Honeibee
<font color=darkgreen>Lives in Fear of Sweeps<br><
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2005
- Messages
- 3,080
We recently went to Antigua for our delayed honeymoon. Rather then type it all out again, here is the letter I am sending to American Airlines. My letter to the Sandals Resort will follow shortly. Please realize I am usually not much of a complainer. But this was just way too much. I thought they should know how we felt.
Sir/Madam,
I realize that American Airlines "knows why you fly". I'd like to tell you why we won't be flying on American anytime in the future.
For our honeymoon we chose the Sandals Resort in Antigua. It was an all inclusive package which included airfare. Sandals booked us on the following flights:
AA Flight #815 Tuesday Nov 29 Leaving New York John F Kennedy at 7:15am, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 12:01pm.
AA Flight #1857 Tuesday Nov 29 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 1:30pm, arriving Antigua VC Bird at 2:36pm.
AA Flight #792 Sunday Dec 4 Leaving Antigua VC Bird at 3:48pm, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 5:03pm.
AA Flight #1488 Sunday Dec 4 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 6:50pm, arriving New York John F Kennedy at 9:45pm.
Let me tell you what actually happened.
We arrived at JFK at 5:00am, assuring the required two hours before departure. The line to check baggage was over one hour long, due apparently to a canceled flight to San Juan the previous day. An airport employee was asking everyone on line what flights they were taking and of they were taking a domestic flight they were being directed to electronic check-in. We were so directed. We got out of the line and went to electronic check-in only to find out San Juan was not "domestic" so we had to get back into the original but now longer line.
We finally boarded plane #1, pulled out to the tarmac and waited. For over an hour. While apparently the mechanics tried to fix some sort of problem. Which turned out to not be fixable and we went back to the terminal and got off the plane.
After some time we were told to board plane #2. We started wondering if our luggage was going to make it to this plane. After boarding, we waited in line for the runway, then started to take off. As we were powering up, we suddenly came to a halt, and pilot announced that the plane had a hydraulic problem and we'd have to go back to the hanger.
Where we sat in the plane about 45 minutes while the mechanics tried to repair the hydraulics.
Since I spent so much time sitting on this plane going nowhere I couldn't help but notice how dirty it was. There was trash on the floor and gross things smeared on the tray table in front of me. Very nasty!
Finally we were told the plane was being taken out of service and we'd have to go back to the terminal.
About now we were starting to be concerned that we would miss our 1:30pm connecting flight.
Also about now our fellow passengers were starting to get very angry.
In an effort to rebook on other airlines, passengers started storming the desk and asking the attendant questions. Clearly, she was unable to help everyone and she had no answers as to what was going on. The situation was quickly becoming ugly and I believe she called for some other attendants to help her. Announcements were made and a line was formed. But still we did not know what was going on. One announcement said they were not sure if that flight was canceled or not and they would let us know as soon as some determination was made.
An announcement was made that in "five minutes" we would know what was going on.
45 minutes later the same announcement was made.
We still had no idea what was going on.
Also about this time the attendants started handing out vouchers for food. We did not go get one because we were afraid to give up our place in line.
Things were incredibly disorganized. People were getting in the wrong lines and getting angrier. Quite frankly I was getting very nervous being in this angry mob.
We called Sandals to let them know what was going on, and to see if they could rebook us on another airline. We knew by now we would in all likelihood miss our connecting flight. Sandals was no help whatsoever. Even though they had made the travel arrangements they refused to take any responsibility or ownership for the situation were now in. They also told us that if we wanted to book on another airline at this time it would be at our own expense. So basically we were trapped. We had no answers as to what was going on with out flight, we couldn't get our luggage off the plane, and we couldn't rebook with another airline unless we wanted to pay out of pocket. And no matter what happened at this point, we were losing one night of our rather expensive honeymoon.
