# Is this "Frankenstorm" thing going to disrupt trans-Atlantic flights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872 "2012-10-25T21:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/1 "2012-10-25T21:40:24Z")
Like, say, on Monday? My friend wants to know. _Really_ wants to know. Because she’s, you know, going on a fabulous honeymoon and does not want to spend it at the Charlotte airport. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/2 "2012-10-25T21:44:34Z")
The odds don’t look in her favor right now: > **[Hurricane Sandy may cause record-setting flooding in N.J., weather service says](https://www.nj.com/news/2012/10/hurricane_sandy_may_cause_reco.html)** > > As the cross hairs for a powerful hurricane-nor'easter hybrid grow more closely targeted on New Jersey, the National Weather Service warned this afternoon that record-setting inland and coastal flooding is possible under the worst-case scenario > **[New York City Weather: When Hurricane Meets Snowstorm - Hurricane Sandy](https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-METROB-16117)** > > Weather models are beginning to coalesce around an unlikely meteorological scenario: a hurricane blending with an inland snowstorm just in time for Halloween. My NJ kids are not happy about the prospect of a second year in a row cancelled Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/3 "2012-10-25T22:00:41Z")
But… I mean, what happens? Seriously, am I not going to get a honeymoon? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/4 "2012-10-25T22:03:34Z")
Well you could always change your flights and go West instead… Hope you like spending two days of your honeymoon stuck in planes/airports. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/5 "2012-10-25T22:04:37Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > But… I mean, what happens? Seriously, am I not going to get a honeymoon? Travel insurance? Cancel and rebook? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/6 "2012-10-25T22:06:31Z")
We only get two weeks of vacation! ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/7 "2012-10-25T22:08:11Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > We only get two weeks of vacation! Might be covered by your travel insurance too. Eta: two weeks! That sucks! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/8 "2012-10-25T22:08:12Z")
Where are you going? The storm could have completely passed Charlotte by Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/9 "2012-10-25T22:18:35Z")
I mean, we have more than two weeks of vacation, but we can only take two at a time. Er, our tickets are Charlotte to New York to Bucharest. I suspect the New York part is an issue too, although possibly we could change airline or something - doesn’t British Airways fly to the UK from Charlotte? We did get the trip insurance. God, this is the one thing I thought was taken care of! ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/10 "2012-10-25T22:31:55Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > doesn’t British Airways fly to the UK from Charlotte? Air Canada does too I think. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/11 "2012-10-26T03:05:10Z")
If this hits on Election Day, could decreased turnout affect the outcome of the election? It seems like North Carolina & Virginia are the only states along the eastern coast that are in play, and current predictions have the storm hitting north of there – most likely in the New Jersey-NY City area. All those states are expected to be solid Democratic votes. Could either NY or Massachusetts possibly go Republican, if the storm hurts voting in the coastal metro areas like NYC or Boston, but doesn’t have that effect in the inland, western, more conservative areas of the state? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/12 "2012-10-26T04:00:12Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > If this hits on Election Day, could decreased turnout affect the outcome of the election? > > It seems like North Carolina & Virginia are the only states along the eastern coast that are in play, and current predictions have the storm hitting north of there – most likely in the New Jersey-NY City area. All those states are expected to be solid Democratic votes. Could either NY or Massachusetts possibly go Republican, if the storm hurts voting in the coastal metro areas like NYC or Boston, but doesn’t have that effect in the inland, western, more conservative areas of the state? Sandy’s going to make landfall next week. Election day isn’t until the week after. Now, there ARE possibilities of power outages that could last that long and muck up voting, and states in the landfall area that have early voting are likely to see a few days that would otherwise be normal voting days facing closed polling places. But the Big Day should be pretty clear of the mess. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/13 "2012-10-26T04:38:05Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Sandy’s going to make landfall next week. Election day isn’t until the week after. Sorry, brain fart there. Maybe subconscious thinking _My God, still one more week of this???_ ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/14 "2012-10-26T04:46:19Z")
Charlotte Airport isn’t so bad… we’ve got a Tequileria… ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/15 "2012-10-26T05:45:39Z")
Oh lovely. I just checked the NOAA website and the mark for the 8 pm Tuesday prediction is basically right on top of my house. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/16 "2012-10-26T10:44:55Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > Might be covered by your travel insurance too. > > Eta: two weeks! That sucks! American work schedules - 2 weeks is standard. Work 60 hours a week. Unlimited sick time, but get fired if you use it. Stare jealously at the folks across the pond. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/17 "2012-10-26T11:57:06Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > American work schedules - 2 weeks is standard. > Work 60 hours a week. > Unlimited sick time, but get fired if you use it. > Stare jealously at the folks across the pond. > > 😃 sadly, this is true. :mad: where I work?? that 2 weeks is called “PTO” for paid time off and you take that if you are SICK and you take it for holidays. does that suck or what? it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/18 "2012-10-26T12:10:22Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > sadly, this is true. :mad: > > where I work?? that 2 weeks is called “PTO” for paid time off and you take that if you are SICK and you take it for holidays. > > does that suck or what? it sucks. But…but…but…pooling your leave time allows you more FLEXIBILITY!!! Didn’t you know that?! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/19 "2012-10-26T13:49:29Z")
Hey now, we still have sick leave and annual leave. And we take sick leave whenever we need it. (It is definitely not unlimited, though!) But ask for more than two weeks and it has to be approved by precisely the same person who is my own personal workplace bully. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872/20 "2012-10-26T16:36:08Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Charlotte Airport isn’t so bad… we’ve got a Tequileria… The [wine tasting boutique](http://www.yelp.com/biz/yadkin-valley-wine-bar-charlotte), featuring North Carolina wines (No, really! Some are even good.) is a good way to kill an hour or two as well. I also liked the rocking chairs they had scattered throughout the terminal. As far Sandy and flight delays…here’s weather underground’s current 5-day [forecast](http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201218_5day.html) for where it’ll be. Note that it misses Charlotte (but the wind field is probably quite large) and is threatening NYC on 8AM Monday. Looks like landfall is probably going to be some time during the night of Monday/Tuesday. For the pro pilots in the forum, do you guys have to completely divert around a hurricane? If so, how far out of the way do you have to go? Would that diversion distance force flights to be cancelled? With a cloud height of [15km +](http://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/en/imgdata/topics/2003/tp031006_2.html), (granted Isabel was a lot bigger than Sandy’ll be) it doesn’t look like you guys can fly over the top of it. Not to mention the fun that would be if you lost an engine and possibly had to descend into that crap. I’m sorry, **Zsofia**. I wish you both the best of luck. Congratulations on your wedding! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-frankenstorm-thing-going-to-disrupt-trans-atlantic-flights/638872.md?page=2)