Airline travel loophole ?s

[Smiling JOe]

SJ, per my earlier reply to Scooterbug, the airlines will gladly refund the portion of the flight affected by weather delay or cancellation. So the full payment for partial services argument is already addressed by the airlines.

I don't want to come off as the guardian of the airlines. Case in point- Picture me in flip flops and shorts talking to a client over breakfast on Madison Ave. last week. I flew into Laguardia late Sunday night and it was the second time in 10 days that Delta lost my luggage...

While I have had occasional great service, the norm lately seems to be bad behavior and poor performance and I feel Scooter's pain...

But we're talking about the weather here...

I read your refund info in your second post after I had posted, but it sounded like scooterbug wasn't being reimbursed. I can empathize with you on the lost luggage. I flew from Atlanta to Boston, for a wedding on Martha's Vineyard, and my luggage went to Denver, only to be sent back to my home address after I returned home. On another trip to NYC from ATL, for my return trip, I taxied to the airport, only to find out that the airline had declared bankruptcy, and was out of business!!! I went to the terminal and there was not a soul there, except for a competitor at the counter across the room. Airlines suck! Now when I fly, I take the clothes I'm wearing, an extra pair of shoes, some underwear and one extra shirt, and I shove it into a small bag which I carry with me. Everything else is simply not needed.

 

[scooterbug44]

I could write a friggin book on airline delays, lame excuses, unreliable and unfriendly staff, etc... and so your story, like countless others resonated with me - my only suggestion (and not a great one I am sad to say) is to inform yourself as to how airlines compensate for delays - for example: Delta will pay you $50 for a 2 hour delay, $100 for a 3 hour delay, etc...
Now, if you ask a Delta representative (even being as poilte as can be), you will be told that there is no policy (bla bla bla...) - arm yourself with the customer service number (NOT the 1-800 one) and call. I realize most of us would gladly not get the $50 and leave on time but if enough people formally complained, maybe, just maybe, things would improve.

Talk of the Nation did a story today on airline delays being the worst it has ever been in recent history - l have not listened to it but can only imagine.

This is certainly news to me! Do you have info on other airlines and how to collect? They would be losing tens of thousands of dollars if most of Sowal was demanding payment for the infamously tardy Ft. Walton/Atlanta flight! I fly a lot (not so much on Don't Expect to Leave The Airport because I try to avoid ATL) so this could add up fast.

I didn't have a refund issue (I changed my ticket and flew home the next day - albeit from a different state). The issue that prompted my posting was that even though the airline realized I would miss my connection, they said they wouldn't rebook me when I did. That was a first! Missing a connection and having to wait for hours, change my destination, reroute, or spend the night in a hotel because of weather or other issues I can understand and accept as an unfortunate aspect of air travel. Them saying that once I missed it (because of weather) I was S.O.L. was new and made me question that loophole.

I'm not asking them to fire up the plane in a tornado, but some of the things that they claim as "not our fault weather delays" are pretty out there, like sun spots, or bad weather at an airport across the country when you are on a regional shuttle whose standard back and forth route doesn't even go into the same time zone as the affected airport!

 

[John R]

They wouldn't be able to maintain profitability...

profitability??

 

[Geo]

profitability??

Yer funny. I should have been more specific. How's this? -
They either wouldn't be able to maintain profitability (e.g. Southwest Airlines) or they would be further in the hole and would come closer to going under (e.g. TWA)...

Better?

 

[scooterbug44]

Per Wikipedia:

Profitability is a technical analysis term used to compare performances of different trading systems or different investments within one system.

 

[hnooe]

We often HAVE to make connections through ATL. Many times we are told that we have a delay due to weather conditions in Atlanta. Then we call our son in Atlanta and ask how the weather is and more often than not he will say beautfiul, why do you ask? Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

I am a local who travels to and from all airports for work, and all I can say is the chanciest flight is the Delta Connection 10PM, last flight from ATL to VPS (Ft Walton). There is a 60% chance it will leave late, and a 40% chance they just won't send it out--sometimes weather, sometime real legit mechanical, and somestime a "made up" exuses.

Alway take the flight before!!!!!..or just plan to spend the night in ATL.

 

[Geo]

Per Wikipedia:

Profitability is a technical analysis term used to compare performances of different trading systems or different investments within one system.

Scooterbug, I'm not sure how to take this...

Based on reading your many posts on SoWal I know that you are quite bright and reasonable.

So I am surprised that what i believe is happening is that you are busting my chops over the fact that I used the word "profitable"/ said the words- "maintain profitability"?

You and John both know that the basis of my point is that the airlines won't be changing policies anytime soon to help you out when the weather is bad because it is all about the Benjamins.


Cheers, g

 

[scooterbug44]

Actually, I was letting John R know it WAS a real word, not busting your chops.

 

[NotDeadYet]

I really don't understand why people fly commercial unless they are crossing the pond.

Is flying private affordable, compared to commercial?
How do you find private flights going where you need to go?

 

[Smiling JOe]

Is flying private affordable, compared to commercial?
How do you find private flights going where you need to go?

No, and I think you have to charter a jet, or own one yourself. The cost of the fuel alone is enough to break the piggy bank. Growing up, a friend of mine had his own single engine piece of crap plane. His dad owned a nice jet. Let's just say that the town where I was raised was rather small, and everyone knew everyone. My friends Dad, thinking he was being generous, offered some parents of another friend to be able to fly up to Annapolis to visit their son who was in the Naval Academy. They took that offer, having no idea about the cost of aviation fuel, and the low gas mileage of a jet. Taking the offer of the jet saved them from driving three hours to Atlanta and all of the travel woes of Delta or Eastern. They loved the idea, until they received the bill for the gas. Shocker. They could have flown commercial several times for the price of the fuel. Point of the story is that it may be cheap or expensive to fly private, the judgment depends on the fatness of one's bank account.