Joe Brancatelli - American Is Still the Nation's Least-Reliable Airline

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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a website for business travelers. He is also the former executive editor of Frequent Flier magazine, travel advisor of Travel Holiday and contributing editor to Travel + Leisure.

American Is Still the Nation's Least-Reliable Airline
Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 10:05 PM
About a month ago I called American Airlines the nation's least-reliable carrier based on its bad on-time record, high cancellations and poor baggage-handing efficiency. I see no reason to change my call now. According to statistics just released by FlightStats.com, American ran just 58.7 percent on-time in June, a fraction of a percent better than US Airways, which has been at the bottom of the Big Six for four consecutive months. American's cancellations skyrocketed, too. It dumped more than 2,000 flights in June, compared to just 421 last year. Its percentage of excessively delayed flights (45 minutes or more off-schedule) more than doubled to 21.3 percent. American's average delay in June was 72 minutes, up from 59 minutes last year. American, of course, blames the lousy weather in North Texas in June and claims that the bad storms fouled up its crucial Dallas/Fort Worth hub. But weather isn't much of an answer: Southwest Airlines, which maintains a big operation at Dallas/Love Field, just a few miles from DFW, had only 100 systemwide cancellations in June. And bad weather in North Texas certainly wouldn't explain the miserable performance of Executive Airlines, one of American's wholly owned American Eagle commuter carriers. Executive is much less focused on DFW, but its June numbers were equally dreary: 60.8 percent on-time, 17.7 percent of flights excessively delayed and more than 2,700 cancellations, a 5.9 percent cancellation rate. That's actually worse than the cancellation percentage racked up by Northwest Airlines in June.
Ouch.
 
American airlines are the worst in the world
Saturday July 14, 2007 | 08:53:52 am 330 words, 29 views
You'd think I would know better by now, but every time I leave the country, I'm struck by the differences between American and foreign air carriers.

I took a flight on American Airlines to Miami recently. The plane was dark, dingy, cramped and dirty. It felt like being locked in a dungeon. The cranky flight attendants had dark circles under their eyes and smelled like goats. I got the feeling that if I summoned one of them, she'd bite me.

They didn't offer any food and the beverage service, such as it was, was awful. The flight was delayed, as usual and, again as usual, no announcements were made.

When we finally took off, a huge, fat guy with a head shaped like a gut bucket sat right behind me and coughed the whole trip, never covering his mouth. It felt like he was smothering me with his fat, foul germs from about three inches away.

This has pretty much been my experience every time I've flown American. When I later called them and told them my luggage had been lost, they said it wasn't their problem.

In Miami, I transferred to Cayman Airways for a flight to Grand Cayman. The plane was bright, spacious and clean. The seats were wide and soft, like lounging in your personal Barco-Lounger. I could have practiced yoga or done calisthenics. I stretched and yawned like a cat.

The flight attendants were smartly-dressed and helpful. They had Hollywood smiles and smelled like mint grown in a spring garden.

It was like going from hell to heaven, from a Warsaw ghetto to the sunny, French countryside.

Cayman Airways is small and doesn't exactly compete with American in terms of profits, but it is vastly superior, in every way, down to the last detail.

Ever flown British Airways? Princess Diana wouldn't have expected better service.

Every foreign airline I've ever flown has been exponentially superior to American carriers. American air carriers suck and are probably toxic.

WE KNOW WHY YOU FLY.....BECAUSE ITS CHEAPER THAN THE BUS!! :(
 
American airlines are the worst in the world
Saturday July 14, 2007 | 08:53:52 am 330 words, 29 views
You'd think I would know better by now, but every time I leave the country, I'm struck by the differences between American and foreign air carriers.

I took a flight on American Airlines to Miami recently. The plane was dark, dingy, cramped and dirty. It felt like being locked in a dungeon. The cranky flight attendants had dark circles under their eyes and smelled like goats. I got the feeling that if I summoned one of them, she'd bite me.

They didn't offer any food and the beverage service, such as it was, was awful. The flight was delayed, as usual and, again as usual, no announcements were made.

When we finally took off, a huge, fat guy with a head shaped like a gut bucket sat right behind me and coughed the whole trip, never covering his mouth. It felt like he was smothering me with his fat, foul germs from about three inches away.

