Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Well, There's Good News & Bad News in Cranky's Latest Post

Words by Courtney Kellar

Words by the Cranky Flier

Good morning destination brides and Anti-Brides alike. It’s been awhile since my last update here, but that’s because we’ve been working on a new format. From now on, I’m going to point to some of the bigger stories of the last couple weeks and share with you what I’ve been saying about them. Think of it as a good news/bad news kind of piece that points out what you need to know about air travel. Let’s get started.

Good News: United Grows in Mexico
Now that United and Continental are merging, there is a renewed focus on Mexico from the United crew. Much of this is expanded service from United hubs to Mexico City as well as a flight from LAX to business-focused Leon. But for those of you in San Antonio, Austin, and Raleigh/Durham, you’ll now have weekly nonstop flights to Cancun. These flights will operate every Saturday throughout the winter season.
The New United Boosts Mexico and China, Adds Frequent Flier Reciprocity

Bad News: SFO is Last in On-Time Arrivals
If you live in the Bay Area or are simply heading there for your wedding, you’ll be sad to know that SFO was last for on-time arrivals in August. Why? It’s all about the fog. You might want to think about Oakland or San Jose if you’re on a tight schedule.
San Francisco’s Fog and Runway Problems Give the Airport a Dubious Honor
Good News: Cathay Pacific to Get New Economy Seats
If you’ve flown Cathay Pacific in the last couple years, you might know the pain of their economy seats. But now, Cathay is finally putting some new ones on board since the chorus of angry cries has grown so loud.
Cathay Pacific Expected to Replace Pain-Inducing Coach Seats

Bad News: Cancellations More Likely if Long Delays are Present
The government-imposed 3 hour ground delay rule has reduced the number of people sitting on airplanes for long periods of time on the ground, but it’s also had an unpleasant side effect. If you do happen to be stuck on the ground for more than 2 hours, you’re now twice as likely to see your flight canceled.
Flights with Two Hour Ground Delays Were Twice as Likely to Cancel This Summer

That’s it for now. Happy flying.