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Record New York Storm Approaches: EK...."Launch the fleet!"

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Record New York Storm Approaches: EK...."Launch the fleet!"

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Old 26th Jan 2015, 14:36
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Record New York Storm Approaches: EK...."Launch the fleet!"

Once again "Arrogance Airlines" ignores all forms of common sense as EK fiddles with schedules as they prepare to send crews into the biggest storm to hit the U.S. east coast in potentially decades (while those airlines who have decades of experience in dealing with such a storm cancel flights by the 1000's).

I checked tonight and no delays and 1 cancellation (MXP-JFK). A true sign whether these idiots have a grip will be whether they cancel all the next 12 hours flights out of DXB into the U.S. East Coast.

Good luck to those who decide to operate under these obvious, well forecast conditions. . I'm looking forward to the stories of ineptitude that I have no doubt will prevail.


The Northeast Corridor was braced Monday for a "potentially historic" blizzard that could pack ferocious winds and dump as much as 3 feet of snow along a 250-mile stretch from northern New Jersey up to southern Maine, affecting as many as 29 million people and potentially crippling New York City and Boston.

The warning issued by the National Weather Service also indicated widespread coastal flooding was possible, starting Monday and extending throughout Tuesday.

"This could be a storm the likes of which we have never seen before," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Sunday.

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, de Blasio held up a list of the city’s top 10 snowstorms and said this one could land at the top of a list that goes back to 1872 and includes the 26.9 inches that fell in 2006. "Don't underestimate this storm. Prepare for the worst," he said as he urged residents to plan to leave work early Monday.

"Commuters should consider working from home on Monday if possible to avoid disruptions from likely road and public transportation closures," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "New York State is taking all necessary precautions to prepare for this storm, and I urge residents to put safety first and plan ahead to protect themselves and others throughout the duration of this snowstorm."

Elsewhere in the region, Boston is expected to get 18 to 24 inches of snow, with up to 3 feet falling west of the city, and Philadelphia could see 14 to 18 inches, the weather service said. NWS lead forecaster Bob Oravec said that wind gusts of 75 mph or more are possible for coastal areas of Massachusetts, with gusts of up to 50 mph further inland.

"We do anticipate very heavy snowfall totals," Oravec, told the Associated Press. "In addition to heavy snow, with blizzard warnings, there's a big threat of high, damaging winds, and that will be increasing Monday into Tuesday. A lot of blowing, drifting and such."

One city likely to be spared large amounts of snowfall is Washington D.C., where forecasters expected only a coating or a bit more, with steadily increasing amounts as the storm moves north.

"Looks like our luck is about to run out," said John Paulsen as he gassed up his SUV in New Jersey. "I can't complain too much since we've had a pretty mild winter, but I don't know if I'm ready for a foot or so of snow all at once."

Preparations large and small were in effect elsewhere in New York. A Manhattan Home Depot store sold about twice as many shovels over the weekend as it normally does while transit officials hoping to keep the subways running smoothly planned to use modified subway cars loaded with de-icing fluid to spray the third rail that powers trains.

Wyatt Baars, manager of the Charlestown Ace Hardware in Boston, sold out of his bags of ice-melting pellets. But he said a New Hampshire distributor is helping him and delivering more.

"Everybody is preparing for the storm," he said. "When we have something this big on the horizon, everybody comes in for the ice melt, snow shovels, snow brooms."

Snow plow driver Al Laplant expected to be out clearing roads of Simsbury, Connecticut, this week, just as he has for more than two decades.

"We'll be out there until the storm's over and then at least three hours after cleaning up," he said as he attended a home show in Hartford. "We'll be out there through the whole storm."

But even for a plow driver, the snow is no cakewalk.

"It's kind of exhilarating," he said. "But at the same time, I've been doing it for 27 years, so I'm kind of tired of it myself."

At New York's Penn Station, Cicero Goncalves was waiting for a train to Vermont, where he's going snowboarding, because he expected the flight he had hoped to take would be canceled.

But the 34-year-old flight attendant from Queens — who was dressed in a full-length bear costume — counted himself and his travel partner as lucky. "We'll get there before it snows, and we're coming back when the storm is over, on Thursday," he said.

The storm could stall before it tracks out to sea, bringing high wind, heavy precipitation and the potential for coastal flooding, the National Weather Service said. It would be the second wallop for the Northeast after what happened Saturday, when a storm crawling up the East Coast left a slushy, snowy coating from Pennsylvania to New England.

The storm dumped at least 9 inches of snow in parts of Pennsylvania and 8 inches in parts of New York, northern New Jersey and northwestern Connecticut, with widespread reports of more than 4 inches in inland areas across southern New England. Lighter amounts were reported in Philadelphia, Boston and New York City, where the snowfall stopped Saturday evening.

