A Mother's Rant as it happens!

[uva185]

The Jet Blue flight is the only flight that currently has availability to MCO today. Given the flight loads if I were you I would purchase 3 tickets on that flight or expect them to spend another night at Dulles. The fare is $209-$274 pp which is not a bad price for the last 4 seats. Purchase each seat separately to ensure the lowest price.

EDIT:Just to add, since they are flying standby any United frequent flyer will have priority over your son and his friends. They are flying from Dulles, a United hub, there will be plenty of elite members around! A UA elite member could ask to be put on the standby list at the very last minute and be immediately placed at #1 on the standby list even if your son has been waiting all day.

    * 08/17/09 - Mon
            
UA () 235 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:35 PM MCO
08/17/09 4:43 PM 32S
Daily
67% / 29m Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0
-----------------------------------------------------
0 Connections              
WN () 714 0 IAD
08/17/09 3:30 PM MCO
08/17/09 5:45 PM 733
Su,M,T,W,Th,F
NA / NA RL SL WL YL LL BL QL HL ML TL NL KL OL
-----------------------------------------------------
[B]0 Connections              
B6 () 337 0 IAD
08/17/09 4:10 PM MCO
08/17/09 6:28 PM 320
Daily
69% / 29m Y4 SC E4 K4 HC QC BC LC VC RC MC OC[/B]
-----------------------------------------------------
0 Connections              
BD (UA) 4280 0 IAD
08/17/09 6:20 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:33 PM 320
M
68% / 59m C0 DC YC BC MC HC QC VC WC
-----------------------------------------------------
0 Connections              
UA () 804 0 IAD
08/17/09 6:20 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:33 PM 320
M
69% / 54m F0 C0 Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0 P0 A0 D0 Z0
-----------------------------------------------------
0 Connections              
UA () 480 0 IAD
08/17/09 9:46 PM MCO
08/17/09 11:59 PM 32S
M,T,Th,F
70% / 34m Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0
-----------------------------------------------------
0 Connections              
BD (UA) 4282 0 IAD
08/17/09 9:46 PM MCO
08/17/09 11:59 PM 32S
M,T
71% / 47m C4 D4 YC BC MC HC QC VC WC
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
DL (9E) 886 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:35 PM ATL
08/17/09 4:28 PM CR9
Su,M
67% / 30m F0 A0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

DL () 177 0 ATL
08/17/09 5:55 PM MCO
08/17/09 7:30 PM 757
Daily
56% / 25m J0 D0 S0 I0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

1 Connections              
CO () 8642 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:10 PM EWR
08/17/09 3:55 PM DH2
Daily
42% / 98m YL BL ML HL KL QC UL VC GL WL EL SC TC NL LC

CO () 392 0 EWR
08/17/09 4:25 PM MCO
08/17/09 7:40 PM 738
Su,M,W,Th,F
89% / 55m F8 D8 Z8 A8 Y0 B0 M0 H0 K0 Q0 U0 V0 G0 W0 E0 S0 T0 N0 L0
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
DL (9E) 886 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:35 PM ATL
08/17/09 4:28 PM CR9
Su,M
67% / 30m F0 A0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

DL () 173 0 ATL
08/17/09 6:55 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:31 PM 757
M
71% / 32m J0 D0 S0 I0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
DL () 1521 0 IAD
08/17/09 4:08 PM ATL
08/17/09 6:00 PM M88
M
63% / 37m F0 A0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

DL () 173 0 ATL
08/17/09 6:55 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:31 PM 757
M
71% / 32m J0 D0 S0 I0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
UA () 395 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:40 PM ORD
08/17/09 3:54 PM 763
M,T,Th,F
81% / 61m F3 C1 Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0 P3 A3 D1 Z1

UA () 164 0 ORD
08/17/09 5:07 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:43 PM 32S
M,T,W,Th,F
67% / 44m Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
US (UA) 6547 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:40 PM ORD
08/17/09 3:54 PM 763
M,T,W,Th,F
81% / 61m F3 C1 D1 Z1 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 N0 V0 W0 L0 S0 T0 G0 K0 U0 E0 R0

