Flight Opinion Needed

[sadoan]

I am not a seasoned flyer so I have a question on flight schedules. We are cruising this September leaving from San Juan port. We are wanting a direct flight from DFW to SJU however, there is only one scheduled direct flight scheduled for that day leaving at 12:40 pm arriving at 6:36 pm. We do not want to waste our first day on vacation getting to San Juan so late in the day.

 

Looking at this route from now until mid August there are two direct flights daily on the schedule with one leaving early in the morning. If I book the 12:40 flight and they add another flight I will have to pay an additional $100 pp to change to an earlier flight.

 

Do you think that American will add a addition flight the closer it gets to September?

 

Thanks for any insight!:confused:

[KirkNC]

That's almost impossible to predict. The airlines do things that most frequently don't understand. I assume the demand must fall off a little after August?

 

At this point I would probably book the 12:40 flight and IF they add the morning one back then you can decide is it worth $200 to get there a half day earlier.

Edited April 7, 2016 by KirkNC

[epixx]

Before you decide to fly to San Juan on the day of cruise embarkation, please read this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2337445

[CruiserBruce]

Unless there is a special event, like a major sports event, the chances of them adding flights at this point is pretty slim, almost nil. Certainly not worth betting on. The planes and crews are already committed at this point, and they don't just have extra planes, crews and gates at the airports just sitting around doing nothing.

 

I too would book the available flight, the day before your scheduled sailing.

Edited April 7, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[waterbug123]

If I book the 12:40 flight and they add another flight I will have to pay an additional $100 pp to change to an earlier flight.

 

Probably, but make sure it's only $100pp. Several airlines actually charge $150-200pp for voluntary flight chagnes

 

Do you think that American will add a addition flight the closer it gets to September?

 

There's no way to predict, but I wouldn't count on it. Most likely they know from experience that the demand during the summer is higher an that's why they show 2 daily flights during that time and only 1 later on.

[Brighton Line]

Yes American only has one non-stop flight.

You can arrive at 1:18p but you need to change planes and fly Delta.

American can get you there at 2p but again changing planes and leaving at 6 in the morning.

All these cost around the same...

So what is important to you? Cost/Arrival Time/Non-stop?

[Keith1010]

Trust me American will not add any flights now.

 

If they had three and you asked could they remove one that is possible but not to add.

 

Whatever you do, do not risk it and fly in the day of the cruise.

 

You also can consider flights that have connections.

 

But to fly in the day before.

 

Keith

[FlyerTalker]

And note - by restricting yourself to "non-stop" (not "direct" flights, which means something else), you are limiting both your options and your cost variables.

 

Be a bit more flexible. Think about flying from DFW to MIA and then to SJU. FAR more options.

 

But, if non-stop is the defining variable, recognize that you are self-limiting your options.

[Zach1213]

I would bet you $1mil that AA will not add another DFW-SJU in the next five months. Just not something that they, or almost any airline, do.

[waterbug123]

I would bet you $1mil that AA will not add another DFW-SJU in the next five months. Just not something that they, or almost any airline, do.

 

Agreed. Most likely they would just skyrocket the prices on the two existing flights if they felt that demand was increasing.

[sadoan]

Before you decide to fly to San Juan on the day of cruise embarkation, please read this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2337445

 

We are flying in 2 days prior to the cruise.

[biker1972]

To the OP: if non stop on 9/9 is important and you arrive a day prior, just how important is the non-stop issue for your return? It appears that there is only one SJU to DFW non-stop flight and it leaves at 9:22 AM. That is a really tight window from the ship to check-in to the departure gate at SJU. As mentioned, there are far more options without the non-stop requirement.

[kelkel2]

What airline are you looking at? Although not a direct flights, Southwest is offering 3 flights a day to san juan. But they are connecting flights. Not to mention they looked pretty cheap!

It's at least an option.

[scottrn7]

I am not a seasoned flyer so I have a question on flight schedules. We are cruising this September leaving from San Juan port. We are wanting a direct flight from DFW to SJU however, there is only one scheduled direct flight scheduled for that day leaving at 12:40 pm arriving at 6:36 pm. We do not want to waste our first day on vacation getting to San Juan so late in the day.

 

Looking at this route from now until mid August there are two direct flights daily on the schedule with one leaving early in the morning. If I book the 12:40 flight and they add another flight I will have to pay an additional $100 pp to change to an earlier flight.

