My last few flight not only left on time, but arrived about twenty minutes early!

Yay, recession!


/ bewbies, I think.

maxx2112: My last few flight not only left on time, but arrived about twenty minutes early!

That's what happens when your flight leaves on time these days.

/was on a Delta regional from NYC to Indy, just over an hour of time in the air, the duration on the ticket was 2.5 hours
//left way late, got there on time

Reading this while waiting for to board a delayed flight on an otherwise fine evening weather-wise... So I guess I should be getting a kick out this.
Yay?

DNRTFA but, having worked for an airline I know flight delays reflect badly on the carrier.

And people say nothing good came of Bush's presidency.

That was an awesome flight delay!

This is often because the planes are not full. The more people, the longer it takes to get going.

The airlines could solve that problem anytime, good economy or bad. But they seldom try. Even with a recession, they charge bag fees that encourage folks to drag them on board and slow boarding.

/Airlines suck. Flown on them, worked for them.

I flew from Chicago to California to see my sick Grandfather last week.

US Airways cancelled my morning flight, re-booking me on a flight that had two layovers.

My Grandfather died while I spent two hours sitting on the Phoenix Tarmac in 90 degree heat so they could fix a problem caused by their ground crew.

Fark you, US Airways.

MONSTERTRUCK: DNRTFA but, having worked for an airline I know flight delays reflect badly on the carrier.

Thanks Ric Romero....stop by the courtesy desk and pick up your mustache wax.

Doesn't make up for TSA.

Flight delays are better since airlines are flying less flights.

I was trying to book some tickets on Friday, and where there used to be ~10 choices of flights with various connections, it was down to five choices.

I was flying yesterday, talking to approach in the arrivals sector for SJC, and I was the only plane on frequency for about 15mins before a Southwest flight checked in. Before the recession, it would be a steady stream of SJC arrivals and planes heading to other airports (SFO, OAK, etc).

commencing threadjack

is it just me, or has Consumerist gone way downhill? It used to be on my must-visit-daily list, but ever since they spun off from gawker, the quality of the stories have steadily declined. At least, to me.

As someone who suffered a 4 hour delay this morning on a flight from SFO to LAX, I officially NAYSAY this thread.

edmo: This is often because the planes are not full. The more people, the longer it takes to get going.

The airlines could solve that problem anytime, good economy or bad. But they seldom try. Even with a recession, they charge bag fees that encourage folks to drag them on board and slow boarding.

/Airlines suck. Flown on them, worked for them.

I don't know what Airline you fly, but every flight I've been on in the past couple months have been full.

/Not many flights - but all ~ 8 flights - I've been on have either been overbooked or completely full - on three different airlines too.

Hmm fark worthy?

Was on a Jet Blue flight two days ago and was delayed 3 hours. The flight next to us 5. Not weather.

A delay where you have to sit in the airport for hours is one thing. I feel worse for those people I occasionally read about who have to spend hours sitting in the plane on the tarmac.

I'm slightly claustrophobic as it is, but being trapped in a hot, non-moving plane with 100 other people and probably 4 screaming babies, I'd be one of the people who goes apeshiat insane to get off that plane.

And then the cops would come arrest me, and you'd all read about me on Fark.

CygnusDarius: Doesn't make up for TSA.

I'd say winner, but really, we're all losers here.

Epsilon: And then the cops would come arrest me, and you'd all read about me on Fark.

And on that day, when someone asks facetiously, "I wonder what his Fark handle is," I will answer matter-of-factly, "Epsilon."

i pretty much live on airplanes--usually 2-4 flights per week, and some weeks more.

i quit worrying about flights being on time--either they are late in leaving, late in getting in, early getting in, and then sit there because we have to wait for a gate or gate agent because we are early--making connections, etc.

i dont run thru airports any more. just is not worth it. if i miss the flight because we got in late and there is a tight connection, i just have the airline rebook me.

it just is not worth worrying over anymore. not a damn thing you can do about it, so just roll with the punches.

GoodOmens: I don't know what Airline you fly, but every flight I've been on in the past couple months have been full.

/Not many flights - but all ~ 8 flights - I've been on have either been overbooked or completely full - on three different airlines too.

This, I've been on several WN flights this year and all have been 90%+, with my last three all 100% full, no empty seats at all.