US (UA) 6784 0 ORD
08/17/09 5:07 PM MCO
08/17/09 8:43 PM 32S
M,T,W,Th,F
67% / 43m Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 N0 V0 W0 L0 S0 T0 G0 K0 U0 E0 R0
------------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
CO () 8642 0 IAD
08/17/09 2:10 PM EWR
08/17/09 3:55 PM DH2
Daily
42% / 98m YL BL ML HL KL QC UL VC GL WL EL SC TC NL LC

CO () 1792 0 EWR
08/17/09 6:10 PM MCO
08/17/09 9:24 PM 757
Su,M,T,W,Th,F
74% / 38m F4 D4 Z4 A4 Y0 B0 M0 H0 K0 Q0 U0 V0 G0 W0 E0 S0 T0 N0 L0
------------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
DL () 1521 0 IAD
08/17/09 4:08 PM ATL
08/17/09 6:00 PM M88
M
63% / 37m F0 A0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

DL () 9 0 ATL
08/17/09 8:00 PM MCO
08/17/09 9:32 PM 757
Su,M,Th,F,Sa
53% / 34m J0 D0 S0 I0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0
-----------------------------------------------------
1 Connections              
DL () 1515 0 IAD
08/17/09 5:15 PM ATL
08/17/09 7:13 PM M88
Su,M
53% / 62m F2 A0 Y9 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

DL () 9 0 ATL
08/17/09 8:00 PM MCO
08/17/09 9:32 PM 757
Su,M,Th,F,Sa
53% / 34m J0 D0 S0 I0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

While I understand how frustrating this is, it's just not that uncommon when traveling by air, especially when you have no status with an airline. Look at it as a good life lesson for them. Judging by some of the complaints I have read on this board over the years about airlines, it's good that they are learning to roll with the punches in their early adult years.

 

[litlpixie]

I just dont understand why they were treated like they just walked in off the street and wanted a plane ticket. They paid United 3 months ago, so why the poor treatment? Whatever, I wrote a letter to their CS site, not that its going to make a difference. It's just a real shame since this was their first vacation without their parents. Gee whiz, I fly about 5 times per year, I havent had this happen....yet. But I fly Southwest, and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

The kids will be on the 6:20 flight to MCO, so they'll get there at about 8:30, and I have called the resort and ME to schedule their pickup and arrival. But they did lose a day, so we will be submitting a claim under their vacation policy that they took out.

and for the person who asked before-no, they wont get comped for anything since the delay happened due to weather.

 

[DMRick]

The OP wasn't bumped, IDB, as the result of an overbooked flight. They missed their connecting flight. Very little, if any, compensation is owed if the problem was weather related.

Standby and a little wait is probably better than how worried you would have been if they sent them up from Albany last night in that hurrendous thunder/lightening/hail storm we got his with last night.
We've been there and done that..it stinks, but not much can be done about it.

Keep in mind, that everyone wants to get somewhere, and there are advantages to flying one company a lot, and for those who have, this is one of their perks. They can't control the weather, and I'm sure those who just showed up and got seats, knew it was one of their perks and they would have been pretty angry to not be able to get a seat because of standby's.

Hope it all works itself out.

 

[litlpixie]

True! It should all work itself out. Thanks for letting me rant everyone, I now think of it this way....at least I know exactly where they are not many parents of teenagers can say that!!LOL

Blessings!!

Penny

 

[uva185]

I just dont understand why they were treated like they just walked in off the street and wanted a plane ticket. They paid United 3 months ago, so why the poor treatment? Whatever, I wrote a letter to their CS site, not that its going to make a difference. It's just a real shame since this was their first vacation without their parents. Gee whiz, I fly about 5 times per year, I havent had this happen....yet. But I fly Southwest, and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

The kids will be on the 6:20 flight to MCO, so they'll get there at about 8:30, and I have called the resort and ME to schedule their pickup and arrival. But they did lose a day, so we will be submitting a claim under their vacation policy that they took out.

and for the person who asked before-no, they wont get comped for anything since the delay happened due to weather.

With all due respect what exactly did you want UA to do. Look at the flight info I posted. There were no seats available on the United flights. Did you expect them to bump someone off a flight just so your son could fly???

