Hello all -
Technical Q's for either pilots or tower/ops people at UA:
Am new to this forum ... I am a passenger - 1P since spring, 1K sometime this autumn (75 segments so far in 2004) - have been US1 (instead) for the last 6 years, recently changing my allegiance to UA ... am from BTV ... a frequent domestic business traveler.
Have faced frequent (3 in the last month) weather-related cancellations to/from ORD-STL. In your opinion(s), what improvements to either FAA weather guidelines or ORD/general tower/control ops (sorry for surely-inaccurate lingo) could be made (or might be in the works) to increase traffic flow in/out of thunderstrom-prone airports like ORD or STL? Are the lightning-strike/ground hold guidelines (based on radii from the field I think?) too general/not detailed enough (i.e., good arrival/departure routes could 'still' be used, in your opinions)? Can more traffic be pushed through the available routes/corridors? More departing/arriving runways oriented in the same general direction used in these situations?
My experiences seem exacerbated by a lack of mainline flights in these storm-prome areas, thus little/no backup (extra seats) on later or next-day flights. Would an increase of summertime mainline flights to-from these airports be less a financial burden than the salaries or OT of gate/cust svc/cust relations (or the reduced morale, thus greater turnover of these people due to overstress from endless lines of complaining/needy stricken passengers) that must now certainly be occuring and building up? Have been told that ops numbers are way down at ORD - is this due to cutbacks or due to people just leaving?
Am just looking for any kind of new approach to this problem to look forward to in future summers, plus improved understanding of general commercial air traffic ops! Appreciate/any & all feedback. Am overall very happy with UA, and look forward to keeping you my sole carrier.
Best wishes -
- Ian
Technical Q's for either pilots or tower/ops people at UA:
Am new to this forum ... I am a passenger - 1P since spring, 1K sometime this autumn (75 segments so far in 2004) - have been US1 (instead) for the last 6 years, recently changing my allegiance to UA ... am from BTV ... a frequent domestic business traveler.
Have faced frequent (3 in the last month) weather-related cancellations to/from ORD-STL. In your opinion(s), what improvements to either FAA weather guidelines or ORD/general tower/control ops (sorry for surely-inaccurate lingo) could be made (or might be in the works) to increase traffic flow in/out of thunderstrom-prone airports like ORD or STL? Are the lightning-strike/ground hold guidelines (based on radii from the field I think?) too general/not detailed enough (i.e., good arrival/departure routes could 'still' be used, in your opinions)? Can more traffic be pushed through the available routes/corridors? More departing/arriving runways oriented in the same general direction used in these situations?
My experiences seem exacerbated by a lack of mainline flights in these storm-prome areas, thus little/no backup (extra seats) on later or next-day flights. Would an increase of summertime mainline flights to-from these airports be less a financial burden than the salaries or OT of gate/cust svc/cust relations (or the reduced morale, thus greater turnover of these people due to overstress from endless lines of complaining/needy stricken passengers) that must now certainly be occuring and building up? Have been told that ops numbers are way down at ORD - is this due to cutbacks or due to people just leaving?
Am just looking for any kind of new approach to this problem to look forward to in future summers, plus improved understanding of general commercial air traffic ops! Appreciate/any & all feedback. Am overall very happy with UA, and look forward to keeping you my sole carrier.
Best wishes -
- Ian
