What the hell happened to our airline industry?

[JackBeck]

About a month ago, we were supposed to fly to Cincinnati to surprise my father in-law for his 70th birthday. We were just about to walk out the door for the airport at around 7:30am when we received a call from the airline informing us that our flight had been canceled.

A few weeks back, I was scheduled to attend a conference in Dallas. I again got up extra early to make it to the airport. This included taking the train from Jersey into the city and then taking a cab from Midtown NYC to Queens. I got on the plane, sat on the runway for almost 4 hours, only to taxi back to the gate since our flight was canceled. Fortunately, at the last minute, I got a seat on a flight out of Newark, which got me to my hotel room at 3:00 AM. Otherwise, I would have missed the conference.

Just yesterday, my husband had a flight out of Cincinnati that would have got him through the front door at around 6PM. His flight was delayed, then canceled. He got home today around 2pm.

Over the past month, collectively, we've had 4 flights canceled! What's wrong with the airline industry? During the flight where I sat on the tarmac for almost 4 hours, as we were taxing back to the gate, the pilot got on the PA system and blamed the FAA. He said that they were in contract negotiations with the government and were playing hardball. The Mr. heard the same thing last night when his flight was canceled. He rationalized it as an excuse so the airline wouldn't be responsible for paying for his overnight stay.

Anyone else having problems with traveling? Or rather, does anyone know what the f*** is going on?

[SoCalDem]

1. The Hub system and deregulation/cannibalism n/t

[MADem]

2. Cancellations are up across the board. It's a combo of weather,

and maintenance, and air traffic control infrastructure age. They're talking about upgrading the latter to enable planes to fly closer together and increase take offs and landings...oh joy....

[JackBeck]

7. The "weather" thing I don't understand and think is a convenient excuse.

For example, our flight to Cincy was canceled due to weather. At 8 in the morning. We immediately went online and found no disturbances.

:shrug:

[NJCher]

19. worst on time arrival is right here in the Garden State

Hi Neighbor. :hi: WO here.

Of course, I'm sure you know EWR has the worst on-time arrival of any airport in the country.

Personally, I quit traveling about five years ago because of all the security hassles. I may make one trip a year and I dread even that.

I had planned an August trip but canceled it due to hearing stories like yours.

I may make another try in October.

Really, though, it's just not worth it anymore.

I heard tonight that Amtrak ticket sales are way up because people are fed up with the airlines.



Cher

[MADem]

25. It's not just weather where you're at--it could be weather where your PLANE is at.

These planes are constantly in the air and on the move. Land, clean 'em, gas 'em, new pilot/crew and off they go again. The plane you take at noontime could have started off in Atlanta, then gone to NY, then somewhere else to get you. Don't think Point A to Point B--because that might not be the way it plays. A hurricane that fucks up flights in Puerto Rico and Jamaica can have a ripple effect in NYC or Houston. A lightening storm in Ohio can hose it for people in Las Vegas.

[rzemanfl]

3. Like everything else, this is Bushco's fault. n/t

[JackBeck]

9. Truth be told

I said the same thing to my guy this evening over dinner. And I'm not one of those "blame x" for everything, but you have to remember the report released right before the 2004 election giving our infrastructure an "F", I believe.

[flvegan]

4. HA! No kidding. My roomie is currently sitting on the runway

waiting to head to Atlanta. Been sitting there for 4 hours.

[JackBeck]

15. This country is so broken.

I feel for your roomie. I hope he gets some soda and crackers like we got sitting around waiting for nothing to happen.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

17. should be thankful he was on the runway and not in the air

because NO ONE was landing in ATL tonight for quite a while...serious storms over the airport area...

sP

[alarimer]

5. Deregulation

Sure, we have cheaper air fares but when they are ALWAYS late, who really cares?

I also blame the hub system. Too many flights on smaller planes (which are cheaper to operate I suppose), instead of fewer flights carrying more people.
The last few times I have flown, every flight has been late. Sometimes only a few minutes. Once, I was over 24 hours late! Unacceptable if you are on a short vacation.

And the have lost my luggage the last few times I have flown.

[JackBeck]

21. While the "hub" excuse keeps reappearing throughout this thread

I'm serious as to why both I and my husband were given the pass the blame onto the FAA.

I'm growing increasingly curious as to what is going on with the FAA since I haven't heard a peep from the MSM.

[alarimer]

23. I read the hub explanation in Ask the Pilot at Salon

Or whatever the column is called now. I think the hubs (Atlanta, Dallas, Newark, etc) get really busy because whatever airline you use you almost always have to fly through some hub. More chances to be late. Get this, I flew from Austin, Texas to Minneapolis, MN and changed planes in Atlanta. Definitely seemed out of the way to do, but it was on Delta and Atlanta is their hub so it was necessary I guess. Southwest has been great when I can use them. You fly into regional airports (because they were shut out of the major ones); they are less busy and therefore more likely to be on time.

As for the FAA I have no idea. Maybe the airlines simply don't want you to think it was their fault. I am sure we can blame the FAA for a lot, though.

[qdemn7]

6. Right now

The airlines are screwing their employees left and right. Asking for wage and benefit cuts, while no cuts for the executives. Asking them to work longer hours. So the only way the employees can fight back is live up to their union contract TO THE LETTER.

