So nobody knows the reason behind flight cancelation at ORD?

 

The various individual entitlements can be granted, but there is absolutely no way to formally associate the PNRs. If your son wanted to change to a different E+ seat, for example, you would have called back and had it done manually again.

 

Ooh, here's a little more awesomeness. SHARES just went down.

I was on the phone with an agent, getting friends rebooked at 12:59am Central... and just as she was about to give me a PNR on AS, she says, "Oops -- can't do it. SHARES is going down from 1am to 2am so they can reset the system -- overloaded."

That's gonna make a lot of people even happier.

 

There are a number of things agents will do as a courtesy for an elite -- especially for a family member, but there is no formal, linked PNR capability. And you are just as likely to get an agent that will say "no way."

 

Just to clarify: while CPU is almost certainly not something that an agent will do as a courtesy, there is a defined mechanism (inherited from CO) whereby an elite on a revenue ticket can, on day of departure, designate a single "companion" on another PNR (even an award ticket) to join him/her on the upgrade list. That's the benefit that Flying Machine has reaped.

But, as wisely observed by WineCountryUA and others, it's not a combine-PNR functionality.

 

Is that how the decision is made to cancel. I thought it was because of opertion limitation on the RJ's and CRJ. My question was why is UA buying so many of these aircraft when they know of limiations to operate in these weather conditions. Never had these issues back in the 1970's when the smallest aircraft UA was operating was the 737.

 

at ORD now and truly don't understand United. My UA flight was cancelled on Saturday, like most other flights today (T2 is a ghost town and even the UC is closed ).

However, Delta flights are going out just fine as are many other flights today. It's cold, but other planes can still fly. I hear that Tuesday flights are cancelled now too, for what, I do not know. I seriously cannot comprehend why UA would cancel so many flights because they THINK it MAY be bad out.

It's like they are trying to lose money.

 

The larger question is why Jeffy is investing in RJs when DL is getting rid of them and not canceling to the degree that UA is.

 

I don't think they are loosing that much money. One could argue they are saving money by increasing the load factors on existing flights (by filling seats with passengers from canceled flights). I am not sure how all the calculus works between added costs dealing with the delay and savings from not flying but I am sure UA does.

 

I can't find the thread now, but somewhere a former/current ground staff member posted that the RJs have to be drained of all water over night or they will freeze. I would actually think this could be true of mainline too but maybe not? Are the union contracts for what they're able to work in different and that the cause?

I'm trying to think of reasons why a RJ would be more susceptible to a cancellation than mainline.

 

except because of all of the cancellations, all of their flights are full, so they are either providing refunds (lost revenue) or booking on other carriers (lost revenue).

If it was cheaper to not fly for them, shouldn't they shut down?

 

Fares are also much lower this time of year, and they don't have to pay crew that aren't flying.

Of course, they could be looking at the short-term costs only, and not the long term ill will of people suspecting that things are canceled farther out than they needed to be.

 

My guess is that the percentage of people taking refunds is fairly low as the bulk of passengers are returning home from holiday and need to get home some how.

I also don't think UA is booking a high percentage of passengers on OA it seems, from the descriptions on this board and elsewhere, the only real option UA is providing is to wait.


I think the assertion is that it is cheaper, in the short term, for them not to fly. It's a unique situation in that they have all the passengers money and have an excuse to cancel flights without running afoul of their CoC.

 

DL is doing plenty of investing in RJ aircraft. All their shuttle routes, including ORD-LGA, are all RJ, for example. Something, incidentally, that UA takes hits on this board for doing. People find things to complain about when they want.

Now, admittedly am not on expert on airport ops costs. But when full flights get canceled, they might be saving that day on the cost of operating, but the cost of re-accomodations, etc. could outweigh that, and there are other costs they'll have to pick up in the not so distant short term. Passengers still need to be re-accomodated, planes still cost to store overnight, landing fees still need to be paid as the aircraft will eventually need to go somewhere (and they'll have a higher cost in 1, 2 or 3 days when everything goes out), etc. Canceling means more people need to be re-accomodated, and if they're being done OAL, as seems to be the case based on some posts on this board, that has a clear cost too. If they're giving hotel vouchers, etc. to 1Ks, they pay for that also. By canceling pro-actively, however, UA may very well be able to get back to normal quicker though, as doing so beforehand minimizes out of place crew, aircraft, etc.

If weather reduces slots, then RJs are going to be first to be canceled since a slot pair doesn't distinguish between aircraft type - it takes a pair of slots to land and then take off, the same for an A380 as a EMB-120. If you're limited in slots, you're going to try and accommodate the most number of passengers within those slots then less. So if you have one slot, and you have a 752 or a CRJ that can use it, which would you use it for?

Also, some aircraft aren't certified for certain conditions. For example, if visibility is reduced, a large jet, say a 739, can likely make shorter visibility approach than say, a CR2.

 

I was there early this morning, 1am and the tarmac and runways are a mess. Surprised any flights got in. Almost all gates had planes parked, wonder if inbound metal had no where to park, gates?