Compensation when airline REALLY messed up your trip? UPDATE heard from USAir post 47

[goofy4tink]

To answer your original question, asking for 4 free roundtrip tickets is unreasonable and will most likely end up in frustration and no satisfaction. Unfortunately, you are not a "valued customer" in that you probably bought el cheapo tickets and you and your family only fly once or twice a year. Sure you can huff and puff and say I will never fly US Air again, but in the end if US Air is the cheapest from your airport most casual flyers will not spend hundreds more on the once yearly vacation to make a point that more than likely the airlines won't give 2 cents about. They are most likely to give you maybe 4 $50 certs or 5K in miles that will not be able to be combined for one trip. If you are lucky you will get $100 certs or 10K per person in separate FF accounts.

I'm going to take exception to this whole 'preferred, valued customer' issue. It's really hard to have return business when you make life miserable for those less frequent fliers. I know that I care much more about how a company handles an issue, vs how cheaply I can buy the product. For instance....I bought a fridge, and paid a bit more for it than I could have. Why? Because I knew that the store I was buying it from has a record of dealing with issues on a timely and very good basis.
But....when an airline makes a mistake, and admits it??? Why in heaven's name would anyone assume that only 'preferred, valued' customers would be compensated??? That is outrageous. This airline messed up a passengers itinerary..to a huge extent. We get people getting $50 credit vouchers for an airline making a 3 hr change in departure times...forget about cancelling until the next day!!!

could the OP have gone on, without her friend?? Sure. And I'm pretty sure that if she had known she was going to be denied boarding, she may have made a different choice. She tried to be a supportive friend..hindsight is pretty much always 20/20.

The airline, quite simply, is at fault here. They admitted it. Why would anyone try to blame the passenger?? Not everyone who flies is 'elite'...the vast majority of fliers are not. Just because someone is considered 'elite' by an airline does NOT entitle just them to decent treatment. I have friends who got $50 credit vouchers from JB simply because their tv's didn't work properly on a flight!! And they are not 'elite' fliers nor did they pay big bucks for their flight. As I said, I patronize businesses who 'do the right thing' when something goes wrong. I watch which airlines make things right. This is a big reason I fly pretty much only SW and JB...I have had issues, they dealt with them. It's really not all about the price of fares or whether or not I am a 'valued' customer.

 

[LaurenT]

Thank you Jaymie and Got2luvtink,
Prncss is just being realistic I think...the service on airlines has dropped like a stone...
I was a flight attendant (18 years ago!), back then, if there was a mechaical issue, they simply deadheaded an empty plane in to take the flight...that kind of surpluss no longer exists.
While I'm not a frequent flyer, they should be concerned with reputation. If they get a reputation for messing things up themselves and then throwing their hands up, when passengers have a choice, they will choose someone else.
I really don't want to be compensated by dropping my husbands name...then what? I tell my friends "oh, you can fly US Air as long as you have a FF standing by who can deal with them if they screw up?"
I take care of ALL my customers, not just the ones who give me alot of sales, it's bad business to do otherwise. I have gotten alot from the little customer who was so happy with me that she sent other people to me - and THEY became big customers...
We all mess up, the difference between the good company and the bad is that the good company will do what they can to mitigate the problems they caused the customer.

 

[gibsontrio]

I feel your pain OP. I am not a "frequent flyer" . Over the Christmas holidays I was traveling with my children and was cancelled and delayed twice, due to the snow once and ice the other. I understood there was nothing they could do about the snow, but the service and disrespect I received was unacceptable (delta). I emailed Delta twice (once for each delayed flight #), the only way they will compensate you or refund your money. I did not expect to be compensated, I actually just emailed them so they would approach the issues with the workers I had. I received an apology and 2-$100 (total $600) per person travel vouchers for future flights. Now if you spent $600 on each ticket, that wouldnt come close to a refund, but at least it would be something. Again, I didnt ask for compensation, but I think it is pretty much understood when you email them you expect it at some level.
Hope you get somewhere, keep us posted!

