American Airlines

[hypnotiq]

The question is whether this allegation is true or just made up by union pilots. A sudden rash of these strongly suggests the latter.

I think the fact that 3 flights have had the seats come loose and had to make unscheduled landings because the passengers have fallen backwards indicates this isnt something being made up.

 

[timeos2]

I already place AA very low on my list usually due to high prices. If they get absorbed by USAir it wil have to be my last, desperation fallback choice. USAir has become totally unreliable and adding the poor service, old planes and high pricing of AA isn't going to improve them.

 

[Kauai Kid]

AA Schedule Changes today for Mar trip

Got the email from AA "Changes to Flight Schedule" this morning.

Going to Maui plane leaves 5 minutes earlier--gives them time to bolt our seats down.:hysterical:

Returning ain't so funny: OGG-DFW 5pm-5am

Then the flight home originally left 720 am not bad

Now it leaves at 940 am

Sit around DFW for over 4 hours.

If American is trying to loose my business they are succeeding.

Sterling

 

[Ken555]

I already place AA very low on my list usually due to high prices.

High prices? On AA? I usually find them amongst the lowest for coach fares, especially to the east coast. I haven't bought tickets with them in the last year or two since I started flying Virgin instead, but I used to all the time and they were not any more expensive than other carriers.

As for the issue in general, I think there's enough blame to go around. The airline has not upgraded its fleet over the years sufficiently (I remember when some of those planes were new and great!), and the bankruptcy hasn't helped. The union and pilots are also not innocent of all blame, either. There's definitely enough anecdotal evidence to convince me that the pilots are doing their part to cause issues with AA. So, I blame them all, and I will fly a different carrier.

 

[winger]

Just last week, I was checking an LAX-LIH flight scheduled to depart around 8:55AM ... THAT flight did NOT leave until around 5:30PM IIRC. That was due to an "equipment change". I could NOT imagine hanging at the airport for that many hours - when I could have maybe hung out at the hotel (10 mins away?).

 

[Hobo1]

Also, for those saying it's not a work slowdown, take a look at the on time arrival rate (normally an average of about 80%) which was only 53% on 9/27.[/QUOTE]


If you have fewer crews then you have scheduled planes to fly and the planes are not properly maintained then you will have delays and cancellations and the arrival percentages are going to decline. No argument there.

The interesting thing is that everyone wants to point the finger at the pilots for causing the delays. But consider this, the delays did not begin until after American furloughed 11,000 mechanics, closed two of their largest maintenance facilities, and began outsourcing their heavy maintenance to firms in South America.

 

[Pedro]

I think a lot of the mechanical "issues" are somewhat exagerated by the pilots. What really bothers me is when after landing they taxi to the gate at a very slow speed. I fly pretty much exclusively on AA, typically 4 segments every week and sometimes more and I've experienced mechanical delays in only one of my last 20 segments, so it might not be as bad as the press makes it sound (or maybe I've been lucky. The one mechanical delay I experienced was last week where the plane actually left 4 hours late. Didn't really bother me much since I was at the Flagship Lounge at ORD where we had free food, drinks, and internet access. My flights today have been on time, and my next segment tonight (DFW-MCO) also appears to be on time (keeping my fingrs crossed).

 

[Carolinian]

I already place AA very low on my list usually due to high prices. If they get absorbed by USAir it wil have to be my last, desperation fallback choice. USAir has become totally unreliable and adding the poor service, old planes and high pricing of AA isn't going to improve them.

Actually, if you look at AA's massive plane order, it will in a few years have a younger fleet than its US rivals.

As to service, at least as a AAdvantage Plat, I get a heck of a lot better service than from any other domestic airline. An example on IRROPS was earlier this year, my TATL flight into Miami got delayed leaving LHR, and when I got into MIA, there was an AA staff member waiting for me as I got off the plane with hotel voucher, meal voucher, and new boarding pass for the next morning. On other domestic airlines, even as an elite, I have had to wait in a line for that.

As to old planes, DL's ratty old 767's it uses on some TATL runs are worse than anything I have flown on AA.

 

[Carolinian]

All of this started when the union decided to go to war with AA, in cahoots with theier supposed white knight, US Air. It is not happening on American Eagle, which has a different pilots union. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who is doing it, and they should be severely punished for it.

Also, for those saying it's not a work slowdown, take a look at the on time arrival rate (normally an average of about 80%) which was only 53% on 9/27.

