American Airlines CEO apologizes to passengers

[jon1856]

Many of us most likely have heard or seen the following stories:

American Airlines CEO apologizes to passengers

NEW: American Airlines says 570 flights will be canceled Friday
I am profoundly sorry," chief executive of American Airlines says
American expects all of its MD-80 jets to be flight-worthy by Saturday night
Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines cancel flights Thursday for safety checks
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/04/10...ons/index.html

American grounds more flights, may need more time
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American Airlines has canceled about 570 flights scheduled for Friday, raising to more than 3,000 the number this week it has grounded to reinspect the wiring on its MD-80 fleet for a second time.
The company's chief executive said on Thursday it may need several more days to finish the job, which it had hoped to complete by Saturday.
The disruption has affected more than 300,000 passengers, including Friday's schedule cuts, and wreaked havoc with its operations at big airports like Chicago and Dallas.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...edName=topNews

The following one is the one that could be even more troubling:

Grounded flights may pull down wider economy

Politicians bicker with FAA as lost productivity, undelivered cargo mount

WASHINGTON - It's not just angry passengers who are suffering. The grounding of thousands of flights is disrupting cargo, mail and other crucial business for financially strapped airlines, and that means painful new strains on a U.S. economy teetering on the edge of recession.
Apologetic airlines suggest the cancellations won't extend beyond this weekend. But there are indications the problems may just be beginning as federal regulators step up their scrutiny of carriers' compliance with safety rules.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24055079/

[5Knowledge1913]

Sorry is a sorry answer, however, I would rather be delayed than have the plane crash!

If American and other airlines were doing what they are supposed to do along the way, travelers would not be inconvenienced.

[epchick]

They closed all the AA flights here at our airport

I really feel sorry for the people who booked these flights!

I was going to go visit friends in California, but ever since they had that whistleblower talking about Southwest, i've decided to either cancel my trip or take a train! lol.

[Thetagirl218]

Did anyone see the report on ABC World News tonight?

Charlie Gibson said the reporter, "So you are telling me that the entire nation's transportation infrastructure is a stand still because of a 1/4 of an inch problem with a FAA regulation? The only reason the FAA is making them ground all these flight is because of a tube that has brackets that are supposed to be 1 inch apart but instead they are an inch and a 1/4?"

I was seriously laughing at the comment! Not the situation!

On another note, most of Tampa International Airport was a stand still today because of the large number of American Flights

[jon1856]

Stuck at the Airport, Recruits Face a Hardship Test
DALLAS — On Monday, Karin Peyregne was in Mobile, Ala., kissing her husband and two young sons goodbye, on her way to a base near Chicago for basic training in the Navy.
Unfortunately, she was flying on American Airlines, and connecting through the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. She joined thousands of other travelers here, and in other cities like Chicago, who were stranded as American canceled more than 3,000 flights through Friday because of maintenance inspections ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
As of Thursday night, Ms. Peyregne (pronounced PURR-in), 25, and a group of six young male Navy recruits she was traveling with to the Great Lakes Naval Station, were still stuck in and around the airport here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/bu...rssnyt&emc=rss

[epchick]

One of our news stations here had a story about two local high school groups who were going to some dance competition in Dayton, OH. The HS'ers had to be there the next day, and AA cancelled their flights, so each school had to shell out an extra $2,000 just to get a flight on a different airplane.

I'm going to guess by that story, that AA isn't refunding money to passengers. Is that true?

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by epchick

One of our news stations here had a story about two local high school groups who were going to some dance competition in Dayton, OH. The HS'ers had to be there the next day, and AA cancelled their flights, so each school had to shell out an extra $2,000 just to get a flight on a different airplane.

I'm going to guess by that story, that AA isn't refunding money to passengers. Is that true?

The answer is in the news links.