Question regarding AA into Cozumel

[Diverlady13]

Perhaps your plane was impacted by these delays.

It's entirely possible, but I'm at the point where I just don't care about the airline's issues. This would have been our 5th flight with AA since November and they've canceled or changed our flights on every one of those trips - sometimes multiple changes and usually so late that we can't change if we need to. While Tulsa is a smaller airport, our city happens to be where AA has its refurbishment center, so they are THE airline here. The thing is, it's not typically been a lack of aircraft, but a lack of crew that is causing the issues we've experienced. Right now they just have no backup for when something happens to the originally scheduled crew.

The other airlines seemed to get back on the ball faster, but we've had utterly terrible experiences with United and Delta. I might consider flying Delta again if they would clean their aircraft and hire friendly flight attendants. We took Delta to Belize in April and the plane was filthy. So much for covid cleaning. Good thing I travel with Lysol wipes. Of course, they also canceled our flights and we had to rearrange last minute, but at least we got there. Southwest has typically offered good service, but I hate not having a seat assignment and all the chaos that surrounds that. Plus, we now only fly first class and SW doesn't offer that service. Don't want to sound like a snob about that, but my husband and I retired so that we could travel and enjoy life. Cramming my very tall husband into a coach seat is just not on and it never fails that the person in front of him has to lean their seat all the way back. (We've now had 3 laptop screens broken by people throwing themselves backwards.) He's miserable flying that way (and ends up with severe back pain) and that makes me miserable and stressed.

 

[Diverlady13]

I would buy a RT ticket to wherever JB flies out of to CUN and buy two RT...probably cheaper and much better on the nerves than AA to CZM!

I used our remaining AA miles for 2 seats to Zagreb later this month and I expect issues, but happy that I'll never have to fly AA again after this trip!

I actually booked the trip on line-paid for it and then received an email immediately saying the London Zagreb flight was cancelled...LOL! We had to move the trip up by one day. AA is by far the worst company to deal with!

The thing that's so frustrating is that their customer service agents are very friendly and try to be helpful. Ha ha...at least I can call them without my head exploding. Oh well...at this point I'm going to use my credit and then plan differently next time.

 

[gopbroek]

The delays today seem to be related to storms in DFW slowing the connecting system so AA will likely use that to avoid responsibility, but that's crap. Efficient airlines with modern aircraft can fly around storms, etc. See discussion: American Airlines Flight Delays & Cancelations | One Mile at a Time

It's kind of hard to 'fly around' weather sitting on top of your hub. Let's see, Euless, adjacent to DFW airport had micro bursts and hail. At the airport they had 50+ MPH winds, I live about 5 miles north of the runway and had multiple bands of heavy weather from 6 PM untill about 7AM and lost power in the night until 8AM, this morning I had to pump water out of my overflowing pool. The TV was flashing severe thunderstorm warnings repeatedly last night but all things considered AA probably shouldn't have diverted the inbound aircraft and just ignored the weather.

 

[DandyDon]

It's kind of hard to 'fly around' weather sitting on top of your hub.

Yeah, I don't know how to run an airline exactly, but they should have seen the forecasts and diverted equipment.

There are other airlines failing passengers: Spirit cancels 227 flights, stranding hundreds at Orlando airport

Having three major airlines with headquarters and hubs in Texas was a poor development tho, as much weather as we do get in the state. I guess that weather happens everywhere tho.

 

[DeltaWardog]

we've had utterly terrible experiences with United and Delta.

As have I, and probably most of their customers. But I'm still flying United next month because the problem is I've had bad experiences with EVERY airline that will fly me direct to Cozumel. Delta was by far the worst as far as staff issues. Frontier stole some expensive stuff out of my checked luggage. The worst United has ever done to me is have crappy service from time to time and beat the absolute hell out of my luggage.

I wish Southwest would put in a direct flight from Denver. I have never had a problem flying them and they are my go-to for domestic, but if I want them to take me to Cozumel I have to get up at 2am and transfer in Houston. Then it takes me 3-4 days to get back to a normal sleep schedule once I'm on the island. So I take my chances with United. Fortunately I'm not a doctor and I don't bring a guitar with me.

I actually used to work for a company where I managed some major IT systems for United. I could tell you stories. Let's just say they did not have their act together in many ways. So I consider them the worst airline to fly me direct to Cozumel, except for all the other ones.

 

[Jcp2]

I thought AA has been very aggressive at furloughing flight crews at the beginning of the pandemic for cost savings, much more so than other airlines, and have quite a ways to go in getting them back, as the furlough was so lengthy that some people retired, some people found another position elsewhere, and some people’s training lapsed.

 

[DandyDon]

I thought AA has been very aggressive at furloughing flight crews at the beginning of the pandemic for cost savings, much more so than other airlines, and have quite a ways to go in getting them back, as the furlough was so lengthy that some people retired, some people found another position elsewhere, and some people’s training lapsed.

Protocol #1: It's a corporation out to maximize profits. Anything else is only associated.

 

[ggunn]

I thought AA has been very aggressive at furloughing flight crews at the beginning of the pandemic for cost savings, much more so than other airlines, and have quite a ways to go in getting them back, as the furlough was so lengthy that some people retired, some people found another position elsewhere, and some people’s training lapsed.

Something else that all the airlines are having to deal with is the pent up demand from 18 months of people mostly staying home. The two times I have flown out of Austin since things started opening up, the airport was absolutely mobbed. In the past going out on our typical Cozumel 6:30AM flight has been from a mostly deserted airport, but not this year. When we got there at 4:30AM traffic was backed up a quarter mile from the dropoff area and inside was absolutely insane. The airline employees all looked shell shocked.

But the good news is that this, at least, is not sustainable.

 

[DandyDon]

When we got there at 4:30AM traffic was backed up a quarter mile from the dropoff area and inside was absolutely insane.

When I got to Lubbock's airport around that ungodly time for my last flight, my first in over a year, my usual off-airport parking lot I've used for decades was closed (which the manager later told me was for lack of employees back from furlough), so I went to the main airport lot. I got in okay, but no shuttle appeared. I drove to the exit station and found the manager working on opening for the day. He couldn't find enough people to keep it open 24 hours as before.

When I got inside, the whole place was involved in remodeling. Very little was like I remembered, and the construction impaired movements. Just a predawn mess. All that before United checked us all in, then sent us all text messages canceling our plane. The day went downhill from there.

 

[ReefHound]

AA claims the cancelation was due to weather, but I call BS. It's clear and calm....actually perfect weather in our area and much cooler than normal. If I was still flying, I'd be out doing so today.

Bad weather in once city can cause weather disruptions all over the country. Maybe the plane you were supposed to take couldn't get TO your city because it was stuck in some other city.