At 1:10pm there was an announcement that they were bringing another plane - #3 - from the hanger and we would start boarding at 1:30. We were still in line at this time, although we had made some progress and were about two people from the desk. At that point, the other attendants had to leave and we were left with one attendant again. Now everyone in line was panicking and pushing to the desk and it was total chaos again.
I was wondering why no one called Security or why there wasn't some sort of organized plan to handle this mess.
As we were finally boarding plane #3 and praying for no more mechanical issues, even though announcements were being made to board by group number, some people were just too wound up and angry and would not listen. Especially one belligerent group who started giving the attendant a hard time. Again I had to wonder why there wasn't some sort of Security called in.
Plane #3 seemed to be a newer plane and we were able to take off without incident. But we didn't take off until 2:30pm.
When we landed in San Juan we gathered our luggage and went to the American service desk, where we were given a voucher for a hotel and a meal. We were put up at the Best Western at the airport which had the smallest room I have ever seen at a hotel. Although I will say the fact that the hotel was brand new was very nice.
We were rebooked on the 1:30pm flight on Wednesday December 5.
We checked in and boarded the 1:30pm flight without issue. Then we sat there. And sat there. And sat there. Apparently there was a problem with luggage that had no passenger to match it. So they had to take all the luggage off the plane and recheck it.
The 1:30pm flight left at 3:00pm. More time lost of our vacation.
We were able to extend our vacation by a day, only because Sandals happened to have the vacancy and my husband and I were both able to take an additional and unpaid day off from work.
We rebooked on the following flights:
AA Flight #792 Monday Dec 5 Leaving Antigua VC Bird at 3:48pm, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 5:03pm.
AA Flight #1488 Monday Dec 5 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 6:50pm, arriving New York John F Kennedy at 9:45pm.
Remarkably, our flight #792 was uneventful. Except for the confusion over which carousel actually had our luggage. The passengers were like lemmings, moving from one carousel to another.
But upon our arrival to New York John F Kennedy (we had landed on time) we had to sit on the plane for over an hour before we could get to the gate.
We will not be flying on American Airlines any time in the near future. We were concerned for our safety after so may failed attempts to leave New York. The attendants were rude and unprofessional. The planes were dirty. The stewards and stewardesses had very bad attitudes. We never got straight or correct answers from anyone. I have flown many times on many different airlines and have never encountered so many problems that apparently could not be resolved! Why were there so many mechanical issues? Why were we left standing in lines in the terminal for so long with no answers? Why weren't any of the American employees we encountered at all sympathetic to the fact that we had been up since 3:00am, and hadn't eaten yet, were getting nervous about the angry crowds, and that were missing out on our honeymoon?? What happened to customer service?
If American intends to compete at all with the younger, more organized, more proactive customer service oriented airlines, they had better get their act together.
A very unhappy traveller,
Mrs Honeibee
Sir/Madam,
I realize that American Airlines "knows why you fly". I'd like to tell you why we won't be flying on American anytime in the future.
For our honeymoon we chose the Sandals Resort in Antigua. It was an all inclusive package which included airfare. Sandals booked us on the following flights:
AA Flight #815 Tuesday Nov 29 Leaving New York John F Kennedy at 7:15am, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 12:01pm.
AA Flight #1857 Tuesday Nov 29 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 1:30pm, arriving Antigua VC Bird at 2:36pm.
AA Flight #792 Sunday Dec 4 Leaving Antigua VC Bird at 3:48pm, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 5:03pm.
AA Flight #1488 Sunday Dec 4 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 6:50pm, arriving New York John F Kennedy at 9:45pm.
Let me tell you what actually happened.
We arrived at JFK at 5:00am, assuring the required two hours before departure. The line to check baggage was over one hour long, due apparently to a canceled flight to San Juan the previous day. An airport employee was asking everyone on line what flights they were taking and of they were taking a domestic flight they were being directed to electronic check-in. We were so directed. We got out of the line and went to electronic check-in only to find out San Juan was not "domestic" so we had to get back into the original but now longer line.
