Is United quoting wrong reasons for delay? How is the reason determined?
#256
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Depends on the airplane. The 737 records the arrival time when the first door (main deck or cargo) in opened after the parking brake is set.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
#257
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1K, *wood LT Plat
Posts: 825
My understand there are two arrival times recorded.
-- touchdown
-- arrived at the gate and aircraft breaks are set
There are both automatic entered and don't require a human to initiate.
If you arrive at a gate, park but the jet bridge is inop -- the system will probably record the arrival at the first gate. Needing to move to another gate after parking is probably not accounted for by the system (pretty rare occurrence IME)
-- touchdown
-- arrived at the gate and aircraft breaks are set
There are both automatic entered and don't require a human to initiate.
If you arrive at a gate, park but the jet bridge is inop -- the system will probably record the arrival at the first gate. Needing to move to another gate after parking is probably not accounted for by the system (pretty rare occurrence IME)
Depends on the airplane. The 737 records the arrival time when the first door (main deck or cargo) in opened after the parking brake is set.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
#258
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The crew's pay is based on having the correct block-in time so they are motivated to follow up and ensure that the arrival time is updated.
#259
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Posts: 825
You may not see the correction in the web site or app flight status display. Those front-ends can be confused when the FLIFO information on the back-ends gets complicated. Also, I'm not sure that the FLIFO does get updated in these situations. We see it on our pay registers.
The crew's pay is based on having the correct block-in time so they are motivated to follow up and ensure that the arrival time is updated.
The crew's pay is based on having the correct block-in time so they are motivated to follow up and ensure that the arrival time is updated.
#260
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Depends on the airplane. The 737 records the arrival time when the first door (main deck or cargo) in opened after the parking brake is set.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
I believe that the Airbus records the last time that the parking brake was set prior to a door opening.
In a case such as you describe the arrival time might have to be changed manually. The flight crew will initiate the correction but it might take a little while for it to be updated.
FAB
There's a thread on this subject. United Quoting Wrong Reason for Delay.
Bottom line: Sometimes UA gets it wrong, and sometimes the error looks like an effort to avoid paying comp. OTOH in many cases, the passenger's conclusion that UA quoted the wrong issue turns out to be incorrect.
Personally, I don't think there's a pattern of improper conduct, though conspiracy theorists may conclude otherwise.
Bottom line: Sometimes UA gets it wrong, and sometimes the error looks like an effort to avoid paying comp. OTOH in many cases, the passenger's conclusion that UA quoted the wrong issue turns out to be incorrect.
Personally, I don't think there's a pattern of improper conduct, though conspiracy theorists may conclude otherwise.
FAB
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 7, 2017 at 10:35 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#261
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This past Friday, I was on UA9 (SFO-CTU), and when I got to the gate 5 minutes before boarding, the aircraft was no where to be found. Apparently, it was in transit from the parking area as the aircraft before us at the same gate (G91) encountered a MX delay (UA35, SFO-KIX). So we board late, which is compounded as 5L was broken and needed to be repaired. So, our total delay was due to MX...
...and UA codes it as weather.
...and UA codes it as weather.
Recently there was also a 'delay due to snow and ice removal difficulties' .... in June @ ORD
#262
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 175
Flight delayed because inbound plane not early enough?
I'm curious how this happens. UA407 (DEN-SEA) is leaving late because the arriving aircraft UA980 (IAD-DEN) is shown as arriving late. However, that aircraft is actually arriving ahead of schedule and the only way it would have been on time to continue as UA407 is if it had arrived 30 minutes or so early.
Was UA407 doomed to leave late? Or did something get rearranged that caused this situation?
Was UA407 doomed to leave late? Or did something get rearranged that caused this situation?
#263
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Almost certainly the aircraft that was scheduled to fly UA407 was delayed, and so they swapped it for a new one, being the one arriving as UA980.
This happens all the time - especially at hubs like DEN.
This happens all the time - especially at hubs like DEN.
#264
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Most likely the current aircraft is a replacement for the one that was originally scheduled to operate your flight. This happens all the time, and yes, it tends to confuse because flight status doesn't show the earlier history which would explain why you now have an on time arriving aircraft that is nonetheless "late" for purposes of its next flight.
#265
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Actually looks like this was a multi-aircraft swap.
UA407 was due to be flown by the plane arriving into Denver as UA509, which wasn't due to arrive until 8:52PM (and is delayed a little later than that).
UA509 was due to be flown by the plane that is actually going to be UA407.
Welcome to the complex world of aircraft schedule management. One delayed/canceled flight can lead to changes of multiple others in order to reduce the overall delays across the network.
UA407 was due to be flown by the plane arriving into Denver as UA509, which wasn't due to arrive until 8:52PM (and is delayed a little later than that).
UA509 was due to be flown by the plane that is actually going to be UA407.
Welcome to the complex world of aircraft schedule management. One delayed/canceled flight can lead to changes of multiple others in order to reduce the overall delays across the network.
#266
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Sitting in SFO, completely full 753, and the captain announced that too much fuel was added to the plane. The fuel gauge also has a problem, so they need to "drip" the fuel and calculate how much is loaded.
Reason for delay online is re-routing flight path due to severe weather. If thats true, it is purely secondary.
Cant think of a round trip on United this year where all flights were on time.
Reason for delay online is re-routing flight path due to severe weather. If thats true, it is purely secondary.
Cant think of a round trip on United this year where all flights were on time.
#267
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#268
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Sitting in SFO, completely full 753, and the captain announced that too much fuel was added to the plane. The fuel gauge also has a problem, so they need to "drip" the fuel and calculate how much is loaded.
Reason for delay online is re-routing flight path due to severe weather. If thats true, it is purely secondary.
Cant think of a round trip on United this year where all flights were on time.
Reason for delay online is re-routing flight path due to severe weather. If thats true, it is purely secondary.
Cant think of a round trip on United this year where all flights were on time.
#269
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#270
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Need to consider alternate airports, and have to be under a certain weight to land at the alternate airports. Too much fuel, and you will be overweight to land.