Not Orlando related, but I’m flying SWA from KC to Seattle on August 31. The last flight of the day, leaving at 8:50 and arriving at 1:10 AM. I am leaving the next morning at 10:20 AM on Singapore airlines for Singapore and then Bangkok. There are lots of flights to Seattle but, for that day only, all of the seats in the first 2 categories were sold out. If for any reason, the flight that I’m on is canceled, there would be no way to get to Seattle in time for my flight to Singapore. I talked with a SWA agent this morning and, as they moved me to that flight months ago, I am allowed one change. Would it be advisable to change it to the day before? Or, since the odds are in my favor, just keep the current reservation and take my chances?
To give a recent story from my DISer friends that flew from KC (we also live here) to Chicago and then Chicago to Paris......fly the day before just do it..do not chance
anything these days with that hard of a international flight. It's hard enough with domestic travel.
Here's the story saga starting 8/3
- Weather delay in KC (and storm heading to Chicago) on United, unfortunately they did not catch it that their flight from KC to Chicago had been canceled already (that occurred the day before and United did advise that day via e-mail storms may impact their flights).
- They were put on a standby flight from KC to Chicago. They were not able to be on that flight, put on standby for a later flight however that flight was extremely close to their flight from Chicago to Paris (that flight was scheduled to be delayed already so they had some hope).
- They made that later flight to Chicago, on the plane....and then sent back to the gate flight won't leave for 2 hours so still stuck in KC. They eventually left KCI and drove back home.
8/4 made it to Chicago, made it from Chicago to Paris. Unfortunately they missed Versailles.
8/12 flight from Paris to DC diverted to Boston due to mechanical issues, arrived in Boston and rebooked onto a flight from Boston to Newark to KC.
My husband also flew Delta from Seattle to KC Thursday night (8/18) last flight out was supposed to land in KC at 11:30pm but got delayed until just after 1am. Got on the plane left the gate and the plane had a sensor go off, returned to gate and luckily they were able to get it fixed. We're about 40-45mins from the airport, he got home at 3:30am Friday.
My husband flew SWA 7/20 from New Orleans back home to KC. Left the gate, returned to the gate due to critical malfunction or as the pilot described "hard broke" Maintenance called those connecting in KC deplaned, those where end flight is KC stayed on the plane, not too too long after all passengers deplaned, now looking for another plane to fly. Found another plane, left a few hours late and he arrived home.
DISer friends flying SWA from MCO to KC on 7/15 however they got delayed 1 hour, sat on the tarmac for another 2 hours and then had to return to the gate as the pilots timed out on hours. Now the flight from MCO to KC is 2hr 30mins or so to 2hrs 45mins or so, if the pilots only had 3 hours before timing out they
knew they would be cutting it very close. Luckily they were able to get a flight the next morning on 7/16 from MCO to KC because we were leaving early afternoon as a group from KC to Branson to go to Silver Dollar City.
And these stories are from within 1 month's time frame.
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I know an extremely long post but flying these days is anything but a mess and I just would not chance it. Fly the morning before if you can to allow for delay issues but even these days that is pushing it
And it's all airlines not just one, no one airline is necessarily better than another in all this mess. I have never had so many instances I've personally heard of where people were on the plane and either left the gate and had to return or sat connected to the jetway only to have to deplane. It used to be much more secure once you were on the plane and left the jetway for you to know your flight was likely going to go through. These days not at all the case.