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Started By
Message
In-Laws Southwest travel nightmare
Posted on 7/2/21 at 6:56 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 6:56 am
I present you all a timeline of events. It's almost unbelievable. I would be concerned flying them in the near future since they've had problems for the past two weeks. In-Laws are coming to watch our son as we depart for JFK today on way to Croatia.
Parents left their house in VA probably 9am EST. Were supposed to arrive here about 4:40pm yesterday.
Events:
1) showed up to Baltimore airport at 11am to cancelled flight (lots canceled).
2) got through and got flight from Reagan from 5pm, drove to Reagan.
3) got diverted to Tulsa on way to Dallas due to storms and running low on gas.
4) land in Dallas 10 minutes after their connection left for Austin (which that plane was already late by 2 hours or so because it was delayed from MIA. Biden visit listed as reason). It is now about midnight.
5) Get put on 6am flight to Austin
6) canceled 4 hours later at 4:30am or so. Looks like all flights delayed/canceled today on that route when I looked earlier. According to flight aware, the plane was there for a day already, so likely a staffing issue.
7) currently in $300 Uber without checked bags, as no rental cars available due to that apocalypse we're all aware of. Was pretty close to booking a bus.
ETA is now 8:30am. 24 hours of travel.
Parents left their house in VA probably 9am EST. Were supposed to arrive here about 4:40pm yesterday.
Events:
1) showed up to Baltimore airport at 11am to cancelled flight (lots canceled).
2) got through and got flight from Reagan from 5pm, drove to Reagan.
3) got diverted to Tulsa on way to Dallas due to storms and running low on gas.
4) land in Dallas 10 minutes after their connection left for Austin (which that plane was already late by 2 hours or so because it was delayed from MIA. Biden visit listed as reason). It is now about midnight.
5) Get put on 6am flight to Austin
6) canceled 4 hours later at 4:30am or so. Looks like all flights delayed/canceled today on that route when I looked earlier. According to flight aware, the plane was there for a day already, so likely a staffing issue.
7) currently in $300 Uber without checked bags, as no rental cars available due to that apocalypse we're all aware of. Was pretty close to booking a bus.
ETA is now 8:30am. 24 hours of travel.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 7:06 am
8
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:20 am to Teddy Ruxpin
I would recommend that you have cigars, good bourbon and perhaps a hooker lined up for your FIL when he gets there
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:25 am to cgrand
He likes wine. I have maybe 10 bottles in there. All his 
He can do whatever he wants in my house while we're gone.
I paid for the Uber of course as well.
I've gotten pretty much no sleep myself which may work out for me getting on a more European schedule. Wife was adamant they be in town, not en route before she got on our flight (fair enough request). So that plan was to put him in daycare, go to airport and play it by ear. At least that seems resolved now.
Praying for no surprises with Delta today. At least our inbound plane is on the way so far.
He can do whatever he wants in my house while we're gone. I paid for the Uber of course as well.
I've gotten pretty much no sleep myself which may work out for me getting on a more European schedule. Wife was adamant they be in town, not en route before she got on our flight (fair enough request). So that plan was to put him in daycare, go to airport and play it by ear. At least that seems resolved now.
Praying for no surprises with Delta today. At least our inbound plane is on the way so far.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 7:36 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:36 am to Teddy Ruxpin
Storms and Biden are out of Southwest’s control
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:37 am to midlothianlsu
quote:
Storms and Biden are out of Southwest’s control
Read further and Google. They have huge staffing issues. The storms weren't the whole problem.
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:38 am to Teddy Ruxpin
Other than Biden visit, we’re the other delays due to weather?
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:40 am to kciDAtaE
quote:
Other than Biden visit, we’re the other delays due to weather?
The Dallas to Austin flight is not due to weather.
There are staffing issues across their enterprise. They've had problems for two weeks now. It doesn't storm just for southwest for two weeks.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 7:40 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:43 am to Teddy Ruxpin
Staffing issues are everywhere as travel is skyrocketing. First week of July is always nuts. American Airlines dialed back their normal flights because they didn’t have staff...like the rest of the country.
Not sure what you’re surprised about.
Not sure what you’re surprised about.
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:44 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
quote:
American Airlines dialed back their normal flights because they didn’t have staff...like the rest of the country.
From what I understand AA and Southwest didn't maintain pilot training. From what I've read other airlines did.
I'm not "surprised" in the sense I've been following the news for weeks now.
I think it's not unheard of to expect Southwest to know 5 hours before the first flight out of Dallas if they have a pilot
Especially when you rebook the passengers yourself and tell them they are good to go. Why are we excusing airlines for taking reservations for flights they had no shot at actually flying? It's not like they didn't know they didn't have enough employees. They got billions in bailouts.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 7:50 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:50 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
Why are we excusing airlines for taking reservations for flights they had no shite at actually flying?
