Worst airlines? Take Your Pick
Travel Columnists Warn of Bad Summer Delays Throughout U.S.
Wall Street Journal and New York Times regular travel reporters both are warning tourists and business road warriors about horrendous airport and plane problems
Which are the worst airlines in the US? Answer: most of them. Although Delta, Northwest, Continental and American were among the airlines rated lowest recently in government reports on delays and lost luggage, the problems got worse this month..
So it is going to be a dreadful summer season for seniors and anyone else who must cope with airport delays to get somewhere, according to regular business travel writers for the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Scott McCartney of the Journal wrote that the summer has already turned into a "nightmare for many fliers." The number of flights canceled in the first 15 days of June has jumped 91 percent compared with the same period last year. The number of flights delayed jumped 61 percent.
Handling Airport Delays
Tips from Wall Street Journal :
- Fly early in the day since storms often ruin afternoons and delays build up as a day wears on.
- Avoid tight connections because schedules are so undependable.
- Give yourself an extra day to fly if you can and don't cut it close for weddings or cruises.
- Carry food onboard with you, since delays could be longer than expected.
- Use technology to get alerts from the airline you are flying.
For Senior Travelers, Coping Tips on Airline Delays: If your flight is stuck on the ground make sure you get up and walk around every half hour, since some people have circulatory problems when seated for a long time.
- Before you book, check the historical details on a flight you plan to take by going to the Web site flightstats.com.
- Read other good Web sites for business travelers such as Joe Brancatelli's fine JoeSentMe.com
Joe Sharkey of the Times wrote today about a Delta codeshare flight with Comair on Thursday, June 21 that was stuck on the ground for four hours without air conditioning. "I wish I could say I was writing about this because the situation was unusual. Or that it was as bad as air travel can get. But I can't."
His column told about a passenger who markets tiny cameras who videoed his interview with the pilot of Comair Flight 5637 at Kennedy Airport. The pilot finally called the police and they took everyone off the plane. The video man said that was why he decided to try the interview.
Meanwhile, it's been reported that Northwest Airlines has been having real difficulties the past couple of days because of crew shortages. As a result over 100 Northwest flights were canceled last Saturday, last Sunday and yesterday. A story about a Continental flight June 13 told of a transatlantic flight on which the lavatory overflowed and spilled sewage into the aisle.
