LGA Ground ATC Does NOT Like SWA

[DUBLINFLYER]

I arrived in LGA on Last Sunday from DEN and the flight was 15 minutes early. The captain said there was another plane at the gate and we would have to hold, we stayed on the taxiway at the intersection for the C gates; and after 15 minutes the plane had to taxi further along the taxiway. In the mean time the SWA plane at C4 exited the the gate and proceeded to the assigned runway. The captain again came on the intercom to tell us he had to wait for a US Air plane to be towed and also a JB plane to leave the alleyway. He said he had no idea why "ground control" was making him wait.
Instead on being 15 early we ended up 25 minutes late to the gate.
The LGA ground guys must have some issue with SWA as this is not the first time this has happened.( I travel into LGA every two weeks same time)
Maybe we need to get up a collection for their Christmas fund (sorry to be politically correct it should be Holiday fund) - NO IT'S still Christmas

 

[densoo]

He said he had no idea why "ground control" was making him wait.

I think I flew with this guy!

He has no idea why his wife doesn't have dinner ready for him.
He has no idea why his son doesn't shine his shoes.
He has no idea why his daughter doesn't wash his car.
He has no idea why his dog doesn't fetch the stick.
He has no idea why he eats alone on layovers.

He has no idea why other planes have to be in the air when he is.

 

[reepicheep]

Sounds like a normal LGA operation to me....whatever airline you are.

 

[CA1900]

Yup...

"Turn right on double-bravo; I'll be with you in about an hour."

 

[kf4amu]

None of us know "why" a lot of things happen in the ATC world, but adding more congestion to the frequency asking "why" just so you have an explanation for the passengers doesn't help the situation when it's busy...especially at LGA.

 

[CaptSeth]

Perhaps the gentleman in question should bid LBB turns?

 

[Newkem]

Rofl!

I think I flew with this guy!

He has no idea why his wife doesn't have dinner ready for him.
He has no idea why his son doesn't shine his shoes.
He has no idea why his daughter doesn't wash his car.
He has no idea why his dog doesn't fetch the stick.
He has no idea why he eats alone on layovers.

He has no idea why other planes have to be in the air when he is.

Lemme guess, he taxied at 60 knots from BB to the gate. :laugh:

 

[GogglesPisano]

I guess the pizza parties for LGA tower aren't working like everywhere else.

 

[CRJ puppy]

I arrived in LGA on Last Sunday from DEN and the flight was 15 minutes early. The captain said there was another plane at the gate and we would have to hold, we stayed on the taxiway at the intersection for the C gates; and after 15 minutes the plane had to taxi further along the taxiway. In the mean time the SWA plane at C4 exited the the gate and proceeded to the assigned runway. The captain again came on the intercom to tell us he had to wait for a US Air plane to be towed and also a JB plane to leave the alleyway. He said he had no idea why "ground control" was making him wait.
Instead on being 15 early we ended up 25 minutes late to the gate.
The LGA ground guys must have some issue with SWA as this is not the first time this has happened.( I travel into LGA every two weeks same time)
Maybe we need to get up a collection for their Christmas fund (sorry to be politically correct it should be Holiday fund) - NO IT'S still Christmas

Normal LGA ops for EVERYONE. Have landed 25+ early and ended up 30+ late. Welcome to the busiest air AND ground space in the USA! (Oh, that was laid out and designed 80 yrs ago.)

 

[Ty Webb]

Normal LGA ops for EVERYONE. Have landed 25+ early and ended up 30+ late. Welcome to the busiest air AND ground space in the USA! (Oh, that was laid out and designed 80 yrs ago.)

Yup . . . . Ernest Gann wrote about the opening of LGA in "Fate is the Hunter". To paraphrase, LGA, DCA and MDW were "state of the art" at the time, and the standard to which new airports would all strive to emulate. :laugh:

That book gets better every time I read it. I try to break it out every couple of years . . . Surprising how little has changed in the industry since the 1930's.

 

[relief tube]

I arrived in LGA on Last Sunday from DEN and the flight was 15 minutes early. The captain said there was another plane at the gate and we would have to hold, we stayed on the taxiway at the intersection for the C gates; and after 15 minutes the plane had to taxi further along the taxiway. In the mean time the SWA plane at C4 exited the the gate and proceeded to the assigned runway. The captain again came on the intercom to tell us he had to wait for a US Air plane to be towed and also a JB plane to leave the alleyway. He said he had no idea why "ground control" was making him wait.
Instead on being 15 early we ended up 25 minutes late to the gate.
The LGA ground guys must have some issue with SWA as this is not the first time this has happened.( I travel into LGA every two weeks same time)
Maybe we need to get up a collection for their Christmas fund (sorry to be politically correct it should be Holiday fund) - NO IT'S still Christmas

I thought this board was for "airline types" to discuss amongst "airline only types".

Good thing only a handful of passengers know of this place, otherwise we'd be less efficient in our complaining about life.

 

[labbats]

I thought this board was for "airline types" to discuss amongst "airline only types".

Good thing only a handful of passengers know of this place, otherwise we'd be less efficient in our complaining about life.

The original poster is a passenger complaining yet he has 5000 hours and a type rating in every aircraft ever made. Seems the passenger crowd is growing and the tall tales with it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I arrived in LGA on Last Sunday from DEN and the flight was 15 minutes early.

System isn't designed for that...

 

[Dan Roman]

Yup . . . . Ernest Gann wrote about the opening of LGA in "Fate is the Hunter". To paraphrase, LGA, DCA and MDW were "state of the art" at the time, and the standard to which new airports would all strive to emulate. :laugh:

That book gets better every time I read it. I try to break it out every couple of years . . . Surprising how little has changed in the industry since the 1930's.