 

[Ken555]

As to old planes, DL's ratty old 767's it uses on some TATL runs are worse than anything I have flown on AA.

I'm on one of those Saturday! Hope it's not as bad as you mention... Well, maybe it's a newer one, since it's supposed to have the flat beds in business.

 

[timeos2]

High prices? On AA? I usually find them amongst the lowest for coach fares, especially to the east coast. I haven't bought tickets with them in the last year or two since I started flying Virgin instead, but I used to all the time and they were not any more expensive than other carriers.

As for the issue in general, I think there's enough blame to go around. The airline has not upgraded its fleet over the years sufficiently (I remember when some of those planes were new and great!), and the bankruptcy hasn't helped. The union and pilots are also not innocent of all blame, either. There's definitely enough anecdotal evidence to convince me that the pilots are doing their part to cause issues with AA. So, I blame them all, and I will fly a different carrier.

At least from Rochester they are consistently the highest cost. I've never seen them closer than $200+ more than United or USAir - $300+ Jetblue or Air Tran (converting now to Southwest). Just not competitive at all.

 

[K&PFitz]

We like to go somewhere warm in winter, especially Mexico. But it's getting harder to get flights out of St. Louis all the time.

Last Feb, we flew on AA from STL to DFW to PVR. Because the plane engines wouldn't start in STL, we ended up stuck in a hotel without luggage in Dallas for the first night of our trip.

So this year, planning for Feb 2013, I put a two hour layover in Chicago in our trip, just in case AA screws up again. They just sent me a change in schedule, cutting an hour out of the layover. So much for planning.

And the cheapest flight this year on AA is $60 more than last year.

But, if we get stuck in Chicago, at least we have friends and family to visit.

 

[Ken555]

At least from Rochester they are consistently the highest cost. I've never seen them closer than $200+ more than United or USAir - $300+ Jetblue or Air Tran (converting now to Southwest). Just not competitive at all.

Then I can only assume that's a market they've never wanted to compete in. They are quite competitive in other markets, obviously, or else they'd have gone out of business a long time ago...

 

[cissy]

If you live on the east coast and want to travel along the east coast, AA is by far the most expensive. Probably because one has to connect through Dallas/Fort Worth for anything that is not non-stop. This not only adds a couple hundred dollars to the flight, but a couple hours as well. I, for one, would welcome a merger with USAIR.

 

[DaveNV]

Does anyone know whether this excessive on-time arrival failure is also happening on International flights? I'm flying American SEA-DFW-CUN in a few weeks, and wondering whether the layover time in DFW will be shorter, and whether we'll be able to make our connections on time.

Dave

 

[nalismom]

I don't think they are discriminating between domestic and international.....they are hitting international as well

 

[DaveNV]

I don't think they are discriminating between domestic and international.....they are hitting international as well

Great...

Dave

 

[elaine]

DH's outbound flight "schedule change" for flight 4 hrs later to DFW on monday! We rebooked out of alternate airport.
Return--4 hr mech delay! He's in the air now! He said 38 flights canX/delayed @ DWF today!
But, we snagged 5 FF tickets to Rome next summer--so AA is still Ok by me (for now).

 

[HtownRose]

"Conited" ~ love it. Lots of Houstonians still call them Continental.

 

[GetawaysRus]

I've always had good service on AA, and I am pleased overall with how their employees are handling this current service slowdown. So, in defense of AA, here's what happened to us....

My wife and I had award seats in business class from Southern California to Spain at the end of September (ONT --> DFW --> MAD, both legs on AA metal). When we showed up for our 8 AM ONT to DFW flight, we learned that the plane had been taken by the earlier 6 AM flight. No plane. It didn't look good....

The AA rep at the counter was working to rebook everyone. We were offered a re-route: BA from LAX to LHR in First Class, then Iberia business class from LHR to MAD. This would cost us about a 5 hour delay, and it meant going through Heathrow (which I do not like to do), but it looked like a bird in the hand that would get us to Madrid and it was an upgrade to First class, so we took it. AA paid for our taxi from ONT to LAX.

It was a bit of a hassle getting into those First class seats. Had to go back to the AA customer service counter at LAX and get them approved, but ultimately they were. So AA is still taking care of its customers.

British Air First class on a 777-300 is a nice way to fly, by the way.

Our return to the USA will be on Iberia and British Air. Hopefully there won't be any problems with those flights.

