In all of the delays, I have never ever once been compensated, or received an honest apology even when it cost me money. To the airline pilots responding, I think its cool that you take the time to explain yoru side of it, but I don’t think the delays are the real complaint.

I was flying out of KC earlier this year, flight was delayed for 8 hours, everything was closed in the airport at 7, etc. The reason for the delay? A weather delay in Denver was preventing our flight attendant from getting to KC to board the plane that was already at the gate and ready to go at its normal time.

Since that was a “weather” delay? We were entitled to no compensation, despite the fact that I didn’t get home until the next morning at 6 AM.

I think the problem is that, airlines aren’t taking responsibility for passenger inconvenience.

For example, earlier this month I was on a morning flight that was overbooked, and they asked for volunteers to give up their seat for a seat on a later flight, plus a free round trip ticket.

I volunteered, but before the she printed my boarding passes she told me that I would not be eligible for the free flight unless my next flight was more than 12 hours.

They had a flight 6 hours later, and then another the next morning.

I said “f*ck that*… and took my boarding pass back.

What a bunch of jerks! I was trying to help out!

Anyways, once this was revealed, no one volunteered, so they had to boot people. That lady was within about an inch of getting beat down by this couple from NY.

That is the problem.

In airline flying, there is no legal allowance for a passenger stating, “My cousin says it’s nice at his house in Green Bay”, “My iPhone says the weather is good there are no delays in Chicago.” I just want to ask that person if he/she has spoken to our dispatcher to get the official weather for the destinationa and alternate airport(s). “Do you curry favor with the fueler and have you suggested he skip the other ten airplanes also waiting for gas?” “Have you contacted the Air Traffic Management Unit to get our flight released ahead of the other 75 delayed flights whos’ passengers also have iPhones?” But, I digress.

Usually, I have no personal interest in getting to a particular destination, other than strong desire to get people where they paid to go. This is as it should be – a disinterested person making an objective decision. Occasionally, I must call on experience and judgement to make a decision more conservative than the rules allow. Fortunately, I work for an airline that values my opinion. I can only hope the passengers will too. And, my primary motivation is that I want to grow old someday and I expect those sitting behind me feel the same way.

I suspect this is such a heated issue because, nowadays, the stakes are so high. Weather, traffic, mechanical and other delays and cancellations are inevitible. But the havoc caused by these events is insane – and is largely preventable!!! Flights are packed full – which is uncomfortable enough. But, because there is no excess capacity, one delayed or cancelled flight might mean passengers might wait a several days before getting to their destination. This is outrageous!!!

Not only is there no excess capacity to account for these foreseeable circumstances, airlines are allowed to sell more tickets than they have seats. They gamble on the fact that a certain number of people will “no-show”. They have this down to a science and Involuntary Denied Boardings are scarce. But, this is no consolation to the person that will not make it to their mother’s death-bed in time to say goodbye, or to the Boston family sitting in Houston for a week, missing their entire Hawaiian vacation beacause all the flights are oversold. And, because one flight was delayed due to weather, there is no help or compensation forthcoming.

Airlines need to remain profitable or they don’t stay in business. But, when planes are packed and profits are still marginal, this is a problem. Are passengers willing to pay for excess capacity, leg-room, meals, snacks, etc.? History says, “no.”

I take exception to Mr. (Captain?) Egan’s tone on regional airlines but, he brings up an excellent point. How would you feel if your doctor went to an accelerated 1-year medical school and had a 3-month internship? Would you look for another doctor? I would. What if it cost more? What if the majority of people chose not to pay more? What if doctors’ salaries dipped to where it was no longer worth going through the long, expensive process to become one. Certainly, we would have a few dedicated individuals that would do it for the love of humanity. But, we would face a critical shortage of doctors and would have no choice but to accept those with less education and experience.

Likewise, not all that long ago, the airlines were very a lucrative career for a pilot – the pinnacle of years of education, training, likely military service and paying one’s dues. With drastic concessions throughout the industry (while corporate officers and managers deal themselves huge bonuses for “saving” their companies), fewer and fewer qualified people are choosing aviation as a career. Most airline pilots have a college degree and more than a few have Master’s and even Doctorate level educations, as well as other proffesional training. And many of these pilots, including those at “major” airlines have chosen to leave the industry. Why be away from home and family more than half of each month when one could make as much or more as a CPA, lawyer, businessman, etc?

Don’t get me wrong. It is my decision to stay where I am. I enjoy what I do and work for a great company. After 14 years I do OK. Regional pilots have faired relatively better than our “major” counterparts. We have not taken the huge concessions they have but, we haven’t kept up with inflation either. As a whole, pilots are working much harder now for less than they were ten years ago. Blame the economy, 9/11, oil prices, etc., the net effect has left the entire industry with very slim pickings.

Again, you get what you pay for.

Delay part about 2/3 down the page.

http://www.fatkittystudios.com/photo_blog/photoblog_12_26_07.htm

The cost of running our business does not allow for unlimited resources, and that at times is very challenging for us. Some of those costs are within our control (labor), some not (fuel). As for the controllable costs such as labor, I don’t think anyone would consider employees of the airline business overpaid, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has not sacrificed to keep their job. When a flight cancels or delays, my employees do the best they can to take care of the customer within the guidelines. We are running a business just like any other, and I am amused how many people think we should not be allowed to turn a profit. Just yesterday during the flight I was on, the lady next to me was complaining how all the flights are full these days and how that is annoying to her – let me tell you – that’s the point!

As for the weather delays, the complex nature of our industry is not understood by the average passenger, and sometimes putting it into lay terms makes it easier to understand. For example, if a weather event is forecasted 2-3 hours in advance and that given airport is scheduled to have say 200 arrivals within that 2-3 hour period, something has to give. On a highway, if an accident occurs and blocks one of three lanes, not as many cars can pass and the flow is decreased for safety, thus creating a traffic jam. The same applies to our airspace system, if an arrival flow has to be decreased due to a storm approaching (accident on the highway) then the flow is decreased for safety – even if the weather at that very moment appears clear and beautiful at both the departure and arrival aiport. Thus the weather delay or even cancellations that can appear to be suspicious. This of course is only one scenario, there are many, many more.

The main point I am trying to convey is the airlines are not out to rip you off, and at times decisions must be made that are difficult for the customer, but are in the interest of safety. Just as with any other employer of a large work force, there are employees who do not give the service that is deserved, those people, are dealt with accordingly. It may be hard to believe, but our main objective is to get you there safe, ontime and satisfied. Our planes are full and the legroom is not that great, but that is why fares for the most part are cheap and affordable for almost everyone.

If you see a pilot and he says he doesnt like the weather and wants to wait it out then you can almost guarantee that you do not want to be flying in that weather. We dont like delays either. The iphone commercial although it proves a point and has a good message it is very misleading. As a pilot flying under 121 Regulations you are not going to just get released because you saw one forecast that was favorable. There is a very real reason for weather delays and it is to keep people safe. We try everything in our power to get that flight out on time. ALtough your article is interesting it is misleading and should be corrected to say that people should trust airline crews with their decision. People are required to listen to us once they are on our airplane. If you want to regulate how airlines label delays fine but dont lead people to believe they can force a crew to takeoff when the weather is marginal at best. Professional crews would laugh then throw the objecting passengers off the aircraft but i am worried for the inexperienced, lower timed pilots flying regional aircraft into smaller airports that often times dont have the more expensive but more sophisticated approaches. Maybe you should do a story on pilots flying a 50 passenger jet with as little as 3 months experience flying airplanes (from first flight to flying a commercial jet).