Has anyone had probelms on AA this past week?

[Cinderellee]

Delayed or canceled flights and such? Especially from the DFW area? We leave later this week and I am so anxious about it. I have heard of many flights from DFW to MCO being cancelled as well as baggage issues. Any stories? TIA

[OKW Lover]

Well, if you really want something to worry about....

AA is having some labor issues as it attempts to work through bankruptcy. At random times they will not have enough crew to operate every flight that day so they have had to cancel some flights. There is no way to know ahead of time if your flight will be affected.

[kaytieeldr]

And this is the fourth (I think) thread about the AA issues in the last few days .

[Cinderellee]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

And this is the fourth (I think) thread about the AA issues in the last few days .

Sorry. I tried to do a search and didn't have time to read every single thread. :/

[kaytieeldr]

It was a comment, not a criticism . But since you say you searched, could I ask how? Only because when I typed AA into the "Search this forum" box using 'search threads', the results were:
This thread
Sept car rental thread
AA delays/cancellations
What are airlines thinking
American Airlines flight delays/cancels
Flying American - watch those flights
So even without the search function, if you just look at a couple of pages of threads you should see the pertinent ones.

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

And this is the fourth (I think) thread about the AA issues in the last few days .

Also, this issue has been all over the news. Try doing a Google search.

[Planogirl]

I don't see anything wrong with someone asking if anyone has had problems lately. I'm concerned about this too because it has apparently caused some locals big problems with travel. DFW is after all AA's hub.

Cinderellee, some people on a local forum have said that the slowdowns have caused them big issues but they can usually catch another flight. I would suggest getting to the airport even earlier than usual just to be sure. I'm mulling over booking a flight on AA soon but only because they have the lowest prices right now. It might be a gamble but....

[kaytieeldr]

But the lowest price isn't always the best value. Given the situation at American Airlines, it would be reasonable to purchase tickets on an airline that isn't having daily flight cancellation issues and will actually get the passenger to the destination on the agreed-upon date.

I mean, I'm all for gambling - once I arrive at a location where it's legal. Actually getting there and back? Not so much .

[Horace Horsecollar]

I took Cinderellee's question to be one about the actual experiences of DISboards participants, not about the national news articles about AA. I think that's a legitimate topic for a thread.

AA has had to cancel flights and juggle crews because some pilots are "calling in sick" and others are filing frivolous maintenance reports.

According to a new article by Peter Greenberg:

Going into the weekend, the airline saw high flight cancellations and a significant number of delayed flights. Almost half of the airline’s flights were canceled on Monday and Tuesday. Then on Thursday, 281 flights were canceled and only 53 percent arrived on time.

As of late Friday there was some improvement. Only 39 flights, just 2 percent of the schedule, were canceled. Still the airline announced that it planned to reduce its flight schedule by 1 to 2 percent going into October.

I think Greenberg is WRONG about almost half of the airline's flights being cancelled on Monday and Tuesday last week. Other reports put the percentage at about 3% to 5%. That's still bad. Even 1% is bad if you're supposed to be on one of those flights. I would take all of Greenberg's numbers and percentages with a grain of salt.

This still raises the question of how AA is meeting its commitments to as many passengers as possible. Is AA cutting full, but low-yielding, tourist flights to places like Orlando? Or is AA juggling flights on business routes with frequent service and more opportunity to move passengers to other AA flights and to other airlines?

I too would be interested to know the actual, recent experiences of DISboards participants with AA.

[Cinderellee]

Originally Posted by Horace Horsecollar

I took Cinderellee's question to be one about the actual experiences of DISboards participants, not about the national news articles about AA. I think that's a legitimate topic for a thread.

AA has had to cancel flights and juggle crews because some pilots are "calling in sick" and others are filing frivolous maintenance reports.

According to a new article by Peter Greenberg:

Going into the weekend, the airline saw high flight cancellations and a significant number of delayed flights. Almost half of the airline’s flights were canceled on Monday and Tuesday. Then on Thursday, 281 flights were canceled and only 53 percent arrived on time.

As of late Friday there was some improvement. Only 39 flights, just 2 percent of the schedule, were canceled. Still the airline announced that it planned to reduce its flight schedule by 1 to 2 percent going into October.