 

[TagsMissy]

It's a life lesson learned... I've done my fair share of traveling with both confirmed tickets and standby and I am wagering you are more concerned than they are? while it sucks to have lost a day at WDW it's not the end of the world. Heck I spent 36 hours in Heathrow once trying to get home, 24 of those hours my birthday with just me and my Foxes Glacier Fruit Mints waiting for a flight home hehehehe

It's the nature of the beast for you to be worried but this is something they'll need to learn how to handle and deal with on their own and very quickly. It's one of many life lessons they'd need to learn as they 'grow up'

Glad they got onto a flight later tonight.

 

[DebbieB]

When there are summer thunderstorms in the northeast, it can be worse than a winter snow storm. The airports all get backed up.

Did they know when they left Albany that they would miss their connection? I'm surprised they didn't just send them home if there was no way they would get a flight out of IAD last night.

Edit - I was looking at United's website. Were they on the flight that was scheduled to leave @ 7:42pm that didn't leave until 11:12pm? Their connecting flight to Orlando left @ 9:50pm. I still don't understand why they didn't just send them home rather than dumping them into an airport closed for the night.

I think the lesson learned is not to take a connection on the last flight of the day.

 

[DMRick]

Well, when we knew we would miss our flight to Ireland in NJ once we flew out of Albany, we were told, if we didn't go, we forfeited our flight. Two of the 3 times it happened they were able to get us (and hubby and daughter when I didn't go) on a flight to France, that then went to Ireland, the next day. This was Continental. What's the chances it would happen a 4th time? I just booked Continental for January, to Ireland (got a new grandbaby on the way over there). It can't happen a 4th time, can it LOL??

When there are summer thunderstorms in the northeast, it can be worse than a winter snow storm. The airports all get backed up.

Did they know when they left Albany that they would miss their connection? I'm surprised they didn't just send them home if there was no way they would get a flight out of IAD last night.

Edit - I was looking at United's website. Were they on the flight that was scheduled to leave @ 7:42pm that didn't leave until 11:12pm? Their connecting flight to Orlando left @ 9:50pm. I still don't understand why they didn't just send them home rather than dumping them into an airport closed for the night.

I think the lesson learned is not to take a connection on the last flight of the day.

 

[Alexander]

When there are summer thunderstorms in the northeast, it can be worse than a winter snow storm. The airports all get backed up.

Did they know when they left Albany that they would miss their connection? I'm surprised they didn't just send them home if there was no way they would get a flight out of IAD last night.

Edit - I was looking at United's website. Were they on the flight that was scheduled to leave @ 7:42pm that didn't leave until 11:12pm? Their connecting flight to Orlando left @ 9:50pm. I still don't understand why they didn't just send them home rather than dumping them into an airport closed for the night.

I think the lesson learned is not to take a connection on the last flight of the day.

This is absolutely the key here! They needed to be proactive in Albany before they even boarded the plane last night. They knew what time their connecting flight was leaving and that they weren't going to make it. As soon as that was the case, they should have been in line for the gate agent and getting a confirmed seat on the next available flight out--even if it was the next morning. There have been many times we've been delayed flying out of small NE airports. When we have a connection and we aren't going to make it, we have the gate agent at our home airport get us confirmed seats on a flight that we will make. Oftentimes, we have been switched to several different flights depending on how long the delay continues. Delta has even booked us on several flights at the same time to our final destination from our connecting airport hoping we'll catch at least one of them. This is the number one reason I will not travel without my laptop! I often will find myself a flight and ask the gate agent to get me on it. They are often very appreciative that I am not yelling about missing my flight and have done something to help them find me one. I understand that they are young and haven't flown before, but I'm sure they will learn a lot about travel by the time they are done.

 

[Tara]

This is absolutely the key here! They needed to be proactive in Albany before they even boarded the plane last night. They knew what time their connecting flight was leaving and that they weren't going to make it. As soon as that was the case, they should have been in line for the gate agent and getting a confirmed seat on the next available flight out--even if it was the next morning. There have been many times we've been delayed flying out of small NE airports. When we have a connection and we aren't going to make it, we have the gate agent at our home airport get us confirmed seats on a flight that we will make. Oftentimes, we have been switched to several different flights depending on how long the delay continues. Delta has even booked us on several flights at the same time to our final destination from our connecting airport hoping we'll catch at least one of them. This is the number one reason I will not travel without my laptop! I often will find myself a flight and ask the gate agent to get me on it. They are often very appreciative that I am not yelling about missing my flight and have done something to help them find me one. I understand that they are young and haven't flown before, but I'm sure they will learn a lot about travel by the time they are done.

