PhillyPhlyer -
You are WAY off base on your assessment of the SABRE cutover. Newman's recall of the event is much more on target. We were still having SABRE related issues into the January lull. On time performance over the heavy travel period were just as pitiful as our recent performance.
Just a thought about how the upcoming storm and how airlines "think" when planning for these types of events. We all know that every major NE airport will have delay programs at some point tomorrow. Since they are forecasting heavy rain and windy conditions, you can expect very low arrival rates in PHL, the NYC Metros, BOS and possibly the DC Metros (depending on how far south the storm goes).
Let's say that in PHL the average hourly arrival rate is 52 and demand is near 50 per hour at peak times. If US goes in and starts cancelling flights today for tomorrow, EVERY AIRLINE benefits from our cancellations since the demand is reduced. Then when conditions deteriorate, and a delay program is implimented, we have to cancel ADDITIONAL flights in order to reduce OUR delays.
Now, same scenario, different reaction. We withhold cancelling any flights until there is a delay program issued. Once the delay program is issued, we cancel the same flights we were going to cancel the previous day. WE are able to use those ATC slots to improve OUR flying by adjusting our slot allocations and other airlines will have to do the same with their own slots. If we wait to react to a known event, then WE benefit from our own "plan" versus benefiting ALL airlines. By waiting to react, we reduce the number of cancellations and delays WE experience by managing OUR slots once the program is in place. If we cancel to early, then our cancellations benefit our competitors, increase our cancellations and delay tiime.
So, as an airline you are in an aweful catch 22. Cancel early - customer friendly, but you will suffer a greater operational impact with more cancellations and delays while assisting the competition improve their performance. Cancel once the event starts - and you reduce delays and cancellations, but it is less customer friendly. (You will still have the ability to cancel SOME flights early enough to contact customers, but some will be cancelled without enough time or with customers at the airport.) Do we cancel 30% of our flying in PHL in advance, while other carriers only cancel 10% tomorrow. Or do we each cancel 18-20% tomorrow and other carriers do the same.
While forecast models are not predicting an ice/snow event in the major metro areas, everyone here knows that the weather will have a significant impact on tomorrows operation. Planning these types of events are very hard to manage in a way that is customer friendly and operationally sound.
Just something to think of when you are arm chair quarterbacking on Monday....because we all know how everyone here is a resident expert on the right way to run an airline (after the fact).