Why Does This Constantly Happen?

[billt460]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-intervene-after-flight-breaks-out-on-delta-flight-dealyed-8-hours

I can't believe with an airport the size of JFK, they can't find an area to taxi to, and allow the passengers to deplane. Instead of keeping them on board for 8 hours, without moving an inch.

 

[mk378]

If the plane gets out of the line they lose their turn to take off. So it would become a cancelled flight instead of a delayed one and that looks really bad to corporate.

 

[javacontour]

Miami was the problem. Everytime I've flown to or through Miami, it's been a cluster...

Coming back from Lima Peru, an itinerary that should have been maybe 12 hours was closer to 30 with all the delays, mostly due to issues in Miami.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by mk378
If the plane gets out of the line they lose their turn to take off. So it would become a cancelled flight instead of a delayed one and that looks really bad to corporate.

Perhaps. But this looks worse to the customers. And they're the one's who pay corporates salary..... And everyone else's.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted by billt460
https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-intervene-after-flight-breaks-out-on-delta-flight-dealyed-8-hours

I can't believe with an airport the size of JFK, they can't find an area to taxi to, and allow the passengers to deplane. Instead of keeping them on board for 8 hours, without moving an inch.


I don't know what happened on this one, yet. I'm going sailing with Delta's Chief Pilot next weekend, and I imagine he'll have some details...

But Delta flies about 2,200 flights/day. 5,000/day if regional feed is included.

So, considering just Delta main line, that's over 800,000 flights a year. The last time Delta was delayed like this, several hours, on the ramp was, what, several years ago?

So, if by "constantly" you mean "once every several million flights" - well, yeah, it happens "constantly"...

Because once every several million departures, with thousands of dependencies on ground support personnel, catering companies, customer service reps, passengers, pilots, flight attendants, union rules, federal regulations, state regulations, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey regulations and procedures, FAA traffic management and weather all impacting each and every single one of those departures, enough goes wrong that a flight is stuck for several hours...

 

[LoneRanger]

I'd have gone stir crazy by hour #2. I try to sympathize with the airlines most all of the time on stuff, but 8 hrs crammed into an economy class seat me being 6'2" 220lbs, it just ain't happening. I seriously hope I wouldn't be the feature story on the evening news if ever placed in that situation. 8 hours is 8 hours.

 

[talest]

And people still fly. Heh.

Let's not all bash the airlines at once, now. Everybody gets a turn..

 

[Vern_in_IL]

deregulation is the answer.

 

[PimTac]

My thinking here is that the blame lies more with JFK than it does Delta. Delta cannot just pull up anywhere and deplane the passengers.

Some airports are notorious for delays and such. JFK is one of those. A combination of a busy schedule plus weather delays either at NYC or anywhere that is a major hub will disrupt the system. We can't change the weather.

 

[sloinker]

Time for some high speed rail infrastructure.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted by Vern_in_IL
deregulation is the answer.


Yeah...

We, um, did that in 1978.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_Deregulation_Act

The system that we have now is the result of what the consumer demanded: cheaper, cheaper and cheaper.

Which requires jamming more seats into each plane, and keeping planes on tight schedules to pay for $300 million dollar machines with $150 fares...

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger
I'd have gone stir crazy by hour #2. I try to sympathize with the airlines most all of the time on stuff, but 8 hrs crammed into an economy class seat me being 6'2" 220lbs, it just ain't happening. I seriously hope I wouldn't be the feature story on the evening news if ever placed in that situation. 8 hours is 8 hours.

That's the part I'm not getting. 8 hours is an awfully long time to not come up with a solution for keeping a plane load of people captive.

 

[Astro14]

Delta offered them a chance to get off, via bus. There were no gates available.

As a tenant, Delta may not actually own the gates, the Port Authority probably does.

But "trapped", "captive, or "held hostage" expresses emotion...not the facts of the incident.

 

[BusyLittleShop]

FAA regulation 100-PCS:

Airlines are here by penalized $100 per passenger per hour they are delayed in their seats... after 24 hours the ownership of the aircraft is divided equally among the surviving passengers...

 

[billt460]

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/delta-flight-delay-18-hours

Here we go again.