Local news/stranded travelers

[sam_gordon]

It was a number of years ago, but travelling out of Newark to home with a connection at Midway...

A summer storm parked us on the tarmac at Newark for three hours. The plane finally took off. Needless to say most of that plane missed their connections (me included). Two young ladies in the row behind me and myself went up to the front counter and asked for hotel rooms. Guess what, we (and many others) got them... paid for by the airline and reconnected on flights the next morning.

I know that was years ago and things have changed and this winter storm affected MANY more people, but it has happened. lol

As far as sleeping at the airport... after 9/11, our flight departed Orlando as scheduled (boo!), but our connection in Atlanta kept getting delayed, delayed, delayed and finally cancelled ~11pm. We got rescheduled on an 8am flight the next day. It made no sense to DW and I to schlep us, two kids, and assorted carry on luggage to a hotel, then back through security. So we camped out.

 

[seashoreCM]

I have done early standby out on various occasions including to Disney. This was before airlines charged a fee to do that.

One time I snagged a seat (from Boston to) Honolulu during peak season, Christmas time. This was done before the storm hit. The dates were the kind where you have to book at IPO* to get the lowest fare.

No story telling let alone sob stories. If the agent said he could not even put me on the standby list, I go away and wait for the next flight and try again.

... nor do they know if they will get his bag back.

If the bag got out on an earlier flight and the passenger ultimatedly cancelled the entire trip when his own flight was cancelled, the airline has to get the bag back sooner or later.

And I do suggest that by all means go enjoy yourself in town (no compensation) as opposed to wait or stand by at the airport for an earlier replacement flight home if you so desire. Now the only way to get magically expressed back to the World is to book at a Disney's resort and then go to the DME welcoming area, B side lowest level (MCO only).

... this winter storm affected MANY more people, but it has happened ...

I was in what New Englanders called The Blizzard Of '78. Massachusetts as a state had a driving ban for something like a week. Fortunately I had no travel plans then. Yes, WDW was crowded at times back then, but there was just one theme park, Magic Kingdom.

* Initial public offering, which in some cases is afternoon of the 332'nd day in advance.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I still suggest reporting to the airport early to "see if" I can snag a seat out before the storm. If that fails, I would just leave, and come back for my appointed flight (or stay and standby again if the airport hasn't closed yet).

WHY would you do that when virtually every airline posted its bad-weather change policy well in advance of the storm???

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I flew home from Cancun Sunday. AirTran at Cancun told everyone that if they did NOT get on the plane they were not getting on a plane. So they all flew to Atlanta where LOTS of them were STUCK. No fault of thier own. They could NOT get through to AirTran on the phone and the gate agents there said they were "cancelling' if you didn't get on the plane (Like most airlines I expect they were contract employees) So you got on. (I did get home but I don't live in an affected area)

Plus most of us didn't watch the news while laying on the beach so.... most of us had no clue until we hit Atlanta that there was an issue

 

[seashoreCM]

I AirTran at Cancun told everyone that if they did NOT get on the plane they were not getting on a plane. So they all flew to Atlanta where LOTS of them were STUCK.

Of course you must board your flight if it was not cancelled.

If/when later flights out of Cancun were cancelled due to weather on the mainland then seats on resuming flights are needed to rebook those whose flights were cancelled.

If you succeed in changing your reservation in advance to spend more time in Cancun, then enjoy the extra time there.

Know any great tourist sites and restaurants in Atlanta?

Why would you do that (report to the airport) ...

e.g. If the airline (I won't name it) won't make me a new advance reservation unless I agreed to pay a higher fare or accept a reservation possibly way way out that has seats in a certain category.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When he asked to get his bag back, they told him that it was on it's way to Atlanta . . . airline doesn't know when they can get him out, nor do they know if they will get his bag back. They do claim that he will get a refund.

Many airlines seem to be getting stranded passengers out by Thursday or Friday, and scheduled passengers out on schedule now. I'm also not sure about the luggage concern, since the luggage office for each airline is right by its carousel/s and is charged with, among other things, pulling and storing unclaimed luggage.

 

[DebbieB]

Many airlines seem to be getting stranded passengers out by Thursday or Friday, and scheduled passengers out on schedule now. I'm also not sure about the luggage concern, since the luggage office for each airline is right by its carousel/s and is charged with, among other things, pulling and storing unclaimed luggage.

There was a story on the local Pittsburgh channel tonight, there is a ton of unclaimed luggage sitting in baggage claim at PIT, all over the place. The luggage was loaded on the planes but the people did not make the flight. That happened to me a couple of times, I did standby for an earlier flight, didn't make it but my luggage did. It wasn't in the office, it was just sitting on the side, anyone could have taken it.

My bet is the airports with stranded passengers did not have room for all of it so they started putting them on planes when flights resumed.

 

[Carole]

Last December our flight out of Orlando was delayed about 5 hours until the Baltimore airport reopened after a heavy snowstorm. We set near the Southwest service counter and listened to everyone complaining to the SW reps. People were getting nasty about wanting compensation, complaining other planes were landing at various airports, etc. The workers were so patient - handing out the refund guidelines (non due to weather related events) and explaining what was going on. High praise to those workers!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Of course you must board your flight if it was not cancelled.

If/when later flights out of Cancun were cancelled due to weather on the mainland then seats on resuming flights are needed to rebook those whose flights were cancelled.

If you succeed in changing your reservation in advance to spend more time in Cancun, then enjoy the extra time there.

Know any great tourist sites and restaurants in Atlanta?


e.g. If the airline (I won't name it) won't make me a new advance reservation unless I agreed to pay a higher fare or accept a reservation possibly way way out that has seats in a certain category.

WHAT? I fly a lot. Generally when I get to the airport in let's say "LAX" if my flight to Salt Lake is fine but the flgiht from Salt Lake home is cancelled the airline WORKS with me, including rebooking me the next day. They dont' just fly me to Salt Lake and dump me there

Do you fly much? Because they generally look at your ENTIRE routing not just 1/2 of it!

 

[goofy4tink]

I've told this story before, but here goes....
Two years ago we were flying out of FtL, on Dec 31. We had a morning flight...left about 10ish. It was going to snow up in NE, but nothing major, so no delays. So, we are about 2 hrs into the flight, should soon be descending. They make an announcement that we have been circling for a bit due to an issue in Providence. Okaaay. Then dh says..'We're going to Philly.'' Crap. Yep, we are diverted to Philly. Now, TFGreen in Providence had gotten about 3'' of snow, nothing major. But, somebody had broken some piece of runway equipment which prevented us from landing during that 20 min period. We got to Philly and were offered two options....
1. get off the plane, get a room for the night (NYE) that we pay for, and SW would get us out in the morning. Oh, our checked bags weren't leaving the plane.
or..
2. stay on the plane, go back to FtL, get off, get checked bags, get a room (again that we pay for) and SW would fly us home the next morning.

DH got on the phone with SW, got us on the first flight out in the morning, then called Holiday Inn and got us a room close to the airport.

What a huge pain. Especially when you find out that there were about 4 planes that didn't land that day due to that instrument issue. BUT SW needed that plane back in FtL, with the new crew, that night. And they didn't much care about the passengers. They did allow us off the plane to get something to eat, but we had 30 mins to do it since they were turning right around. Otherwise, it was snacks for us....and a total of about 7 hrs on that darn plane. Not a wonderful NYE that year!! But it does show that the airlines don't go out of their way to make the flying public happy.