American Airlines

[Kauai Kid]

Time has a Front Cover article on AA and claim that AA's CEO has the worst job in the country. AA has not hired a flight attendant in 12 years.

Morning paper has another article about how many AA flights were delayed, late, or canceled yesterday.

Woe to me. AA to Kauai in November, AA to Maui in March.

Lots of AA frequent flyer miles

What to do?? Merge with US Air or go out of business completely.

Sterling

 

[bogey21]

My ex-wife is an American Flight Attendent with enough seniority to be job secure. If her opinion of American's Management is correct and shared by the majority of their employees, they need a new owner.

George

 

[Joan-OH]

AA already cancelled my Oct 16-23 flight to LRM that I booked with miles and no replacement flights available. So we eat the cost of the resort and cancelled the trip as tickets now are $800+

I am booked Feb 5-20 to CUN and realized the 5th is on a Tuesday, so am worried they will cancel that one too as the Tuesday flights have been getting the hatchet. I don't know if I'll ever be able to use my miles.

Joan-OH

 

[Pedro]

AA already cancelled my Oct 16-23 flight to LRM that I booked with miles and no replacement flights available. So we eat the cost of the resort and cancelled the trip as tickets now are $800+

I am booked Feb 5-20 to CUN and realized the 5th is on a Tuesday, so am worried they will cancel that one too as the Tuesday flights have been getting the hatchet. I don't know if I'll ever be able to use my miles.

Joan-OH

Although flights to LRM appear to be gone, AA still has plenty of flights available to PUJ and SDQ on your dates. Could you have used one of those options instead?

 

[Joan-OH]

Although flights to LRM appear to be gone, AA still has plenty of flights available to PUJ and SDQ on your dates. Could you have used one of those options instead?

Those flights are available, but taking a 2 hour cab ride in the DR to the resort at night in the dark is way outside my comfort level for sure. Resort is only 20 minutes from LRM. Of course at the late date they cancelled my tickets, no award tickets were available and we didn't want to go there enough to spend $1500 - $2K on airfare.

Joan-OH

 

[persia]

With decent carriers like Southwest and JetBlue who needs the discount carriers like AA?

 

[lvhmbh]

Depends on where you're flying and the schedule. We are doing AA to Boston because of schedule. We would have done JetBlue but NEVER Southwest. Even our 15 year old dislikes Southwest.

 

[Rent_Share]

My ex-wife is an American Flight Attendent with enough seniority to be job secure. If her opinion of American's Management is correct and shared by the majority of their employees, they need a new owner.

George

Yes they do but not Useless Air which is currently run by the former CEO of America's Worst

 

[elaine]

Joan-OH, I assume you are referring to award travel on other airlines, b/c I believe that AA would book you on any AA flight with seats--not just FF seats, and if your flight is canceled, then into alternate airports, if you choose.

 

[Carolinian]

Read FlyerTalk.com about what is really going on at AA. Dougie Parker of US is trying to take over, and the pilots union at AA is backing him. They are engaged in a labor slow down to try to hurt the airline. Some have reported taxiing tours to parts of airports they did not know existed before bothering to take off. Others reports pilots doing mechanical writeups for frivolous things like stains on cockpit seats just to cause delays.

Eventually, AA will get enough evidence together to prove what the pilots (of course not all of them, but the gung-ho union activists) are doing and get a court injunction to stop the nonsense. Hopefully, they can also get enough to recover money damages from the union, enough to make it have to file for bankruptcy kill off the union for good.

AA has the only ff plan left that is worth a crap, so I will stick with them whatever the unions decide to throw at them.

And Dougie Parker of US would be a disaster for AA passengers.

It is also being reported over at FT that the pilots at American Eagle, who are represented by a different union, are NOT playing the same games with delays that some of those on mainline AA are doing.

 

[Hobo1]

Actually the American flight delays and cancellations are not due to a labor slowdown by the pilots but because of a pilot shortage at American. American's refusal to negotiate last year with the pilots on a new contract led to a majority of senior pilots taking early retirement before another new contract was presented. This created a situation where American had more airplanes than they had pilots, add to that the number of pilots who became eligible for retirement this year and American was forced to cancel flights for the remainder of 2012 where they had no available flight crew.

Stains on cockpit seats is not a mechanical problem.

Seats that are not bolted down, dents or cracks in engine fan blades, tires that do not have the correct air pressure, bent landing gears, excessive oil leaks, broken lavatories, blown fuses, and non-working cockpit instruments and lights, these are all mechanical problems that are not the fault of the pilots but they are required to report them so the aircraft is airworthy or safe to fly. Pilots don't fix planes, mechanics do, and the pilots have no control as to when those repairs will be made or finished. Did you know an American pilot does not begin earning their pay until s/he pushes back from the gate?

