Airlines like to schedule their aircraft to fly as much as possible, as this is best economically. Sometimes planes are unexpectedly grounded with maintenance needs and if it is for a number of days, replacement planes are needed.
Certain operators provide aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance and are referred to as ACMI operators. They essentially have aircraft for hire for short periods of time, which airlines use to cover any unexpected requirements.
Replacement Planes or Being Re-Routed?
In Europe, ACMI operators like Wamos Air and Privilege Style are seen filling in from time to time. These aircraft are configured differently to what passengers are used to. Sometimes they are crewed by the airline’s own crew, other times they have their own crew provided.
-
- You’ll see Wamos around the place.
Some passengers really don’t care what they fly on, as long as they get to their destination on time. Other people really don’t like replacement planes at all and will change their flights to avoid them.
What Is Cheaper?
For airlines, if it is only one flight disrupted, passengers will be put onto the airline’s services the same day or next day, ideally. If the need is for a block of time, such as a week, it is more cost effective and less disruptive for an aircraft to be hired in.
-
- A Wamos Air Airbus A330 cabin.
It means the schedule can continue to be operated with minimal impact to customers. Additionally, it also reduces disruption and the need for people to be moved to other flights, which can potentially mean connecting over other cities.
Overall Thoughts
It begs the question, do you prefer to be put onto replacement planes hired in? Or would you prefer to be re-routed on another airline, possibly via another connecting city? Perhaps you’d rather wait until you can be put onto another flight on the same airline?
If you’ve experienced this kind of change to your travel plans, I’d be interested to hear your experience and preferences. Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Featured image by Rui Miguel on Airliners.net via Wikimedia Commons.
Wamos Air A330 by Russell Lee via Wikimedia Commons.
Wamos Air Cabin via Wamos Air.
I’ve never been put on a ACMI substitution flight but I have had a couple of re-routings: My United flight St Louis – Newark – Burlington needed seats for some military personnel so UA offered me a $400 voucher if I would fly Delta slightly later St Louis – Detroit – Burlington. Heck yeah! Was scheduled Reno – Denver – St Louis on Southwest but they were substituting a smaller 737 on one of the segments and they rebooked me Reno – Las Vegas – Wichita – St Louis with a change in LAS. No voucher but played a slot… Read more »
I am definitely a taker when it comes to being given cash or vouchers. One Christmas they wanted volunteers to go the next night London to Sydney and they were offering a good chunk of cash plus the overnight hotel. I volunteered but once they realised I was connecting, they couldn’t use me as my bag was in the system. It didn’t bother me, but I sure could have used the cash! 🙂
I flew the Privilege Sky plane in your photo in 2017 LIS-OSL and back. It had a true business class seat and not just a blocked middle seat, so I was thrilled to fly it instead of whatever plane TAP would have otherwise put me in.
Nice to hear from someone who has actually been on board the aircraft. Great also to hear a positive review – would certainly be a nicer experience than the middle seat blocked. Thanks for the comment, really appreciate it!