Don’t pilots have a strict window of hours they can fly until they must get time off? If a previous flight or two gets delayed, does that count as his time?
Meaning, the last leg of a pilots trip is a short one from Austin to Dallas but the previous few flights are delayed, could that prevent pilot from completing his last leg? Which would leave the flight without a pilot. Is that how it works?
Posted on 7/2/21 at 7:53 am to kciDAtaE
quote:
Don’t pilots have a strict window of hours they can fly until they must get time off? If a previous flight or two gets delayed, does that count as his time?
Meaning, the last leg of a pilots trip is a short one from Austin to Dallas but the previous few flights are delayed, could that prevent pilot from completing his last leg? Which would leave the flight without a pilot. Is that how it works?
Yes, pilots do time out. Something they would have known at the time they rebooked the passengers.
The pilot to Dallas isn't the pilot going to Austin, but I suppose another pilot could have timed out from yesterday. However, if they were adequately staffed, I don't think they'd be canceling as many as they are.
I understand it's difficult but other airlines have apparently planned accordingly. There seems to be an avoidance of the fact this doesn't seem to be happening as badly to other airlines (AA being the other), as far as I can tell.
It seems those other airlines trained their pilots during the pandemic so they didn't have to rush it now and secondly, didn't over schedule flights.
AA corrected their issue because they messed up. I'm not sure SW has done so yet.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 8:07 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:13 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
The Dallas to Austin flight is not due to weather.
It's been pouring in Dallas since about 7pm last night.
Also, it's like a 4 hour drive from Baltimore to JFK.
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:16 am to Teddy Ruxpin
my BIL/SIL got stuck in Portland because they grounded all flights due to the heat wave
they couldn't find a rental to drive home
all the hotels were booked so they had to sleep in the airport for 2 days till they finally got a flight to Houston (they live in Dallas)
they had to get a friend to drive to Houston to pick them up and they still don't have their luggage
so your inlaws were not alone
they couldn't find a rental to drive home
all the hotels were booked so they had to sleep in the airport for 2 days till they finally got a flight to Houston (they live in Dallas)
they had to get a friend to drive to Houston to pick them up and they still don't have their luggage
so your inlaws were not alone
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:16 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:.
Yes, pilots do time out. Something they would have known at the time they rebooked the passengers.
The pilot to Dallas isn't the pilot going to Austin, but I suppose another pilot could have timed out from yesterday. However, if they were adequately staffed, I don't think they'd be canceling as many as they are.
I understand it's difficult but other airlines have apparently planned accordingly. There seems to be an avoidance of the fact this doesn't seem to be happening as badly to other airlines (AA being the other), as far as I can tell.
It seems those other airlines trained their pilots during the pandemic so they didn't have to rush it now and secondly, didn't over schedule flights.
AA corrected their issue because they messed up. I'm not sure SW has done so yet.
I know two pilots that's got laid off when a lot of flights grounded due to Covid. Both are still not flying and what I understand from them is its not a pilot issue. If it's a staffing issue, it's flight attendance, maintenance, etc.
That particular pilots dad has also been a commercial pilot for many years so I trust him for that type of information.
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:35 am to Mingo Was His NameO
Ya I understand there's other staff shortages as well.
I'm not trying to pick on SW here. All airlines are facing the same issue, some airlines have handled it better. That's it.
I put "near future" in my OP because I have faith they will correct it but I wouldn't want to fly them in the next few days since they've had problems.for two weeks now.
I'm not trying to pick on SW here. All airlines are facing the same issue, some airlines have handled it better. That's it.
I put "near future" in my OP because I have faith they will correct it but I wouldn't want to fly them in the next few days since they've had problems.for two weeks now.
This post was edited on 7/2/21 at 8:37 am
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:40 am to Salmon
quote:I've never heard of this before
my BIL/SIL got stuck in Portland because they grounded all flights due to the heat wave
Posted on 7/2/21 at 8:43 am to Epic Cajun
quote:
I've never heard of this before
me either, but apparently parts of the planes were melting? it was apparently like 125 degrees on the runway or something
they were supposed to be home Monday and they just got home yesterday
Posted on 7/2/21 at 9:12 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
currently in $300 Uber without checked bags
At that price, why didn't you drive to the airport to pick them up?
Posted on 7/2/21 at 9:50 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
Why are we excusing airlines for taking reservations for flights they had no shot at actually flying? It's not like they didn't know they didn't have enough employees. They got billions in bailouts.
True. If SW cannot fly from Dallas to Austin in a timely manner, they have major problems.
Posted on 7/2/21 at 10:05 am to Shexter
quote:
At that price, why didn't you drive to the airport to pick them up
Because that's six hours roundtrip.
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