Posted on 09/02/2005 11:22:03 AM PDT by Dont Mention the War
Did airlines flee Hurricane Katrina too early, leaving New Orleans travelers stranded despite having what they thought were tickets to safety? That's a charge Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has made -- and in the case of Delta Air Lines, she has a point.
Middle Seat readers offered several complaints in the wake of the disastrous storm this week, none more serious than travelers concerned about the governor's allegation.
Operating on the edge of vicious storms is a tricky thing for airlines, both in the air and on the ground. You have to make sure you get all your planes out of the area before the hurricane hits, and there are a host of other factors that come into play. Last weekend, some carriers went to almost-heroic lengths to get as many people out as possible. And at least one carrier did not.
[...]
The contrast between what American, Continental and Southwest did Sunday and what Delta did is startling. Airlines have to be safe, but they also have to be mindful of their obligation as public transportation. In this case, they were the lifeboat for many customers, and some of the lifeboats didn't show up.
My suggestion for all involved -- the government included -- is that airlines, airport workers and customers all need more certainty about when airports are going to be closed by hurricanes and blizzards. State and local officials, the Federal Aviation Administration, the airport and the airlines should all come to consensus on how long the airport will remain open and try to keep flying until that agreed-upon closing time.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I talked to a United flight attendent on Monday, the airlines suffered huge damage from Andrew, mostly from flying debris hitting the planes.
the policy now is to get every plane out of town asap when a storm is approaching.
Delta will be bankrupt very soon, this just confirms it.
I can't speak to what happened in NO. But I know that when I was in Italy last May, I met a man from Little Rock who was bringing his entire family to Italy from different points in the US and that they had all booked Delta. Almost everyone had at least one leg of their flight cancelled. It took him 2 days to get to Italy and he was one of the first to arrive. I had a perfect flight to and fro on Continental. After his story alone, I wouldn't fly Delta.
This will be the standard reply I give to all posts when the subject is to blame Bush for all:
The nanny state/welfare mentality - it's always someone else's job. What part of MANDITORY EVACUATION do these fools in the media not get? The people on the coast were warned, told to leave, and chose to stick it out thereby endangered themselves and their families. That would be considered neglect when parents put their children in danger.
The Governor and Mayor's extreme ineptitude is what the bozos in the lame-steam media should be focused on. It was their job to prepare their constituents, NOT the federal government. There was ample time to prepare, and most responsible adults took to the road for safety. Yet all that was offered on the state level was another poor evacuation plan from the dimwit dimocrats. Either using "one way out" stuck in traffic or holing up in the dome, what choices!
Before the storm, they could have used all the school & city busses to evacuate those who couldn't make it on their own to higher ground further inland. But they chose weakness in the face of real danger instead.
After the storm, all resources were put at their disposal, yet they delayed making the request as well as delayed the delivery when aid arrived. Martial Law was declared and yet they still sat on thier hands allowing lawlessness to erupt. Neither can handle their jobs, yet refuse to step aside and allow someone else to handle it.
If President Bush hadn't announced the evacuation order, there would be more loss and suffering, mainly due to the clueless Democrats who failed to do anything - who, by the way, have been in charge of that state long before Bush ran for office.
When you have your hand extended, you shouldn't b!tch about getting aid when you were told to prepare for 3-5 days of food and water. When it comes to your family's safety, waiting on government to solve your problems is no better than waiting on a welfare check instead of getting off your arse and finding work.
But I guess wading around in sewage and griping about it is a much more pleasing alternative if you always pull the "D" lever when it's time to elect leadership. The failure of a democrat-led state is why the media is out in force trying to point fingers at Bush, when they all know the reality of the situation...their own failures cause many more to die than would have if they hadn't been slow to react.
Remember, Delta's European partner is Air France.
Most airlines bailed the schedule early so the ground-based staff & employees had a chance to evacuate their familes from the path of a CAT-5.
One crashed plane full of people trying to take off on a storm front and this whiner would be singing a different tune.
Those buses are a wasted resource.
Weren't used before the storm, Total loss after the storm.
If they had been gotten out of town loaded with people before the storm, they would have been available now.
Sure, they could've. But, then, they would've had to draw plans on a.) where to take them and b.) what to do once they got there. Otherwise, the Superdome crowd would now be sitting in the middle of Opelousas -- without food, water, shelter or sanitary facilities.
So, if that's how it's going to end up anyway, why go to all the trouble of moving them to Opelousas...???
So that relief workers don't get mugged trying to help, THAT'S WHY!
Still, I saw a thread earlier today headed by an interview with the Director of New Orleans' Office of Emergency Preparedness. He was blaming the feds for not having provided busses to evacuate those who were without transportation.
Now we know what his real title was: Chief in Charge of Diverting Blame.
New Orleans' and Louisiana's political leadership weas tested by Katrina. And it was found wanting in a manner that is truly scandalous.
I was with a group of about 25 women flying Delta from Greensboro NC to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic last January during the east coast blizzard. We didn't get to our connection at JFK before it closed, so we were diverted first to somewhere in New Hampshire, then to Harrisburg PA, where we had to remove all our luggage only to have it placed back on the same plane, which took us to Cincinatti, and then back to Greensboro. Some of our luggage was lost in Harrisburg.
Three days later we again flew Delta from Greensboro to JFK to connect to Santo Domingo. We arrived in Santo Domingo to discover that ALL of our luggage was missing. We were on a mission trip with no supplies, no clothes, no nothing.
That was my first and last experience with Delta.
Simple. They got elected.
Eventually, voters get the kind of government they deserve.
why go to all the trouble of moving them to Opelousas...???
My point is that the responsible administration, at the local and state level, were so incompetent that -- even if they'd had an evacuation plan -- they probably wouldn't have been prepared for its aftermath.
To the responsible officials, planning and logistics are seemingly an incomprehensible foreign language.
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