Latest UA dumpster fire - 7-hour delay, pushback and then crew times out
Jul 27, 23, 12:17 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Everywhere
Programs: UA GS, DL360, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,301
Latest UA dumpster fire - 7-hour delay, pushback and then crew times out
So for once today, DCA-EWR was running smoothly and had a couple hours to enjoy in the Polaris lounge.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of cleaning the plane and then a security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and
about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanationonly to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of cleaning the plane and then a security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and
about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanationonly to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
Jul 27, 23, 7:33 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 9,881
So for once today, DCA-EWR was running smoothly and had a couple hours to enjoy in the Polaris lounge.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of cleaning the plane and then a security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and
about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanationonly to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of cleaning the plane and then a security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and
about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanationonly to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
Good luck. Are you still going to get to BER? How was their recovery?
Jul 27, 23, 7:58 am
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,197
Jul 27, 23, 8:28 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Everywhere
Programs: UA GS, DL360, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,301
fortunately was able to rebook for today in the app - now lets see what the weather does
Jul 27, 23, 8:36 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,859
So for once today, DCA-EWR was running smoothly and had a couple hours to enjoy in the Polaris lounge.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of “cleaning the plane” and then a “security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and…
…about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanation…only to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
UA had even proactively notified of a delay on EWR-BER allowing a later departure out of DCA. What was 20:45 (3 hours late) turned into 23:45 (6 hours late) first because of “cleaning the plane” and then a “security check of documents. 23:45 pushback and…
…about 5 minutes out we stopped. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later we head back to gate with no explanation…only to finally find out around 01:00 (7+
hours late) that the crew had timed out and the flight was as cancelled.
How did we seriously get five minutes from the gate and this happens? The incompetence lately is staggering.
Jul 27, 23, 9:00 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,272
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
Jul 27, 23, 9:08 am
#9
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Quite the opposite, actually. Can you imagine the uproar if anybody found out that United didn't make every effort to operate the flight? The second-guessers already come out of the woodwork any time there's a timeout, suggesting that UA pilots don't really want to fly and would prefer to cancel just to enjoy screwing over the customers. Now you want them to actually do that?
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
Jul 27, 23, 9:12 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K 2MM
Posts: 930
Quite the opposite, actually. Can you imagine the uproar if anybody found out that United didn't make every effort to operate the flight? The second-guessers already come out of the woodwork any time there's a timeout, suggesting that UA pilots don't really want to fly and would prefer to cancel just to enjoy screwing over the customers. Now you want them to actually do that?
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
Jul 27, 23, 9:12 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,272
Well, if not the wheels-up time, then the landing slot at BER. The pilots aren't sitting around doing nothing after people board; the "last-minute paperwork" you hear about includes all of this stuff.
Jul 27, 23, 9:16 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,859
Quite the opposite, actually. Can you imagine the uproar if anybody found out that United didn't make every effort to operate the flight? The second-guessers already come out of the woodwork any time there's a timeout, suggesting that UA pilots don't really want to fly and would prefer to cancel just to enjoy screwing over the customers. Now you want them to actually do that?
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
OP: The reason that the crew timed out five minutes after leaving the gate might have been incompetence, but it seems much more likely that five minutes after leaving the gate is when they got the final word on their wheels-up time, and that wheels-up time was too late for them to operate the flight legally.
Jul 27, 23, 9:18 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Everywhere
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Posts: 5,301
