American Airlines’ Operations Crisis And What It Means For You

On my trip this week – Ive had 2 cancelations thus far on my flights for “mechanicals.” I find the whole thing to be a bit annoying. Others on FT are reporting significant disruptions as well.

We are flying to Honolulu from East Coast on AA on Saturday. I hope there will not be any major problems or delays or cancellations. Traveling with toddler and a baby is difficult enough even when things go smoothly.

I dealt with an AA travel disruption on Monday traveling from San Diego to New York. Mysterious mechanical issues on a plane that had been on the ground overnight. I am not excited to have two more trips booked on AA in the next 30 days!

Didn’t travel this week, but did go LGA-MIA, LIM-MIA, MIA-JFK 2 weeks ago.

All 3 flights were great. No delays, relatively happy and efficient (though worn) crews.

My biggest gripe was domestic First Class cabin on international portion of my trip from Lima to Miami.

Flew AA MIA-BWI Tuesday night. Had just seen Scott’s article, so I was concerned. Also, the weather looked bad in BWI that day. But my aircraft was already in MIA, and the flight was showing on time. Got to airport a little over an hour in advance and, just then, they posted a half hour delay. At around the scheduled departure time, they started boarding — I felt relieved. But after we all got on board, a deadheading pilot took the mic and said there was no crew yet! He said they were “en route” and, after another hour waiting on board, the pilots showed up. We were a little more than 1 1/2 hours late.

Not sure how to allocate this between weather and job action, though, but there certainly was a strange amount of confusion.

You’re happy to see the airline crumble because you never got upgraded? Wow.

DYKWIA…please.

CLT is a US Airways hub, so they will have the best domestic availability. I have often bought United tix to CLT but half the time they’re on US Airways metal anyway. JetBlue also flies there.

Four flights on AA in the last two weeks. No problems, all were either on time or early.

I been flying both United and AA this year and I can say that United is terrible too with delays due to lack of crew most of the time. Last month, for a 6 am flight out of FLL to IAH, got stock for 4 hours because the crew was not there. Even the pilots were upset. But you know who is worse than AA and UA combined?: Aeromexico. Probably is not totally their fault since they operate in an airport that is too small for all the traffic that it gets and also the bad design of its new terminal, which complicates things a lot when planes have to back up and exit the terminal to the runways. Once you have experience Aeromexico, you will know what is bad.

9-19 Flt from LAX to DFW, delayed to depart, finally on board when maintenance was called on board, then pilot came on announcing he did not fill out all his flt documents so delayed more. Finally on tarmac..canceled flight. Back to gate to get onto another flight, they now had (3) flights leaving LAX at the same time as the flights were all delayed. Finally arrive at 12:15 a.m., 4 hours late!

ORD-LAX 1445 9/19. Last minute downgrade from 767 to 757 (the incoming plane was flying just fine). We board late b/c the 757 was late. Elites already upset over the downgrade in equipment resulting in loss of upgrade, but also resulted in general downgrade of other paid 1st class passengers, and several coach customers not making it onto the plane. We all eventually get on, and THE PILOT holds the flight up from leaving for an additional 15 to 20 min because craft services did not bring the flight crew (him and first officer) their salads. That’s right, we all sat on the plane, loaded, with the pilot walking around waiting for salad. Everyone in the exit row (we boarded mid section), flight attendants, and gate agents were witness to this. AA staff seemed pretty embarrassed. Finally get on our way, but damage was done – missed connections at LAX, resulting in unplanned overnight stay for some passengers. Great service from call center for re-booking while I was still on the plane in ORD, waiting for salad…

I’ve been flying back and forth between ORD-LGA on Monday and Thursday for the past 7 months and I’ve had constant delays on the Thursday flight from LGA-ORD. The worst I’ve experienced was a delay from 6:10PM, which turned to 7:00PM, 8:30PM, 10:30PM, and then we finally left at 12:20AM.

It was dreadful but that was a one time experience, other flights delay for about hour on average for take off. And today, there’s another delay for probably another hour and half..

I am not a million miler but I hope to be one day. The Delta reservation agents, flight attendants and gate personnel are always extremely, extremely nice. Of course there’s the occasional exception, but clearly their CEO cares about good customer service, unlike the CEOs of American or United. I flew United for years as well and that was the same horrible service and upgrade policy as American.

