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American Airlines doesn't fly smart

What a joke American Airlines' slogans are. "Something special in the air?" "Fly smart?" Hardly. This outfit can barely get off the ground.

Because I have railed on United Airlines for its poor service, it's only fair that I devote some time to my most recent experience with this carrier. Here are some notes I kept while traveling this past weekend to and from an SPJ conference in Houston.

But first, allow me to give credit where it’s due: online travel-booking agency Orbitz.com delivered outstanding service and will receive my business for years to come (unless it screws up to the degree American did -- something that should be hard to do).

1. My mobile phone rang Friday morning. It was an automated message from Orbitz, explaining that my flight from Denver to Dallas (where I was to catch a connecting flight to Houston) was delayed an hour.

2. I arrived at Denver International Airport with my infant son and a nanny (my travel companions are another story for a different day). We took with us only carry-on luggage.

3. We arrived at the appropriate gate. My mobile phone rang again. It was Orbitz. Our flight was delayed a second time -- and for another half hour. It took 20 minutes for American's gate agents, standing mere feet away with ready access to a loud speaker, to relay the same information to everyone.

4. My mobile phone rang again. This time, a live voice was on the line. The Orbitz rep had noticed I was traveling with an infant and could see my flight was delayed a third time (again, informing me at least 15 minutes before American agents piped up). The agent said she was worried we wouldn't make the connecting flight to Houston, and she urged me to press American to put me on another AA flight -- or even another carrier. Our conversation went something like this:

Orbitz: "They're probably telling everyone that this is a weather-related delay, but it's not. My records show that it's really about the crew. Ask them about their crew."

Me: "Yes, weather. That's what they've said."

Orbitz: "Well, they're being disingenous. Uh-oh. Uh-oh."

Me: "What is it? What's wrong?"

Orbitz: "Your flight from Dallas to Houston has been cancelled. Just happened. And they've rebooked you on a flight to another airport. Instead of flying into Hobby, they've got you on a plane going into George Bush Airport."

Me: "I've never been to Houston. I wonder how that will affect travel from the airport to my hotel. It's a Hilton in Clear Lake, one of Houston's south suburbs."

Orbitz: "I have a feeling it's going to be more expensive."

5. I approached an AA gate agent and asked about the cause of the flight's delay. A smiley woman explained it was weather-related. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: "You're saying it's the weather. Why would Orbitz tell me it's due to a staffing problem?"

Agent (smile disappearing): "Orbitz is right about us not having a crew, but it's because of bad weather."

Me: "How so?"

Agent (launching into what amounts to the idiot's guide to chaos theory): "The crew that will man your flight didn't get into Denver last night until very late because of bad weather. Federal law requires that they get at least eight hours of rest, and that rest period isn't up."

Me: "So, if I understand this corrrectly, weather in another city yesterday is why I'm sitting here today in danger of not reaching my destination?"

Agent: "That's right. It's the weather."

Me (admittedly getting hot under the collar): "No, it's poor staffing and even poorer planning and management. American Airlines doesn't have even one extra crew on call in Denver -- or anywhere -- to keep flight schedules on track? You've got no contingency plan."

Agent: "No, we don't. Welcome to the airlines industry."

Me: "I also understand that American Airlines cancelled my flight into Hobby and is sending me through George Bush Airport. I learned that from Orbitz."

Agent: "Oh, good for them. That's nice of them to contact you like that."

Me: "I think that's going to add expense to my travel. Will the airline pick up the tab for a shuttle from that airport to my hotel?"

Agent: "No, we're not responsible for weather-related issues."

I walked back to my seat, wondering how butterflies flapping their wings in the Caribbean at that moment might affect American's flights on Saturday.

6. We finally boarded and took off for Dallas.

7. We touched down on the Dallas tarmac. Another plane was still sitting at the gate in which we were supposed to arrive. The pilot explained that we needed to wait "five minutes."

8. Almost 15 minutes passed. The pilot again piped up on the overhead speaker. "I'm sorry about this," he said. "I've been calling for an explanation, and they aren't getting back to me. I'll give you another update when I can."

9. We waited on the tarmac for almost 55 minutes before pulling into the gate.

10. We were told we would depart for Houston from a gate in the airport's A terminal. Thinking we had plenty of time before boarding our next flight, we headed to the restroom.

8. My mobile phone rang. It was Orbitz, informing me that the departure gate had been changed -- to the C terminal, a distance of about 100 miles or so. I went back to the A gate to double-check, and my conversation with an AA agent went something like this:

Me: "I just received a call from Orbitz, explaining that this flight is now scheduled to leave from a gate in the C terminal. Is that correct?"

Agent: "No, it's leaving from right here."