 

[prncess674]

Goofy4Tink,
I think you need to chill out. I am simply saying it like it really is. Sure we all think the world should work like a Kindergarten classroom where everyone is treated fairly and everybody says please and thank you, but many times life is not fair. In reality, those who spend more and fly more ARE treated better by airlines. I never said it was right, but the track record for airlines these days is to only care about those who generate a constant revenue stream to their bottom line.

I don't recall the Spirit Airlines executive title, but in no uncertain terms he stated that the infrequent traveler was not important to the business. Sure it got lots of press, but do you see a majority of people boycotting Spirit because of the comment? No, they are still flying because they are cheap!

Your fridge example is bogus. You said you would pay "a little bit more" but would you pay double for better service? People make airline decisions based on price. 95% of the threads here on the DIS are all about bargain shopping airfare. No one ever says "what's the best airline and I don't care if I pay more for it."


LaurenT,
Yes you should have called your DH and had him call the elite line and get him to work from that end via the phone. Ticket agents aren't always the most knowledgeable. An elite line phone agent are some of the most versed and have a LOT of power. When time is of the issue using all resources is just smart. On numerous occasions my family has called me during irrops and we all are working every angle to get things worked out.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Is it unreasonable to expect them to offer us a free round trip?

It is absolutely unreasonable to expect a free round trip and it will never happen.

It's not unreasonable to expect good service.

 

[LaurenT]

Maybe dragging my DH into it would have helped, the fact is I doubt it..they were completely dumbfounded about what had gone wrong - there should have been a ticket number and yet - there wasn't one...there was no time to figure it out before the plane left...I think they still don't know what they did to the tickets!
But that aside, I'm one of those stupid idealists..I think epopel should behave honorably, although I understand that many do not. I will, however, do what I can to spread the word about a company that behaves incompetently and then refuses to take responsibility for it - and I do have a pretty big mouth - it has served me well in the past.
I will not beg and cry to US Air, I will simply add my two cents in to any conversation to let people know what their ethics are and then t's up to those people whether or not they feel comfortable flying with them (of course, I haven't heard back from them yet - could be that they will be fair about all this and that this conversation is a moot point).

I bought a TV once...at the time, it was state of the art. And, yes, it was top of the line. We paid alot more than some other models because it had great reviews and comsumer reports gave it high marks in both performance and reliability.
Well, ours turned out to be a lemon - it happens - even Mercedes makes lemons on occasion - can't get upset about that, as long as the company takes responsibity for it.
So, they tries to fix it 4 times - each time they made it worse. They even switched out the mother board. Then they wanted to send the guy over a 5th time...I had had enough. It ha been months, my tv did not work properly and I no longer had a "new TV" - it was a lemon and I wanted it replaced...noone was stepping up to the plate and I was fed up.
So, with Christmas 2 weeks away, I called the store where I had bought it one more time. Everything I told them, which I will repeat for you here, was in fact, true, I wasn't just blowing hot air at them.
I said, "Look, you sold me a lemon. It's not getting better, it;'s getting worse. I want a new TV. I called the manufacturer and they aren't going to do anyting for me..why would they? When is the next time I'll make a purchase like this? I have no pull with them..but you do. You give them alot of business, you buy from them everyday. So, you are going to give me a new TV and then you are going to deal with them to take back the bad one.
I have news vans for 3 tv stations and one newpaper standing by waiting for me to call and tell them I am on my way to your store. I have a pile of flyers printed up explaining exactly how I've been given the run around. I have told the news people that I intend to stand in front of your store, on your property and hand out these flyers until I am arrested. I am going to be there in one hour unless you tell me you are bringing me a new TV today".
The man put me on hold, the store manager came on 5 minutes later and told me they would deliver a new TV that evening....and they did. I should not have had to do that to get what I deserved, but that's the way it is sometimes....

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You already have a thread started on this same topic:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2667847

 

[LaurenT]

You already have a thread started on this same topic:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2667847

Yes, this was actually the first post, but I wasn't getting any response, so I reposted with a "catchier" title....