This has pretty much been my experience every time I've flown American. When I later called them and told them my luggage had been lost, they said it wasn't their problem.

In Miami, I transferred to Cayman Airways for a flight to Grand Cayman. The plane was bright, spacious and clean. The seats were wide and soft, like lounging in your personal Barco-Lounger. I could have practiced yoga or done calisthenics. I stretched and yawned like a cat.

The flight attendants were smartly-dressed and helpful. They had Hollywood smiles and smelled like mint grown in a spring garden.

It was like going from hell to heaven, from a Warsaw ghetto to the sunny, French countryside.

Cayman Airways is small and doesn't exactly compete with American in terms of profits, but it is vastly superior, in every way, down to the last detail.

Ever flown British Airways? Princess Diana wouldn't have expected better service.

Every foreign airline I've ever flown has been exponentially superior to American carriers. American air carriers suck and are probably toxic.

WE KNOW WHY YOU FLY.....BECAUSE ITS CHEAPER THAN THE BUS!! :(


I am a former TWA f/a. When I fly AA, I'm always "interested" in the staffing, the amenities, and the service. Why, Because 6000 AA f/as lost their jobs after 9-11 and it has always been my "thought" that you over service rather than cut service to win the customer back. I have flown both domestic and international and I have NEVER seen what you just posted. I recently had a 3 hour "sit" after landing in MIA due a storm passing through and no available gates. There were updates on a regular basis and the f/as offered beverages. I made a mad dash sprint to my STL flight and not only did they open the door but actually waited for the 5 other pax that I knew were going to STL. When I arrived in STL, bags were on the flight..unbelievable!
The international service out of IOR has always been superb. My daughter lived in Europe and both of us traveled back and forth. Always top notch service.
Flying is not fun these days under the best of circumstances. The recent reports of understaffed towers is a Gov. "shame". This did not happen over night. The customer demand for free travel has gotten way out of control and the airlines "partnership" with everyone and their housecat for frequent flight mile credit is nothing short of absurd.
I'm sorry you had such a disappointing experience. Too bad some of the outrageous bonus payments couldn't have been redirected to better staffing, restored pay and work rules, in-flight amenities, all while keeping your fares low or "free".
 
"American's cancellations skyrocketed, too. It dumped more than 2,000 flights in June, compared to just 421 last year. Its percentage of excessively delayed flights (45 minutes or more off-schedule) more than doubled to 21.3 percent. American's average delay in June was 72 minutes, up from 59 minutes last year. American, of course, blames the lousy weather in North Texas in June and claims that the bad storms fouled up its crucial Dallas/Fort Worth hub. But weather isn't much of an answer"

Oh, no. Of course not. Last year the Dallas area was in a drought so severe that water was being rationed. This year, we're beginning to think that the Deity has forgotten his promise of the rainbow. June was .25in short of being the wettest June on record in this area.

Love Field can not be compared to DFW. First off, for all practical purposes, SWA is the ONLY carrier there (other than a few CO and AE rjs daily). And, as a Dallas resident I can tell you that it can be bright sunshine at Love and tornado warnings at DFW at the same time (and vice versa).

I do know that SWA continues to operate the ramp during storms unless they are very severe, and sometimes I think we (AA) close the ramp prematurely. But then, maybe SWA has never had a ramper killed by lightning as we have.

To Furp: And, yet you continue to book on us? Why is that? There is plenty of competing service between DFW and MIA.
 
I will admit that I've been delayed more on AA than I've been ontime in the past six months, so it's not just hyperbole from a blowhard like Joe. The DOT stats aren't lying, either.

The latest DOT stats just happen to coincide with the PUP bonuses, so as Holly alluded to in PBB this week (and as common sense on this board would probably assume), it's simply morale. Why go the extra yard when there's no payoff for doing so?

As for onboard service, however... This is why I fly AA. It might not be as lavish, but I haven't had a bad experience in many, many years. The closest I've had was listening to a FA complaining about the payouts to a revenue customer, but even that didn't impact the service.

Some foreign carriers are better, but there are some that are far worse than AA across the ocean. For example, I'll never fly Iberia again unless there's no other choice, even if it means connections.

BA? Their FA's are just as robotic as AA's flight attendants can be at times. Same thing with LH. Haven't flown AF in a long time, but last time I did, there was a lot of attitude, and the food wasn't all that great, either.
 
