Rethink boarding priorities - this is exceptional
Firstly as a newbie SLF, many thanks to this forum for providing a darned sight more information and intelligent comment on this crisis than anywhere on the MSM. Especially to the pilots on Rumours and News.
Like many others I am stranded, in this case in India. I am a lot better off than most, on business, in a decent hotel. Rebooking after a cancelled Saturday flight: Thursday, and that was the last seat - in First ( I will wing it with company management somehow). If Mt Unpronounceable is still blowing, and the winds still perverse, then the next available is the week after - and that is at the front of the plane. One is already hearing horror stories of those at the back not being able to get rebookings until into May.
The current system - honour existing reservations, for legal as well as computer/communication reasons, and fit in the victims of cancellations in any spare seats, might work for a 1-2 day max local delay because of snow, fog etc. Not however on this unprecedented scale. In addition because of the financial situation of the airlines, many have cut back flights to maintain their loadings, and there is little spare margin.
Humanitarian as well as economic considerations dictate that the backlog should be cleared first, in date order, and existing bookings told that they are subject to a delay of a few days - and a way round the legal issues found. Otherwise we have a major problem which could take a month to clear. Unless those mothballed planes are recalled to clear the backlog on special flights? cannot see it somehow.