 

[amym2]

Yes, you will most likely get a voucher for future travel. How horrible that your trip got so messed up. My parents just flew from Dallas to Miami and their flight was so late (maintenance problems then bad weather) that they missed their cruise. The decided just to fly back home and they had problems again (flight crew delayed in Orlando then no field crew). The pilot actually told the whole plane his name and said "When you write to American Airlines, direct your letter to the president whose name is..." He said in 40 years of being a pilot, the field crew had never just disappeared (apparently they went to lunch). So my parents have written their letters and will see what happens. So yes, absolutely, write a letter explaining exactly what happened, how it impacted your trip, etc and expect to receive something.

 

[prncess674]

I bought a TV once...at the time, it was state of the art. And, yes, it was top of the line. We paid alot more than some other models because it had great reviews and comsumer reports gave it high marks in both performance and reliability.
Well, ours turned out to be a lemon - it happens - even Mercedes makes lemons on occasion - can't get upset about that, as long as the company takes responsibity for it.
So, they tries to fix it 4 times - each time they made it worse. They even switched out the mother board. Then they wanted to send the guy over a 5th time...I had had enough. It ha been months, my tv did not work properly and I no longer had a "new TV" - it was a lemon and I wanted it replaced...noone was stepping up to the plate and I was fed up.
So, with Christmas 2 weeks away, I called the store where I had bought it one more time. Everything I told them, which I will repeat for you here, was in fact, true, I wasn't just blowing hot air at them.
I said, "Look, you sold me a lemon. It's not getting better, it;'s getting worse. I want a new TV. I called the manufacturer and they aren't going to do anyting for me..why would they? When is the next time I'll make a purchase like this? I have no pull with them..but you do. You give them alot of business, you buy from them everyday. So, you are going to give me a new TV and then you are going to deal with them to take back the bad one.
I have news vans for 3 tv stations and one newpaper standing by waiting for me to call and tell them I am on my way to your store. I have a pile of flyers printed up explaining exactly how I've been given the run around. I have told the news people that I intend to stand in front of your store, on your property and hand out these flyers until I am arrested. I am going to be there in one hour unless you tell me you are bringing me a new TV today".
The man put me on hold, the store manager came on 5 minutes later and told me they would deliver a new TV that evening....and they did. I should not have had to do that to get what I deserved, but that's the way it is sometimes....

This is so sad that you bullied the store into giving you a new TV. The store had a set of policies and you agreed to their policies by shopping at that store. More than likely they had a policy of electronics can be returned in X days and any defects found after X days should be returned to the manufacturer. The store didn't make your TV. They are a reseller and they had to write off that TV because you used a bully tactic. Yes, plenty times stores will give into unreasonable demands simply to make an irate customer go away. This little post was very enlightening to your belief structure.

 

[rdevine10]

FWIW, you can edit your titles without starting a new post

On to the question!

A few years ago our flights got really screwed up on one vacation. We were flying Air Tran. They cancelled our flight on the way down to Orlando saying the crew didnt show up, in reality it was obvious that the plane was too low on passengers as everyone was bumped to a flight 5 hours later. (amazing how we all fit- sense my sarcasm). And then on the way home the same thing happened.... except it was maintenance issues on a flight that was really undersold- again wait 6 hours in the airport (when I had a 2 and 5 year old each time).

I wasnt going to try for any compensation, but while waiting at the airport (and getting to know all of our fellow passengers), I learned someone called the customer service line and was comped free roundtrip tickets. So, of course I called and was offered the same..... on the way home they offered my free one way tickets (not round trip) and upgraded us to 1st class. I was pleasant with the reps... (ok, I might of been really frustrated on the way home as they screwed up the 2nd time in a week!), but I was pleasant and insistent.

PS: one of the families that we met on our 1st flight there was actually on our return flight home as well. We got to know them pretty well... all those hours in an airport, and both families with young kids!

 

[LaurenT]

This is so sad that you bullied the store into giving you a new TV. The store had a set of policies and you agreed to their policies by shopping at that store. More than likely they had a policy of electronics can be returned in X days and any defects found after X days should be returned to the manufacturer. The store didn't make your TV. They are a reseller and they had to write off that TV because you used a bully tactic. Yes, plenty times stores will give into unreasonable demands simply to make an irate customer go away. This little post was very enlightening to your belief structure.

lol...no, the store got the company to take it back, something they never would have done for me. I did report the issue in plenty of time for their x mnumber of days policy. But I find it interesting that you pity the tv store, but not the traveler who is too stupid to be "elite". And you recommend having my DH bully the airline... since he's the one with clout, but the TV store should not bully the company when they are the ones with clout...

