Never have I been so happy to board a delayed American Airlines flight…because we actually took off when I thought we were certain to face cancellation. And it culminated in a way that left me smiling.
American Airlines is famous for its rolling delays and I recently encountered one on a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. While AA has promised that it going to do a better job of communicating delays and trying to predict actual departure time based on aircraft placement, it still has some work to do.
My flight was originally supposed to leave at 7:10p but I received a text message in the afternoon that it would be delayed until 8:15p, which actually was idea for me. I showed up to the airport at 7:30p, had a quick bite to eat in the Admirals Club, and prepared to board…but boarding never began. Instead, the delay was pushed to 8:45p. Then it was pushed to 9:00p. Then 9:30p. Then 10:15p. Then 11:30p. Then 11:55p.
The other AA evening flight to Los Angeles was facing similar delays.
Why? The aircraft was on the ground and at the gate. It had been there since 7:45p.
One of the agents in the Admirals Club turned her screen to me and said, “See look, you’ve got no pilots.”
Sure enough, no pilots were assigned to my flight, though it made no sense to me…this was an A321 and were in Chicago O’Hare, a hub. Does AA have no reserve pilots there that can fly an Airbus?
During this time I went back and forth between the gate and the lounge, because the rolling delays notifications often came late and while I know you usually get a text message when boarding starts, that is not always the case and I did not want to miss the flight (like Andrea Sachs).
The poor gate agents were fielding the angry mob…people were livid and many were freaking out that the flight would not cancel. The gate agent didn’t exactly help by stating his belief the flight would cancel, but I appreciated his candor.
Back in the Admirals Club, suddenly the pilot positions were filled. They were being flown in from Dallas, said the agent.
Seems like a product of poor planning, but okay. I was offered a hotel room if I wanted to bail and rebook for tomorrow (“But it aint gonna be at the Hilton”) but I really wanted to get to LA without a short night in a hotel room.
Back at the gate, we were told that though the pilots had been assigned, it would be up to them determine whether they wanted to accept the overtime assignment and fly the flight…the gate agent once again was on the pessimistic side. Many passengers were (understandably) irate.
But around 11:15p, the Dallas flight pulled up to the gate. We all waited anxiously.
Suddenly, a first officer rounded the corner and the whole gate area broke out into cheers. Someone called out, “Are you our pilot?!” and he flashed the thumbs up sign.
Moments later, the captain showed up to another chorus of cheers.
The trip was on! Boarding soon commend and we were on our way…very late, but on our way.
And as an added bonus, since so many passengers bailed, I got a first class upgrade at the gate, minutes before boarding. Better than three seats in economy class? Probably not, but certainly better than just an open middle in Economy Extra and I ended up enjoying a delicious salmon dinner enroute to LAX and still enjoying a nap for a couple hours due to the late hour.
I wish AA would get their act together, but after hours of rolling delays, I was just thankful to get home without having to overnight in ORD.
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