The Ongoing Super Mega Weather Thread v3

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Just be thankful it’s not -30 for a few hours! You think massive power outages are bad caused by 50 cm of snow? Imagine your car having a little trouble starting!

my car always starts in +30

[TherapyforGlencross]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Just be thankful it’s not -30 for a few hours! You think massive power outages are bad caused by 50 cm of snow? Imagine your car having a little trouble starting!

Ahaha yeah those were two separate thoughts, my apologies. The flash freeze here was something to behold. Turned from rain to snow in an instant!

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by TherapyforGlencross

Ahaha yeah those were two separate thoughts, my apologies. The flash freeze here was something to behold. Turned from rain to snow in an instant!

lol Just foolin’ around! Stay safe out there, everything i’ve seen and heard from friends out there sounds like it’s going to be a brutal storm.

[greyshep]

Is it just me or does it seem like Air Canada is handling this a bit better than WestJet? WestJet just scrapping all flights proactively out of Vancouver vs. Air Canada still trying to make it happen.

I guess one results in more certainty but if I am desperate to get somewhere (which most people are right now) I would want my airline to at least be trying rather than throwing in the towel.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Is it just me or does it seem like Air Canada is handling this a bit better than WestJet? WestJet just scrapping all flights proactively out of Vancouver vs. Air Canada still trying to make it happen.

I guess one results in more certainty but if I am desperate to get somewhere (which most people are) I would want my airline to at least be trying rather than throwing in the towel.

WestJet might have more of a backlog they are trying to clear from earlier in the week, and probably less staff to do it.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Is it just me or does it seem like Air Canada is handling this a bit better than WestJet? WestJet just scrapping all flights proactively out of Vancouver vs. Air Canada still trying to make it happen.

I guess one results in more certainty but if I am desperate to get somewhere (which most people are) I would want my airline to at least be trying rather than throwing in the towel.

I can't explain it all at this point as it has been a couple years since I worked at WestJet but a big issue for them when these types of events happen is that crew availability becomes a major factor. AC has more crews spread across the country whereas WestJet has fewer crews and they often commute/deadhead for their flights. It becomes challenging to find staff for rescue flights and what not.

There are other complicating factors but this is a big one.

[OldDutch]

When I left YYC Tuesday WS flights were getting cancelled due to ground crews not showing up. Folks behind us has Mondays flight cancelled that way, and it took us 2 hours to load our flight with luggage. Then hour to de-ice and go. Very nearly got cancelled.

So some things are on the airport not WS.

EDIT: Acey below corrected me this is actually WS fault.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

WestJet might have more of a backlog they are trying to clear from earlier in the week, and probably less staff to do it.

I have no idea how that works but by cancelling flights outright, where would the backlog be? From what I understand, new replacement flights were not created. They are hoping to get people on other previously scheduled departures but most of those are already full.

Maybe I am missing something here?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Is it just me or does it seem like Air Canada is handling this a bit better than WestJet? WestJet just scrapping all flights proactively out of Vancouver vs. Air Canada still trying to make it happen.

I guess one results in more certainty but if I am desperate to get somewhere (which most people are right now) I would want my airline to at least be trying rather than throwing in the towel.

As someone who has been traveling through this, it's honestly amazing how incompetent Westjet has been. My friend's flight to Calgary was cancelled presumably due to the plane being stuck at YVR and Westjet didn't even bother sending him an email until 7 hours after he was supposed to take off- he would have gone to the airport if we hadn't looked at the flight status online. Meanwhile they tell their customers "don't go to the airport and don't call us, we will email you with a resolution, no one else has been given authority to do anything for you". Based on what I've heard firsthand and secondhand, both of those were untrue - people who have managed to get through either by phone / in person did manage to get some sort of solution (I.e. my friend whose travel agent got them on the phone and got him rebooted on a flight through Phoenix today). So they're basically lying to their customers to save having to interact with them.

Meanwhile, Flair has somehow managed to actually get a few flights through, and notified me 5 hours before my flight when they cancelled mine, and while it took about 7 hours for a Flair representative to call me back to deal with the fallout, once they did call me the process was pretty simple and there was no "we can't do that". Then you look at Lynx - every flight from YYC to YVR today until 3pm has been cancelled (except Flair) yet Lynx got two planes there last night, albeit delayed. So they seem to be managing.