About 8 inches of snow fell in far eastern Maine before the storm moved out late Saturday night.

Numerous accidents were reported on the slick roads, but there were no major highway backups in the lighter weekend traffic. Police in Connecticut and Massachusetts were investigating the weather's role in traffic accidents that killed two people Saturday afternoon.
NEW YORK — Get your shovels ready.

The first blizzard of 2015 — which Mayor Bill de Blasio described as "one of the largest snowstorms in the history of this city" — is bearing down on the five boroughs and could dump up to 2 feet of snow on New York by Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service said.

Despite the massive amounts of white stuff, that forecast is a relief compared to the 3 feet that was being predicted Sunday.

"Prepare for something worse than we have seen before," de Blasio said in a press conference Sunday afternoon. "Try with everything you have to avoid being in the middle of this storm."

Forecasters issued a Blizzard Warning for New York City from Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening, predicting a Nor'easter that will bring winds gusting up to 65 mph.

Officials urged commuters to leave work early on Monday, before the storm intensified around the evening rush hour. An inch of snow is expected to be on the ground by 3 p.m., with the real onslaught starting at night.

From 10 p.m. until sunrise Wednesday, there could be up to 4 inches falling per hour, the NWS said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo encouraged commuters to consider staying home from work altogether, and said that major roads and public transit networks — including the MTA, LIRR, PATH and Metro North — may be closed before the evening commute.

Schools will be open on Monday but after-school activities will be canceled, and schools will "likely" be closed on Tuesday, de Blasio said. Alternate-side parking will be suspended Monday and Tuesday and garbage and recycling pickup will be suspended as well.

De Blasio advised New Yorkers to stay out of city parks beginning Monday afternoon.

"Change your behavior starting right now," de Blasio said Sunday. "This is an unprecedented storm. We have to get ready right now."

The combination of wind and snow will reduce visibility and make roads slippery and dangerous, said Dave Bowers, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com.

"Tomorrow night and into Tuesday morning, the intensity will be so great and the winds will be so strong, that’s when road crews will have a hard time keeping up with it," Bowers told DNAinfo New York Sunday afternoon.

"The visibility is going to be very poor at times, especially Monday night into Tuesday."

The snow and wind will continue during the day on Tuesday, and the storm could drop an additional 10 to 14 inches on the city before it clears out Tuesday evening.

The Sanitation Department issued a Snow Alert beginning on Monday at midnight, mobilizing salt spreaders and plows. The agency will deploy 2,100 of its own plows, plus about 240 from contractors and other agencies.

"This is likely to be an historic amount of snow," Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned residents to expect travel and utility disruptions, including flight cancellations and road closures. He said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would store trains in underground tunnels beginning Monday evening and would equip buses with chains or snow tires.

"With a major winter storm approaching the state, I urge New Yorkers to take all necessary precautions and make preparations for the possibility that commutes will be disrupted on Monday and Tuesday," Cuomo said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

"I have directed all state agencies to prepare for the snow storm and have equipment and resources in areas forecasted to be hit the hardest. We will continue to monitor the storm's path as it approaches New York, and I urge people to pay attention to changing weather advisories as they prepare for the snow."
Airlines cancelled thousands of flights into and out of East Coast airports as a major snowstorm packing up to three feet of snow barrels down on the region.

JetBlue, whose flights are largely in the Northeast, has already cancelled about a third of its entire schedule.

Airlines cancelled 2,194 flights Monday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware. More than 2,000 additional flights have been scrapped for Tuesday.

Problems in the Northeast are rippling outward, however.

In West Palm Beach, Florida, where temperatures are expected to be in the 70s Monday, about 30 percent of all flights have been cancelled. Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are also reporting major cancellations.

Most major airlines are allowing customers whose flights are canceled in the next few days to book new flights without paying a penalty. Customers ticketed on flights to dozens of Eastern airports are generally eligible for the allowance, though specific terms vary by airline.

The National Weather Service predicts 2 to 3 feet of snow for a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast, including the New York and Boston areas. Philadelphia should get 14 to 18 inches.
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 16:05
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Well, with all those cancellations, should be no delay getting in. The US media has a real propensity for sensationalizing things like winter storms when the news is slow.
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 16:11
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Cancelled from here..
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 16:25
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So, I guess the e-mail I just read that details several operational changes,cancelations and contingencies to deal with the situation is some kind of mental aberration....
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 17:19
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Did or did not the company make accommodation for the forecast storm in NY, JAA?

