Airlines' Winter Weather Woes

Jason — Wed, 12/24/2008 - 23:43

I just got a hold of a CNN.com article that relates how winter weather is hindering Christmas travel on the airlines this week. Heavy snows are causing delays in Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago and other places.

This isn't a new problem. How many times have you heard about holiday weather delays with the airlines? My wife's parents spent two days stuck at DIA a couple years ago trying to travel for Christmas.

Some people may continue to try to use these delays as a case for rushing the FAA's NextGen Air Traffic Control system...and fund it through General Aviation User Fees. Don't let them fool you though! Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to modernize our ATC equipment, it won't help beat weather like this. If anything it'll make the situation worse by trying to pack more aircraft into the airports with bad weather.

The CNN article mentioned an Alaska Airlines flight where de-icing fluid got into the cabin and made people sick. From reading the article, it sounded like the plane pushed back from the gate, but then had to wait in line for de-icing because many planes were trying to get out of the airport. Lines at de-icing stations are a common problem for large airports...and those lines will only get longer if NextGen allows us to pack more aircraft into those already overloaded hub-and-spoke airports. (No statements from Alaska Airlines about this incident yet, but thankfully it sounds like there will be no lasting effects.)

I'm not against NextGen. However, I am definitely against making GA piston and turboprop pilots pay for it through user fees when it will only benefit the airlines. I'm also against implementing NextGen air traffic control facilities before adding airport infrastructure to accommodate the increase in air traffic.

If you're still stuck somewhere, you might consider going in with some other stranded passengers to hire an air taxi or airplane charter. I did a very brief search on Air Taxi World's Air Taxi Locator and found 8 operators in the Chicago area. If you share with a few other people, the ticket prices may be comparable to a last-minute holiday ticket. You'd be able to leave from a smaller airport and fly to a smaller airport closer to your destination...all without the delays, lines and crowds you're experiencing right now. For those of you who are still stuck, we hope you make it to your destinations safely and quickly, however you end up getting there!

Airlines

616 reads

Good Info...

Jason — Fri, 12/26/2008 - 21:50

Thanks for the comment Roger! It's nice to hear this from the source. It sounds like charter or air taxi might end up being a bit more expensive than airline travel, but they certainly seem more convenient and a good option if you want flexibility and comfort. That $1,500/hr also feels a lot cheaper when you're sharing that price with several other passengers.

We've added a link to TaxiJet on our links page.

Air Taxi

Unidentified Target — Fri, 12/26/2008 - 11:59

Smaller aircraft may indeed be a way for harried travelers to get around winter airline delays. When the weather is good scheduled airlines benefit from the "just in time" efficiency strategy. You the traveler show up at the Atlanta airport while the jet that is scheduled to take you to Miami Florida is preparing for takeoff from Chicago. If the Chicago to Atlanta flight goes as planned you will have no problems making your flight from Atlanta to Miami. But if there is severe weather in Chicago there may be long delays in de-icing aircraft for takeoff from Chicago. These delays could cause the Chicago to Atlanta flight to be several hours late causing your flight from Atlanta to Miami to also be delayed or cancelled even if the weather from Atlanta to Miami is clear. Private jets could get around the Chicago weather delays by taking off from smaller nearby airports. Private jets in Atlanta would not be affected by the system wide delays that airlines suffer during periods of bad weather in other regions.

Flying a private jet is not cheap. A private jet for three to seven passengers can be chartered for about $1,500 to $3,500 per hour. Turboprops can be more economical but generally fly slightly slower than a jet. De-icing charges for private jets are generally applied to the customer’s bill. One way flights can incur an additional re-positioning expense but some operators are experimenting with new air taxi business models designed to shift the burden of repositioning from the traveler to the operator.

Online scheduling systems aggregate demand to help aircraft operators fill empty aircraft and increase efficiency of their operations and the air taxi system as a whole. www.taxijet.com is the premier online air taxi and air charter coordination system that can find travelers the right aircraft quickly for free. The system instantly exposes Travel Requests to numerous FAA certified aircraft operators and allows for maximum efficiency of aircraft to traveler coordination. With over 20,000 jet and turboprop aircraft and 1,730 certified fixed wing operators in the US calling individual operators to find a charter aircraft is like looking for a needle in a haystack. These aircraft crisscross the nation and world on a routine basis and are often away from their home base. The best available aircraft for a flight from Atlanta to Miami could be operated by an air carrier based in Los Angeles.
If your travel plans are affected by severe weather and airline delays chartering a private jet could be your ticket to a stress free holiday season.

Roger Burton
www.taxijet.com