 

[ssawka]

I don't recall the Spirit Airlines executive title, but in no uncertain terms he stated that the infrequent traveler was not important to the business. Sure it got lots of press, but do you see a majority of people boycotting Spirit because of the comment? No, they are still flying because they are cheap!

Prncess674,

I realize you are just stating it like you believe it is, but the problem with this attiude is that you never know when the "infrequent traveler" will turn into a "frequent traveler".

 

[prncess674]

lol...no, the store got the company to take it back, something they never would have done for me. I did report the issue in plenty of time for their x mnumber of days policy. But I find it interesting that you pity the tv store, but not the traveler who is too stupid to be "elite". And you recommend having my DH bully the airline... since he's the one with clout, but the TV store should not bully the company when they are the ones with clout...

Not once did I say make your DH bully the airline. I said for him to call and speak with a well trained agent that is at his disposal who could assist in an irrops situation. I didn't say for him to call and make irate demands. Also since your DH is FF then he knows the ins and out and could have maybe helped you think thru the situation.

 

[LaurenT]

Not once did I say make your DH bully the airline. I said for him to call and speak with a well trained agent that is at his disposal who could assist in an irrops situation. I didn't say for him to call and make irate demands. Also since your DH is FF then he knows the ins and out and could have maybe helped you think thru the situation.

And when I called the TV store, there was nothing irate about it. I had patiently let them come to my house 4 times, spending well over an hour each time trying to fix my tv, after the 3rd time I started asking for my TV to be replaced. The store said it was the manufacturers responsibility, the manufacturer said it was the stores responsibility - I was simply willing to share my true story with the public so they could decide if they trusted the store to take care of them in the event that they received a lemon. If the store felt they had behaved acceptably, then who cares if I hand out flyers? They'd have nothing to be embarrassed about....
In my letter to US Air, I made it clear that I hoped that they would compensate me appropriately for the inconvenience brought on for me and my fellow travelers by their company's egregious mistakes. If they don't, I will tell my story to whoever will listen...that's not bullying...it's capitalism at it's best.

 

[Lewisc]

One of the problems traveling during a holiday week is the unavailability of alternative flights if issues come up.

Your outgoing flight was canceled due to mechanical issues. Jet Blue has a formal customer satisfaction policy listed on their website. At most you would have received a $50 voucher. I doubt your airline would give you much more.

You made the choice not to fly home. Nothing wrong with staying with your friend. I might have done the same thing. I'm not sure the airline owes you anything.

If I were your friend I'd be asking for compensation equal to what I'd be entitled to if I was involuntarily denied boarding, my ticket back (to use on a later flight) and 200% of the value of the ticket up to $800. Technically your friend doesn't come under idb, since she wasn't ticketed. I'd settle for vouchers instead of cash since IDB probably doesn't apply.

What is to stop an airline from "making mistakes and canceling tickets" to handle overbooking? I'd probably take the position the flight was overbooked and the airline canceled my reservation.

Sounds like you waited until you got to the airport to print your BP. Had you tried to print your BP before you got to MCO you have known about the problem in time to either call or at least get to the airport a lot earlier.

The PP makes some sense. Airlines are going to give more to their elite flyers. I suspect an elite flyer might get more then a $50 voucher for the canceled outgoing flight. The airline might have accommodated an elite flyer on an earlier flight by further overbooking an overbooked flight.

Doesn't change the fact that every passenger is entitled to a certain degree of service.

