How to read AA's flight schedule ..

[Xcitdcruiser]

Hello, hoping for some assistance. Trying to research non-stop flights between Dallas & San Juan - AA fly this route but I'm having a guess as to what the narrations mean -

 

Above Flt Ops MAR 9 Only - Above flight operates only on Mar 9?

Above Flt Eff MAR 16 thru MAR 30 - Above flight is ony effective between Mar 16 -30?

Above Flt Disc MAR 9 - Above flight discontinued from Mar 9?

Above Fly Eff APR 2 - Above flights is effective from Apr 2?

 

And the second part of the question is, the schedule on the AA website says it's effective 7 March 2013. How often are they released? Would I be wasting my time if i'm trying to research for Feb 14 flights?

[scottbee]

Hello, hoping for some assistance. Trying to research non-stop flights between Dallas & San Juan - AA fly this route but I'm having a guess as to what the narrations mean -

 

Above Flt Ops MAR 9 Only - Above flight operates only on Mar 9?

Above Flt Eff MAR 16 thru MAR 30 - Above flight is ony effective between Mar 16 -30?

Above Flt Disc MAR 9 - Above flight discontinued from Mar 9?

Above Fly Eff APR 2 - Above flights is effective from Apr 2?

 

And the second part of the question is, the schedule on the AA website says it's effective 7 March 2013. How often are they released? Would I be wasting my time if i'm trying to research for Feb 14 flights?

 

Yes; you've nailed the schedule descriptions

 

Yes; you're wasting time looking for a schedule 11 months in advance; it's likely going to change between now and then

[Gardyloo]

The timetables are updated quite often - every couple of weeks I believe. They're valid for 330 days, so I'd start looking for 2/14/14 around the end of this week.

 

I don't expect there would be many differences over the schedule effective this April, i.e. 2 nonstops daily.

[Xcitdcruiser]

Yes; you've nailed the schedule descriptions

 

Yes; you're wasting time looking for a schedule 11 months in advance; it's likely going to change between now and then

 

Thanks for the response -

Now why would an airline put one flight on for one date only? Clearly this is the early stages of research!

 

Are the schedules reviewed annually? The above flights are available for purchase now, so that would secure them i would hope?

[Gardyloo]

Thanks for the response -

Now why would an airline put one flight on for one date only? Clearly this is the early stages of research!

 

Are the schedules reviewed annually? The above flights are available for purchase now, so that would secure them i would hope?

Typically one-day now-you-see-it-now-you-don't schedules relate to the airlines needing planes in different places, so the "repositioning" flights are short lived, just like cruise ships move across the Atlantic in the spring (after the Caribbean season) and back in the autumn (after the Mediterranean season.)

 

Schedules are reviewed constantly.

[kenish]

Thanks for the response -

Now why would an airline put one flight on for one date only? Clearly this is the early stages of research!

 

March 9, 2014 is when the US changes from Standard to Daylight time. Puerto Rico does not do a time change. This gets a bit confusing but bear with me... before March 9, there's a 2 hour time difference between JFK (for example) and SJU. After March 9 it's 1 hour. And, using LAX as an example, if a plane departs LAX on time at 1130pm on March 8, the time change will have already happened at JFK. As a result it will arrive in JFK an hour "late" on that night only. So that will make the continuation from JFK-SJU an hour later as well.

 

So, the schedules have to account for the time change in each locale and the impact on arrival/departure times.

[kenish]

On Standard Time, JFK is on Eastern Standard Time and an hour earlier than SJU. During Daylight Time, JFK and SJU time is the same.

 

But the example I provided still explains why schedules change when time changes in spring and again in the fall. Adding to the nightmare of the airline schedule folks, some countries do time changes on different dates than the US, and some states in the US don't observe Daylight time.

[Xcitdcruiser]

The timetables are updated quite often - every couple of weeks I believe. They're valid for 330 days, so I'd start looking for 2/14/14 around the end of this week.

 

I don't expect there would be many differences over the schedule effective this April, i.e. 2 nonstops daily.

 

Thank you! I'll get back on it next week just to be sure :)

[Xcitdcruiser]

On Standard Time, JFK is on Eastern Standard Time and an hour earlier than SJU. During Daylight Time, JFK and SJU time is the same.

 

But the example I provided still explains why schedules change when time changes in spring and again in the fall. Adding to the nightmare of the airline schedule folks, some countries do time changes on different dates than the US, and some states in the US don't observe Daylight time.

 

THANK YOU - I would NEVER have come to that conclusion, but i guess it makes sense to accomodate those during time difference days. Thanks again!