 

Do you think that American will add a addition flight the closer it gets to September?

 

Thanks for any insight!:confused:

 

Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane which is what happened to us when we flew to San Juan for our cruise. We opted to go 2 days ahead of time. Another couple flew in 3 days before and the other two flew in the day before. All were direct flights. It has been a while so not familiar with the daily flights as of present. But our original was changed after we booked it when we went.

 

By the way, hello fellow Burlesonite. Good to see other cruisers from our hometown. Let us know if you need any information, Adventures of the Seas is a nice ship. Our next one is on Brillance in August for a Greek Isles Cruise.

[FlyerTalker]

Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane which is what happened to us when we flew to San Juan for our cruise. We opted to go 2 days ahead of time. Another couple flew in 3 days before and the other two flew in the day before. All were direct flights. It has been a while so not familiar with the daily flights as of present. But our original was changed after we booked it when we went.

Absolutely incorrect. But that won't stop folks from thinking it is true.

 

So, Scottrn7, did someone from AA tell you that was the reason? Or did you get secret, special info from the spirit of Bob Crandall??

[scottrn7]

Absolutely incorrect. But that won't stop folks from thinking it is true.

 

So, Scottrn7, did someone from AA tell you that was the reason? Or did you get secret, special info from the spirit of Bob Crandall??

 

 

Eh, I guess we just imagined our flight was cancelled and we rebooked by AA to another flight. I better cut back on the alcohol intake. It is what it is maybe its you with all the special top secret spiritual messages from Bob Crandall.

[fbgd]

Eh, I guess we just imagined our flight was cancelled and we rebooked by AA to another flight. I better cut back on the alcohol intake. It is what it is maybe its you with all the special top secret spiritual messages from Bob Crandall.

 

Well it doesn't make any sense to cancel one flight at short notice because of low loads. Why?

 

1) What about the people at the other end that need to use the aircraft from your destination to wherever it is scheduled

2) It puts the aircraft and crew out of position for wherever they need to be per the schedule. Not all aircraft fly back and forth on the same routes.

3) On some routes enough money is made from cargo alone that carrying the passengers is just some kind of obligatory annoyance

 

If a route consistently performs poorly then sure, the airlines will trim the schedule or cancel a route altogether but flights are not cancelled at short notice because of low bookings, it's more of a logistical headache than the costs needed to operate it.

[sadoan]

I bit the bullet and book our flights. I booked direct flights to San Juan from DFW two days prior to the cruise and leaving San Juan the day after.

 

I do not like to do connecting flights and the price difference was not that much lower. I'm satisfied with my decision and I thank y'all for your opinions.

[sadoan]

Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane which is what happened to us when we flew to San Juan for our cruise. We opted to go 2 days ahead of time. Another couple flew in 3 days before and the other two flew in the day before. All were direct flights. It has been a while so not familiar with the daily flights as of present. But our original was changed after we booked it when we went.

 

By the way, hello fellow Burlesonite. Good to see other cruisers from our hometown. Let us know if you need any information, Adventures of the Seas is a nice ship. Our next one is on Brillance in August for a Greek Isles Cruise.

 

Howdy!!

[Globaliser]

Eh, I guess we just imagined our flight was cancelled and we rebooked by AA to another flight. I better cut back on the alcohol intake. It is what it is maybe its you with all the special top secret spiritual messages from Bob Crandall.

Well then, maybe you might tell us how you know the reason why your flight was cancelled?

 

Every so often, something like that might happen. But only in unusual circumstances. Those of us who fly frequently have lots of experience about the reasons why it's most unlikely to be the reason for a single cancellation.

 

But maybe you know better, either generally or about your specific flight?

[waterbug123]

Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane which is what happened to us when we flew to San Juan for our cruise.

 

Nope. Airlines don't just cancel flights because they aren't full, because they would then have to cancel the next flight the plane was scheduled for.... and rebook all of THAT flight's pax too. fbgd explained it in detail and gave other reasons as well.

 

Eh, I guess we just imagined our flight was cancelled and we rebooked by AA to another flight.

 

No one doubts your flight was canceled but it is highly doubtful that it was simply because there weren't enough passengers. Given the chaos that results when pax have to be rebooked for reasons the airline has no choice about (weather, unforeseen mechanical problems etc.) it would be crazy to think that they would voluntarily cancel every flight that wasn't full.