Second agent: "Wait a minute. Look at this (pointing to computer screen). There has has been a gate change."

(Second agent reaches for loud speaker)

"Ladies and gentlemen ..."

(Cue chorus of groans)

9. We arrived at the C gate for the connecting flight to Houston, which was delayed because of a staffing problem. The pilot and a few flight attendants were waiting with their bags -- but the crew was short one flight attendant, so the plane couldn't leave. Some passengers, obviously disgusted, offered (loudly) to pick up trash, serve drinks and help everyone off the plane in the event of an emergency. The only people laughing were other passengers.

10. The flight was delayed 15 minutes. Then another 15 minutes. And then 30 minutes more. Make that yet another 30 minutes. Each time, Orbitz informed me at least 10 minutes before American gate agents managed to say anything.

11. Roughly 9:30 p.m.: Thunderstorms rolled in, complete with big bolts of lightning. We couldn't board. The clock continued to tick. The crew waiting around for the missing flight attendant was about to "time out" (meaning go home) anyway. AA gate agents started to blame the whole mess on "bad weather." Never mind that if the flight had left on time, the weather wouldn't have been an issue.

12. A fellow passenger said he lived in Houston and planned to make the drive from Dallas in a rental car. He invited another passenger, the nanny, the surprisingly tranquil infant and me to join him. We did.

Roughly four hours later -- 3 a.m. Saturday morning -- I checked into my hotel on the south side of Houston. A cabbie later confirmed that if I'd flown into George Bush Airport and trekked to that hotel, the fare would have been in the neighborhood of $80. I had the money to spare -- but I wondered how American's cavalier decision to reroute my trip might have affected many other travelers.

The return flight went more smoothly (we were evacuated from our gate in Dallas only once and for about 10 minutes because of a "security breach"), but it disturbed me to see tired soldiers, hoping to fly stand-by out of Dallas. They were home from Iraq on a two-week leave. "I've lost a day waiting around for American to get me on a plane," one soldier said. "I'm beginning to think it's because of more than just bad weather."
Published Monday, April 02, 2007 10:20 PM by christinetatum
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Comments

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:49 AM by Bill
Our slogan is "We know why you fly" and while I can sympathize with you and your traveling family you need to understand that the airline business is a very large logistical process.

It's not right to tell you weather was the cause of your delay if it wasn't, but then again are you absolutely sure it wasn't.

As a competitive airline we are forced to follow the pack when it come to pricing because of internet parasites (like orbitz) who hunt the lowest airline fair for people who couldn't care less about brand loyalty such as yourself. I say this with as much respect as I can muster, we lost your business, granted, because we didn't provide you with the exemplary service you expected. But we would have lost your business anyways if American's price was 50 cents more than the next airline the next time you flew. It has come to that and that is why your flight experience is so terrible. Not because the bad ole' airline is so mismanaged.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 5:27 PM by Don Meyers
Bill,
With the shabby way Christine and her baby were treated, is it any wonder why anybody would have loyalty to American's brand?

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 8:44 PM by Christine Tatum
Bill, thanks SO MUCH for your comments!

I have an AA Advantage awards card that I have put to good use for a very long time. I typically fly only American and United, which is why my blog reflects complaints about only these two airlines (for now ...). I chose to fly American on this particular trip because of a recent -- and bad -- experience with United. It would have been much easier for me to fly directly to Houston from Denver on United, but I decided to give AA a shot. It likely will be a while before I do so again.

As for the ol' weather excuse: When a gate agent says a flight is delayed because of weather -- and then concedes that said bad weather happened on a different day and in a place other than my departure or destination city, well, that means weather isn't really the problem.

As the daughter of a railroad engineer, I have special insight into that federal rule mandating eight hours of rest. I don't pretend to know how the airlines staff flights, but the rail company for which my father works (CSX) has always maintained an "extra board." Anyone on the extra board can be dispatched at a moment's notice. Those working the extra board are compensated for this unpredictability and inconvenience to their schedules. If I had a dime for every time my father had to leave home (i.e. holidays, family dinners, birthday parties) abruptly, I'd be one rich woman.

So, when weather affects the scheduled departure of a train, my dad and other employees serving on the extra board are there. Sometimes, they're taxied immediately to rail yards hundreds of miles away to ensure cargo arrives where it's supposed to be on time.

Again, I don't pretend to know how the airlines operate -- but when a gate agent insists there is no one to be found and no way for the airline to dispatch a crew quickly, I just don't buy it.

