AA cancels all MD-80 flights today ...

[pms4104]

Following is a link to a story I've been following on CNN this morning:

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-24033140.htm

Whle I admire American's pro-active posture ... I fear this will cause some delays/reroutes for those flying today and tomorrow.

[greatam]

Following is a link to a story I've been following on CNN this morning:

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-24033140.htm

Whle I admire American's pro-active posture ... I fear this will cause some delays/reroutes for those flying today and tomorrow.

 

Speaking to my cargo rep yesterday, this was planned a few days ago and she thought most pax were notified that either their flight was canceled OR they were given alternative flights if they called. I had to move some freight out of MCI (big MD-80 hub) to STL, so I could get it to JFK for an overseas flight.

 

She stated one of the big problems with notifying pax in advance-people don't sign up for AAdvantage with all the notification methods. They just book a flight and ASSUME that since a computer sent the e-itinerary to an email address, that email address is kept someplace for future. Not true-once the itinerary is emailed, the only thing that is kept is emergency contact info-usually a phone number. And no one calls pax until 30 days pre flight, unless it is a TRUE emergency.. So in a last minute cancellation, there is no contact with pax. Bet there are quite a few po'd customers today.

[Globaliser]

There are some hilarious comments - and some more sensible ones - reported in AA's local rag today.

Kim Hutson of north Carolina wonders why airlines can’t have extra planes ready to replace the canceled flights.

ROTFLMAO! :D

 

But this one is also good for entertainment, if very true:-

Greg Goodman of Columbus, Ohio, flew into Dallas on Wednesday for a nursing convention. His flight was not delayed, but he appreciates that planes are getting inspected.

 

“It would be really irritating as a passenger to be delayed,” he said. “But it would be more irritating if you crash and die.”

Clearly the FAA internal politics revealed by the Southwest episode are creating a backlash for all airlines, resulting in disruption that may well have been unneccessary.

[Sprocket]

We have flown many times on Alaska's MD 80's, but I thought I read somewhere that they are phasing them out. Because of this when I booked our flight to San Diego I made sure to book on a 737, which I know could change. Maybe I've just been extremely lucky, but I've never had a flight cancelled, or delayed, no gate changes etc...

[pms4104]

Just heard on national news on TV that Delta now will be pulling some 130 planes for intense re-inspection.

[critterchick]

She stated one of the big problems with notifying pax in advance-people don't sign up for AAdvantage with all the notification methods. They just book a flight and ASSUME that since a computer sent the e-itinerary to an email address, that email address is kept someplace for future. Not true-once the itinerary is emailed, the only thing that is kept is emergency contact info-usually a phone number. And no one calls pax until 30 days pre flight, unless it is a TRUE emergency.. So in a last minute cancellation, there is no contact with pax. Bet there are quite a few po'd customers today.

 

I've been signed up for all the notifications and have never received one, even though plenty of my flights have been changed over the past few years. I don't think they send them.

[Globaliser]

We have flown many times on Alaska's MD 80's, but I thought I read somewhere that they are phasing them out. Because of this when I booked our flight to San Diego I made sure to book on a 737, which I know could change.

I don't think that the planned retirement of the MD-80 fleet will have any effect on whether your flights are likely to be changed or not. That is just a business decision to move to a single-type fleet, which has business benefits. I doubt that flights would be cancelled or changed when aircraft are retired - they'd just get a new aircraft substituted for the retired one.

[Globaliser]

Just heard on national news on TV that Delta now will be pulling some 130 planes for intense re-inspection.

Let's do it again: Yay for grand-standing politicians making waves!

[JJPNYC]

Just read on an e-mail from Joe Brancatelli (joesentme.com) that neither American NOR Delta has made any mention of these mass cancellations on their websites. Nothing like pretending that this isn't a major disruption and just hoping that no one notices when 10% of your schedule is canceled.

[pms4104]

Just read on an e-mail from Joe Brancatelli (joesentme.com) that neither American NOR Delta has made any mention of these mass cancellations on their websites. Nothing like pretending that this isn't a major disruption and just hoping that no one notices when 10% of your schedule is canceled.

As of today, AA does have a travel alert/advisory on their home page, and it links to http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_US/urls/md80.jsp

 

With so much mention of this on local and national news, I suppose AA felt it had to make some mention of this maintenance action.

[JJPNYC]

 

With so much mention of this on local and national news, I suppose AA felt it had to make some mention of this maintenance action.

 

Only after they've been shamed do they do what they should've done in the first place. I mean, how hard is it to post something online and be upfront with your customers when news is going to get out in the first place? It's crisis-management 101 - be ahead of the story.

[pms4104]

Only after they've been shamed do they do what they should've done in the first place. I mean, how hard is it to post something online and be upfront with your customers when news is going to get out in the first place? It's crisis-management 101 - be ahead of the story.

Agreed ... the story was all over the media for near 24 hours before they put it on the website. By then, passengers whose travel had been disrupted were really p.o.'d. Certainly, they could have been more pro-active with their lifeblood, the customers.

[Mapu]

Just read on an e-mail from Joe Brancatelli (joesentme.com) that neither American NOR Delta has made any mention of these mass cancellations on their websites. Nothing like pretending that this isn't a major disruption and just hoping that no one notices when 10% of your schedule is canceled.

 

We were in ATL 3/26; our flights were not effected however I have never seen a line as long as the one at the Delta re-booking area; it stretched from the re-booking area all the way down Concourse A. I have just checked the aircraft for our international flights in June and July and was reassured that there aren't any MD88 aircraft in our plans. Delta has many connections to Europe that use JFK for the overseas flights with MANY connections into and out of JFK being flights on MD88 aircraft; interestingly those are the least expensive flights.