Eurowings Discover's Salt Lake City Flight Keeps Stopping In Canada

The FAA raised average passenger weights a few months ago (not sure if this affects Eurowings and not sure if EASA had a similar measure) but that cut into payload as airlines now have to account additional weight for passengers and bags.

Also, the issue with SLC isn’t necessarily (just) heat but heat AND altitude. Think about this from a hiking perspective. Even the most in shape person will struggle with a hike when it’s at higher altitude. Throw in unusually hot temperatures and your performance decreases. Then carry a heavier than usual bag with you…you gotta stop for a break (more often). Same thing with airplanes.

“ Maybe I’m being too lenient toward Eurowings Discover”

You’re being too lenient toward Eurowings Discover.

Taking your nonsense analogy further, does that “in shape person” promise to make the hike and deliver a package at a certain time and then stop to rest and deliver it two hours later?

Hey @Lucky, Delta has swapped the A332s for A339s on the LHR, AMS, and CDG routes for the summer from SLC. Not sure if this has to due with performance and range, but this took place in Apr/May of this year.

Slight correction: A339 on all frequencies on the AMS and CDG routes, *some* frequencies on the LHR route

If they know this issue could happen frequently in the summer, they should make the scheduled arrival time later. If all goes well and the plane arrives 2 hours early, then great.

> they’d be entitled to 600 Euro each in compensation as part of the EU261 policy.

Something makes me think airline will call it "weather related delay"...

I lived in SLC for 12 years; the current conditions are NOT "uncharacteristically hot". It's very typical to have upper 90's and low 100's for high temperatures in July. One year that I was there (back in the 90s) it got up to 107 F. So, no, it's not global warming and it's not so unusual. Next, you'll be telling us how Chicago is uncharacteristically cold in January when it's in the teens. (eye roll)

You are being too lenient. Euro wings did not do their research. SLC altitude doesn’t change and the July temperatures this year are typical. We always have at least 3-6 100+ degree days in July and early august. Now June had some record high temps, so if that all happened last month during that heat wave, well then maybe. But then again, after it happened the first or second time, eurowings should have adjusted IMHO.

I believe that still counts. My FRA-LHR flight was canceled due to thunderstorms and I received compensation for more than what I paid for the ticket. LH also gave me a meal voucher to eat (drink) something in the airport while I waited.

US Airways flew A320 and A321 from PHX to the east coast for many years and had to take large weight restrictions or add fuel stops during hot summer days. You can’t deoptimize the route for 3 months because of a few edge cases (5-10 flights) that you can’t predict, especially when a fuel stop fulfills the obligation of getting everybody from point A to B.

I’m guessing the weight restriction would be 50+ pax in this case which would also cause people to miss their planned vacations. It’s not just about getting off the runway before the end but also about how fast the aircraft can travel while on the ground without blowing tires.

This flight is scheduled to depart 3.40 pm, when the temperature will be at or near its daytime high. Perhaps instead of taking a fuel stop that delays things 3 hours anyway, just depart closer to 7 pm? Or maybe they should just get Finnair to operate this route as well with their A350.

You're being too lenient. This is a summer seasonal route and they scheduled it as a mid afternoon departure during the hottest part of the day from an airport at 4200'. This was entirely predictable. Already today by 11am the density altitude was approaching 7200'

The A330-300 in high density config can be a bit of a dog for performance. Not the first and not the last airline to have issues with this.

Air Dispatcher? Anyone here dispatch Air and control it's movement? SMH. They would be called Flight Dispatchers Fox 13. Which, quite frankly are some of the most important people to the safety, efficiency and well-being of a flight along with the Pilot-in Command and Flight Attendants.
Also, I am grateful to you Ben that you called attention to the fact that FOX 13 was being overdramatic and highlighting righteous indignation to snag ratings...after all, it is July and it's sweeps month.
As an airline employee, I have sympathy for both the airline and the passengers. First the passengers. Yes they paid for a non-stop flight and should be compensated for the alteration. BUT, at the same time do you think the airline could have predicted record highs?? No. Or I should say you think the short sighted planning department could care?? NO. the Flight Ops and Dispatchers bare the weight of the responsibility of this and the planning department leaves Flight Ops out to dry. Soo, yes it is 1000 percent true that the extreme heat in SLC is presenting problems for performance issues and limits the weight that can be taken.

