Fliers Trapped On Tarmac Have Little Recourse

[rvsm410]

FurloughedAgain is right, we're all second-guessing here. But it's happened enough times already. Aren't there a few brave souls here who will defend this captain's decision?

Sorry, I fail to see what Possible excuse they would have to wait 5 hours.....and I certainly am pointing at dispatch as well...I would be very embarrassed if this were my release....

 

[General Lee]

But, the key to Indy Air and all RJs with low fares is "FREQUENCY". They need to fly more to increase utilization and keep those seats full with new passengers. The only problem in the NE is bad weather and plenty of flow control delays. This Capt and dispatcher might have been aware of that and maybe wanted to try to get back onto schedule--or atleast be the first ones ready to go when the flow restrictions were cancelled.....I don't know---I wasn't there.



Bayoupilot,

I, luckily, have the same as you---except I don't like PBR.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[StarChecker]

Rick DeLisi, a spokesman for Dulles-based Independence Air, said the airline's procedures called for the crew to take a vote of the passengers to see if the majority wanted to wait it out on the tarmac or instead return to the gate. But it turns out the vote was not taken. Instead, the crew tried to wait out the ground stop so they could take off, but the air traffic controllers kept extending the delay.

Take a vote?? Does anyone else have this "procedure"? Sounds kinda riduculous...

 

[standaman]

And is it a secret ballot or just a show of hands. That way a riot does not start on board the airplane.

 

[General Lee]

I vote for a free movie or free headsets, a free first class upgrade, and.....oh wait....


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[CatYaaak]

How about a three hour flight on an RJ? Isn't that torture also? Oh yeah, someone will next say that three hours in the middle seat of a 757 is also torture, except that you can get up and walk around, get your stuff from the overhead bin, and have a choice of directions in going to the bathroom. (front or back)


Bye Bye--General Lee

The most torturous flight in my recent memory was on a POS, no inseat-entertainment Delta 767 Cincinnati-Paris. What's your seat pitch?...31 inches? Compared to that, give me a couple hours on an RJ anyday. I won't even get into the service but let's just say it was befitting the equipment....Hey, is there any way you can dictate that some % of your impending give-backs be allotted to doing some re-upholstering?...or at least vacumns?....air freshener?

...oh...but now I've read your post further and all I can say is Wow!...all those choices on a 757?....why, now I'm red in the face because from your description it sounds like sheer paradise! Imagine...choosing which way to go the the bathroom! Choosing! Me! Why, that's just like getting to choose between flying straight to heaven on angels wings or taking the Rainbow Bridge to Valhalla...how can one go wrong? And there's more?... getting your stuff from the overhead bin? NOOOO.....FRIGGIN'....WAYYYY!!! NO airline would EVER allow this bin-rummaging, because it's easy to see that GLEEFUL PANDEMONIUM would erupt once pax realized they could do this....a literal RIOT OF JOY beginning with mere whoops and cheers but quickly growing in celebratory wildness until reaching a SUSTAINED CRESCENDO of UNCONTROLLABLE, ORGASMIC EJACULATORY BEHAVIOUR!!!! My god General...aisles, choices, bins..whew!....why, you're flying around up there with...god....WITH A VERITABLE POWDER KEG OF HAPPINESS STRAPPED TO YOUR BACK JUST WAITING TO EXPLODE!!!!

So (and this only applies if you're NOT one of the lucky-ones driving a Delta 757 Climax Bus where after the fun is over, male pax immediately lapse into a sanguine sleep or try to sneak a smoke in the lav while female ones just want to talk....about their feelings no less) I agree with Bana...in this situation too many captains are either gutless, uncaring (a CRJ cockpit seat is comfortable and you get to play with the buttons and knobs and stuff), or consider every hour out of the blocks as a car payment (or for you RJ guys, half a tank of gas).

If you need help in decision-making on whether to torture your passengers, try this; imagine that your wife or girfriend (for you chick-pilots "husband or boyfriend"...unless you're thinking "girlfriend" too, in which case PM me your number), is sitting back there, drunk, and shoehorned between two people she fantasizes about....you know...the movies stars that star in the movies she always wants to see...the ones she's let slip are "her type"....the ones with same names she calls out in bed....those ones. Now, imagine she got drunk because you two had an argument; you wanted her to come along on your trip to help you do the taxes in your hotel room, but she was looking forward to her bi-monthly trip on Delta Song to see her friends for a "girls weekend". She finally gave in, but unlike before when she was daggering you with her eyes, NOW you hear her giggling back there sitting between Brad and Russell...that same "easy-drunk" giggle that got your attention when the two of you first met across a pool table in a bar so many years before where she slurred that you reminded her of Brad Pitt....a giggle that wafts up through the cockpit door and above the F/O's yammering about suddenly-unimportant ALPA issues...well, what are you gonna do?