 

[LaurenT]

Yes, I printed our boarding passes for the flight to Orlando, but, my IPhone doesn't have a printer, lol, so I figured we'd just get to the airport a little earlier than usual to check in - I had checked the flight status - we had confirmed reservations with seat assignments...it never occurred to me that they would have gone into the system and changed those around...there was absolutely no reason for them to do so. I guess next time I'll reconfirm everything the night before even if I can't print my BP...live and learn.
The funny thing is that when United got me a flight into Dulles to then transfer to DCA and catch up with my friend to stay overnight, they put me on an oversold flight (remember that US Air would not help me). The gate agent was asking for volunteers and offering $400 vouchers. I was at the desk when he mentioned that he was going to do this and then call me to assign me my seat (there were 21 names for seat assignments, 10 seats oversold, Becky and I were 1 and 2 on the list, so our seats were secure). I apologized and said I really couldn't volunteer, that we were already delayed beyond belief - he said he understood and Becky and I took a seat to wait for our turn.
Well, when he announced the request for volunteers, one of the options was for seats on a flight leaving and hour and a half later, going to DCA instead of Dulles! That's where we needed to be anyway, so we volunteered. He sent us to the other gate, and guess what? It was a US Air flight that they had moved us to! So, the airlines gave us each a $400 voucher for a flight we would have been happy to take in the first place. I am keeping one of the vouchers and have given the other to Christine to use.
If they come back and offer similar vouchers for my friend and her daughter, I think that would be appropriate.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes, this was actually the first post, but I wasn't getting any response, so I reposted with a "catchier" title....

Actually, you got three pages of responses. Not sure why you thought you might get different answers with a new thread.

 

[LaurenT]

Actually, you got three pages of responses. Not sure why you thought you might get different answers with a new thread.

No, there weren't any responses before, most of the ones here are somehow copied over from the other thread....could a moderator be in the middle of merging them?
Yesterday, this one just sank to the second page while the new one had lots of replies. What I was really looking for was anyone with actual past experience receiving compensation of any type for an airlines mistakes - and, while I did get a couple of those, mostly I got opinions, which is fine.
We'll see, I should hear from them sometime this week....

 

[goofy4tink]

Goofy4Tink,
I think you need to chill out. I am simply saying it like it really is. Sure we all think the world should work like a Kindergarten classroom where everyone is treated fairly and everybody says please and thank you, but many times life is not fair. In reality, those who spend more and fly more ARE treated better by airlines. I never said it was right, but the track record for airlines these days is to only care about those who generate a constant revenue stream to their bottom line.

I don't recall the Spirit Airlines executive title, but in no uncertain terms he stated that the infrequent traveler was not important to the business. Sure it got lots of press, but do you see a majority of people boycotting Spirit because of the comment? No, they are still flying because they are cheap!

Your fridge example is bogus. You said you would pay "a little bit more" but would you pay double for better service? People make airline decisions based on price. 95% of the threads here on the DIS are all about bargain shopping airfare. No one ever says "what's the best airline and I don't care if I pay more for it."


LaurenT,
Yes you should have called your DH and had him call the elite line and get him to work from that end via the phone. Ticket agents aren't always the most knowledgeable. An elite line phone agent are some of the most versed and have a LOT of power. When time is of the issue using all resources is just smart. On numerous occasions my family has called me during irrops and we all are working every angle to get things worked out.

Seriously??? Chill out??? Man...not a very nice attitude. Who said anything about flying with Spirit??? I didn't. I don't fly Spirit. Not my favorite airline by a long shot. And I'm really sorry you didn't 'get' my fridge analogy. But yes, it is the same thing. A company make an error, they fixed it without my having to have a hissy fit.
Yes, the vast majority of people flying choose cheap airfare. BUT...if the airlines says it is going to deliver a particular service, then it should deliver that service. We are NOT talking about a few hours delay here. We are talking about next day travel..and the airline employee admitted it was the airline's mistake. Why is it so hard to think that the airline should be doing something to make up for that mistake??? I'm not saying r/t travel is going to be offered..it shouldn't be. But, something should be offered.

It gets a wee bit tiring to listen to those 'elite' travelers saying they deserve everything and the cheapos out there should pretty much consider themselves lucky if they get to their destination within a few days!!! The airlines put those airfares out there...if they are going to decide they can change flights to different days, with no recourse for the passengers then perhaps they need to state it..right up front....in big letters.

I really don't enjoy being told to 'chill out'. It borders on rudeness, sarcasm and plain nastiness. Perhaps that 'kindergarten' mentality is needed here...some more please and thankyou...a little common courtesy is always nice. But that may be too much to expect.