If one were to go to the FAA website they would find that the FAA keeps a record of all reported mechanical problems, by airline, that shows the reasons, facts, rather then the opinions for delays and cancellations posted on flyertalk or some other traveler forum by the uninformed.

 

[Kauai Kid]

AA Schedule Changes Today for Nov Trip

Had it booked months ago: Austin TX-LAX-LIH 740 am-120 pm

AA changed it to AUS-LAX-LIH 1215p-810 pm then drive the pitch black road to Princeville.

Arranged with AA after waiting 20 min to arrive 436 pm via HNL taking 3 connections.

Return flight previously was two connections--now three.

Looks like I gotta start flying someone else United or US Air.


Sterling

 

[Ken555]

Apparently AA had a flight land early today at NYC en route to the west coast because of three seats that weren't bolted down. That's somewhat unforgivable. And I've always liked AA.

 

[Kauai Kid]

Yes they do but not Useless Air which is currently run by the former CEO of America's Worst

My only experience with US Air has been Texas-Phoenix-Maui.

Only problem one time when they had to change a tire. 20-30 minute delay

I sure don't hear anything good about them on TUG though.

Sterling

 

[hypnotiq]

Apparently AA had a flight land early today at NYC en route to the west coast because of three seats that weren't bolted down. That's somewhat unforgivable. And I've always liked AA.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-american-airlines-seats-idUSBRE89102L20121002

8 planes grounded for loose seats.

 

[Carolinian]

A sudden rash of questionable to fictitious ''mechaniscal'' problems that suddenly started after the union decided to go to war with AA on behalf of US ARE INDEED a union slowdown and it is not the first time it has happened in the airline industry. In the past, airlines have eventually gotten enough evidence to go to court to get an injunction to stop the nonsense, and I am sure that will happen here as well. I only hope that they can also soak the union for money damages and hopefully bankrupt the union and put it out of business. The pilots at American Eagle, represented by a different union are NOT pulling the crap that some of the mainline pilots are.

Absence of flight crews has NOT been a reason for the delays and cencellations, so the argument about retirements just does not hold water. It sounds like you have been fed a union excuse.

Actually the American flight delays and cancellations are not due to a labor slowdown by the pilots but because of a pilot shortage at American. American's refusal to negotiate last year with the pilots on a new contract led to a majority of senior pilots taking early retirement before another new contract was presented. This created a situation where American had more airplanes than they had pilots, add to that the number of pilots who became eligible for retirement this year and American was forced to cancel flights for the remainder of 2012 where they had no available flight crew.

Stains on cockpit seats is not a mechanical problem.

Seats that are not bolted down, dents or cracks in engine fan blades, tires that do not have the correct air pressure, bent landing gears, excessive oil leaks, broken lavatories, blown fuses, and non-working cockpit instruments and lights, these are all mechanical problems that are not the fault of the pilots but they are required to report them so the aircraft is airworthy or safe to fly. Pilots don't fix planes, mechanics do, and the pilots have no control as to when those repairs will be made or finished. Did you know an American pilot does not begin earning their pay until s/he pushes back from the gate?

If one were to go to the FAA website they would find that the FAA keeps a record of all reported mechanical problems, by airline, that shows the reasons, facts, rather then the opinions for delays and cancellations posted on flyertalk or some other traveler forum by the uninformed.

 

[Carolinian]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-american-airlines-seats-idUSBRE89102L20121002

8 planes grounded for loose seats.

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

 

[Carolinian]

My only experience with US Air has been Texas-Phoenix-Maui.

Only problem one time when they had to change a tire. 20-30 minute delay

I sure don't hear anything good about them on TUG though.

Sterling

Piedmont used to be one of the airlines I flew, and after US took over Piedmont, they largely ruined what had been a great airline. They are called Useless Air for a raason.

 

[Twinkstarr]

Piedmont used to be one of the airlines I flew, and after US took over Piedmont, they largely ruined what had been a great airline. They are called Useless Air for a raason.

Used to love Piedmont too. I avoid Useless Air like the plague. I follow a bunch of NASCAR media types on Twitter who either live around ESPN HQ or Charlotte(Useless Air territories) and every Thursday from Feb-Nov it's always some sort of delay and it's not always weather.

 

[Ken555]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/01/travel/american-airlines-customers-complaining

 

[nalismom]

Flew AA DFW-HNL 9/24 scheduled 1050 departure...pulled away from gate approximately 1105...... Sat on plane pushed back from gate for half hour until advised by pilot that they could not open a valve on one of engines so needed to go back to gate to have mechanics manually open it and then we could take off.....another half hour to move plane back to gate ......about 150 ft.....pilot comes on after back at gate with 'good news' and 'bad news'...good news is they (the pilots) were able to close the valve while moving back to gate....no mechanics involved.....bad news....mechanics now have to do paperwork......finally underway hour and a half later.

Sure sounds like a slowdown own to me.......