+1 and they had plenty long runways for those DC-3's!

 

[Citjok]

I arrived in LGA on Last Sunday from DEN and the flight was 15 minutes early. The captain said there was another plane at the gate and we would have to hold, we stayed on the taxiway at the intersection for the C gates; and after 15 minutes the plane had to taxi further along the taxiway. In the mean time the SWA plane at C4 exited the the gate and proceeded to the assigned runway. The captain again came on the intercom to tell us he had to wait for a US Air plane to be towed and also a JB plane to leave the alleyway. He said he had no idea why "ground control" was making him wait.
Instead on being 15 early we ended up 25 minutes late to the gate.
The LGA ground guys must have some issue with SWA as this is not the first time this has happened.( I travel into LGA every two weeks same time)
Maybe we need to get up a collection for their Christmas fund (sorry to be politically correct it should be Holiday fund) - NO IT'S still Christmas

You did not felt the LUV at LGA?, obviously not. Yeap , that's New York(LGA). Although I find most New Yorkers to be friendly. Loud but friendly.

 

[scoreboardII]

Yup . . . . Ernest Gann wrote about the opening of LGA in "Fate is the Hunter". To paraphrase, LGA, DCA and MDW were "state of the art" at the time, and the standard to which new airports would all strive to emulate. :laugh:

That book gets better every time I read it. I try to break it out every couple of years . . . Surprising how little has changed in the industry since the 1930's.

you have to reread it every few years? You a goldfish or something?

 

[Turtle21]

LGA 1 hour taxi for departures and arrivals? So what's new.. Yawn.

 

[Phlintstone]

Welcome to LGA...that is ops normal.

Phred.

 

[Whataburger]

But what about the pizzas and bigscreens we bought them?

 

[Flyby1206]

I'll never forget the ATC conversation during the first few days of SWA ops in LGA. Typical delays for departure with like 20-30 in line for RWY13, traffic arriving on RWY4. SWA Hero pipes up on freq... "LGA ground, this is Southwest 123, we'd like to request opposite direction departure for RWY31 to help speed things up." LGA ground controller almost fell out of his chair laughing says "Southwest 123, taxi bravo and hold short of hotel. Youre number 35 for departure, welcome to LaGuaaaaaadia."

 

[Quimby]

I'll never forget the ATC conversation during the first few days of SWA ops in LGA. Typical delays for departure with like 20-30 in line for RWY13, traffic arriving on RWY4. SWA Hero pipes up on freq... "LGA ground, this is Southwest 123, we'd like to request opposite direction departure for RWY31 to help speed things up." LGA ground controller almost fell out of his chair laughing says "Southwest 123, taxi bravo and hold short of hotel. Youre number 35 for departure, welcome to LaGuaaaaaadia."

I'm calling BS on this story.

 

[W0X0F]

Sounds like a normal LGA operation to me....whatever airline you are.

yup.

wrong way taxi? 60 min wait for gate? #35 for departure? 15 miles in trail over XXXXX? can't get out of the alley? can't get into the alley? 1.5nm spacing behind a 757? first three taxi turns from tower? refiled at 10,000'?

...because laguardia


here's a great article on LGA ops:

http://www.readability.com/read?url...r-airlines-new-york-la-guardia?printable=true

 

[igneousy2]

Less than an hour to get to the gate at LGA...not that bad really.

LGA is messed up no matter what airline you fly, howevever, if you fly into LGA on an airline that flies into the central terminal (anybody but USAir and Delta) you get double-hosed because you can only taxi into the gate during an in-bound flow into the alley, so if you are lucky, when you land they are in an inbound flow and you go straight (as straight as you can at LGA) into the gate, if you just missed the inbound flow then you have to wait for over an hour at times to get to the gate as you wait for the next in-bound flow. That's when the weather is good. Not even god can help you when the weather is bad.

LGA has got to be THE worst airport in the country, I never understood New Yorkers desire to fly out of LGA, maybe you save time in your car because the airport is closer to Manhatan then JFK or EWR, but you often lose the time you gained taxing on an airplane.

 

[igneousy2]

“Give the passengers the illusion of progress.” That’s his motto. It gives the people hope.

HAHA --- Classic.

 

[SXMp2c]

LGA has got to be THE worst airport in the country, I never understood New Yorkers desire to fly out of LGA, maybe you save time in your car because the airport is closer to Manhatan then JFK or EWR, but you often lose the time you gained taxing on an airplane.

Right, bc there are NEVER taxi delays at JFK or EWR. Never been 84 in line during international push at Kennedy?

 

[Jiminmem]

LGA doesn't like SWA? Well, its official, they now hate every airline in the US.

 

[igneousy2]

Right, bc there are NEVER taxi delays at JFK or EWR. Never been 84 in line during international push at Kennedy?

JFK is busy, LGA isn't that busy it, just doesn't have any room and is not designed for jet aircraft. Not only do you get to stand in line, but you get to deal with short runways and narrow alleyways.

 

[scoreboardII]

So it's like Burbank?

 

[igneousy2]

So it's like Burbank?

Busier than Burbank and the weather often sucks.

 

[Lear70]

LGA is LGA.

The way we flow our flying there is done to try to get in and out at a less-than-peak time of day. Unless the weather is just crappy or something is going on in ATL, I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so for a gate and never been more than 7-8 in line for takeoff.

Either they had a bad day that day or the timing of their flight in there was during peak operating hours and they therefore got hosed. Personally, I hate doing LGA trips primarily because it's almost never a turn on the 737, it's the end of the flying for the day and you have to go to that crap hotel by the airport for 14-16 hours with NOTHING to do close by (or I should say ONE of the crap hotels by the airport).

Delta goes downtown (friend of mine posted her Central Park run on FB this morning - I was jealous).