Any reason that should not be pointed out on a thread dealing specifically with that issue?

Are you always this much of a miserable ****?
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 17:21
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Wizz

Yeah, saw that one too. Seemed reasonable to me.
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 18:49
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As usual , the skipper carries the can . Doomed if you do , doomed if you don't ( sorry , should read damned , same ****e ) . Some smarty pants at ECarrot HQ reckons that if all the sensible airlines cancel , there may be lots of opportunity to divert as there will be no queues ! I've worked for ****wits like this before . Mantra .....It'll be alright ....
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Old 26th Jan 2015, 20:28
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Originally Posted by Fire Ball XL5
I feel sorry for the poor b@stards who have to fly to BOS... "No worries Mate... Ops as normal!"...
Hoping all have a safe flight... and common sense prevails with those operating the flights!
You don't get extra pay for being a hero around here......... just sayin'
BOS is cancelled for the 27th
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 01:52
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Travel bans just announced for New York. No vehicles allowed on the roads.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 03:13
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Hmmmm both flights got in and out.
Might have to heat up that humble pie Dune.......
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 03:42
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Hmmmm both flights got in and out.
Might have to heat up that humble pie Dune.......
Disagree. The decision to cancel the EK 237 BOS/ delay the EK 203 JFK was made at 01:02 am DXB time. During the preceding 12 hours EK has moved over 600+ customers from their departure points into DXB knowing full well the extent of the storm and those pax connections onwards to JFK/BOS. As a result you now have those 400+ JFK customers wandering terminal 3 with a 25 Dh food voucher in their hand and fighting for a space to sleep (since EK 237 was cancelled those pax hopefully have been put up in hotels; EK 203 pax have only been "delayed" and not cancelled so I don't expect Emirates will have provided hotel accommodation for those).

In any case, the inability of Emirates to act in a proactive manner to such an obvious, well forecast, severely disruptive weather situation is unacceptable. It displays a severe lack of foresight and due regard for the wellbeing of their customers and crews who will be required to deal with them.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 04:40
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Dune

Do us a favour and press 2

Having seen the forecast, some pax will cancel plans. The 203 and 201 will go, delayed but go and some BOS pax may go on them too.

Do you expect EK or any other airline to cancel flights 48 hours in advance just "in case"? Having the pax in DXB also takes pressure off the original departure points and has people here for a quicker resolution.

Box - outside - think :roll eyes:
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 05:24
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Box - outside - think :roll eyes
U.S. carriers cancelled 4500 flights before EK made their "momentous decision" @ 01:00 hrs.

Your desire for 48 hrs advance warning and action is not required but certainly 12 hours is. That's why there are forecasts and warnings from those who actually know what they are talking about. You know; the experts on winter storms on the U.S. East Coast. Apparently you are not one of them.

Box - outside - think :roll eyes

Wait for the next EK "update" on the upcoming further delays. Wish you were one of those in Terminal 3 Helen enjoying your unplanned "holiday" in Dubai. Typical arrogant EK thought processes; you must fit in exceedingly well.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 06:18
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Dune , 2 things 1 chill 2 get a life. Really don't know if you work for EK but what would you like them to do . Strand all those people in Dxb when their home is in the US.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 07:30
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I just find the use of words like "proactive", "foresight", "wellbeing" in the same sentence as "Emirates" quite jarring and amusing.

Suggest "clumsy", "knee-jerk", "overreaction", "scrambling" as alternatives.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 07:47
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I guess time will tell who's right in this debate, hindsight not being afforded currently to those tasked with making these high value decisions. What I will say is that there's a big difference between cancelling domestic services as apposed to International ones, with passengers trying to get home from abroad. The recent ATC screw up in the UK caused BA to cancel most of it's domestic flights but kept the International ones going. I know the situation is somewhat different with weather but the internal flights will always be the first to be canned!

The most important aspect of any operation is that the Captain on the day reviews the current information and makes a sensible decision based on the risk HE or SHE considers acceptable rather than what risk THE COMPANY considers acceptable. You only need to see what's happened recently in Iraq to see that there can be a disconnect between the two.

Harry
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 10:13
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EK only has one flight to get into BOS and 2 into JFK while the U.S. Giants have hundreds and thousands of flights to get into and out of the NE airports. That is why the Americans canx their flights proactively while Emirates thought they could take a chance.
As I write NY just downgraded their Blizard warning.
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Old 27th Jan 2015, 10:25
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Unfortunately these forums will always have posts from the usual suspects that criticise any Company decision made. Dammed if they do, dammed if they don't.

Nolimitholdem

Ironically, I would apply the words you suggest to some of the more negative posters on this particular discussion.

Harry
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