I hope you'll please explain some of the ins and outs of airline staffing. I don't doubt that the logistics are vast and complicated. You'd be providng valuable information and insight.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 9:41 PM by Deb Thuman
About the only way I'd ever fly on United again would be a gunpoint - and even then I'd have to think about it. After the United fiasco, I made real sure I told every e-mail list I'm on, about 2000 attorneys and about 6000 artists, exactly what happened. NEVER fly United. Ever. Unless it's your travel goal to spend eternity in the airport.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Thursday, April 05, 2007 10:24 PM by Paul Gough
This story sounds familiar. I was flying U.S. Airways and got caught in their reservations system snafu in early March. It was supposed to be a nice daytrip for four to Philadelphia and back. It started with one hour in line at Hartford because the check-in kiosks were not working. We arrived early and only got to the gate after boarding started. When we reached the gate at 7:30 p.m. for the 8:15 return flight, the automated sign was flashing Syracuse flight cancelled and Hartford 8:50. No information from U.S. Airways personnel, but our flight kept getting later and later. Other flights were cancelled and announcements were being made about delayed crew members. Finally, at 10:50, with no warning except our bad feelings because of what was going on around us, the flight was abruptly cancelled; no reason given. It was, however, probably due to crew staffing because the first leg of the flight came in from Raleigh-Durham 2.5 hours late. There was a scramble to get a number on the boarding pass to get place in line for hotel vouchers and morning flight reservation. I got number 13, but two staffers couldn't get to my number for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. About a half hour into the procedure, it was announced to call the U.S. Airways number and get your own reservation. After discussing possibly renting a car to get home (bad idea, even with 4 drivers because we we all had been up since 3 a.m. and Bradley International airport was about 4.5 hours away by car) my wife pointed out that she needed heart medication at 5 a.m. and wasn't planning on an overnight stay, so she didn't bring it. We're not talking baby aspirin, we are talking a med that regulates the heartbeat. She had a heart attack, fortunately in the ER, and her heart stopped for 3 minutes before it was shocked back. She needed the medication. I decided when my turn came, the first business was going to be the need to find a doctor and a pharmacy to get the needed drug. My turn came after midnight. Instead of brushing me off, the gate attendant took me seriously, went to the phone, and, after a conversation with someone, told me to take my wife to a nearby gate. I pointed out that four of us were traveling together and she said for all four to go. We found a vacant gate with a single U.S. Airways employee who took our boarding passes and told us to go down the jetway and find a seat. When I got on the plane I saw a person who had been at the gate waiting for our flight (she had #51) but somehow she had managed to get on the airplane (I don't know how). My traveling companions saw several others who were behind us in the numbering system at the gate also seated on the plane. After 3 others got aboard, the door was closed and we departed about 12:30 a.m. for Hartford, arriving about 1:30 a.m. four and a quarter hours late. Never had we been told there were seats available to Hartford that night and it appeared that the flight we were on was supposed to have departed at 10:50, about the time our flight was cancelled. My guess it was not held to accomodate us, it just worked out that way due to its own set of delays. I wrote a letter of complaint to the CEO and have not yet received a reply. For at least a week after our cancelled flight (and my personal knowledge of several others cancelled at Philadelphia,) the U.S. Airways web site was stating that no flight cancellations occurred due to the reservations changeover. I think this lack of candor was damage control to keep facts from getting out that may affect their stock price. The details are different, but the cause of my experience is likely the same--too many hours in the air for crew or the inability to move them to where they needed to be. The underlying problem, of course, is lack of competition. I have few choices for a flight from Hartford to Philadelphia, and they know it, especially if I want to get there in the morning and come home the same night. Airlines set the fare, so they can't complain when those flying take a lower price if offered. I used to work for the state and vendors always complained they couldn't do the job at the price they would get. Bad reasoning, they picked the price. Shoddy service should not be the solution. If they can't make money at that price, they need to charge more or be more efficient so they do make money at the lower price. Next time, I'll drive the 180 miles and avoid the uncertainties and U.S. Airways can fly with four empty seats that might have been filled by paying passengers. I also don't intend to write a letter to my congressman in favor of a bailout should they ever look for one from the taxpayers. What do you think the chances are of getting a reply from the CEO?

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Thursday, April 05, 2007 10:47 PM by Emily
A common conversation recently among media consumers and producers has been what difference there is, if any, between "professional journalists" and "bloggers." And while I'm a "professional journalist" who is not immune to fears that one day people like me won't be needed, I don't think there necessarily has to be a difference. Both can seek information, verify facts, allow all interested parties to weigh in, then present it to the public. The only thing that scares me about the citizen journalism concept, which all in all is a great way to communicate ideas, is when bloggers don't do that but instead rely on single anecdotes to make generalizations. If someone came to my newspaper with the story about American Airlines that you have shared, we would certainly look into it, but I doubt my editor would go for publishing without hearing from the airline, consulting records or at least talking to other passengers. To deem the account as acceptable for publication in a blog is to suggest that a blog has less value as a medium when it's only gaining power.

I understand and respect your right to share the story of your bad flight experience throught any venue you choose, and I realize this is your own blog. But as an SPJ member, I wonder if writing under the title of "SPJ president" might lead readers to expect it to be held to the journalistic standards of any publication SPJ members work for.

The Internet is a great place to share information, both positive and negative, both scientific and anecdotal, but as we continue to explore this relatively new media, I hope audiences will expect as much from information obtained as it does from a newspaper or a broadcast. Only then is citizen journalism something to be embraced instead of feared.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Friday, April 06, 2007 2:32 PM by christinetatum
Hi, Emily!

You've raised some smart questions. Thanks so much for chiming in. I hope others will weigh in because this could be one interesing thread. Thanks so much for potentially getting that ball rolling.

I'm relaying my personal experience and observations, as you've noted. I did consult with -- and hear from -- the airline (repeatedly), and have relayed what representatives of the company told me.

Although it is factual, this isn't a news story -- and I would, indeed, highly encourage anyone working on one to consult other sources before running with my views of the world. I'm a consumer -- a customer -- just like everyone else, and decided to provide an anecdote along the lines that transportation reporters scramble to find every day.

This blog entry is obviously a first-person account -- a narrative form newspapers do, occasionally, run. I have shared other personal experiences in print (such as a squabble I had with my former phone-service company) -- and without all the third-party verification you suspect your editor would want. I believe it is possible for journalists (and non-journalists) to provide useful information accurately and fairly -- and within the context of personal experience.

A colleague at The Denver Post recently reinforced that belief. He blogged about a bad encounter he had with an airline. He stuck strictly to what he did, heard, saw and was told. His post generated substantial public response for days. And that public response helped him generate several interesting stories. He didn't need to consult with the airline's spokespeople for "official reaction." He simply recorded what happened around him and stood very publicly by his account. I have tried to do that here, too.

With all of that said, I'd like to think my blog contains a lot of useful information -- but I'm not about to pretend it isn't rife with my opinion.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Monday, April 09, 2007 12:33 PM by Norb Tatro
I’ll join the conversation started by Emily’s response because it speaks to issues journalists must face that were much discussed at the SPJ convention in Chicago last August.

First, Internet publication, be it blogging or covering developing stories, is an open process. As one Internet writer explained (not at SPJ), the print model is verify first, then publish; the electronic model is publish first, then verify. This concept must drive copy editors, editors higher up the newsroom ladder and libel lawyers crazy.

This thread is a good example. The original article was published without an official spokesperson for the airline. In the first response, “Bill” spoke what appears to be the company line. (It’s not clear from the entry if he works for the airline and, if he does, in what capacity.)

Later, the thread moved to crew substitution. Was it reasonable to expect American to find a relief crew because it knew late the previous evening that the original crew could not report to work on time for their scheduled flight? Christine drew an interesting parallel to her father’s railroad experience at CSX.

American, like any major carrier, should – and still may -- have crews on standby, either at the airport or nearby, to substitute on short notice at their major hubs. In American’s case that means, at a minimum, Dallas and Chicago. But Denver is not a major hub for American, which might raise the issue of getting a crew to Denver overnight. (This also means United should have no excuse for failure to find a substitute crew in Denver.)

Christine does not need to apologize for sourcing. There were three sources for most of the information: an excellent reporter on the scene, Orbitz’ phone calls that clearly provided accurate information, and the American gate agents, clueless as they often were.

Finally, a blog is a perfect venue for print journalists to engage the readers by providing additional, sometimes off-topic entries. The best example in Chicago newspaper circles is Eric Zorn’s “Change of  Subject” at the Chicago Tribune (http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/). Christine’s “Odds and Ends” is a great opportunity to show her human side. Readers relate to that.

# re: American Airlines doesn't fly smart

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:09 PM by Anna Matetic
I'm an SPJ member and would like to weigh on something a little different. I had a similar experience with Northwest.  Other family members have had the same experience with other airlines. And this is the conclusion we came to.

We don't live close the airports we fly out of. In my case, I spend an hour and a half drive to the airport. Due to security, I have to get there 2 hours early. That's 3 and 1/2 hours and I haven't even gotten on the plane. I frequently fly Minneapolis - Pittsburgh. Say about 2 hours for the flight. 5 and 1/2 hours. Add in delays etc.  Once it took me 12 hours start to finish to get to Pittsburgh.

It only takes 12-14 hours to drive. 15 hours if I take a train.  And both of these options cost LESS that the aggravating hassles of dealing with an airport.

Airlines used to be a faster more convenient way to travel - not anymore. And I'm considering other options more seriously now.
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