American Cancels 1,000 More Flights, Strands Thousands

If you are traveling on an American Airlines flight today: Our apologies.

The AP is reporting that the airline has cancelled an additional 1,000 flights as it re-inspects its MD-80 jets, adding:

American spokesman Tim Wagner says 208 of those flights canceled Wednesday are at the carrier's main hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The nation's largest carrier canceled nearly 500 flights on Tuesday.

It's the second wave of cancellations at American over the same issue. American is inspecting and -- if necessary -- reworking wiring bundles on its MD-80 aircraft to comply with federal safety rules.

At American Airlines' official website, the airline has posted the following message to travelers, under the headline: "MD-80 Aircraft Inspections Affect Some AA Travel"

American is cancelling several hundred flights starting on April 8 to conduct additional inspections of its MD-80 fleet. These inspections are to ensure precise and complete compliance with the FAA's directive related to wiring in the aircraft's wheel wells. We sincerely regret this inconvenience and are actively working to re-accommodate our affected customers. Please be assured that safety of our customers is, and always will be, American's first priority. For more information about your flight, please check Gates & Times.

You can check your flight status here.

Comments

[archerlane]

Well if customer safety is and has always been their first priority, then why are we here?

Customer safety priority equals none preformance of required maintenance and inspections.
Their concern is a bunch of bull shit, some one needs to go to jail. Start with the CEO and work your way down , grab a few board of directors while you are at it. Come to think about it, where were the pilots and the maintenance people in this mess? Where was there concern about safety?

American Airlines first priority: spend as little as possible to make as much money as possible.

[relevancematters]

My daughter and her husband-to-be lost their July honeymoon to Hawaii in the ATA bankruptcy. They had just finalized their plans and bought tickets two weeks ago. AND when they tried to rebook on other airlines that were supposedly offering special deals to the desperate, the prices had all gone up $1000 in the interim! What a country.

[ErnestineBass]

What would grounding 50 flights a month in order to comply with FAA inspection regs have cost AA?

Not nearly as much as 1,000 cancelled flights I bet.

And we wonder why big business is in trouble.

[eugenegerard]

Regulation doesn't seem like such a bad idea now, does it? Splitting up monopolies isn't bad either.

[eugenegerard]

The Sherman Act. Re-regulate BIG BUSINESS. They are playing gotcha games with the government and people of the US.

[FogBelter]

The Airline Industry should be Nationalized ... it is a Free Market Failure. A service far too important to the United States to be left to flailing Businessmen.

[indypete]

(Impression of Meg Ryan in the diner scene in "When Harry Met Sally") yes, yes, yes, Yes, Yes, YES....YESSSSS!

[edresearcher]

Yes, my flight to DFW was cancelled today, but I figured that would happen and booked on Southwest. Southwest always bails me out whenever American implodes. AA isn't any worse than the rest of them, but when they start canceling flights, you might as well give up and take another airline or drive. Nobody wants to be stuck at DFW. Honestly, flying really is worse than riding on a Greyhound bus these days -- even if you take business / first class, it's worse.

[nomoredead]

Flew business on friday.....had a screaming baby behind me for 3 hours...couldn't carry on a conversation with my seat mate. Painful

[nomoredead]

If this keeps up, let the carriers with some cash behind them into the US market. Emirates, Singapore, JAL, Cathay etc.

[MoxieGurl]

My flight tomorrow (Thursday) from St. Louis to Chicago (flight 362) got canceled today. But get this the rep claimed it was because the the plane was a MD80 but because of weather expected into Chicago.

I went the hell off. I could only get an alternate flight for Friday morning on United. I was scheduled to attend a benefit in Chicago tomorrow night.

Fab dress = $150.00
Fab shoes and accessories = $100.00
Ticket to the beneit = $100.00

Apology from American = MEANINGLESS

[pooka]

My comment was meant for homas. Love FDR.

[mmckinl]

Red Herring ?

Are they running out of Jet fuel? Is peak oil just around the corner, or is it here now? We've already seen at least 3 airlines go under recently. There are sure to be more soon. Although we are using less oil the price just keeps going up ... hmmm

[indypete]

Funny thing about them "market forces" eh? Only seems to work when the screwee is the Average Joe.

[MIKEBC]

THIS IS THE MESS THE CONSERVATIVES HAVE GIVEN US, WE NEVER HAD THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPENING WITH AIR TRAVEL WITH ANY DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE, NEO CONS DONT WANT TO SEE THE MIDDLE CLASS ENJOY THE JET-SET LIFE, THEY WANT TO SEE US GO GREYHOUND OR JUST STAY PUT AND GO NOWHERE AT ALL!

[indypete]

Dude, I don't disagree with you (well maybe in degree) but you need a valium! Guys like Thinredline are just waiting for remarks like yours to "prove" their points. Having said that, I tend to lose it myself from time to time! Keep the faith, buddy!

[themodernleader]

Americans should continually ask this question of our despicable leaders in and out of government: "Why are our once flourishing corporations now in decline and not making enough money to make ends meet?"

[AnotherMcIntosh]

One answer is that there are too many MBAs.

Dubya is just one of them.

[jpshotwheels]

Most of the airplanes by all airlines have the maintenance done outside the Country. The maintenance is not being done at the local airports like they used to. They send the planes down to South American Countries to be fixed or just regular maintenance. Some of these people don't speak English and the manuals are written in Spanish, thats why I wouldn't fly. This is all being outsources and people in the U.S. don't even know it.

I don't know if this is the reason for all of the or partly Bush policies to cut every single Government program in the Country, for private contractors to do the job, and these people will not be regulated.

Our Country folks as gone to hell in a handbasket, while these old farts in Washington drag their feet, to feel good, because they have power.

[maxfusion]

This is a FAA issue, this is government in action. Well, inaction, again.

[homas]

"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power." - Franklin D. Roosevelt , April 29, 1938

Republicanism = Corporatism = Fascism

Way past time for a change!

[maxfusion]

You sir, are the definition of a fool. Actually, a quisling, but alas, we'll settle for a fool.

[homas]

I'm not much impressed by your brown shirt, you stooge.

[TakeSake]

You are the quisling. You are the one that is toadying up to the powers that will crush you as soon as they've played you for all you got.

[pooka]

You sir, are well informed and vigilant. Thank you.