Two days ago AA changed a connecting return flight on 11/23 that is on same PNR as 1st flight....original itinerary was Cape Air ACK-BOS 530 pm arriving 615 pm connecting to AA flt departing BOS 845 pm arriving DFW 1205 am...changed to Cape Air 11/23 530 pm arrive BOS 615 pm connecting to AA departing 11/23 at 440 PM arriving DFW 805 pm....explain to me how we could connect to a flight leaving an hour and 35 minutes before we actually land in BOS!!!! Spent two days of vacation in Kauai resolving this mess given that this is Thanksgiving Weekend and flights are full!! Because of their change we now have to spend a night at Boston hotel to connect to next flight.....all on our dime! Oh....and we were not tidied of this change....I checked my flights after reading of the travel messes of others above...so check your flights daily for up to date info.

 

[lvhmbh]

Have a flight from Miami to Boston tomorrow night - return Monday afternoon - Keeping my fingers crossed. We're in 1st so they usually try to keep you appeased but the kids are in coach (3 of them). Will tell them to get drinks and snacks to take on and will feed them ahead.

 

[beejaybee]

DH has flights to PHX booked on AA for next month- so far no changes. Earlier this week we were notified our flights to EGE in Feb were changed to a later departure and subsequent arrival.

I'm sitting on enuf AA miles to book lowest mileage level first class one-way tix to Beijing for a flight in 18 months from now. We could also use the miles for r/t to Italy for a year from now, but with AA routing thru London the taxes are outrageous at @$700pp!!

Also have enuf Conited miles for either the Italy or China routings.

My plan is to use the AA miles for Beijing and the UA miles for Italy, but am concerned that AA may be a goner by then. I posted this concern on another bbs and most responses indicated that AA will be around even if US Air buys them/merges.

 

[Hobo1]

A sudden rash of questionable to fictitious ''mechaniscal'' problems that suddenly started after the union decided to go to war with AA on behalf of US ARE INDEED a union slowdown and it is not the first time it has happened in the airline industry. In the past, airlines have eventually gotten enough evidence to go to court to get an injunction to stop the nonsense, and I am sure that will happen here as well. I only hope that they can also soak the union for money damages and hopefully bankrupt the union and put it out of business. The pilots at American Eagle, represented by a different union are NOT pulling the crap that some of the mainline pilots are.

Absence of flight crews has NOT been a reason for the delays and cencellations, so the argument about retirements just does not hold water. It sounds like you have been fed a union excuse.

I was on a AA flight yesterday that was delayed because the backup battery that is responsible for the controllers on the right wing died. That's not a "fictitious problem". American has the oldest fleet in the industry and the planes are falling apart, that's one of the reasons they placed the largest order for new aircraft last year. You can't compare Eagle with American because the Eagle fleet is on average less than three years old compared to American's fleet average of 20 years.

As far as being "fed a union excuse", my neighbor, a crew scheduler, for American is quickly developing an ulcer cuz his department cannot come up with enough crews to staff all the scheduled flights and he's not union. If a flight is cancelled due to mechanical or even delayed as the flights this weekend because of the loose seats then the flights at the termination point are cancelled or delayed because they are usually waiting for that crew to pilot the next segment. It's not like Southwest or JetBlue where the crews stay with the same aircraft until they timeout. But here is something factual that the American pilots are doing in their "battle" with American management. They are refusing to work overtime. Once they max out their required flight hours for the month, agreed to in the last contract, they are finished. American relied on those pilots to fly the maximum number of hours allowed by the FAA and it's not happening today.

American pilots don't have to implement a work slowdown it's inherent in the American system. 20 year old planes that are falling apart, a large contingent of senior pilots who have taken retirement in the last 24 months and pilots who are declining to fly overtime and you have the perfect storm.

And if you doubt any of the above then I direct your attention to American's annual report, not a union publication, because all that information and more can be found there.

 

[MichaelColey]

We were on AA flights going to Hawaii on 9/10 and returning on 9/30. The only way we were able to get 5 First Class tickets at saver rates was to split into two separate flights (my wife and the youngest on one, me and the older two on the other), 2 hours apart. We were booked on direct flights, seated together, on 767s (lie flat seats), dinner flights -- should have been almost perfect. We booked these back in December, before any of this came up.

As you might guess, we had problems on several of our AA flights. My wife's flight out was delayed and she missed her connection to Maui (and they put them on the next one). That was before the slowdown, so likely unrelated. Returning home, my flight was cancelled. They originally rebooked us in coach a day later, but after spending several hours (of our one day at Aulani -- ARGH!) on the phone with them, they were able to get us on earlier flights, back in First (on two of three flights). Of course we went from a direct flight to three segments, flying on a 717, a 757 and a 737 (minimal recline) instead of a 767 (lie flat seating), seated separately, and with a nasty snack instead of dinner. My wife's flight back was delayed enough that her direct flight barely beat us home.

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.