Shoulda stayed home

[EvilOctopus]

POG is right, they shut down SD for just about anything. I remember them shutting down the airport for 40 knot winds and they still sent us out sailing. Have been on some pretty hairy landings and takeoffs in Northern Michigan blizzards. Fun stuff. Cancelled flight in Peru led to a really great layover once. I guess you gotta get out of the airport and go have some fun when you get a chance like that.

[punaticbychoice]

kalakoa @ 11:42:16

Your firstborn.

[Tink]

I am guessing from all the deregulation, and add in the factor of "everybody wants theirs" (greed) of late, you are now a piece of freight to be moved from one port to another. "Be happy for now we go by size dimensions and not weight" is their new motto it seems.

Community begins with Aloha

[PauHana]

Philippine Airlines put everyone up in the Ala Moana because of a break down and again in Manila at a four star hotel because a hurricane caused canceled connecting flights. That included first class meals.
I wasn't a bad experience at all.

[AKpilot]

Flights to/from Hawaii get canceled for some complex, hard to explain to non pilots, reasons. Temperature, aircraft weight, cross winds, winds aloft (at altitude) expected weather at arrival, required fuel load and so much more..... all have to be just right for these ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards)flights. Sometimes there isn't a lot of wiggle room.

AKpilot

We're all here, because we're not all there!

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Sometimes there isn't a lot of wiggle room.

Tell me about it. On the last flight I took I was seated in the back of the plane. Later found out the fuselage narrows toward the tail so they shave inches off the seat in all directions to squeeze in the seats.

[TomK]

AK,

Your post reminded me of a news article a few years ago. It was from the Daily Wail but lots of other places caught on as well. Even got discussed here:

http://punaweb.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13791

Speculation was the new ETOPS rule would suddenly open up the market for direct flights from Europe to Hawaii. The problem was, as far as I could see, the market was always available, you just needed 4-engined planes, but since that never took off(!), the new rule would make no difference for us.

So far, I still see no direct passenger routes between Hawaii and Europe (AFAIK). We're talking a few years since that story.

As an aside, does United still fly their old 747s from the mainland to HNL? Just curious.

[EightFingers]

I can understand and even empathize when there are problems with weather, breakdowns, etc.
It's the lack of communication that gets me.
United's logo should be:
Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're not doing anything for you....

[AKpilot]

Tom,

Not sure if United still flies the 74's to Hawaii, lots of the Major Airlines are mothballing the 747's as ETOPS allows them to use Twin engine A/C on all flights..... Polar, trans-Pacific/Atlantic, you name it. That's also why you don't see the US carriers placing orders for the A380. Modern turbine engines are so reliable, you can safely cross any distance on 2 engines especially with the ETOPS requirements.

The reason you don't see any direct European flights to/from Hawaii? My guess is $$$$. If a European carrier could figure out a way to consistently turn a profit on a non-stop HNL/OGG/KOA flight, I can guaran-damn-tee you they would. For whatever reason they can not. I am guessing that it has to do with the fact that Europeans don't have the obsessive "must vacation in Hawaii" attitude the Asian continent does. Just my .02.

Northern Lights have been intense the past few weeks; not sure if that affects your work........keep on fighting the good fight up there! You have your supporters. I HEART the TMT!

AKpilot

We're all here, because we're not all there!

[TomK]

Thanks, AK. Hawaii certainly isn't on top of vacation spots for most Europeans, there are places much nearer that attract those tourists. If there was a demand for direct flights to Hawaii they would have started years ago, ETOPS or not.

As for the Northern Lights, I envy you! They don't affect the MK observatories, the telescopes are far too south, but wish that wasn't the case. I've only ever seen the lights once and that was on a late flight from London to Chicago. My seat mate finally asked me what I was looking at after about two hours of me staring out the window. It wasn't a particularly spectacular display, but I didn't care!