Think about it...and General, be careful up there man.

 

[wil]

General-

I love reading your posts! Classic, really. I hope Mainline can turn it around and soon! Maybe we can join forces uncork the 70 orders and get the furloughs flying! Cheers, Wil

 

[labbats]

The post above rates 4 stars!

 

[bafanguy]

Yikes !!! This thread is going nowhere fast...so, I better jump on before it's completely outa sight.


Bayoupilot: "...defend this captain's decision..." kinda doubt it...

FurloughedAgain: "...worried about doing a carpet-dance..." Whom are we discussing here? Little girls in pink tights, tutus, and bows in their hair ?

CatYaaak: "...YOUR seat pitch..." ? "...DICTATE that some % of your impending give-backs be allotted to doing some upholstering..." ? Man, you must be kidding, right ? Airline pilots "dictate" as much about the interiors of the airplanes they fly as YOU do about the one you fly.

But, I know you're just funnin'...plus, isn't there another way for one to get from CVG to CDG, one that would meet your high standards ? Did you have to ride on that crummy commercial carrier ? If you had no other choice, "So be it..." as we say in the airline business.

 

[dispatchguy]

And I wonder why I dont trust IAD ATC as far as I can spit.....?

 

[Kohflot]

What about the times y'all are pinned in? I remember a day at ORD with 4-5 hour taxi times because there simply wasn't anywhere to go.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

When I was at Eagle, they would give us extra fuel knowing we would go to the penalty box, shut one down and wait. It was explained to me that this counted as an on time departure from the gate, no matter when you actually take off.

 

[Indypilot]

What about the times y'all are pinned in? I remember a day at ORD with 4-5 hour taxi times because there simply wasn't anywhere to go.

Thank you. Nobody knows what happened unless they were there. We can speculate all we want, but it's pointless unless we know exactly what the situation was.

"getting stuck in the middle of a log jam is no excuse, that would mean that other airlines suffered the same delays, I have not heard or seen anything for other airlines stuck in line at BOS..."

There was also a United flight that was out there for 3.5 hours before taking off, Didn't hear anything about that flight. Do you believe everything you read in the media? Or do better yet, do you believe that the WHOLE story was reported? There was lots of airplanes out there, some have the luxury of lots of gates, some don't.

Sometimes these things happen, Look at the United 777 in MKE. Quit monday morning quarterbacking the situation until you know ALL, and i mean ALL the facts.

 

[General Lee]

Catyaaak,

Man alive, that was funny. I guess you were spoofing my "Yonkers, a Love Story" series. My wife does like Brad Pitt, but thought his acting in Troy sucked. Maybe your wife has that "giggle" you were talking about, but not mine. (unless I touch her in that SPECIAL place....)

Well, thank you for flying Delta to Paris--but next time you can try Air France and enjoy their warm and special "FRENCH" hospitality. They also have a flight each night to CDG from CVG. I bet they will treat you great---just like they have to every US passenger--especailly since the Iraq War started. But, you will still get Skymiles--enjoy that. Also, try Business Elite upfront if you can---it is very nice--and the seats are better than most US Majors.

The 757 is a heck of a lot better than any RJ when it comes to comfort though--and you can ask any person that question while they are walking up the steps in ATL or CVG. I bet they would trade in the RJ for a 757---but hey, I like flying in the CRJ and ERJ---just not for 3 hours as it is uncomfortable on my a$$. But as far as the RJ as a plane---I like it a lot---it is more advanced than many of our Delta mainline planes....


Wil,

I am glad you like my posts--most are just to have fun and throw my opinion out there. Take care.


Indypilot,

You are correct---a lot of things are out of the Capt's control---but the MKE situation was different because the UAL Capt could not park his plane at a gate because an Air France 747F had parked at the only widebody gate in MKE. Maybe the Indy guy could have returned to the gate after 2 or 3 hours--but I wasn't there... The UA 777 Capt and Dispatcher maybe should have known the limitations of MKE, and that could have caused them to maybe choose another city with better facilities. The Indy guy probably had the ability to go back to the gate..... It is a good lesson for everyone. Customer service is getting more and more important these days--and we need to be more aware of it---just ask Catyaaak.....

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Bayoupilot]

Bayoupilot: "...defend this captain's decision..." kinda doubt it...

What I figured. I'm just playing devil's advocate. I'm inclined to think it's poor leadership on that captain's part too. But, I still find it fishy that Indy jumped all over that captain without really addressing its own procedures.