FedEx: Commuting on a sweep flight
01-03-2012, 06:40 AM
#1
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FedEx: Commuting on a sweep flight
Just a quick question regarding sweep flights, if someone with experience wouldn't mind answering...
Do sweep flights with MEM as the destination always make it to MEM, even if it is via multiple stops?
Just have a situation in which later jumpseats are all full and can take the sweep flight into MEM on which all jumpseats are open (no surprise). I don't care if I get into MEM 10 hours later than the flights ETA, I just want to make sure I will arrive though...
Thanks.
Do sweep flights with MEM as the destination always make it to MEM, even if it is via multiple stops?
Just have a situation in which later jumpseats are all full and can take the sweep flight into MEM on which all jumpseats are open (no surprise). I don't care if I get into MEM 10 hours later than the flights ETA, I just want to make sure I will arrive though...
Thanks.
01-03-2012, 07:02 AM
#3
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My personal experience is that I have always arrived at my scheduled destination on sweep flights, sometimes with intermediate stops, sometimes not. Remember it's likely that your sweep airplane has Memphis freight on it also. You just have some "void" space which makes you a possible backup if anyone along your sweep route is delayed or breaks.
During my last sweep flight SEA - OAK (routed via Idaho and SLC), 3 different ATC controllers asked, "You don't really want that routing to OAK do you?" In the end, about half way to OAK, GOC sent us an ACARS saying all the a/c you might have been backing up are now airborne. You are cleared direct OAK ...
During my last sweep flight SEA - OAK (routed via Idaho and SLC), 3 different ATC controllers asked, "You don't really want that routing to OAK do you?" In the end, about half way to OAK, GOC sent us an ACARS saying all the a/c you might have been backing up are now airborne. You are cleared direct OAK ...
01-03-2012, 05:39 PM
#6
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Originally Posted by Overnitefr8
Not the airbus out of denver in the evening(if that still goes). That can go anywhere.
01-03-2012, 07:46 PM
#7
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Cloud--I have flown the Airbus Denver "reverse Great Circle" route many times. The only time I did NOT wind up in Memphis the same night/morning was when the BOI jet broke and we flew one leg to BOI, then started the West Coast Death March (BOI-SLC-OAK-LAX). Other folks may have different experiences, but (IMHO) I think you should be fine.
01-04-2012, 03:32 AM
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The DEN flight is a long routing. I have operated that trip numerous times (poor bidding on my part), and have only been diverted once to DFW, to recover freight from a broken 727. I concur with Dadof6....you should be fine.
01-04-2012, 08:25 AM
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That flight usually goes back to Memphis, but it is one of the few that I know that has gone other places. Denver commuters learned real fast not to book that flight first. But if it's the only option, it's still worth taking. I believe it leaves Denver empty, therefore it really can go anywhere.
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