FTFA:

Airlines' hub-and-spoke system, which means that delays at the country's busiest airports delay as many, many passengers and reverberate throughout the system.

Well said Consumerist.

Flights are actually leaving early if everyone is on board. Also if they have to wait for you they don't give you a second, if the plane is scheduled to leave at 7:15 the plane is backing out at 7:16 with or without your fat ass.


I like this change.

/Once was on an international flight that waited an hour for some douche bag

Well yeah. Since nobody even farking wants to go to the airport anymore.

I had a flight canceled in Denver due to mechanical issues, but the airline put me on another flight leaving about a half hour and the seat they gave me in was First Class!

/It was United of all things!

shinjitsuism: I had a flight canceled in Denver due to mechanical issues, but the airline put me on another flight leaving about a half hour and the seat they gave me in was First Class!

/It was United of all things!

Was your guitar OK?

I'm flying soon and I hope my flight into denver is early because I have 30 minutes to get to the next plane for florida.

Wynner3: I'm flying soon and I hope my flight into denver is early because I have 30 minutes to get to the next plane for florida.

You do realize DIA is the largest (in square miles) airport in the United States....wear your running shoes, and good luck!

IAD to FRA to DEL from Friday night until Sunday morning. Left Dulles over a half hour late, but arrived in Frankfurt only seven minutes late. Left Frankfurt a few minutes early, arrived New Delhi almost on time. Didn't matter, since we waited an hour for our luggage. Pretty sure they just have one tuk-tuk going back and forth between the plane and the baggage belt....

12349876: maxx2112: My last few flight not only left on time, but arrived about twenty minutes early!

That's what happens when your flight leaves on time these days.

/was on a Delta regional from NYC to Indy, just over an hour of time in the air, the duration on the ticket was 2.5 hours
//left way late, got there on time

The easiest way the airlines can keep their 'on time arrival' metrics is to over estimate the flight time. If a flight takes one hour from gate to gate, they will show flight time on our itinerary as 1:15 from departure to arrival. This way, if they run a few min late, they're still 'on time' with that fifteen minute buffer. And no one really complains if they arrive fifteen minute earlier than scheduled.

jjs1978: Wynner3: I'm flying soon and I hope my flight into denver is early because I have 30 minutes to get to the next plane for florida.

You do realize DIA is the largest (in square miles) airport in the United States....wear your running shoes, and good luck!

Having been through many a flight to DIA, it's easy. Find out what gate you need to go to, and get on the right concourse. They have a really nifty tram system for that.

Once you're there, the horizontal escalators make walking easy.

Don't stress :)

To people who ever biatch about airplanes, remember: Once you get up in the air you end up going close to 600 mph. If you think its horrible because it took 5 hours instead of 3, try driving to your destination next time and compare times.

// direct flights ftw!

if DIA wasn't a 30-45 minute drive from downtown it would rule. I hope Frontier sticks around because it spoils you having them based here. As I said, direct flights ftw! Frontier basically allows you to do that from DIA.

Direct flights are almost always worth the cost. Every extra flight you add greatly increases your chances to experience delays.

Also, just because the weather rocks where you are at, if it sucks at the airport you are flying to, you will be delayed.

Naturally they will need a bailout because of this.

pacified: if DIA wasn't a 30-45 minute drive from downtown it would rule. I hope Frontier sticks around because it spoils you having them based here. As I said, direct flights ftw! Frontier basically allows you to do that from DIA.

Direct flights are almost always worth the cost. Every extra flight you add greatly increases your chances to experience delays.

Also, just because the weather rocks where you are at, if it sucks at the airport you are flying to, you will be delayed.

I really like DIA, even with its distance from downtown. It's well laid out, easy to navigate and (dare I say it) a fun airport to be in. I used to work there back before 9/11/01 and I was really bummed when the TSA forbade anyone going back behind security without a boarding pass. I'd just hop on those horizontal escalators and coast for hours watching the planes. I also wore an onion on my belt, as it was the style at the time.

/geek
//babbling geek at that
///realizes there's no point to that, but I'm bored waiting for my short bus to arrive.
////mixed news, these paratransit services.

