US reaction to weather event over 2022 season

[mel-world]

On other forums, members seem to be getting quite excited about the US introducing a compensation system similar to the European EC261 plan, given the delays and cancellations over the festive season.

We know Americans want to fly from any point to any other point, very often via a hub, at such regularity that any weather or operational delay is likely to cause cancellations and frustration. It is almost as if they cannot read a weather forecast and assume aircraft and crew will always be there. And any airline wanting to increase their prices to cover themselves for contingencies causes a rush to the LCCs, like Southwest, who have probably been the worst affected this time.

Would Australia benefit from a similar scheme and what would we be prepared to pay for having proper compensation for operational, not even weather, delays? Would you be prepared to pay to have the airlines obligated to re-book you to any airline, provide hotel, ground transport, food and expenses for travel essentials as well as pay you compensation?

Airlines operate on minimal margins much of the time and provide a scheduled service so any additional compensation obligation, would surely increase the cost of travel. Qantas did well (from an operational and a marketing perspective) from the recent Baku diversion but there are limits to the contingencies airlines can plan for, especially as they continue to suffer from crewing, aircraft and crewing shortages.

 

[Forg]

Anyone got any rule-of-thumbs to apply or the results of prior analyses, to get an idea of how much cost it’d add to airfares?

 

[p--and--t]

I’m not so concerned at a personal level on compensation for a weather event but would definitely like to see airlines pulled into line with the same protections we get from buying other services and products.

This business of we can cancel a flight or move your flight by 24 hours or you cant get a refund or compensation when they alter your plans dramatically for factors that are under their control (like staffing faulty equipment, low passenger numbers, administrative failure, etc etc etc) is totally unacceptable.

The T&Cs we see on carriage contracts are shameful.

 

[mel-world]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/opinion/southwest-airlines.html

Interesting analysis of the Southwest issue from the NYT with some similarities to the QF situation as it came out of COVID.

"The roots of Southwest’s unique meltdown go back all the way to 1978, when the airline industry was deregulated. Until then, interstate carriers were basically forced to offer direct, “point to point” service between cities. After deregulation, most major airlines shifted to “hub and spoke” systems, which had many passengers changing planes at major centers like Chicago’s O’Hare or Atlanta.

Hub-and-spoke has some clear advantages over point-to-point. It lets airlines service the same number of cities with fewer routes — connecting 10 cities point-to-point requires 45 routes but sending everyone via a central hub requires only nine. The system also creates some inherent flexibility because planes and flight crews based at hubs can be reallocated to compensate for, say, equipment breakdowns.

But a hub-and-spoke system has disadvantages, too. It can force passengers to accept long layovers or, alternatively, miss tight connections if anything goes wrong. (Dear American Airlines: No, I did not appreciate my recent involuntary night in Miami.) Hub-and-spoke has also enhanced airlines’ monopoly power, with each big carrier dominating markets served by its hubs."

 

[jrfsp]

I landed in DEN friday last week when southwest were having a melt down
Chaos was not the word.
(Alaksa was not doing well either)
Thankfully I had arrived on AA and all went well.

I have never seen so many cases all over the place or people trying to get their bags & help.
No where near enough staff for the operation they were trying to run and what staff they did have had enough and walked off the job. Why would anyone work on the ramp in freezing conditions for minimum wage.

 

[Quickstatus]

Southwest airlines
I think all started when the CEO told the ramp workers and other workers they had to do mandatory overtime - otherwise it would be considered to be insubordination, so a lot of ramp workers just quit - aircraft cant leave the gate not arrive at the gate - several hundred apparently just quit on the spot especially at DEN causing delays and cancellation up the line to every part of the network

DEN was especially hard hit with temps in the -30C and heavy snowfalls

When those in leadership adopy a punitive threatening attitude, its not surprising when your employees quit, its often at the worst possible time - because thats when the last straw hits like a big stick

Additionally Southwest apparently does not have interline agreements with other airlines. Leaving then in the lurch when they have to find seats of other flights.

Southwest airline - also partially responsible for the 737Max frankenstein

Self inflicted coms to mind

 

[Forg]

Southwest appear to have basically committed the same crime as soooo many other businesses in these uber-capitalist times ... shaft the employee &/or nail the supplier down to a schedule of service-delivery which gives the absolute lowest cost ... but doesn't in any way cope with anything unusual occurring.

Pretty much all shortages or outages over the last 18-odd months can be attributed to business-practices that gamble on a poor customer experience for the sake of a 2% cost reduction.