Flying Can Mean Going Nowhere Fast

(CBS)  A flight from JFK in New York to Dallas-Fort Worth last week was supposed to take four hours. It took 10. To pass the time, one man recorded his ordeal for YouTube as mechanical problems, backed-up runways and crew changes left passengers starving and exhausted.

The FAA predicted this would be the worst summer ever for flight delays, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

Jeff Meehan, executive vice president of the Airline Transport Association, says so far this summer, things have been going "terribly."

"The unfortunate thing is that today (the delays are) not simply a function of weather. This is something we're seeing on days when the weather is perfectly fine," says Meehan.

In May, government numbers show that more than two in 10 airplanes landed at least 15 minutes late. What the numbers don't show is the true delay to passengers when delayed flights force them to miss their connections.

"Those people are delayed not by 30 minutes, but by however long it takes to reaccommodate them on another flight leg to their destination," says MIT's Cynthia Barnhart, who is researching how much longer, on average, passengers who miss connections have to wait for a new flight — at a time when planes are fuller than ever.

Just ask any stranded traveler — some of whom are posting their sagas online.

"Three days, two airports, one mission: going home," said one passenger in a YouTube video.

Some airports are worse than others, according to a Web site created by air traffic controllers. Roughly a third of all flights leaving congested hubs like Newark, Philadelphia, Dulles, Atlanta, Chicago and JFK are delayed. Connecting through Salt Lake City, Minneapolis or Cincinnati, they say, might be a better choice.

Or better, yet, says Daniel Horwitz of www.avoiddelays.com, "Avoid the connections, go direct when you can,"

Miami's professional soccer team had to draw straws today to determine who got to leave San Francisco on time and who had to wait.

"Three out of four flights I go on are delayed somehow," says one player.

The industry blames an outdated, inefficient air traffic control system. Passengers don't know whom to blame, but tempers are growing shorter as the weather gets hotter.

For those who can't avoid connections when traveling this summer, experts have two pieces of advice: Travel early in the day before thunderstorms kick up, and schedule more time between flights than you have in the past.

[neenga]

"at least the terrorist will have a harder time coordinating"
Posted by germanmom

You are so right! I am a frequent business traveler and the one thing I can depend on is having no idea when/if my flight will leave the ground. Forget connections. If a terrorist wanted to blow up a plane, instead of a major city he/she could end up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, two days later, with no place to go and loaded with explosives. Come to think of it, maybe the terrorist would blow him/herself up out of sheer frustration.

[savdavid]

Kathryn Bowlin, your company stinks. Whatever they are paying you, it is too much.

[jshmks]

That's great to know Kathryn, thanks. -_-

[kathryn41]

We are a small company that has been reducing flight delays and fuel consumption for Delta Air Lines as of Aug 2006. Our software has been developed over the past 10 years and is just now getting the attention it rightly deserves. It won the ATC Maastricht award for innovation.

We get tired of hearing about flight delays due to the fact we are doing something about it today. We are solving it.

Kathryn Bowlin
ATH Group, Inc.
www.athgrp.com

[kathryn41]

We are a small company that has been reducing flight delays and fuel consumption for Delta Air Lines as of Aug 2006. Our software has been developed over the past 10 years and is just now getting the attention it rightly deserves. It won the ATC Maastricht award for innovation.

We get tired of hearing about flight delays due to the fact we are doing something about it today. We are solving it.

Kathryn Bowlin
ATH Group, Inc.
www.athgrp.com

[faahope]

If 2+2 = 4 then I would think that less controllers more planes would equal slower traffic. These guys are tired, they are professionals and will not take chances and will keep things at a slower pace to protect the public.

If the public doesn't like that they need to contact there congressman and complain to them. They are the ones that did not listen 5 years ago when the controllers knocked on their doors to warn them that they needed to force the FAA to hire controllers. They needed help then so trained qualified controllers would be in place today not five years from now

[newsthought1]

"See, I knew soon or a later, Mr. Bush will get blame. You people on the left need to get real and you need to get a better life as well.
Posted by jb01201a at 04:54 AM : Jul 06, 2007"

Fact: The FAA head is making life miserable for air traffic controllers.

Fact: Controllers are retiring faster than the FAA expected.

Fact: New controllers are paid so little, some have to take second jobs and still try to be fresh enough to keep you safe while you are flying.

Fact: This is all the handiwork of the FAA head.

Fact: The FAA head was a Bush appointee.

That's real. You connect the dots.

[jb01201a]

The FAA head is doing about as bad a job as any other Bush appointee. Lord help us all.

See, I knew soon or a later, Mr. Bush will get blame. You people on the left need to get real and you need to get a better life as well.

[newsthought1]

"Some airports are worse than others, according to a Web site created by air traffic controllers."

- Tips on avoiding delays can be found here:

www.natca.com

There you can also read about how the FAA is wreaking havoc on the working conditions of air traffic controllers (pay cuts, no contract, some places have six day weeks, etc. etc.), which is causing a big wave of retirements and a staffing crisis. This is degrading the average experience level of the workforce while increasing the workload. Great. The FAA head is doing about as bad a job as any other Bush appointee. Lord help us all.

[jb01201a]

Blame George ! Its his fault. He is trying to get more oil for helburton.