Not sure why the budget airlines woukd be handling this better than Westjet.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by TherapyforGlencross

Ahaha yeah those were two separate thoughts, my apologies. The flash freeze here was something to behold. Turned from rain to snow in an instant!

The temp going from +1 and feels like -1 to -8 and feels like -17 in 3 hours this morning was something else.

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1606151833570856960
Merry Christmas Canada!

[TherapyforGlencross]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

The temp going from +1 and feels like -1 to -8 and feels like -17 in 3 hours this morning was something else.

Was it ever. Getting total whiteout conditions at the moment, no way is it safe to drive out there currently. Idiots still be driving on the Southern QEW!

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by TherapyforGlencross

Was it ever. Getting total whiteout conditions at the moment, no way is it safe to drive out there currently. Idiots still be driving on the Southern QEW!

My wife’s boss had everyone come in for a half day. ####ing moron.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I can't explain it all at this point as it has been a couple years since I worked at WestJet but a big issue for them when these types of events happen is that crew availability becomes a major factor. AC has more crews spread across the country whereas WestJet has fewer crews and they often commute/deadhead for their flights. It becomes challenging to find staff for rescue flights and what not.

There are other complicating factors but this is a big one.

Originally Posted by greyshep

I have no idea how that works but by cancelling flights outright, where would the backlog be? From what I understand, new replacement flights were not created. They are hoping to get people on other previously scheduled departures but most of those are already full.

Maybe I am missing something here?

WS is certainly taking their lumps on this but calgarygeologist has it right. And it’s not only crews but aircraft. The last thing an airline wants to do is send all their planes into an airport if they won’t be able to get back out. Makes more sense to cancel flights and at least have your aircraft and crews located somewhere where the schedule can be ramped back up,to normal when the weather improves. Also keep in mind there are only so many extra aircraft and crews that can be brought online for make up flights. It’s going to take awhile to sort out.

And it’s not just here, was watching the news and something like 1/2 the US is also under weather warnings and the hub airports in the affected areas are also a disaster today.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://twitter.com/user/status/1606151833570856960
Merry Christmas Canada!

[Acey]

Originally Posted by greyshep

I guess one results in more certainty but if I am desperate to get somewhere (which most people are right now) I would want my airline to at least be trying rather than throwing in the towel.

It looks like laziness and throwing in the towel, but it's easier to operationally recover in subsequent days when you scrub the entire day instead of stranding all your planes and crews at outstations. Air Canada also has more planes that are bigger that can cleanup backlogs in domestic routes. There are also far more stringent rules now about passengers being stranded on the tarmac, etc.

Everyone wanting to sue airlines and be financially compensated for everything means airlines now just scrub the entire day and end up better off, though this is not what any passenger actually wants to hear.

Re: Lynx Air... they have six planes. It's a much easier operation to manage and you really don't have to pre-emptively cancel. You're not digging yourself a massive hole by trying to run your scheduled flights with a tiny fleet.

[TherapyforGlencross]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

My wife’s boss had everyone come in for a half day. ####ing moron.

Ouff. Hope she drives safely!


I’m not sure if you’re located directly on the Lakes, but both Erie and Ontario are expected to produce up to 28 foot waves. Certainly dangerous situations.

https://twitter.com/LakeHuronWX/stat...ypUdPze-FBZedg

[Acey]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

When I left YYC Tuesday WS flights were getting cancelled due to ground crews not showing up. Folks behind us has Mondays flight cancelled that way, and it took us 2 hours to load our flight with luggage. Then hour to de-ice and go. Very nearly got cancelled.

So some things are on the airport not WS.

WS' ground crews are contracted directly by them and have no affiliation with YYC or the airport authority. So ground crew delays are still solely the fault of WS and have nothing to do with the airport itself. In Calgary, WestJet employees directly handled the planes prior to the Onex acquisition, and WS had some of the best and most reliably performing crews in the country. That is no longer the case.

De-ice times this week have typically not been due to incompetence or lack of crews. To some degree, that's just how long it takes in certain conditions.

[TherapyforGlencross]

Just across the Niagara River.

https://twitter.com/reedtimmeraccu/s...21386976415744

[Bigtime]

Inbound and Outbound from YYC right now (over most of NA), that is definitely much quieter than usual: