Now it is obvious to all of us that the airlines can’t handle the business that they have in an efficient way, so let’s have the government step in with my new plan effective January 1, 2009.
As a prelude, the airlines can do whatever they want up until that day to get ready for the new rules.
On January 1, 2009 each airline will be allowed to fly one route and only once that day. If they can handle it without losing a single piece of luggage, get everybody on board on time, depart on time, and arrive on time at the correct airport, then on day #2 they can add another flight with the same stipulations.
If your airline messes up, it goes back to day one and starts all over again.
Do you think I have had a frustrating day in the air?
We got to LaGuardia at 8 AM for a 10 AM and headed to the RCC to check email and grab the paper. At 9:30 the gate agent announces the arrival will be 10 minutes late, but that departure would still be at 10AM. At 9:45 AM I get a phone message that it will now depart at 10:30AM. As was evident last week the gate agent was not aware. I immediately went to the gate agent to inform him and ask him to protect me on the next flight from IAD to SAV. He indignantly indicated that he has been here 10 years and the flight can be turned in 20 minutes and we would arrive at 11:41 AM in time for my 12:22 PM departure. I mumbled under my breathe, like hell we will.
I have to swallow crow here. He turned that flight in 18 minutes from parking at the gate and closing the front door. I was amazed and hopeful. To Mr. Gate Agent at C-7 at LGA, I apologize.
We then proceeded to sit at the gate with the door closed for another 15 minutes while they cleared the planes behind us. Then we headed to the taxiway, where we proceeded to await our turn for takeoff until 11:30 AM, 1 and 1/2 hours late.
We arrived at Dulles at exactly 12:22 PM our scheduled departure time. We were sitting in 1A and 1C, so hoped off the plane to another phone message from United telling us we were re-booked on the 9:40 departure which would get us to Savannah at midnight. UGH.
I went to the departure board and our 12:22 departure was pulled and I headed to customer service to see if I could at least get Katy to Columbia to see her daughter. When we got to the front of the line, the CSR informed us that the flight had not left and was at the adjacent gate.
My questions today are:
Why the phone update when our connecting flight had not left? Why was the flight pulled off the departure board instead of listed as delayed?
My earlier suggestion seems pretty good now doesn’t it? It really is getting to be hit and miss on travel day.
As it all turns out the flight finally left after 2PM when they pulled in a first officer from his day off so it did not have to be cancelled and we arrived at Savannah at 4PM. The drive to Columbia was uneventful, we made dinner with Shannon and are now about 40 minutes south of the Charlotte Airport. Katy’s flight leaves at 10AM.
Only the good Lord knows if she will make it to Detroit tomorrow. I think United is just guessing at this point.