 

[Carolinian]

If you live on the east coast and want to travel along the east coast, AA is by far the most expensive. Probably because one has to connect through Dallas/Fort Worth for anything that is not non-stop. This not only adds a couple hundred dollars to the flight, but a couple hours as well. I, for one, would welcome a merger with USAIR.

If you were a frequent flyer, especially if you had elite status in an ff program you would care alot. AA has the only decent ff program, especially the elite side of it, that is still out there. US has a crappy ff program (although better than UA's). A US takeover would be the ruination of AA's ff program.

 

[timeos2]

If you were a frequent flyer, especially if you had elite status in an ff program you would care alot. AA has the only decent ff program, especially the elite side of it, that is still out there. US has a crappy ff program (although better than UA's). A US takeover would be the ruination of AA's ff program.

Unsustainable FF programs - like the over blown demands of Unions - are what drive the high costs of operation. In the current, cost cutting and value based world of air fare (and other goods & services) this throw back to more profitable and exclusive times cannot survive. They have to be competitive in pricing (they are not) and at those lower rates cannot support the high union rates or extravagant FF features.

The buying public has spoken and they take price over service. Unless they plan to be a higher priced, boutique style airline AA has to join most others in lowering costs, prices & service levels. They cannot survive as they are structured now.

 

[x3 skier]

Said it before and will say it again. The good old days of FF programs is over. With the inflation of instant status by getting just about any credit card, fewer flights overall, ridiculous bonus miles offers, route shrinkage, consolidation and other factors, this ain't like it used to be.

I still can work some good deals but unless you reach the highest tiers, FF status is just about only good for free baggage check.

Not matter AA, DL, BA, UA or whoever the race to the bottom is almost over and the result is going to be a tie. AA was behind into the race to the bottom (by that I mean superior to most) but will close the gap. Economics demands it.

Use your miles as fast as you can while they are still worth something

Cheers

 

[Carolinian]

Actually ff programs are quite profitable for airlines because of the money they get from hotels, car rental companies, banks, etc. for selling miles. They also add to the bottom line indirectly in another way, by geting loyalty from high fare business travellers. Without decent ff programs, many business travellers who now make a point of flying a particular airline will just fly price and schedule. The business travellers are where the money is for airlines.

As to price, I totally disagree with you. A good example is a biz trip I had back to the states in August. My corporate travel office was pressing hard for their preferred airline, UA, harder than usual for some reason, and I had to look up my own flights on AA to stay on my preferred carrier. I found an AA routing through IST that was $600 cheaper than the cheapest UA flight they found. But pricing will vary by routes. I am sure there will always be some routes where any airline out there (except maybe RyanAir and EasyJet) are going to be higher that others, and there will be routings where they are the lower price out there, too.

Unsustainable FF programs - like the over blown demands of Unions - are what drive the high costs of operation. In the current, cost cutting and value based world of air fare (and other goods & services) this throw back to more profitable and exclusive times cannot survive. They have to be competitive in pricing (they are not) and at those lower rates cannot support the high union rates or extravagant FF features.

The buying public has spoken and they take price over service. Unless they plan to be a higher priced, boutique style airline AA has to join most others in lowering costs, prices & service levels. They cannot survive as they are structured now.

 

[Carolinian]

I don't know about you, but my Plat status at AA gets me lounge access on TATL flights (and that includes Galleries at LHR), early boarding, check-in through the 1st class line, special security lines (that can save an hour's time at LHR or IST, to name a couple), 2 free checked bags, frequent first class upgrades on domestic legs (I am 100% since switching to AA, and was close to that on NW and CO), double ff miles, and premium coach seats on international flights (usually exit row).

My award redemption is also great. I had a summer redemption this year, and the circumstances only gave me about 6 weeks lead time. Nonetheless, half of the days during the month I needed to travel were availible at saver milage rates on AA. I would NEVER find that at that juncture for summer on DL, and not as much on UA, although better at UA than DL.

Said it before and will say it again. The good old days of FF programs is over. With the inflation of instant status by getting just about any credit card, fewer flights overall, ridiculous bonus miles offers, route shrinkage, consolidation and other factors, this ain't like it used to be.

I still can work some good deals but unless you reach the highest tiers, FF status is just about only good for free baggage check.

Not matter AA, DL, BA, UA or whoever the race to the bottom is almost over and the result is going to be a tie. AA was behind into the race to the bottom (by that I mean superior to most) but will close the gap. Economics demands it.

Use your miles as fast as you can while they are still worth something

Cheers