I think Greenberg is WRONG about almost half of the airline's flights being cancelled on Monday and Tuesday last week. Other reports put the percentage at about 3% to 5%. That's still bad. Even 1% is bad if you're supposed to be on one of those flights. I would take all of Greenberg's numbers and percentages with a grain of salt.

This still raises the question of how AA is meeting its commitments to as many passengers as possible. Is AA cutting full, but low-yielding, tourist flights to places like Orlando? Or is AA juggling flights on business routes with frequent service and more opportunity to move passengers to other AA flights and to other airlines?

I too would be interested to know the actual, recent experiences of DISboards participants with AA.

Thank you....As I live in DFW, I am well aware of the issues, they are all over the news. I was hoping to hear some live feedback from people that have flown in the past week or so. Nothing like having your vacation plans being messed up. I thought maybe some of you could relate. Thanks.

[Cinderellee]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

It was a comment, not a criticism . But since you say you searched, could I ask how? Only because when I typed AA into the "Search this forum" box using 'search threads', the results were:
This thread
Sept car rental thread
AA delays/cancellations
What are airlines thinking
American Airlines flight delays/cancels
Flying American - watch those flights
So even without the search function, if you just look at a couple of pages of threads you should see the pertinent ones.

As for this, I did a search on just that and didn't find the exact information I was looking for. Hence my question. Sorry.

[Aggiegrl]

We flew out of DFW last week, as did one of my friends. I was never so happy to be on Spirit instead of AA.

One friend was delayed for 2 hours because of a burnt out emergency exit light. Apparently, they loaded the plane and just before closing the door the pilot came out to do one more cabin check, where he "found" the burnt out light bulb. My friend said it was very odd and very staged. Have you ever seen a pilot come out and check the cabin after everyone is in their seats? Now, I'm not saying that bulb isn't important, but 1) it should have been "discovered" earlier and 2) it shouldn't take 2 hours to replace a freaking light bulb.

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Originally Posted by Aggiegrl

2) it shouldn't take 2 hours to replace a freaking light bulb.

And an airline shouldn't toss the pensions of hardworking men and women without whom they would be unable to operate... but yes, I hear what you're saying.

I don't agree with the tactics but I 100% support Mr. ExPirateShopGirl and the combined efforts of his fellow rank and file captains and first officers who have worked tirelessly for a decade or more to get a livable contract from AA.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by ExPirateShopGirl

And an airline shouldn't toss the pensions of hardworking men and women without whom they would be unable to operate... but yes, I hear what you're saying.

I don't agree with the tactics but I 100% support Mr. ExPirateShopGirl and the combined efforts of his fellow rank and file captains and first officers who have worked tirelessly for a decade or more to get a livable contract from AA.

It's always hard to try and get what's due you without impacting others...especially in this type of situation. I'm sure that those affected are not happy that passengers are paying the price as well. I do know that I was very glad to have decided to book JB for my flights vs AA. I've flown AA before, and had no issues. But, I needed an airline that would refund me the most money if I had to cancel at the last minute due to my mother-in-laws health issues. And I have to say, that based on what I saw, and am seeing still, I'm glad I had to make that choice.
I hate to see so many people, both passengers and company people, negatively impacted. This is turning into a lose/lose situation. And now three planes with broken seats??? Seriously?? That's not going to help the situation. I'm glad I'm not working for AA at the moment. All I can say is that I hope the situation gets rectified soon, to everyone's mutual agreement!!!!!

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Agreed!

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

It's always hard to try and get what's due you without impacting others...especially in this type of situation. I'm sure that those affected are not happy that passengers are paying the price as well. I do know that I was very glad to have decided to book JB for my flights vs AA. I've flown AA before, and had no issues. But, I needed an airline that would refund me the most money if I had to cancel at the last minute due to my mother-in-laws health issues. And I have to say, that based on what I saw, and am seeing still, I'm glad I had to make that choice.
I hate to see so many people, both passengers and company people, negatively impacted. This is turning into a lose/lose situation. And now three planes with broken seats??? Seriously?? That's not going to help the situation. I'm glad I'm not working for AA at the moment. All I can say is that I hope the situation gets rectified soon, to everyone's mutual agreement!!!!!