AA Reduces Flights to AUA

[uncle dave]

Speaking of seats, I always check out this site http://www.seatguru.com/
before purchase of tickets.oops, dble post

[uncle dave]

Speaking of seats; http://www.seatguru.com/ has a weath of info.

[Randi]

Just found out that my kids flight on Dec. 17th Washington to Aruba has been cancelled!!! Rescheduled to the Friday from the Wednesday. Does anyone know if United has a history of doing this and then putting the flights back on when the demand for flights increase??

[cindyo]

Do you freaking believe it...totally wrong !!

[rob o]

Originally Posted by Randi

Just found out that my kids flight on Dec. 17th Washington to Aruba has been cancelled!!! Rescheduled to the Friday from the Wednesday. Does anyone know if United has a history of doing this and then putting the flights back on when the demand for flights increase??

Have they checked other airlines????

Customer service, a thing of the past. Remember meals with china, silverware and cloth napkins....in coach? Now...they're doing you a favor if they deliver what you pay for.

[Randi]

Well it goes like this.....
We travel from Ottawa (Canada) to "somewhere" and then onto Aruba on points! Have taken about 30 flights to Aruba on points (has to be some benefit to having the husband do so much travelling for work!) I know the places that Ottawa flies to in the US where we can catch a direct flight to Aruba from. In order to get "point" seats you have to book very early, which we did. We chose Washington as we thought it would be easier for our teenagers to negotiate as they are leaving after us. We booked our flight via Washington so we could give them very specific instructions on how and what to do in advance of them. At this late date, there are no more "point" seats available for that date of travel through any of the other cities. Had we known this was going to happen we would have routed them through another city. We purposely chose Washington instead of Chicago, Boston or New York. While there are seats available to purchase not on points!!

The agent said that if United puts that flight back on we could get seats. So that is why I was asking if anyone knows if once they cancel a flight do they ever reinstate it?? The kids are not happy about this as they do not want to loose those two days in Aruba!

[rob o]

Tough situation. Our experience with American is that sometimes after a flight gets cancelled, it gets reinstated. Unfortunately for you, a Wednesday flight is in low demand. Bottom line....I would not plan on the flight being reinstated.

Good luck....

[ArubaShanty]

I wonder if the days of freight traveling will return since gas prices are so high!!?

[danadog56]

Originally Posted by Arubalisa

Curacao falls outside
American Airlines’ economy measure
http://www.amigoe.com/english/ Tuesday, June 03, 2008
WILLEMSTAD – The two daily flights from Miami to Curacao are not as yet included in American Airline’s economy measures. AA will reduce the number of direct flights between New York (JFK) and Aruba drastically. American Eagle will cancel her flights from San Juan to St. Maarten and Aruba, and Bonaire will be left with 3 weekly flights.

Effective September of this year, the direct AA-flights from New York to Aruba on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are going to be cancelled. Also American Eagle’s flights from San Juan to Aruba and St. Maarten will be cancelled, same as the jet-flights between Puerto Rico and St. Maarten.
American Eagle has already cancelled her two flights from San Juan to Curacao two years ago. AA increased her frequency to Curacao with two daily flights, of which the evening one spends the night on the airport of Curacao and returns to Miami the next morning. The company will possibly reduce the number of weekly flights from 14 to 10.

As a result of among others the high fuel prices, AMR Corporation, owner of American Airlines and American Eagle has started a big economy operation. Compared to last year, the company wants to reduce her foreign flight capacity with 10 to 11 percent in the fourth quarter. Of the 55 regional flights from San Juan, AA will cancel 22 by the beginning of September this year. That city is left with 18 of the 38 daily flights from the US.

Economic Affair’s minister Elvis Tjin Asjoe (UPG) attended a meeting of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) on the plans of American airline companies to reduce flights in connection with the drastic increase of the fuel prices. AA has meanwhile introduced a luggage surcharge as part of the fuel price increase.

Bonaire will be left with 3 weekly American Eagle flights from San Juan on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The aircraft has 55 seats but these are almost never used optimally, because the aircraft must transport a lot of diving equipment for the passengers; and in addition to that, the crew must spend the night in Bonaire, which also involves extra costs; however the company won’t change that, which means that the return flights continue to be on the next day.

American Eagle every year transports 40 percent of the American tourists that visit Bonaire. Bonaire will loose about 25 percent of the total transportation capacity of travelers from the United States. The tourist bureau and island territory of Bonaire are looking together for possible solutions, like other airline companies for example."

Andrea,
The really interesting part of the whole mess with AA is the fact that not too long ago...I am not sure of exact dates, but when I first began flying to Aruba that was the only airline going in from the states. I think they had a deal with the Aruban government and it's only been about 10 years that other airlines have been allowed to fly in....(please correct me if I am wrong...)
Interestingly also is that they have just cut direct fllights, not all of their flights....shorter distances, less fuel, charging for baggage(which I think is a crime)=====all equals more money for the airlines....because you know that once the fuel prices settle the prices of the airlines will NOT go down...........

[danadog56]

Originally Posted by Randi

Just found out that my kids flight on Dec. 17th Washington to Aruba has been cancelled!!! Rescheduled to the Friday from the Wednesday. Does anyone know if United has a history of doing this and then putting the flights back on when the demand for flights increase??

That is so wrong in so many ways.........and they should not be able to do that.......you should be given the option of transferring to another airlines on their ticket. You loose a couple of vacation days and they don't feel it's any big deal....have you contacted them to c/o or ask for other options ????