On one of my recent journeys, I was rerouted to Manchester, New Hampshire instead of my desired destination of Boston. Bad weather in the East caused my original flight to be canceled, and it was Manchester at midnight or depart for Boston at 8 pm the next day.
Airlines have always been tight on options, and with recent crew shortages, reduced flights, and pre-pandemic crowds the situation has worsened. Yet, even without those constraints, the industry has never created the capacity to address the inevitable disruptions that are going to occur. They know that weather will impact some of their flights — whether spring rainstorms, winter snowstorms, or catastrophic events — yet rebooking is still an arduous task for the traveler. They know that a part of their fleet will experience a mechanical issue, yet the system does not provide for ready replacements. The interdependence of the operations and the high cost of doing business has pushed the industry past the brink.
If you have an organization where interruptions are anticipated, plan to run your operations under those limitations instead of expecting that ideal conditions will occur. It may cost you in the short run to have excess capacity but you will be rewarded in the long run when you can continue smoothly despite the kinks.
