, even though the passengers were supposed to fly to LHR, LGW may have been a suitable alternative, especially for those connecting onwards to BA as they have the new South Terminal to use. So, 1) would they have been able to use LGW, STN or LTN?, and 2) If they were able to use the alternative airports, would there have been an issue with crew contracts, as well as other ancillary services [UKBA is at all 3 airports, so UA couldn't use that as a complaint. IIRC, UA uses outside contractors at LHR for most of their services, with the CS staff using non-dedicated gates, so would it really be that much of an issue to send 2 or 3 GAs out to either LGW, STN or LTN to receive the flight?]

Mike Jacoubowsky

Didn't many/most of us who fly a fair amount learn, some time ago, that it's a good idea to pack a change of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on, just in case? It doesn't have to be the airline's fault; weather is a variable that every flyer is going to be faced with at some point.

Or do many people actually "fly naked", bringing nothing into the cabin but themselves and their ipad, checking everything else?

But far as I know, UA (nor other airlines?) doesn't have any sort of common-sense-about-travel document to refer people to.

As for supplying amenity kits to everyone, I like the Air Force version-
Regarding Goose Bay itself, sounds like one of those automated Best Buy machines, loaded with pre-charged mobile phone chargers, could do really good business! Not to mention unlocked phones with local simcards.

Long story short (and this has become a very, very long story), United, and likely others, could do better at letting passengers know ahead of time about things that can go bump in the night (and how to best get through them), and United, in particular, could do a lot better at sounding like they have a heart.

JakiChan

The 40 degrees was in reference to an earlier poster who said that he doesn't turn his heat on until it's 32 degrees out, to which I expressed skepticism.
While not warm, manageable temperature.

If that's where United plans to bail out to, then they could at least make sure there are blankets there. Stick me in a sub-60 degree room, don't let me get a warmer clothes in my checked luggage, and don't give me a blanket and I'd be pretty cold. One passenger said he was wearing shorts.

TomMM

Count me as one who flies naked and for me, a diversion to YYR would be a cool adventure.

hotturnip

I keep coming back to this thread, hoping that I'm going to read UA has finally responded publicly.

Not because I'm hoping they'll do the right thing--but because I'm dying to see them put their foot further in mouth, right down the throat.

With a normal company, I'd say they were taking their time to craft an appropriate response. Not with UA! As others have said, they're just hoping it will blow over, but if it doesn't, and they're forced to respond, you just KNOW they'll make a steaming pile of it.

I know it's fashionable around here to blame this on CO, but my own experience was that this was part of the old UA culture, not CO. In any case the merged company is pretty terrible, although I still fly them occasionally.

NewportGuy

They're minors. I'm betting his taking "responsibility" had more to do with the legal responsibility than actual human compassion. Leaving a 12 year old to fend for herself in the Canadian wilderness almost certainly would have resulted in serious consequences for both the captain and the airline.

Fredd

Here's another one. I hope the UA marketing geniuses are reading this thread.

neuron

Note from Royal Canadian Air Force Base 5 Wing Goose Bay media officer:

Happy Valley-Goose Bay did its thing again for those on the United Airlines flight and so did the military crew at Royal Canadian Air Force Base 5 Wing Goose Bay, which stepped up big time.

“We provided them 200 rooms,” said Lieut. Olivier Gallant, the base’s media officer. “We also arranged for them to have food service, transportation, communications and long distance telephone service so they could phone their families around the world.”

They have a great mess hall at 5 Wing and cooks made sure there was a choice of three hot meals to choose from to meet the health and religious needs of the passengers. Snacks and beverages were provided in their rooms.

“We did our best to support the passengers and make them comfortable,” said Gallant.


also

Gallant acknowledged there were some issues with heat in just a few of the rooms and said they did their best to make repairs and other arrangements.


On another note, wonder if United pays the terminal fee of $1,161.36 (not sure if there is also a landing fee or a parking fee).

http://www.goosebayairport.com/fees.asp

Indelaware

UA's general policy is not to provide accommodations to minors; they stay in the airport terminal overnight. Clearly though, sleeping in YYR isn't the same as sleeping in EWR. That said, the YYR terminal is not the wilderness.

Fredd

I still consider it a decent act by the captain, even if U.A.'s policy states:

Will Dearborn

If the captain took care of his passengers and crew, who cares what kind of person he is? Carrying out his responsibilities as a professional pilot matters more than his motivation IMO.

I wonder what compensation the RCAF expects to get from United in return?

---

I diverted into Goose Bay a couple of times for weather/MX when coming back from OEF and OIF. It wasn't my favorite experience then - I can't imagine it was too fun as a paying customer.