Delta rescues group of 5th grade students after AA cancels their flight

[jimntx]

A quote from the article on USAtoday.


In a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday, American Airlines spokesperson Ross Feinstein said the cancellation was due to weather.

"We do apologize for the cancellation, which was the result of inclement weather that was out of our control," the statement read.


Weather? Delta seemed to manage to make the flight. Even if weather was an issue why did Delta make the extra effort and AA threw up the white flag? If Delta was able to wait and work around the weather then AA could have done the same. I doubt weather played a major role for AA to go this route. Shame on those who are now running this low class airline into the ground.

Of course! I just remembered that Delta has a special weather elimination machine that removes the threat of bad weather from wherever they fly or want to fly. (not)

 

[cltrat]

I can’t think of a better example of what upper management has done to AA as a company. You have a chance to do something good as a company for a change and what do they do? Let their number one competitor swoop in there and make them look like chumps in a story that has went national.
These clowns need to go the sooner the better.
Wake up BOD the clowns are driving the stock price down so they can buy it up and screw the rest of the shareholders

 

[cltrat]

Of course! I just remembered that Delta has a special weather elimination machine that removes the threat of bad weather from wherever they fly or want to fly. (not)

Maybe this is why DL is kicking our ass they have magic planes that fly in weather that ours don’t. Jeez do they have any ideal how bad they look in this? Frontier must be looking up smiling thinking yeah keep it up we won’t be on the bottom much longer

 

[Kev3188]

Of course! I just remembered that Delta has a special weather elimination machine that removes the threat of bad weather from wherever they fly or want to fly. (not)

It’s true. Most line stations also have cloud bursting equipment.

 

[eolesen]

It’s true. Most line stations also have cloud bursting equipment.

They usually keep it next to the belly stretcher.

 

[jimntx]

The details of the "cancellation" are not really relevant to the situation. What is relevant is that AA failed to provide the paid for transportation, and Delta stepped in on spur of the moment and found an available airplane, and provided the transportation. Whether it happened in OKC, TUL, or GRK, it was a lot closer to an American stock of airplanes that could be put into service on short notice than it was to Atlanta where Delta had an airplane. It may have been truly not possible for AA to provide an airplane, but I doubt you will ever convince the average reader. The optics are just not good.

 

[UPNAWAY]

I don't disagree Jim but what is unknown is did that breakdown occur at what level? I am 100% sure executive management had no knowledge of it. Did local management even know of the school kids? Obliviously we canceled 100s of flights at that point IOC is just looking to minimize the carnage they have no knowledge of the individual situations. My guess is the Delta CS agents were proactive obviously, what did our local folks try and do????

 

[1AA]

Its obviously the Customer service culture between American and Delta are miles apart.

One continues to make huge profits while managing to make customer service and employee relations a part of the airline culture. The other one cares about making money and cut costs in all areas with no regard to the two biggest assets.

 

[CremaDiLimone]

The optics are just not good.

when the world's largest airline doubles down on it's abysmal LCC arm of eagle/envoy, the optics will never be good.

their equipment cancels just due to high winds. their MBR is hideous.

that calls for more free pizzas and loads of overtime for their employees. this is why the F/A union president told the investor-world to look at our leadership.

 

[jimntx]

when the world's largest airline doubles down on it's abysmal LCC arm of eagle/envoy, the optics will never be good.

their equipment cancels just due to high winds. their MBR is hideous.

that calls for more free pizzas and loads of overtime for their employees. this is why the F/A union president told the investor-world to look at our leadership.

First off, let me assure you that American Eagle is not an LCC operation. And, quite frankly, the airplanes they are flying these days that come equipped with a F/C cabin are nice, comfortable airplanes. Not as comfortable as a 777 or 787, but comfortable nonetheless compared to what they used to have.
AE exists because there are markets we serve that are not large enough to justify mainline a/c--like GRK (Killeen, TX). This incident has nothing to do with AE as far as I know. Nothing in the article said that AE was involved.

Now, what we know from the article is that the field trip to Washington D.C. for the kids had been in the works for almost a year. Company only told the chaperones that the flight had cancelled and there was no replacement airplane available. A company spokesperson said later that the cancellation was due to the weather. Now, granted, that could mean that it cancelled due to weather at some station other than OKC and could not get to OKC to pick up the kids. But, the question is still hanging...the world's largest airline had no a/c available for a substitute, period, end of discussion???? It was just across the state of Oklahoma from the largest(or, used to be) maintenance facility for the airline. It was even closer to DFW, our largest operational station. And, there wasn't one single substitute a/c??? Yet, on the spur of a moment Delta could locate an available a/c and fly it to OKC from Atlanta. You are not going to convince the average reader that AA acted correctly. Sorry, the winner of this contest is Delta. Game, set, match. This sort of thing is strictly a PR (public relations) issue. There ain't nothing the company can say at this point that will change the public's opinion of the issue--which I suspect is distinctly anti-American Airlines for the time being.