Do you know airline pilots are only supposed to fly 80-90 hours a month? Doesn't sound like much. The problem is that "Flight Time" only counts from take-off to landing. The time spent in flight preparation, the time waiting to push back from the gate, taxiing, waiting on the tarmac to take off, taxiing back, unloading your passengers, post flight... all that doesn't count. So a 5 hour flight might actually take 12 hours, or more. Crews are flying tired. Add to that a shortage of pilots. Ask yourself this: You want a tired pilot at the controls? I don't.

Add to that the FAA computer systems are behind the times. The FAA is a joke. The FAA should be abolished and the NTSB should take over all responsibility.

Finally as always, management has the ultimate responsibility. Poor management has led to many problems.

[spiderpig]

11. I'll second that qdemn7.

Worked for one of the majors for many years. For the first decade or so the emphasis was on quality service. Then, as the corporatists took over, cost-cutting became their obsession. The passenger service staff and flight crews had their resources cut to the bone and had to face the wrath of the flying public, while the CEOs and BofDs gave themselves bonuses and patted themselves on the back for their financial acumen.

I used to be proud of my company and my performance. When I truly detested the company and hated going to work, I quit and left the airline. Many others did too. Some had no choice and had to stay.

A sad commentary on a once-great industry.

[shance]

8. Destabilize all areas of our lives and we become too stressed/exhausted to resist

Until Americans pool our energies against the abusers, the abuse and bad treatment towards virtually all citizens will continue.

[bdamomma]

10. Air travel is not the same anymore, more hassles and alot more

headaches, oh, I forgot 9/11 changed everything.:sarcasm:

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. Another repuke fuck up...Ronald Reagan's smooth move. Have they done ANYTHING right?

NO.

[AlCzervik]

13. St. Ronnie happened to airline industry, he also happened to the phone company

and the fairness doctrine.

[OHdem10]

14. Regan De-Regulated and the Executives went

crazy and have succeeded in running the Induatry into
the ground.

Also, no one ever thinks of what Globalization is doing
to all of our Industries, Businesses??


As the Middle Class lose ground financially, their flying
is limited. Buying Power is limited.

People wonder--what is happening to Macy's? Struggling.

Their shoppers now have to go to Sears, Penneys, WalMart and
K-Mart.

These business types should get out and see what Globalization
and Free-Trade does in the real world. Economic Theory can
work only if the proper rules and guidelines were used in the
first place.

Lots of things affect Airlines, but do not ever forget
it all began with Regan's DeRegulation.

[defendandprotect]

18. Right, because there's no way that capitalists don't devour themselves . . . .

Capitalism isn't about competition -- it's about killing the competition.

Only regulated capitalism can succeed ----

[ProdigalJunkMail]

16. I travel as much as just about anyone

and to be honest, I rarely have a problem. I maintain elite status with three airlines (one of those airlines sees me as a minor deity) and I just don't run into the problems like that. I haven't had a flight cancel on me in over a year and most of the time I arrive within 30 minutes of advertised landing time (with exceptions twice for weather and once for mechanical that was actually really mechanical as they had the cowling off of one of the engines...).

sP

[Igel]

20. It's the luck of the draw.

In the last couple of years all my flights--not many, but certainly not zero--have arrived *early*. All left within 10 minutes of scheduled departure time. None were cancelled. I had no special attention from security. No luggage was lost. On one flight they were short of space so they promoted me to first class--and when I changed planes, my first-class status followed me even though the connecting flight was only half full.

My wife's flown about as much. One year she was pulled aside for more in-depth searches 4 times. They've lost her luggage, and wrecked one suitcase. She flew from Arizona to Texas on Monday: She showed up to check in 45 minutes before departure time and was told her seat had already been given to somebody on standby; so she was on standby to DFW, where the flight she was to be on was cancelled and she was told all other flights that day were full. After arguing with three different AA folk and having the 3-year-old pitch a fit, she and the tyke were finally put on Continental, who hadn't been given her luggage. We got her luggage on Tuesday.

All my wife's crappy flights are concentrated into just those flights that I'm not on. It's gotten so she's beginning to think it's her, not just one of those unlikely coincidences that, because of the sheer number of flights and passengers, happen rather often.

[ruiner4u]

22. Its gone down hill quite a bit...

some have been mentioned upthread.. Most importantly upper management has tried to micromanage every nickel and dime they can. For instance, a flight will be canceled if it does not have a set number of sold seats. Its a fair bet to assume that at least one of your flights was canceled due to that.. My aunt, who has been a flight attendant since the 60's, waxed nostalgic once about Pan Am's heydey.. she said "they would fly an empty deck as long as it had a belly full of mail".. Back then it was still cost effective to fly empty plans because they could rely so much on cargo...

Now, not so much...

[unkachuck]

24. speaking as a non-flyer....

....my main concern with the airline industry is that they don't drop those flying chunks of shit out of the sky onto me....it's a proven fact, only rich people fly....should we be worrying about rich people and their inconvenience problems while 50 million go without healthcare?....

....why do people go through all the hassle just to fly anyway?....can't you sit back, relax and drive?....or take a train?....leave a few hours or days early and enjoy yourself....if God meant for you to fly he would have given you wings....(no creature has wheels, so wheels are exempt from this theory)....

....airline de-regulation began under Jimmy Carter, he's the culprit....

[MADem]

26. Only rich people fly? Have you seen that show on cable featuring those fifty buck

SOUTHWEST passengers?

It costs more to take the train than to fly most places.