United grounded by computer failure

classic?

And the excuses.. you gotta admit they are classic nowadays.

Industry gossip.

So after being in an airplane for 4 hours and then getting off at the same place where I entered, I began asking the untied associates what happened. The usual line of excuses... Then I began asking other individuals in the industry for insight on why this has happened 3 times this summer, I mean are the using 386 as their computer system? Well as it turns out, United and American have overbooked many of their flights 3 fold to make sure that they have enough people on the flight... This has created a backlog and if one small issue arises then suddenly that hiccup cascades into a major issue for everyone involved! Sad to say, but subsidising crappy companies leads to crappiness of unheard of levels. If an airline is mismanaged don't give them money to perpetuate the problem, let them fail. Then another company will fill that gap. Socialism in a capitalist soceity doesn't work.

The world we live in...

If it was with a problem with the computer that works out amount of fuel to the number of people on board could they have just filled the tanks to the max and then flown.

Yep it would have cost them a bit more but it would keep passengers happy.

Or even a simple bit of math(s) if its person average size to amount of fuel. :

1 x US passenger = 10litres of fuel

1 x non-US passenger = 5litres of fuel

If flying from Philadelphia add : fuel x 2....

United, Lying to the Friendly Skies

My flight from SFO to Newark was cancelled. The lies my wife and I received:

- "low clouds"

- "ATC"

- "crew rest"

and one more I am too angry to remember right now.

United, Do Not Lie To Me.

Had they told me "our scheduling and fueling computers are down but we're trying to get things back on schedule as quickly as possible" I would not have liked it, but at least respected them for their honesty. Instead I get a basket of lies and a "sorry, we can't get you to New York today" until I asked them to switch me to another airline at another airport, with connections. Sadly, so low are my expectations I am not surprised.

The best coverage so far has been from the Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070620united,1,2436262.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true

Every United flight I have been on has been packed to the gills. If something goes wrong, they simply can't move passengers to another flight. Hint: NEVER volunteer to be bumped if a flight is oversold. You probably won't get home until the next day.

This is going to be a bad summer.

No it doesn't work that way

to the poster above:

The world we live in...

Oh right, just fill it full of fuel and people and take off. Not a good plan. Its not just about fuel economy!!! The aircraft has to be balanced (That's why its called weight and balance).

1. They need to know the speeds for take off and landing. Yes believe it or not this is determined by the computer system. Get it wrong and you may not get the plane off the run way in time or lift off at to slow a speed and kill your passengers. On landing the correct threshold speed needs to be known, too slow and stall on the runway, too fast and you won't actually touch down.

2. The aircraft needs to be balanced. Too much wieght up front or back and the aircraft may not have enought pitch control to maneuver. Another crash and dead people. Its not just people on the aircraft, there is a hold full of cargo as well.

3. It is illegal to take off with out this information being calculated (I wonder why?)

Go get your coat now ....