Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
VC10er wrote:I have a question about how very large airlines manage flight interruptions when an aircraft goes mechanical or some other mishap.
Last week a friend was flying from EWR to Tampa for business. We were both going but he needed to go a day before me.
He knows nothing about airplanes so he called me when he boarded a United 737-900. Almost the moment the crew was finishing boarding the pilot announced that the “aircraft had a mechanical problem and that it could not be fixed, so everyone would have to deplane” at the very next gate sat another 737-900 and the pilot said “we will need everyone to go over to gate XX, right next to us and board that plane” - with many apologies my friend said. My friend also said the flight was 100% full and he was afraid he’d get bumped off if the other 737 was not the same size.
Once he boarded the new plane he called to say “it’s another 737-900, I got the same seat assignment, and it has a pretty sky blue ceiling, just like the other one” - if they both had Boeing sky interiors does that indicate anything? Are they just similar in age? I left the next day on one and it looked brand spanking new! Do they have larger windows?
Anyway, my business associate left late, but arrived on time.
How did United happen to have a spare 737-900? Do they keep one or two spares at each hub? (I assume it was just a coincidence it was parked next to the broken one?) Did some other later flight lose their aircraft?
If major airlines do keep spare aircraft for emergencies like this, that must be very expensive (unless it’s a 9 times out of 10 that they WILL need it) and do they do the same for international twin aisles? (Spare 772 for example)
admanager wrote:Had a DL MD-90 go tech on March 16 in MSP. Less than 60 minute delay. This was late in the evening, so I'm guessing they used a plane scheduled for the next morning which gave them time to fix the problem and put that aircraft back on the line. DL still got the replacement aircraft catered and did our pre-departure service in that time.
KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares...A320-232, SFO
aeromoe wrote:KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares...A320-232, SFO
Wouldn't that A320 with the -232 code be a Delta bird?![]()
Just kidding of course...
Moe
compensateme wrote:Also, recognize that subs don't have to replace identical equipment. Plenty of larger aircraft are tossed on a route just because they're available. Last fall I even flew ATL-DTW on a "retired" 763A that was filling in for an MD88...
KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares.
737-700, IAH
737-800, DEN
737-800, LAX
737-9ER, SFO
757-200, EWR
757-200, EWR
757-222, EWR
757-222, SFO
A320-232, SFO
KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares.
brian415 wrote:KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares.
Another observation I am making is that UA is clever for putting three spares each at SFO and EWR, since former is prone to flow-control and the latter is prone to delays in general.
It seems reasonable that IAD does not have spares, as spares could be flown in from EWR relatively quickly. What surprises me is that there aren't any spares at its biggest hub (ORD), and not even a 737 at far flung stations (e.g. HNL or GUM) that are five to eight hours away from the nearest hub.
MSJYOP28Apilot wrote:[..] Just like using spares, upgrading or downgrading between variants and types of aircraft is a bit of a last resort. Moving between types and variants can mean extra time waiting for a new crew to be set up and called in and/or processing passenger oversales and seat changes in the case of a downgrade. This is one reason why having multiple seating configurations on the same type can be problematic. [..]
Bhoy wrote:LX used to keep an A320 and an RJ100 on standby in Zurich, ready to be swapped in for any of the European fleet if need be. Typically, this would be different aircraft in the morning and afternoon, which would be undergoing minor maintenance that could quickly be released if need be.
KVH68 wrote:aeromoe wrote:KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares...A320-232, SFO
Wouldn't that A320 with the -232 code be a Delta bird?![]()
Just kidding of course...
Moe
It might just be an United internal code
compensateme wrote:Also, recognize that subs don't have to replace identical equipment. Plenty of larger aircraft are tossed on a route just because they're available. Last fall I even flew ATL-DTW on a "retired" 763A that was filling in for an MD88...
VC10er wrote:It indicates they were 2011 or newer 900ER's.Once he boarded the new plane he called to say “it’s another 737-900, I got the same seat assignment, and it has a pretty sky blue ceiling, just like the other one” - if they both had Boeing sky interiors does that indicate anything?
VC10er wrote:Somewhere within six years of each other.Are they just similar in age?
VC10er wrote:No, the windows are the same size.I left the next day on one and it looked brand spanking new! Do they have larger windows?
brian415 wrote:KVH68 wrote:There are very few spare aircraft around the United system. At this exact moment in time, there are 9 spares.
Another observation I am making is that UA is clever for putting three spares each at SFO and EWR, since former is prone to flow-control and the latter is prone to delays in general.
It seems reasonable that IAD does not have spares, as spares could be flown in from EWR relatively quickly. What surprises me is that there aren't any spares at its biggest hub (ORD), and not even a 737 at far flung stations (e.g. HNL or GUM) that are five to eight hours away from the nearest hub.
VC10er wrote:Interesting! The folks who figure these hiccups in logistics (someone mentioned a team in Chicago for UA) must have mega mathematical brains. I can barely rotate my laundry!
So, I get that if this happens at a big hub for an airline it would be easier to find a sub.
What happens if a large aircraft in some far away country goes tech? Example: United has only one wide body a day at GIG, if that ac goes tech at time of boarding, is another 767 or like-sized aircraft found in the USA and flown to Rio to bring those passengers home? Or, will they try and get all those passengers home by putting them on other airlines?
I had this happen many years ago and I was in J on UA. Our 767 went mechanical and VARIG took as many passengers as they could and they put me in VARIG 747 in First Class. This was over 25 years ago and I was bowled over by the service on RG that I refused to sleep and stayed up to enjoy the ride. United lost me for a while and I started booking RG to Brazil whenever I could.
But RG could only take about 20 peeps, so I heard before I boarded VARIG that United was going to fly down an empty 767 to pick everyone up...they just had to wait for a 767 to make a 9 hour flight.
eamondzhang wrote:KVH68 wrote:aeromoe wrote:
Wouldn't that A320 with the -232 code be a Delta bird?![]()
Just kidding of course...
Moe
It might just be an United internal code
That's the code for IAE engined A320 series for your reference.
Michael