what is going on with USAir DCA-BOS tomorrow?!
Apr 20, 2005, 2:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Starwood Gold, USAir CP
Posts: 112
what is going on with USAir DCA-BOS tomorrow?!
Just had a meeting come up which changed my travel plans so that I need to fly from DC to Boston tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening. Every flight on USAir (and AA, etc.) is sold out, including anything connecting through NY, Philly, and so on! There literally is no way to leave DC after 3 and get to Boston before 9. Anyone know what's going on? I am mystified - it's a Thursday but I've never seen a Thursday this bad. Or, if anyone has suggestions about travel sites that might still have tickets, since our corporate travel is not helping here, I'd love to hear that too.
Apr 20, 2005, 2:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA EXP, HH Gold,MR Gold, Avis CHM
Posts: 2,300
Originally Posted by Letisko
Just had a meeting come up which changed my travel plans so that I need to fly from DC to Boston tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening. Every flight on USAir (and AA, etc.) is sold out, including anything connecting through NY, Philly, and so on! There literally is no way to leave DC after 3 and get to Boston before 9. Anyone know what's going on? I am mystified - it's a Thursday but I've never seen a Thursday this bad. Or, if anyone has suggestions about travel sites that might still have tickets, since our corporate travel is not helping here, I'd love to hear that too.
Apr 21, 2005, 4:47 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: DC|NYC
Programs: UA GS, DL Plat, Marriott Bonvoy LIfetime Titanium/SPG refugee, Hertz Prez, Amtrak Select
Posts: 3,201
Only going to get worse...
NPR reports this morning that Acela is out of service until summer. They need something like 1800 brake pads and the manufacturer only has 50! Maybe this will be a little windfall for US.
Apr 21, 2005, 5:23 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Atlantic Beach, Florida, USA
Posts: 1,000
Originally Posted by ClueByFour
Acela down, and the marathon was on Monday, no?
Yep, Monday was Patriots Day. However, that should not have effected inbound on Wednesday.
Many schools in New England had spring break this week. Could be people traveling home. NYC and DC were filled with teenagers on high school trips last weekend and a friend said Dizzy World was mobbed with people wearing Red Sox and Pats gear on Monday.
Sounds like you may have lots of kids and families on your flights.
Apr 21, 2005, 5:59 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington DC
Programs: BA GLD, AA GLD 1MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,700
I don't think that Amtrak is the primary cause of the situation - I was trying to book DCA-BOS plane tickets a couple of weeks ago, and availability was already terrible at that point for this weekend, with very high prices. I ended up booking Independence Air out of IAD (which, when I checked last night, was completely sold out IAD-BOS for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). I think, as other posters have said, it's people going back from spring vacation, etc.
Apr 21, 2005, 7:43 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
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I don't quite understand why DCA - BOS nonstop flights would be so oversold with no Acela service. Not many business travellers took the Acela for that route. They would use it for the 2-3 hour segments, like WAS-NYP or NYP-BOS.
Apr 22, 2005, 12:19 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Starwood Gold, USAir CP
Posts: 112
It seemed like a lot of business travelers, actually. I took the 4:45 DCA-BOS last night and it was beyond packed. I got to the airport around 3:30 (early for once) and the standby list was already closed. An hour before the flight the gate attendants were yelling at people who were on the list that there was no possible way they'd get on so stop asking.
Off-topic, but when is DCA going to install wireless access near the shuttle gates? Would make life so much easier!
Off-topic, but when is DCA going to install wireless access near the shuttle gates? Would make life so much easier!