[scottrn7]

Nope. Airlines don't just cancel flights because they aren't full, because they would then have to cancel the next flight the plane was scheduled for.... and rebook all of THAT flight's pax too. fbgd explained it in detail and gave other reasons as well.

 

 

 

No one doubts your flight was canceled but it is highly doubtful that it was simply because there weren't enough passengers. Given the chaos that results when pax have to be rebooked for reasons the airline has no choice about (weather, unforeseen mechanical problems etc.) it would be crazy to think that they would voluntarily cancel every flight that wasn't full.

 

This was quite a few years ago when we had booked our flight to San Juan, and then was notified by American about a month before the flight that it had been cancelled and we had been rebooked on a different flight that day. So the number of direct flights for that day had dropped by one. No explanation given. It is true that with Southwest, for frequent routes, example Dallas, to Houston, there will be a cancellation of a flight, and the passengers booked for that particular flight are automatically booked for the next plane out to Houston. This is a practice done in there case for cost, told to me by a Southwest Employee. It is plausible to adjust flights a month out like they did with us.

[Globaliser]

This was quite a few years ago when we had booked our flight to San Juan, and then was notified by American about a month before the flight that it had been cancelled and we had been rebooked on a different flight that day. So the number of direct flights for that day had dropped by one. No explanation given.

So has this only happened to you on this one occasion? If so, how did you get to the adjective "usually" when you said "Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane ..."?

 

And are you sure that the number of direct flights for that day had reduced by one? And, for example, it wasn't the case that your flight was cancelled but another flight was added at a much later time on the same day?

 

And what did that do to the overall capacity between the two airports that day? Were different aircraft types substituted on any of the flights that did operate? What was the overall change in capacity between the two stations on that day?

 

In addition, did the airline add any flights to SJU from another point or points, so as to maintain capacity at SJU that day, and rerouting other affected passengers accordingly?

 

You were given no direct and authoritative explanation by the airline about what happened. So unless you know all of these things, and more, you could not possibly be in a position to assert that your flight was cancelled because loads were low. It could just as easily have been a frequency adjustment or network redistribution without any reduction in capacity, and therefore not indicative of any reduction in expected demand.

[scottrn7]

So has this only happened to you on this one occasion? If so, how did you get to the adjective "usually" when you said "Usually American will cancel flights if they don't fill the plane ..."?

 

And are you sure that the number of direct flights for that day had reduced by one? And, for example, it wasn't the case that your flight was cancelled but another flight was added at a much later time on the same day?

 

And what did that do to the overall capacity between the two airports that day? Were different aircraft types substituted on any of the flights that did operate? What was the overall change in capacity between the two stations on that day?

 

In addition, did the airline add any flights to SJU from another point or points, so as to maintain capacity at SJU that day, and rerouting other affected passengers accordingly?

 

You were given no direct and authoritative explanation by the airline about what happened. So unless you know all of these things, and more, you could not possibly be in a position to assert that your flight was cancelled because loads were low. It could just as easily have been a frequency adjustment or network redistribution without any reduction in capacity, and therefore not indicative of any reduction in expected demand.

 

Okay, please excuse my use of adjective, my bad over zealous use of words.

 

We don't fly enough to have all the experience, I do know that the number of flights for that day that was direct went down one that day. I was only assuming since I know it is a practice with other airlines and services. I will really never know the reason I just know that it happened.

 

At best we can hope for a booking at a good price and a flight that gets us there and back without delays and interruptions or cancelations. We do prefer American and is our first choice of Airlines. They have been gracious to us in that during there overbooking we volunteered to stay over for the next flight back from Fort Lauderdale to DFW. They gave us $600.00 in vouchers, open lunch ticket at the dining venues in the concourse and put us in first class from our coach tickets.

[CruiserBruce]

 

We don't fly enough to have all the experience, I do know that the number of flights for that day that was direct went down one that day. I was only assuming since I know it is a practice with other airlines and services. I will really never know the reason I just know that it happened.

 

 

I am curious what airlines you know its a "practice" at? I don't know of any, because as mentioned, that plane that you might be flying from Texas to San Juan on, has a return flight with pax booked, and that plane could go on to other locations- not back to Texas.

 

It seems your flight was canceled a month or so prior to your flight. The flight could be canceled for a fair number of reasons- low sales is not the first likely reason by any stretch. Gate, plane or crew availability would be my first thoughts.