Please rate America West.
Mar 30th, 1999, 07:58 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
My experience so far indicates that America West is not a well-run airline. It has a poor on-time percentage, the poorest in the industry according to one report I saw, and it schedules some silly connection times. For example, I booked a flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City via Phoneix for late April. I selected America West on this indirect route because the price was great and I am travelling at my own expense. At the time of booking, the connecting time in Phoenix was ok. Then a few weeks ago, AW management changed the schedule so that our flight from Atlanta into Phoneix arrives at a time that is very close to the time that our connecting flight is scheduled to leave for Salt Lake City. The next flight does not leave for several hours. We booked the flight to attend a special event. Now if we miss the Phoenix - Salt Lake City flight we miss part of the event.
America West would not protect us on another airline, nor would it refund our money. So my choice is to gamble on the connection in Phoenix, or give up the flight with no refund and take a direct flight on Delta at double the cost of the original ticket.
Obviously, there are three possible arrival-departure connection scenarios. Case 1, the flight from Atlanta is late and we miss the connection. Case 2, the flight from Atlanta is on schedule, but the connecting flight is late. That one is in our favor, maybe. And Case 3 is that they are both late!! In the last case, it becomes a dice game as to which flight out lates the other one. Lateness happens, but to schedule potential connecting flights to arrive and depart within a time window that is less than the FAA stipulated inter-flight connection time is downright absurd.
I don't know if AW is as bad as the now defunct Braniff line, which used to be refered to as America's largest unscheduled airline, or Eastern which managed to go bankrupt because of a myriad of mismanagement reasons. But so far I am not impressed with America West's efficiency or their ethics. I will let you know in about 3 weeks if I would like to form a new chapter of WHEALS. The original acronym stood for We Hate Eastern Airlines.
America West would not protect us on another airline, nor would it refund our money. So my choice is to gamble on the connection in Phoenix, or give up the flight with no refund and take a direct flight on Delta at double the cost of the original ticket.
Obviously, there are three possible arrival-departure connection scenarios. Case 1, the flight from Atlanta is late and we miss the connection. Case 2, the flight from Atlanta is on schedule, but the connecting flight is late. That one is in our favor, maybe. And Case 3 is that they are both late!! In the last case, it becomes a dice game as to which flight out lates the other one. Lateness happens, but to schedule potential connecting flights to arrive and depart within a time window that is less than the FAA stipulated inter-flight connection time is downright absurd.
I don't know if AW is as bad as the now defunct Braniff line, which used to be refered to as America's largest unscheduled airline, or Eastern which managed to go bankrupt because of a myriad of mismanagement reasons. But so far I am not impressed with America West's efficiency or their ethics. I will let you know in about 3 weeks if I would like to form a new chapter of WHEALS. The original acronym stood for We Hate Eastern Airlines.
Mar 30th, 1999, 07:59 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
My experience so far indicates that America West is not a well-run airline. It has a poor on-time percentage, the poorest in the industry according to one report I saw, and it schedules some silly connection times. For example, I booked a flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City via Phoneix for late April. I selected America West on this indirect route because the price was great and I am travelling at my own expense. At the time of booking, the connecting time in Phoenix was ok. Then a few weeks ago, AW management changed the schedule so that our flight from Atlanta into Phoneix arrives at a time that is very close to the time that our connecting flight is scheduled to leave for Salt Lake City. The next flight does not leave for several hours. We booked the flight to attend a special event. Now if we miss the Phoenix - Salt Lake City flight we miss part of the event.
America West would not protect us on another airline, nor would it refund our money. So my choice is to gamble on the connection in Phoenix, or give up the flight with no refund and take a direct flight on Delta at double the cost of the original ticket.
Obviously, there are three possible arrival-departure connection scenarios. Case 1, the flight from Atlanta is late and we miss the connection. Case 2, the flight from Atlanta is on schedule, but the connecting flight is late. That one is in our favor, maybe. And Case 3 is that they are both late!! In the last case, it becomes a dice game as to which flight out lates the other one. Lateness happens, but to schedule potential connecting flights to arrive and depart within a time window that is less than the FAA stipulated inter-flight connection time is downright absurd.
I don't know if AW is as bad as the now defunct Braniff line, which used to be refered to as America's largest unscheduled airline, or Eastern which managed to go bankrupt because of a myriad of mismanagement reasons. But so far I am not impressed with America West's efficiency or their ethics. I will let you know in about 3 weeks if I would like to form a new chapter of WHEALS. The original acronym stood for We Hate Eastern Airlines.
America West would not protect us on another airline, nor would it refund our money. So my choice is to gamble on the connection in Phoenix, or give up the flight with no refund and take a direct flight on Delta at double the cost of the original ticket.
Obviously, there are three possible arrival-departure connection scenarios. Case 1, the flight from Atlanta is late and we miss the connection. Case 2, the flight from Atlanta is on schedule, but the connecting flight is late. That one is in our favor, maybe. And Case 3 is that they are both late!! In the last case, it becomes a dice game as to which flight out lates the other one. Lateness happens, but to schedule potential connecting flights to arrive and depart within a time window that is less than the FAA stipulated inter-flight connection time is downright absurd.
I don't know if AW is as bad as the now defunct Braniff line, which used to be refered to as America's largest unscheduled airline, or Eastern which managed to go bankrupt because of a myriad of mismanagement reasons. But so far I am not impressed with America West's efficiency or their ethics. I will let you know in about 3 weeks if I would like to form a new chapter of WHEALS. The original acronym stood for We Hate Eastern Airlines.
Mar 30th, 1999, 11:00 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
I flew America West last summer, Boston to Phoenix non-stop. I had no problems with them, the flight was on time and the flight attendants were very pleasant. The lunch bag was pretty gross though, but then the food is always terrible. All in all it was better than my usual "I hate USAir" experience 
Mar 30th, 1999, 01:44 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
My husband and I flew America West from Albuquerque to San Diego last year and it was a nightmare. There was NO air conditioning on the flight and one of the overhead bins was falling apart (the
bottom, not the door, was hanging down during the flight).
We vowed never to fly with them again.
bottom, not the door, was hanging down during the flight).
We vowed never to fly with them again.
Apr 1st, 1999, 05:14 AM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
As an Arizonan, I fly America West often. I can't recall ever having had a problem. Once, on a return from Europe to Los Angeles on a European carrier, we boarded AW to Phoenix. What always has stuck in my mind was the flight attendant coming to our seats and saying, "Won't you please have some MORE orange juice?" Can't you just picture a European carrier's employee saying that?
