Posted on 08/17/2007 10:07:01 AM PDT by pabianice
The Department of Transportation reported this week that airline flight delays in June were worse than either May or June of last year. The airlines jumped on the news to again claim that it is an outdated air traffic control system and an "unfair" funding system that's responsible.
But if you dig deeper into the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data, the major causes leap out: weather and scheduling. And as we've said before, tinkering with the aviation tax system and building NextGen (the air traffic modernization program) are still not going to allow airliners to penetrate a line of thunderstorms or occupy the same spot at the same time on a runway or taxiway.
"The facts clearly show that the airlines' own scheduling practices are a major cause of the problems," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And they can't expect ATC modernization to cure all ills."
More than 40 percent of airline delays are attributed to weather, according to the BTS. Looking at another data set, you see that the air carriers themselves are responsible for more than 25 percent of their delays through things they can control (maintenance or crew problems, baggage loading, fueling, etc.).
(Excerpt) Read more at aopa.org ...
If there is one drop of rain anywhere in Georgia, you WILL NOT make your connection in Atlanta.
Semper Fi,
Has anyone else noticed that when there is a delay for "Mechanical Reasons", after 45 minutes to an hour there is a sudden surge of luggage and standby passengers?
Or maybe I was just imagining it, over and over...?
I have made two airline reservations within the past six months. The itinerary of each of them changed significantly before the flights were actually made. In each case, the change resulted in having to depart earlier than originally planned and arrive several hours later than originally planned. Both were originally planned to have one connection, but in one case an additional connection was added with the change.
Also in each case, I was crammed into the very back seats of flights, leading me to believe that my original flight connection was canceled and I was shoved onto another flight that had a couple of seats still left on it.
What can you do about that?
Also, I've heard first hand reports that if you have a layover in Denver of less than one hour, you will not get your luggage at your arrival city.
I bet you were not flying Southwest.
Ah, my last flight to Macon, GA... they lost my luggage, the car rental lost my car, and the hotel lost my reservation. There I was in sweat-soaked clothes in 95 degree heat with no fresh clothes to change into, no hotel to go to, and no way to get there. I am grateful _every day_ that my business travel days are OVER.
Flying these days is utter hell. I’m not knowledgeable enough to suggest improvements and I’m perfectly aware that we remember bad experiences far more vividly than good or acceptable ones. But there really is no predicting when you’ll actually arrive at your destination. And if your itinerary involves a connecting flight, you just know you’re going to get hosed.
Southwest used to routinely cancel some of the late afternoon Hobby - Love flights to ensure that the ones that did go were full. Since they had departures scheduled as frequently as every 15 minutes, you were never more than a half hour or so late, and if you got there early, they'd cram you on the next flight out, so I never saw anyone complain.
I know a few things about airport finance, and anything coming from the AOPA (an organization for private pilots) is extremely suspect.
General Aviation receives enormous tax subsidies, and General Aviation fuel taxes provide less than 5% of the Aviation Trust Fund revenues.
Who pays into the Trust fund? Commercial airline passengers. The AOPA wants commercial flyers to continue subsidizing.
Read the Bureau of Transportation Statistics studies, which show GA is more subsidized than that favorite political whipping boy, AMTRAK.
I refer to Southwest as “taking the bus”. Really not much different.
You are correct that General Aviation does not contribute as much as it uses with regard to air traffic.
Put commercial and general aviation on the same finance scheme (fuel tax or use tax) and fund the new system.
Airlines are partly responsible, but the biggest problem is with ATC.
Flying Southwest is like carpooling with hippies. Cheap, but you pay for it with the smell.
I know people now that would prefer to drive 700 miles than fly a plane that far. That wasn’t true five years ago...when most of us hated driving more than two or three hours. I’m thinking that AMTRAK isn’t such a bad deal anymore...and you can always get off and just escape the train anytime things go wrong.
I think its more than just ATC. Private pilots should not be depending on commercially generated aviation tax dollars (i.e. passenger ticket taxes) to fund virtually all of the FAA operations and grants, many of which go to General Aviation airports that benefit mainly private pilots. If localities or states decide they want to subsidize GA airports, that’s fine, IMO, but right now, all commerical passengers are heavily subsidizing the GA industry.
AOPA puts out vast amounts of disinformation on this, but is very influential with politicians.
I am in favor of funding via usage fees, fuel taxes, etc that puts the burden on the largest users. That would spread it out between GA and Part 135.
When it sometimes takes longer to fly from PA to FL than it would take to drive, can you blame them?
Gulfstream V :-)
Same here. General Aviation is subsidized at so many levels, from the grants that GA airports receive, to the tax breaks that Cessna, Raytheon and other small aircraft manufacturers receive.
Private pilots now pay a tiny $0.193/gallon tax on AVgas purchases, and that is basically it. GA airport capital improvements (for reliever and most publicly owned GA facilities) are funded by 95% FAA grant, with the local and state match portion being only 2 1/2% each. Next time you drive by your local airport, that runway and tower you are looking at was paid with your federal tax dollars, and the tax you pay on tix when you fly commercially.
The AOPA cynically tries to obscure this fact, and alos makes bogus economic arguments about the economic benefits of GA.
They book her on the same flight number for Monday, but don't unload the luggage. They send it on ahead, so she has nothing but what she's wearing. Then the damn airline didn't have a crew. They have to scramble to get a crew together. Once again they are delayed and delayed. She landed at 12:45 am.
I hate to fly.
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