Leaving psgrs stranded in CLT

[Singleflyer]

Not just with US.

I don't know how many 'direct with one stop" flights I have been on, that have an 'unscheduled' aircraft swap at the hub.

It marketed as a direct flight, but not really.

I was told my flight #22 on Friday with DL, MSY-ATL is also sold as MSY-CDG with a stop in ATL. I know it will have an aircraft change since I don't think the MD-88 can make it over the pond.

The seats up front on the MD 88 are called 'Business."

 

[tahitigirl]

So if I understand what you are saying, it was known ahead of time that the thru passengers would need to change aircraft in CLT. It was also known that there would be likely be a departure delay due to de-icing. So I am going to make a guess here that the flight CLT-SXM was oversold and that the oversell was temporarily solved by filling the plane and departing three minutes before the thru passengers landed, thereby not having to take any invols.

I'm sorry but they could have held SXM for 20 minutes to get the connections even if it was a quick turn (1:08) in SXM. They could have cut it to a 48 minute turn. So I suspect that overbookings were the reason to close and go.

The BOS-CLT left 3 min. early and arrived 1hr. 14mins late. I think it was just a matter of bad luck. I'm sure since they were early no one would have thought anything about it. They should have had plenty of time. Look the weather was such a mess up and down the east coast how could anyone have know. As far as holding a flight when the crew is on a island turn it's not the greatest idea on a day with crazy weather. The turn is only scheduled for 1hr 8mins on the ground in SXM and if late inbound it could create an issue for the pax on the return flight. CLT had up to 75min delays.

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

So if I understand what you are saying, it was known ahead of time that the thru passengers would need to change aircraft in CLT. It was also known that there would be likely be a departure delay due to de-icing. So I am going to make a guess here that the flight CLT-SXM was oversold and that the oversell was temporarily solved by filling the plane and departing three minutes before the thru passengers landed, thereby not having to take any invols.

I'm sorry but they could have held SXM for 20 minutes to get the connections even if it was a quick turn (1:08) in SXM. They could have cut it to a 48 minute turn. So I suspect that overbookings were the reason to close and go.

Working in CLT, I can tell you that they very rarely hold anything at all....Whether it be from lack of communication, (must-be on time), poor management or a combination of all 3...

The sad truth is, management has lost sight of the real reason we operate in the first place.....

So the way it goes here is do your job, go with the flow and do the best you can, wake up tomorrow and do it again.....

 

[TheMike]

So I am going to make a guess here that the flight CLT-SXM was oversold and that the oversell was temporarily solved by filling the plane and departing three minutes before the thru passengers landed, thereby not having to take any invols.

Good guess - but SXM was not oversold yesterday. I believe it had over 40 open seats.

 

[jimntx]

Not just with US.

I don't know how many 'direct with one stop" flights I have been on, that have an 'unscheduled' aircraft swap at the hub.

It marketed as a direct flight, but not really.

I was told my flight #22 on Friday with DL, MSY-ATL is also sold as MSY-CDG with a stop in ATL. I know it will have an aircraft change since I don't think the MD-88 can make it over the pond.

The seats up front on the MD 88 are called 'Business."

Oh ye of little faith! At AA we used to have a SAN-ORD-CDG through flight on the MD-80. But, now that you mention it, we did seem to have a change of equipment at ORD every time. :huh:

 

[NCFL]

Good guess - but SXM was not oversold yesterday. I believe it had over 40 open seats.

Is that figure from the number of pax onboard at close-out (AKA after US left all of the thru pax behind) or the pre-departure booking level?

This seems to have caused a lot of headaches amid several discussions on this board of "the folks in charge don't seem to know what's going on in the trenches." Who can get the correct answer to why this occurred, rather than a jillion people putting forth opinions and speculation? Somebody has to know.

Morgan?

 

[tahitigirl]

I don't have the numbers for yesterday, but today CLT-SXM has 5 open seats and SXM-CLT has 42 open.

 

[ClueByFour]

I would've left CLT with a full-fare rebook on AA, and several $$$$ in cash. The problem is that so many people on the flight were probably not savvy enough to know exactly what they are entitled to.

If every pax on flights that are canned like this was smart enough to hold US to it's CoC, these things would not happen.

 

[NCFL]

I would've left CLT with a full-fare rebook on AA, and several $$$$ in cash.

Explain your logic behind the $$$$, please. This wouldn't have been treated as an invol DBC situation. The pax weren't there for the whole denied boarding rigmarole outlined in Part 250 so no invol DBC compensation would be paid. Under what CoC/TOT procedure would you be entitled to a cash payment?

Or have I forgotten something?

 

[SS255]

Direct flights are the absolute worst "gotchas" from a marketing perspective, in my opinon. If US sells me a "direct" flight with one flight number, I expect no change of aircraft. At the very least, any aircraft change should allow the through passengers time to connect.

If US chooses to switch aircraft on me, and they don't hold my "direct" flight so I can make it to the new aircraft....... I will complain to the D.O.T. and show no mercy -- not so much about the weather delay, but about selling me a "direct" flight, and then taking off without me and blaming it on the weather.

The way US markets their bogus "direct" flights is entirely within their control. If they don't have the appropriate recovery plan they deserve every D.O.T. complaint that they get. At least if you're going to jerk customers around, be honest about it.

Again....it's about managing customer expectations.

 

[UPNAWAY]

As long as you hold every airline to that standard that's fine.

 

[TheMike]

Is that figure from the number of pax onboard at close-out (AKA after US left all of the thru pax behind) or the pre-departure booking level?

I was considering nonrevving to SXM yesterday and on Tuesday night the flight had over 40 open seats. I don't see them selling 40 seats to SXM overnight.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The P.O.C office would have known the late inbound flight had misconnect paxs on board, the CCC also should have known this, and the boarding gate agent should have known this. The POC and CCC simply could/should have called the tower manager. If they did that, then the tower manager made the decision not to hold the flight. The gate agent should have notified their supervisor and the supervisor would/should have called POC or CCC to see what was going to happen. All of these folks should have been active in there efforts to hold this flight but in the end it is the tower manager who locally makes that decision.

 

[UPNAWAY]

And all of that could have happened and there still could have been a 1/2 dozen very valid reasons not to hold.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I would be very curious to know what any of the "1/2 dozen very valid reasons" could possibly be.
It doesnt appear to be crew time issue, there is no lack of gate space in CLT, flights return late to CLT constintly from the islands so that would not be a problem.....hummmm...maybe we hit on something. Maybe the flight returning to CLT would have had misconnecting paxs on it because it would arrive late and US did not want to provide ammenities. But it that were the case, the last bank is often held a few extra minutes to cover that issue so maybe that wasn't it. Still cannot come up with a valid reason. Imagine the nice things these folks would have said if US had held the flight. I've been at the gate when folks have discovered thier flight was held for a few mins. and that always makes what ever else had happened seem to fade away. Ramdom acts of kindness produce amazing results.