 

[eolesen]

FThis incident has nothing to do with AE as far as I know. Nothing in the article said that AE was involved.

True, but that assumes that journalists did their jobs... bad assumption these days.

FWIW, 60% of the routings OKC-RIC involve flying on Eagle (or other regionals) out of OKC over ORD/CLT/PHL and even DFW.

 

[1AA]

True, but that assumes that journalists did their jobs... bad assumption these days.

FWIW, 60% of the routings OKC-RIC involve flying on Eagle (or other regionals) out of OKC over ORD/CLT/PHL and even DFW.

You ever look at the information monitors for departures? They all say American. If its AE or Envoy contracted carrier makes no difference. The passengers see American. They see American on the Aircraft. They see crews wearing American uniforms. They hear announcements stating American Airlines flight number so and so to so and so. Passengers dont know the difference unless it's brought to their attention ahead of time or when they get at the gate if they pay attention. That's the problem when you get poor PR situations.

 

[swamt]

I don't disagree Jim but what is unknown is did that breakdown occur at what level? I am 100% sure executive management had no knowledge of it. Did local management even know of the school kids? Obliviously we canceled 100s of flights at that point IOC is just looking to minimize the carnage they have no knowledge of the individual situations. My guess is the Delta CS agents were proactive obviously, what did our local folks try and do????

It appears that your local folks failed at trying to do anything. Where is the AA release of WHY they could not do anything for the children on their field trip? Where IS the explanation?? Where is the public apologies from AA since this has gone viral??? Very sad and pathetic responses from AA so far. Delta winner here, AA loser and looking more, and more worse as this goes forward. Sorry UP, but AA had plenty of time and opportunity to fix this or at least apologize and they still have not. Pretty sad...

 

[1AA]

Delta does it again.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/lawns-mowed-veterans-delta-airlines

 

[CremaDiLimone]

First off, let me assure you that American Eagle is not an LCC operation. And, quite frankly, the airplanes they are flying these days that come equipped with a F/C cabin are nice, comfortable airplanes. Not as comfortable as a 777 or 787, but comfortable nonetheless compared to what they used to have.
AE exists because there are markets we serve that are not large enough to justify mainline a/c--like GRK (Killeen, TX). This incident has nothing to do with AE as far as I know. Nothing in the article said that AE was involved.

Now, what we know from the article is that the field trip to Washington D.C. for the kids had been in the works for almost a year. Company only told the chaperones that the flight had cancelled and there was no replacement airplane available. A company spokesperson said later that the cancellation was due to the weather. Now, granted, that could mean that it cancelled due to weather at some station other than OKC and could not get to OKC to pick up the kids. But, the question is still hanging...the world's largest airline had no a/c available for a substitute, period, end of discussion???? It was just across the state of Oklahoma from the largest(or, used to be) maintenance facility for the airline. It was even closer to DFW, our largest operational station. And, there wasn't one single substitute a/c??? Yet, on the spur of a moment Delta could locate an available a/c and fly it to OKC from Atlanta. You are not going to convince the average reader that AA acted correctly. Sorry, the winner of this contest is Delta. Game, set, match. This sort of thing is strictly a PR (public relations) issue. There ain't nothing the company can say at this point that will change the public's opinion of the issue--which I suspect is distinctly anti-American Airlines for the time being.

i understand that RJ service has a place and is necessary, but aa's over-reliance on RJ service is costing the company on the revenue side.

up until last week, for a few years, aa had no FC mainline seats from ord/jfk/lga/bos to canada's business capital, yyz. none. just last week, aa added mainline, ord-yyz. this city pair used to fly 4-5-6 times a day in the days when aa made money without today's artificial, but vital, friendly jet fuel prices.

i believe you say you don't work for the company anymore. 2 quarters ago, aa told us that nearly 70% of our RJ fleet has NO FC seats. i'm sure there are some nice new duo-class eagle RJs, sorry, not enough.

what aa wanted to do with it's 'cornerstone' plan; more eagle, less mainline - caused me to be for the merger, is occurring to some extent.

no need to list the multitude of positive reasons a mainline jet serves the customers and the company better than any RJ...what matters is that an aa employee who throws bags earns more than an RJ pilot and top level management loves envoy labor costs. the DOT numbers are hideous, but, who cares??

as far as the group in okc. yes, aa has never said what equipment cancelled. my point is that eagle/envoy is a PR disaster in itself, that won't go away. i see it every day.