laxmillenial

Flyertalk Article here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/u...n-program.html

Original Story here:
https://skift.com/2018/01/18/united-...s-are-delayed/

“[Normally] we [UA] would just say weather delay, and people look out and say it’s perfectly clear here, it’s perfectly clear in Chicago, you’re lying,” Kirby said.

I think this is a good thing as I can't even count on my hands how many times I've heard passengers say this. There are things that cascade, SFO runways, weather affecting flight paths, etc. More transparency creates a more-informed (better?) passenger.

mvitale

This is why I subscribe to updates of my plane backwards through the day. I tend to fly late afternoon/evening flights, so knowing that my plane is 2 hours delayed by 10am usually gives me a good idea that either my flight will be delayed, or my equipment will be swapped (which is SUPER important for my flight history spreadsheet! )

-mvitale

BThumme

Unfortunately for those of us who like to be proactive though, doesn't give us much ammunition to use in trying to change flights if need be.

Eg - Flying AZO-ORD-DEN last year on the last flight of the night AZO-ORD and ORD-DEN. Going back three flights on AZO-ORD, I see the plane is 2.5 hours late, and will surely miss the ORD-DEN flight. Calling UA and trying to be proactive doesn't get anywhere because planes could be swapped, it could make up the time, etc. Only once the flight is actually delayed does UA seem to be able to do anything about it. As you can guess, was delayed about 2 hours late, but didn't delay until the departure time of the previous ORD-AZO flight started slipping...and at that point, there just simply isn't any other options.

laxmillenial

My experiences with this is that it I don't have enough ammunition in trying to change flights because the delays post 'too late'. Even if the inbound is delayed, the actual flight won't post a delay until it's post-departure time.

However, Southwest does quite the opposite. They are able to post a delay 2-3 flights prior to the actual flight. But I find that it's annoying since they constantly move that departure time back and forward like a ping-pong ball. Goes from 2 hours delayed to 1 hour delayed to 2.5 hours delayed to 45 min delayed, etc. Would you prefer this? Or the UA way? Or somewhere in the middle...?

BThumme

I was in the middle of editing my post as a scenario to match exactly what you just posted. And I completely understand that planes can be swapped and make up time, etc etc...It's just I try to be proactive where I can, and while this information is nice to have, this is really to just help offset some anger when (as the story mentions) You're flying EWR-ORD and there's a weather delay, yet the weather in EWR and ORD is fine (but the inbound is coming from FLL and there's a big storm, for example).

I myself like to change things up where I can or closer to departure, so if there was the possibility of an hour-three hour delay, I'd much rather be given the option to make a change rather then hope all goes well.

beachmouse

The single plane class fleet lets Southwest be the kings of plane swaps. There have been a couple times I've flown them when I'm the last flight of the night to a thin spoke airport, and there will be multiple times when just when it seems like they've found a plane for you, it's given away to a higher priority route where they can get two more segments from it that day instead of one. And the WN delay keeps cascading...

Which, hey, good for Southwest's bottom line as a whole, but it's a disincentive for me to fly with them when it seems like they really don't care if those of us living in Podunk get home in a timely fashion.

laxmillenial

Interesting point. Is there an unpublished chart of 'high priority' routes? Or are these dynamic and do they change? I'm assuming anything going to a hub and being utilized for another flight is higher priority than O/D planes that will sit overnight.

beachmouse

Probably not; for me, it's largely a case of sitting close enough to the scheduled pilots for my flight at the gate to hear them grumbling about how ops just gave away 'their plane' to a NYC route.

Halo117

Very happy to hear this news. Being upfront with regards to information like this helps all of us make informed decisions or as another poster said up-thread (lessen the anger). The Kirby comment is spot on WRT "they think we're lying". The issue is that I have caught many agents use "weather" when if fact the plane was mechanical. I hope this allows agents to be upfront about actual delays as well. On the flip side I was downgraded from FC to E+ on recent flight due to an inopp seat. I initially didn't trust the agent...then I boarded and saw the seat taped over. Why am I so jaded as to not trust the agent? The trust factor has eroded with United....if this allows that trust to be rebuilt I am all for it.

COSPILOT

I'm a firm believer in more information is better, even if the recipient doesn't know what to do with it.

codex57

I'm curious too. I never could see any kind of "hub" from their flight map. I mean, they fly to some cities more than others, but it doesn't look like a hub. They just have more slots it seems.

chermorg

There are some cities considered hubs or at least focus cities, the ones that come to mind being DAL, HOU, MDW, etc. They also started out as a Texas airline, so I wouldn't be surprised if intra Texas routes were given priority given WN is one of the only airlines flying lots of reliable service within Texas (AA and UA both fly only RJs to most of their destinations and only a couple times per day).

sexykitten7

Based on the article it sounds like this will be a manual, not auto process. That can't be right, can it? Will they hire copywriters or make the ops people do book reports?

rufflesinc

Has anyone been successful getting a credit card travel insurance to reimburse when you try to be proactive and book another carrier when UA refuses to rebook?

laxmillenial

Could you be more specific?
For a delay of how long? Or a cancellation?