I can't agree with this more - it's so important to be proactive and start thinking about Plan B at the first sign of a delay!

 

[DebbieB]

When a delay is announced, if there's a line at the counter, don't stand in it. Get on your cellphone or go to a pay phone and call reservations. I have all the airlines I fly programmed into my cellphone.

 

[connie1042]

At least they were stuck in an airport and not the airplane.!!!I am very close to Rochester MN, where last week they had the plane come to Rochester instead of Minneapolis/St. Paul. They were having storms there. So they flew here, about 80 miles away.. They did not let them get off the plane for 6 1/2 hours. Now that would have upset me!!!!

 

[Alexander]

When a delay is announced, if there's a line at the counter, don't stand in it. Get on your cellphone or go to a pay phone and call reservations. I have all the airlines I fly programmed into my cellphone.

Have they helped you via the phone? I have always been told that only the gate agents can help me. I've even gone back through security to the main ticketing counter to only be sent back to the gate agents. I was not rebooking, I was just looking to be rescheduled on another flight. And then of course there was the 18 hour delay with Delta and I couldn't even get a person on the phone--this was after a major snow storm shut down several NE airports for 2 days though.

 

[Tara]

Have they helped you via the phone? I have always been told that only the gate agents can help me. I've even gone back through security to the main ticketing counter to only be sent back to the gate agents. I was not rebooking, I was just looking to be rescheduled on another flight. And then of course there was the 18 hour delay with Delta and I couldn't even get a person on the phone--this was after a major snow storm shut down several NE airports for 2 days though.

I've been helped via phone many times. In fact, I've had plenty of times that the gate agents were encouraging people to call to get help faster when there were many people waiting and few agents to help. (Most recent incident of this - July 2, HSV.)

I will say, though, that I will wait in line and get on the phone at the same time. That way I cover both bases and if a phone agent picks up before I get to the counter, I get out of line.

 

[anonymousegirl]

In the past I have used my cell phone to get a new reservation when my flight delays make me miss my connection. Did it last July in Atlanta when AirTran was completely backed up (as was every other airline due to thunderstorms). I call DH and he got on his computer and I call the 800 number while waiting in a 200 person line.

Within 10 minutes my friend and I were rebooked on the 10pm flight and we were able to get out of that slow-moving line and relax a bit.

 

[seashoreCM]

Good customer relations includes serving a newbie (or anyone else) who missed a connection over a premier gold elite (or anyone else) who arrived at the ticket counter to start his journey or stand by for an earlier flight.

If the airline could sell a ticket to an elite customer it should have booked your son on that flight five or more minutes sooner.

I would write to customer service asking for compensation if I found out I was demoted for a reason such as this.

 

[litlpixie]

Thank you to those who gave some great advice for the next time. The kids have made it to CBR and all is well. If he would have listened to his wise mom, he would have been on a SW flight Sunday morning and wouldn't have missed 2 days of his package Live and learn!

Blessings!

-Penny

 

[carolina_yankee]

Thank you to those who gave some great advice for the next time. The kids have made it to CBR and all is well. If he would have listened to his wise mom, he would have been on a SW flight Sunday morning and wouldn't have missed 2 days of his package Live and learn!

Blessings!

-Penny

And may they have a wonderful time!

Dirk

 

[crashbb]

Good customer relations includes serving a newbie who missed a connection over a premier gold elite who arrived at the ticket counter later to start his journey.

If the airline could sell a ticket to an elite customer it should have booked your son on that flight five or more minutes sooner.

I would write to customer service asking for compensation if I found out I was demoted for a reason such as this.

Is there EVER a situation where you don't scream for compensation? Did you take even a second to think that there may have ONE seat for sale not THREE? Did you expect the OP's son and his friends to all sit on top of each other?

The OP's son could have paid for the ticket, five or more minutes before the Elite and would have been on the plane.

Compensation for the airline following their policy? Umm...okay. That's an interesting option... If you don't like the policy - don't fly the airline!