A LOT of unhappy travelers at SW counter in OIA today

[mom2of2]

We were scheduled to fly out of MCO into PHL today at 10:25am. We boarded our flight and after 10 minutes the flight attendant told us that Dallas had just called and our flight was cancelled. We were told to go to Customer Service in Ticketing.

We were off the plane quickly and headed to ticketing. Thank god we didn't check any bags.

We had to get in line with the regular passengers and after about 30 minutes we made it up to the counter. All flights for the day to PHL were cancelled, tomorrow is booked and the earliest we could leave was Sunday.

We live here so although I was upset that we couldn't go home for the weekend I wasn't nearly as mad as some of the people in line.

They were saying that SW owed them because now they needed to get transportation and a room for 2 nights. Another passenger was demading to speak to a manager because SW should have cancelled the flight PRIOR to us getting on the plane.

It wasn't pretty that's for sure.

 

[CarolA]

I saw that line and wondered what was going on. (And those folks aren't getting anything from SW besides maybe a refund for any weather related delays. I guess that passenger would rather have an unsafe flight SHEESH!)
Now what was going on for AirTran, That line was even WORSE then the SW line....

JetBlue has cancelled 215 flights.

 

[tjmw2727]

I can believe it - people think the airlines can control the weather.

It is pretty bad around here, we are about 20 minutes from the PA border and its sleeting and very slipery here in DE. PA has snow - lots in some places and 1 78 is shut down again acc'd to the news. My dh is in Northern NJ today and I am waiting for his call assuring me he is spending the night.

At least your in WDW - not ideal but hey grab a room and have some fun. I am sure you can make the best of it right?

Best wishes for a safe jouney home.

TJ

 

[zurgswife]

Pat...I'll think of you tomorrow....I hope you have a nice day anyway.

I feel for the people but I don't see how it was SW's fault the weather up here just didn't seem too bad this am and then by 10 it started to really turn on us...If they are from philly they know how the weather is....they say its going to be x and it turns out y.

 

[ducklite]

I was in the airport at 9:00 and things were "normal." Glad I'm not there now...

Anne

 

[zurgswife]

CarolA were you coming or going from orlando?

 

[ducklite]

This is exactly the type of situation I CRINGE about those who have such tight budgets for their vacations that they have every dime doled out to this and that, no credit card, and no "emergency" cash built into the budget. SW and the other carriers are under no obligation to (and aren't going to) put people in hotels and pay for meals.

So mom and dad with three kids and a total of $25 left are in a heap of trouble.

Anne

 

[Hannathy]

This is exactly the type of situation I CRINGE about those who have such tight budgets for their vacations that they have every dime doled out to this and that, no credit card, and no "emergency" cash built into the budget. SW and the other carriers are under no obligation to (and aren't going to) put people in hotels and pay for meals.

So mom and dad with three kids and a total of $25 left are in a heap of trouble.

Anne

ITA Anne. And at least if they are stuck in MCO there are a ton of cheap motels if you have too. But with no CC or any extra money oh well, It will be like the Tom Hanks movie of the guy stuck in the airport. What about those folks stuck in a bigger city, like if they got out of MCO but at the connection airport got canceled. there are going to be a lot of stuck people because Jet Blue canceled tons of flights.

 

[CarolA]

CarolA were you coming or going from orlando?

I was touring the airport. I flew in last night for a meeting today at the MCO Hyatt. The meeting started at 9:30 so I took a tour this morning, checked out the National lots, toured the shops etc.

I am staying this weekend. Going to visit my dad and to see Off Kilter at a local concert tomorrow night before I head back home Sunday.

To get this back on track, I am amazed that folks think that 'weather' is controlleable. I watched a man call a DL gate agent every NAME in the book because our flight was delayed once. I mean there was a HUGE thunderstomr going on outside the windows where we were... But the idiot really thought DL could just "land" The airport was CLOSED..... I also met a guy once who does some work for Disney, people routinely threaten to sue Disney because their vaction was "ruined" by weather, and Disney failed to warn them it could rain, it would be hot, there could be hurricanes...

 

[DebbieB]

If you are ever in this situation, try calling the reservation # rather than standing in line (or do both at the same time).

Air Traffic Control in Philadelphia probably issued a long delay or told the airlines to cancel. I was on a flight from Minneapolis to Philadelphia last fall and we had boarded the plane, the FA did the safety info, and then the pilot came on and said ATC issued a 2 hour 45 minute delay due to rain in PHL. With the snow, the delays were probably enormous.

 

[madcoco]

And at least if they are stuck in MCO there are a ton of cheap motels if you have too.

Cousin is stuck now in Orlando trying to get back to Pittsburgh after a cruise Just talked to him and he said the Airport is a madhouse. Their airplane is stranded in DCA. Told him to get a room ASAP. Couldn't find anything around the airport so they are headed to the Swan.

Better the airlines be pro-active and cancel ahead of time. Wish everyone the best in dealing with this mess.

 

[MEK]

Better to be stuck in the airport or in a hotel than on the plane on the runway. Better to be stuck in Orlando than stuck in Philadelphia!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

If you're traveling to or from a cold city during the winter you have to expect
there could be weather delays.
No way should the airline pay for any hotel.

It's the same as traveling to Florida in the summer. There may be big delays with hurricanes.

The airlines have no say over Mother Nature.

 

[helenk]

Early this morning we just had rain and then it turned to sleet, things got messy rather quickly.
I would suspect that the airlines did not have a lot of warning that they could not land in Philly.

 

[Pumbaa_]

a couple years ago i was flying home from MCO with my 4 yo niece after a trip to see granma and grandpa at Disney. The weather called for light snow at home later in the day.

Well Mother Nature changed her mind. Inflight, the storm got bad fast! We actually made it to BDL circled and turned around! We spent the next 12 hours in the airport at BWI. If we had ANY clue the storm was going to turn so fast we would have stayed another day. My DH is a weather channel nut and had been watching, it was supposed to be light and not start until well after we were supposed to be home.

Fortuantely, we did get a flight out later. MUCH later. But better than the people who rebooked on a 6pm flilght. We saw them when the plane was denied landing a couple hours later

Fortunately for me, my niece was a trooper, took it all in stride. Much better than I did! Once we did get home, it was a nightmare drive back home. It was so slippery. Always an adventure!

 

[Blondiex46]

they closed the school and it has been sleeting all day here. I can see the airport almost from the front of my house and live 7 1/2 min from the Philly airport. So if they would have flown and crashed then they would sue the airlines for flying in inclement weather. I am sure it was annoying but ya know.....

 

[PatMcDuck]

The weather IS really bad up here in the NJ/NY/Philly area. It would be ok if it was even 8 inches of snow. But, it is sleet, freezing rain, snow, in layers and layers....... Roads are HORRIBLE. My son got a fire call (he is a volunteer) and had to return home, he was all over the road in his little car. (if the call came out again, he would have tried again, we live far from the firehouse)

 

[K P & J's Grandma]

Grandpa is stuck in Newark --- he was coming from Tel-Aiv Israel - to Minneapolis.
He said that the plane sat a long time on the tarmac waiting for a gate to open up. He & his 2 co-workers have made reservations at a Holiday Inn BUT - they can't get a cab to get them there. He said that people were standing out in the snow, sleet, thunder & lightening waiting in long lines for cabs. The place is a ZOO!!!! He has been trying to get a flight out on Saturday without any luck. It has been a very long day for him that started with a 2 hour drive to Tel-Aviv - a 12 hour flight to Newark & now wanting to get some sleep!!!! Got to love these winter surprises!!!!
Grandma

 

[safetymom]

Mom2of2, I am sorry you flight was cancelled. I know you were looking forward to it.

I second the suggestion to have the 800 number of your airline with you. You can call them while everyone is dashing to the counter.

Don't you feel good you aren't stuck in all that yucky weather?

 

[CarolA]

Mom2of2, I am sorry you flight was cancelled. I know you were looking forward to it.

I second the suggestion to have the 800 number of your airline with you. You can call them while everyone is dashing to the counter.

Don't you feel good you aren't stuck in all that yucky weather?

And RACE to the counter.

I got stuck in Colorado Spings a month ago. I had already checked in and we were also on the plane. Weather in Salt Lake (where I was going got worse) They told us they were going to let us off the plane to wait. I knew I was not going to make the connection if there ever was a flight. I called my TA while sitting on the ground. She got DL to rebook me, but since I had already checked in I had to go get reticketed, the DL reservation folks could not do that for "checked In" So do both..... I was much faster to deal with then others at the airport.