I quote a recent article from IEEE Spectrum on surprise, Continental’s lack of intelligence in, surprise, fuel management, specifically in Newark airport, something which may be familiar from my older post.
And then, just a few minutes later, the pilot came on the public-address system again: “Uh, folks, we’re going to make a quick stop for refueling.” Huh? Passengers looked at each other in surprise. Flight attendants passed rapidly through the cabin checking seat backs and tray tables and strapped themselves in. Minutes later, we landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base, in Newburgh, N.Y., less than 100 kilometers from our destination. After a long ride on the ground past National Guard cargo planes, we parked and waited for the fuel trucks.
Are you serious?!?! I have never even heard about an unplanned refuelling stop on a regular airliner. And more to the point, its not like they were flying a new route for which the fuel requirements were only mere estimates, they were flying a regular route! This is the third time I see articles bashing Continental for its stingy attitude with the gas. They better adjust before they gain the reputation of filling their tanks only half full. If you thought high fuel prices were bad for a company, low passenger rates will finish it up.