I find it disconcerting that this trounces AA unions and then has an advertisement for Delta Airlines (DL). There appears to be a fundamental journalistic crisis of conflict of interest in this article. I suggest open negotiations between executives and the unions with respect to the balance sheet and compensation between all group, which should be open to all unions at AA. honestly and an open discussions with shareholders is in order – this includes executive pay and incentives. seriously, a more egalitarian system of compensation is necessary for AA to regain the status of one of the worlds most profitable airlines. I hold that fairness wins – that deception looses. And that a motivated workforce such a AA with a proper cheerleading team could lead the airline into a realm they had never expected: world’s best airline. i’m sure AA has the economic algorithms to leave the others in the dust. but they must reestablish the world class relations to their employees so they give 110% every day and on every flight. this is a win win if AA plays it right.

flying bos-mia early nov for cruise.
I wonder if I should book a refundable ticket on another airline to cover my self

I travelled to Austin Texas via Dallas from BWI on American on Thursday. Both flights were deliberately delayed by the pilots for over an hour each. On the return on Friday, the flight from Austin to Dallas was delayed by 90 minutes forcing me to miss my connection back to BWI through Dallas. I have elite status and managed to get rebooked on a flight to DCA, forcing me to rent a car so that I could retrieve my car at BWI on Saturday. Naturally, I will send American the bill for the car rental and additional tolls. I can’t believe the stupid behavior of the American pilots. What exactly do they expect to accomplish? It is something like an infant throwing a temper tantrum. I, and I am sure other elite flyers are finished with American until the pilots again respect their customers. Maybe finished forever.

American Airlines union employee treat Executive Platinum customers, as well as all others, as a means to hammer out contracts. For years I have been a loyal customer, treating the employees with respect, now they treat me a vehicle to bolster their desire to hold on to benefits from a different time. Wake up American employees…we are all having to make adjustments. How dare you take out your issues on the consumers. I will no longer be an American customer. In the last 15 days I have experienced every issue mentioned. Ticket agents, especially in LAX, attempt to promote the pain to the customers by not being helpful at all. Today I saw ticket agents visiting in the gate area in the seats with the passengers seats. our flight was delayed and they refused to help.

Just imagine it the mechanics have the same attitudes.

Here’s mine…cancelled my flight,then rebooked me on one departing over 5 hours later, when they could’ve put me on earlier departures. That was insult number one. Then they didn’t even bother to inform me; I just happen to look at me res on-line when I discovered this. That was insult number two. Then I tried to pick a seat (they gave me an unassigned one)–no go. That was insult number three. Oh, and I’m a gold member.

Yes, what the American pilots don’t get is that after they kill of American, no one in their right mind will fly on a merged American USAIR operation with these wonderful American pilots. US AIR was already a terrible airline, and now with the American pilots!!! forget it.

No horror story yet, but a concern. I’ve been saving my ff miles for quite awhile for a future business class flight to Europe.Will AA’s current financial woes affect my miles? Could I lose them? I have over 200,00!

just changed an international flight from American. after my lax experience I booked on United. I am no longer their pawn!

You are “seriously considering” going elsewhere? You and anyone else who flies AAs is out of your minds!

Let me ask you a question. When you all were sitting there, and the pilot came on and started making up this garbage, did you all just sit there and take it like sheep, knowing that it’s all a pack of lies?

It’s time for everybody to stop flying this airline and that’ll put a stop to this nonsense real quick.

Flew 2 weeks ago from Nashville thru Dallas to San Francisco. Got to the gate in Dallas 2 hours before my connection but the current connection was also going to SFO so I asked if I could get on just before they closed the door and yes no charge as they quickly handed me a boarding pass! As soon as I settled into my middle exit row seat they announced that mechanics noticed a bald tire and it would have to be changed. This took an hour. No drinks offered, no peanuts, nothing. We all just sat back and used our smartphones. Flying back 2 weeks later I had to make numerous changes to my flights (4 times) and wasn’t charged! Nice! BUT on the day of my departure at SFO to Dallas back to Nashville I sat in my middle 10b seat that had just a wall to the left. Not even a smidge of window. This was going to be a severe challenge for me feeling claustrophobic.

As the full plane settled down the pilot came on to say 2 qualified mechanics were working on the plane fixing a small problem and we’d be delayed a little bit. After an hour I hit the flight attendant button and she came up and asked what I needed. When I asked about the delay she said she didn’t know so I asked if I could leave the plane. (I was going to miss my connection in Dallas at this point) She asked the pilot and 5 minutes later motioned me from first class that I could leave. I grabbed my bag as fellow passengers said “way to go” and “lucky you”. I was met by an AA agent as I walked off the plane and we booked an earlier flight for the next day. That plane sat on the tarmac for another hour!!! I was soooo thankful I got off that flight.

Passengers know what’s going on. Everyone was talking about the slo-down by pilots and the mechanics. Sad. I’ll go back to flying Southwest thru the holidays and forego more delays like this until AA either emerges from bankruptcy or gets taken over by US Air. As much as I feel for all the unions amid AA’s poor management, this delay tactic is alienating the pocket books of your frequent customers. Best of luck getting many of these fliers back…the double mileage promotion helps but I don’t think it’s enough at this point…we may have friendly skies up there but on the ground it’s a skirmish among AA employees and management and the passengers and AA are losing.