Tales from the Ticket Counter – In the Slow Line….again
One evening, our last departure from Jackson to Dallas was delayed due to a nasty weather system sitting right over the DFW airport. I announced our delay to the passengers waiting in the gate area. I had checked everyone’s connections which were still okay since delays of every inbound flight meant delays for every outbound flight. I invited anyone with additional questions or concerns to see me at the podium. The line formed so fast, you’d have thought I was giving away money. I realized people were tense, though; so, I checked connections for individuals who, reassured, returned to their seats. The passenger next to last in line approached and asked, “What about those of us just going to Dallas?” I cocked my head in that way of dogs hearing high-pitched noises. ”I’m sorry?” I said, “I don’t think I understand what you’re asking me.” She repeated, “I’m just going to Dallas: I don’t have another flight.” Unsure of exactly how to respond, I finally settled on, “Well, ma’am. The city isn’t going anywhere.” To my surprise, that seemed to satisfy her as much as it baffled me and the man standing in line behind her. She returned to her seat while I shook my head and helped the last passenger.
As one of the US’s busiest airports, DFW sees an average of nearly 1800 flights daily (based on 2008 figures of 656,310 movements). Read it again, but you saw it right the first time – 1800! It’s no wonder that even a small glitch in the system causes a ripple effect with frustrating and far-reaching consequences. One of the risks of using air mass-transit is that your choices of routes are pretty limited. Most legacy carriers still operate using the hub and spoke model – you board your flight in a smaller market or spoke city and funnel into the hub to connect to another flight to your smaller market destination. It can be and once was an efficient system; however, funneling that amount of traffic through hub cities creates delay possibilities. However, in most large markets, private aviation gives you alternate airports to the overloaded commercial hubs. In Atlanta, the Fulton County Airport is a great alternative. In Detroit, Willow Run might be a good choice and in Dallas, the Dallas Executive Airport could be your best bet. In all cases, decreased air and ground traffic allow you to travel more efficiently in those metro areas, although the big airports may be technically closer.
There is a world of difference between standing at Cutter Aviation or Ambassador Jet Center at Dallas Exec, waiting for a storm system to pass and waiting at DFW Gate C33 for the same system. In both cases, the same safety rules apply: no aircraft fueling when lightning is present, no take-offs or landings when visibility is below minimums or when certain other weather conditions are present. The marked differences come just after the storm clears. At Dallas Exec, there may be three aircraft waiting to taxi and take off as soon as conditions allow. At DFW, on the other hand, there may be thirty aircraft in line ahead of you. As a first officer announced on one flight I took, “Well, we’re number, uh, we’re number, uh. Well, we’re just so far back in line here, I’m not exactly sure when we’re going to take off.” The way just looks clearer from the Dallas Executive taxiway.
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