To people who say this is typical SLC weather??? They are wrong. No way in spirit prison that it's been this hot for this long. Yes 90's but we have been consistently around 100. Each degree increase can have 1,000 to 2,000 lbs restriction and make a big difference. In my opinion, the moral of the story is this:
1. News stations scare people to make money. That's a fact.
2. Passengers need to have a back up plan in all cases.
3. An Airline's planning department gets paid way too much. Dispatchers should be paid more.
4. We can't predict the weather.
5. Air travel theoretically shouldn't be possible, but it is. So we should be grateful that God gave us the intelligence to make it happen. Let's have a little patience with everyone.

Actually, I've seen DL's A330 frequently stopping by MSP (later learnt it's due to refuelling) before crossing the pond to AMS/CDG. I wonder if that has anything to do with the elevation at SLC.

I was on this flight that was scheduled to leave on June 17 and they delayed the flight for 3 hours before extending an additional delay to depart the next morning. That flight was also delayed 3 hours before departing for Halifax. No explanation for that delay but it seems to me that if the heat was a concern, they should have left on that day in the morning. What isn’t mentioned is the non existent customer service for this airline. Due to thr 3 hour delay and the stop in Halifax, we almost missed our connection to Amsterdam. We barely made it but one of our bags did not. It was found in Amsterdam 2 days later, but we had already departed on our river cruise. The cruise guest services was diligent in her efforts to get it delivered and even has it went back to Frankfurt which made it closer to our daily destinations. They refused to deliver it and then closed my claim so I can’t even search for information. I have called numbers that lead to voice mails that direct customers to file an online claim. So that is done, but then they don’t respond to any of the claims. I have also submitted the EU reimbursement form to the airline but it has also fallen on deaf ears. Anyone who has a choice on how to get to Europe should look at other options because this airline is the worst. There is also no representation in the salt lake airport so good luck in getting any assistance there.

Yawn, this is just part of the package when I choose to fly a low cost carrier. Which I do sometimes, but with full knowledge that this sort of thing becomes more likely. If I had a cruise that I and my bags absolutely must connect with, relying on a LCC in the middle of The Summer of Operations Hell is gratuitous risk. That's not to badmouth LCCs or the people who chose to fly them, but it's just common sense to choose the airline (like any other product or service) with an eye to what you need from them this time.

The funny thing is that Eurowings Discover recently started a YHZ-FRA direct service.

This happens with the Southwest flight from LAS to KOA. They stopped in SJC to fuel and its supposed to be a nonstop. No compensation by SW.

It gets hot here in Utah but the past several weeks have been out of the ordinary hot. Northern Utah consistently hotter than 100° is not normal. Southern Utah (St George) just tied an all time hot day at 117°. Vegas isn't much hotter so that tells you that this heat dome is sitting further north than normal

I'd love a Finnair flight from SLC

Soooo...I definitely read the headline as:

Eurowings Discovers Salt Lake City Flight Keeps Stopping in Canada.

Sometimes the world is just more interesting when you have dyslexia!

Because, that didn't seem like something an airline should "discover", right? Certainly not after the first occurrence! A five dollar bill in your winter coat is a discovery. A plane landing multiple times in the wrong country is not something that should be learned
serendipitously!

There is an inaccurate part of this story. I've had 3 flights Salt Lake to Amstetdam on Delta this summer. Two of the 3 had to stop for fuel for the same reason.

I mean, at this point they should just add a fifth freedom route SLC-YYZ...

I don't show that yesterdays flight operated at all. I'll be at SLC tomorrow and see if I can spot the plane.

FYI 100 degrees is not unusual for the summer in SLC

Ahhh yes it is. 100 degrees is not the normal temperature for SLC. June July or August, it’s called climate dysfunction.

Yes, that’s due to climate dysfunction.

In the past 7 days, Delta's nonstop flight from SLC to Paris (DL220) has diverted everyday to either Detroit or Minneapolis. The flight seems to arrive about 2/2.5 hours late in Paris than originally scheduled, so it is likely for a fuel stop. The flight is operated by an A330-900neo, so I'm surprised that they have had to divert everyday. It seems SLC hit a high of 102°F today, so that may be the reason.

Looks like those pilots stopped for some maple syrup.