American airlines are the worst in the world
Saturday July 14, 2007 | 08:53:52 am 330 words, 29 views
You'd think I would know better by now, but every time I leave the country, I'm struck by the differences between American and foreign air carriers.
It is poor netiquette to plagiarize from another web site and not give credit to the author of the original article.

Here is the original:

Tim McDonald - a Golf Publisher Syndication blog
 
I am a former TWA f/a. When I fly AA, I'm always "interested" in the staffing, the amenities, and the service. Why, Because 6000 AA f/as lost their jobs after 9-11 and it has always been my "thought" that you over service rather than cut service to win the customer back. I have flown both domestic and international and I have NEVER seen what you just posted. I recently had a 3 hour "sit" after landing in MIA due a storm passing through and no available gates. There were updates on a regular basis and the f/as offered beverages. I made a mad dash sprint to my STL flight and not only did they open the door but actually waited for the 5 other pax that I knew were going to STL. When I arrived in STL, bags were on the flight..unbelievable!
The international service out of IOR has always been superb. My daughter lived in Europe and both of us traveled back and forth. Always top notch service.
Flying is not fun these days under the best of circumstances. The recent reports of understaffed towers is a Gov. "shame". This did not happen over night. The customer demand for free travel has gotten way out of control and the airlines "partnership" with everyone and their housecat for frequent flight mile credit is nothing short of absurd.
I'm sorry you had such a disappointing experience. Too bad some of the outrageous bonus payments couldn't have been redirected to better staffing, restored pay and work rules, in-flight amenities, all while keeping your fares low or "free".

Thanks for the nice post.

I travel around quite a bit on my passes, and for work, and have had nothing but positive experiences.....even while being delayed.....in the past few months.

And, has Jim has pointed out, I live fairly close to Love Field and only an idiot would compare the weather there to the weather at DFW or vice versa.

I've had many occasions where I was hanging out in the bright hot sun on my side of town and talking to friends at DFW who tell me a big black cloud is lying right over the airport.


Kind of a shame that every idiot can have their own blog.
 
I recently flew on AA for only the second time since getting the curb almost 5 years ago. I found the gate agents to be very helpful when I ran into some difficulties...not overly friendly but efficient. The f/a's where about the same as most other airlines. One of the "St. Louis based" f/a's was even cracking jokes with the passengers, and seemed to enjoy his job. I think they did the best they could with the limited amenities they where given to work with. The days of hot towels in coach and 5 f/a's on an MD-80 are truly gone.
 
I recently flew on AA for only the second time since getting the curb almost 5 years ago. I found the gate agents to be very helpful when I ran into some difficulties...not overly friendly but efficient. The f/a's where about the same as most other airlines. One of the "St. Louis based" f/a's was even cracking jokes with the passengers, and seemed to enjoy his job. I think they did the best they could with the limited amenities they where given to work with. The days of hot towels in coach and 5 f/a's on an MD-80 are truly gone.

Oh, c'mon. I want the hot dinner service between DEN and DFW AND a $39 fare, too!!!
 
Oh, c'mon. I want the hot dinner service between DEN and DFW AND a $39 fare, too!!!
<_< ----- I believe skyliner was refurring to the days when fares were a little higher. But as the ol saying go'es, " You get what you pay for!"---- Sorry you haven't figured that out!--- :rolleyes:
 
<_< ----- I believe skyliner was refurring to the days when fares were a little higher. But as the ol saying go'es, " You get what you pay for!"---- Sorry you haven't figured that out!--- :rolleyes:


I think it was no more than an observation. Skyliner was a fantastic f/a and took a lot of pride in his service product and delivery. My guess is that he is of like mind with my sentiments that you don't get rid of all service and amenities to win customers, you either increase or at the very least, hold the fort.
 
I think it was no more than an observation. Skyliner was a fantastic f/a and took a lot of pride in his service product and delivery. My guess is that he is of like mind with my sentiments that you don't get rid of all service and amenities to win customers, you either increase or at the very least, hold the fort.
<_< ----- No doubt! But unfortunately, the days of "Ambassador Service" is long gone! And it would seem price is king! You can only stretch a bag of peanuts so far! Unfortunate! But true! But your point is well taken.