Wow, all this talk about it being the airlines fault, and no mention of how haing less aircraft in the air means that ATC can get planes what they need, faster.
There is a finite amount of space through which you can push planes, when it gets clogged, you end up in a hold over your destination airport, or in a ground stop at your departure airport. With fewer planes on the highways in the sky, there is less requirement for holds, so less delays. The few delays you may get at this time is probably from either mechanical (airline fault) and bad weather (no ones fault really)

The author must not have flown through ATL anytime recently. Delays there still happen frequently.

/I'm looking at your Airtran
//Delta is marginally better

Someone needs to talk with Delta. My flight Friday was delayed 2 hours. The first hour because there was no plane, the second hour because there was no pilot to fly the plane.

Epsilon: A delay where you have to sit in the airport for hours is one thing. I feel worse for those people I occasionally read about who have to spend hours sitting in the plane on the tarmac.

I'm slightly claustrophobic as it is, but being trapped in a hot, non-moving plane with 100 other people and probably 4 screaming babies, I'd be one of the people who goes apeshiat insane to get off that plane.

And then the cops would come arrest me, and you'd all read about me on Fark.

I'll do what my sister told me to do. If you want off the plane, start complaining of chest and arm pain. Make sure you moan and start to cry while clutching your chest and arm.

You will be off the plane just as quick as they can get an ambulance to the plane.

/Word of warning - they will want to do a heart cath on you and other tests.

I'm sad because direct flights from where I live where I'm from on Midwest airlines no longer exist due to the recession. Was usually only an extra $20-$30 over cramped, miserable flights on other airlines. :(

I'm sitting in the airport waiting on my delayed flight right now, so I'm getting a kick out of these replies.

LITTL3_D3VIL: As someone who suffered a 4 hour delay this morning on a flight from SFO to LAX, I officially NAYSAY this thread.

Welcome to the club; at least your flight eventually left. Crappy weather in the Bay Area often means that SFO flights are cancelled outright when at other airports (DIA, DFW, IAD) it would just mean a lengthy delay.

The problem is that the runway layout at SFO dates back to the 1950s and it's something that a recession can't fix. In foggy or rainy weather, the airport can only use one runway at a time out of four, because the pairs (10L/28L-10R/28R and 1L/19L-1R/19R) are too close together for low-visibility operations under today's standards.

Someone in the Consumerist's comments mentioned a lot of these flight delays could be alleviated if we discontinue short-haul flights.

I have to agree -- I get "super saver" e-mails from American Airlines all the time. One that surprises me is the flight from Dallas, Texas to Tyler, Texas. It's a 1.5 hour drive. Damn it people, just get a rental car and drive! It's a nice drive, too!

Delays are probably down because airlines have been adding 15-20 minutes onto their arrival times.

/Works for an airline
//Kick, replies... yadda yadda yadda

After sitting on a plane for 3hrs and sleeping in some chairs overnight at ATL this spring, I decided to avoid vacations that involves planes. Hello Megabus!

Working in an airline's Operations Control Center, I have a vast knowledge of how delays work. My job is to find the best way to safely minimize the impact of delays on passengers and the operation, while jumping through hoops to comply with maintenence needs of the aircraft and the billions of regulations involved.

One of these days, I'm going to write a book explaining the complexities of getting one airline flight in the air...let alone on-time: Government regulations, constantly changing TSA regulations, maintenence requirements, crew requirements, finite airspace, finite pavement, weather restrictions, Operations Specifications restrictions, aircraft restrictions, environmental restrictions, people who build homes near airports and biatch about the noise...thus enacting noise restrictions. To top it all off, airplanes are fickle machines with thousands of moving parts that, many times, need a little massaging to work together...do you really want your airline to operate without everything in tip-top shape?

Things your airline cannot control: All of the above. Want to complain about a delay? Take it up with the federal government whose regulations dictate every single thing we do...and, in all honesty, have made air travel the safest mode of transportation.

Wamphyr: The easiest way the airlines can keep their 'on time arrival' metrics is to over estimate the flight time. If a flight takes one hour from gate to gate, they will show flight time on our itinerary as 1:15 from departure to arrival. This way, if they run a few min late, they're still 'on time' with that fifteen minute buffer. And no one really complains if they arrive fifteen minute earlier than scheduled.


Those numbers are based on "Average Taxi Time" and looked at closely by the Department of Transportation.

TSA: Thousands Standing Around