Seems like a bunch of no-go flights for UAL

[RedDogC130]

NEW YORK, Dec 26 (Reuters) - United Airlines, recovering from a Sunday storm that pounded its Chicago hub, canceled more flights on Wednesday, as it worked to get planes and staff back on schedule.
United canceled 121 flights on Wednesday, 318 on Tuesday and 146 on Monday, according to data from FlightStats.com, which tracks airline performance.
United spokesman Jeff Kovick said the No. 2 U.S. carrier canceled "less than 5 percent" of its planned flights on Wednesday, due to "a residual impact from this weekend's weather in Chicago and the Midwest."
United, a unit of UAL Corp (UAUA.O: Quote, Profile, Research), declined to specify the number of flights canceled.
American Airlines (AMR.N: Quote, Profile, Research), which also operates a large hub in Chicago, had far fewer grounded flights.
American, the world's largest carrier, canceled three flights on Wednesday and a combined 56 on Monday and Tuesday. American had canceled 24 flights on Sunday, compared to United's 65 cancellations, according to FlightStats data.
But United's plan put planes and staff out of position, leading to the cancellations on the less-traveled days of Christmas Eve and Christmas.
"We were better able to accommodate all of our customers by proceeding with those plans," United's Kovick said.
United's pilots union, which has been lobbying for higher wages, blamed the operational foul-up on poor planning by management.
"United's management made a feeble attempt to shift the blame to weather for what is becoming an annual debacle -- flight cancellations due to crew shortages when recovering from bad weather," Mark Bathurst, chairman of the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement.
The worsening reliability of U.S. carriers led New York state to pass a law aimed at requiring airlines to provide certain services for passengers who sit for three hours or longer on airplanes. The law is set to take effect Jan. 1.

 

[Yuppyguppy]

The fact is they had poor manpower for the holidays...$hitty management...what can I say

 

[Cardinal]

Statement by Captain Mark Bathurst, Chairman of the UAL MEC

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/...ed-master-executive-council-air_418826_8.html

CHICAGO, Dec 26, 2007 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The following is a statement by Captain Mark Bathurst, Chairman of the United Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, regarding United Airlines' Christmas holiday flight cancellations:

"While United management basks in the afterglow of their multimillion dollar stock dividend to themselves this Christmas holiday, their mismanagement of the airline left thousands of Christmas travelers stranded at airports all across the country. According to press reports, American Airlines cancelled few flights while operating in the same weather environment. Southwest Airlines cancelled none.

"United's management made a feeble attempt to shift the blame to weather for what is becoming an annual debacle -- flight cancellations due to crew shortages when recovering from bad weather. United management seems to be continually surprised by these winter snowstorms which history shows occur with some regularity throughout the Midwest between November and April. Internally, a memo was sent out by one pilot flight office properly blaming the service meltdown on '...several winter weather events in the Midwest and heavily congested northeast corridor (that) have increased flight duty times, exhausted monthly maximum hours earlier than normal in the month and reduced available crew reserves.' The statement explicitly stated that the shortages were not the result of any pilot job action or excessive sick leave usage.

"It is unconscionable that United would allow this gaping hole in the schedule during the most critical time of year for holiday travelers and then try to shift the blame to acts of God. This is nothing but further evidence of a leadership team that is simply incapable of managing a world-class airline. United has the finest and most complete route structure in the industry and an infrastructure on par with anyone with which to compete. However, given that this management is constantly 'surprised' by elements with which other airlines routinely deal, it is long overdue for drastic and deep systemic changes in the management of this airline. This past week only serves as further evidence of the pervasive operational incompetence under which United's employees have had to suffer."

SOURCE United Chapter, Air Line Pilots Association

 

[Yuppyguppy]

amen!

 

[Heavy Set]

Most of your narrowbody domestic pilots fly lines of 92-95 hours a month, so it probably wasn't unrealistic to think that many might timeout with the 1000 hours a year rule by the mid part of December.

 

[Capi_Cafre']

Airline management's success in shifting the blame for its inadequacy onto the shoulders of employees is rivaled only by the ability of failed states in the Middle East to shift the blame for the wretched conditions that their populations live in onto the United States.