We finally boarded plane #1, pulled out to the tarmac and waited. For over an hour. While apparently the mechanics tried to fix some sort of problem. Which turned out to not be fixable and we went back to the terminal and got off the plane.
After some time we were told to board plane #2. We started wondering if our luggage was going to make it to this plane. After boarding, we waited in line for the runway, then started to take off. As we were powering up, we suddenly came to a halt, and pilot announced that the plane had a hydraulic problem and we'd have to go back to the hanger.
Where we sat in the plane about 45 minutes while the mechanics tried to repair the hydraulics.
Since I spent so much time sitting on this plane going nowhere I couldn't help but notice how dirty it was. There was trash on the floor and gross things smeared on the tray table in front of me. Very nasty!
Finally we were told the plane was being taken out of service and we'd have to go back to the terminal.
About now we were starting to be concerned that we would miss our 1:30pm connecting flight.
Also about now our fellow passengers were starting to get very angry.
In an effort to rebook on other airlines, passengers started storming the desk and asking the attendant questions. Clearly, she was unable to help everyone and she had no answers as to what was going on. The situation was quickly becoming ugly and I believe she called for some other attendants to help her. Announcements were made and a line was formed. But still we did not know what was going on. One announcement said they were not sure if that flight was canceled or not and they would let us know as soon as some determination was made.
An announcement was made that in "five minutes" we would know what was going on.
45 minutes later the same announcement was made.
We still had no idea what was going on.
Also about this time the attendants started handing out vouchers for food. We did not go get one because we were afraid to give up our place in line.
Things were incredibly disorganized. People were getting in the wrong lines and getting angrier. Quite frankly I was getting very nervous being in this angry mob.
We called Sandals to let them know what was going on, and to see if they could rebook us on another airline. We knew by now we would in all likelihood miss our connecting flight. Sandals was no help whatsoever. Even though they had made the travel arrangements they refused to take any responsibility or ownership for the situation were now in. They also told us that if we wanted to book on another airline at this time it would be at our own expense. So basically we were trapped. We had no answers as to what was going on with out flight, we couldn't get our luggage off the plane, and we couldn't rebook with another airline unless we wanted to pay out of pocket. And no matter what happened at this point, we were losing one night of our rather expensive honeymoon.
At 1:10pm there was an announcement that they were bringing another plane - #3 - from the hanger and we would start boarding at 1:30. We were still in line at this time, although we had made some progress and were about two people from the desk. At that point, the other attendants had to leave and we were left with one attendant again. Now everyone in line was panicking and pushing to the desk and it was total chaos again.
I was wondering why no one called Security or why there wasn't some sort of organized plan to handle this mess.
As we were finally boarding plane #3 and praying for no more mechanical issues, even though announcements were being made to board by group number, some people were just too wound up and angry and would not listen. Especially one belligerent group who started giving the attendant a hard time. Again I had to wonder why there wasn't some sort of Security called in.
Plane #3 seemed to be a newer plane and we were able to take off without incident. But we didn't take off until 2:30pm.
When we landed in San Juan we gathered our luggage and went to the American service desk, where we were given a voucher for a hotel and a meal. We were put up at the Best Western at the airport which had the smallest room I have ever seen at a hotel. Although I will say the fact that the hotel was brand new was very nice.
We were rebooked on the 1:30pm flight on Wednesday December 5.
We checked in and boarded the 1:30pm flight without issue. Then we sat there. And sat there. And sat there. Apparently there was a problem with luggage that had no passenger to match it. So they had to take all the luggage off the plane and recheck it.
The 1:30pm flight left at 3:00pm. More time lost of our vacation.
We were able to extend our vacation by a day, only because Sandals happened to have the vacancy and my husband and I were both able to take an additional and unpaid day off from work.
We rebooked on the following flights:
AA Flight #792 Monday Dec 5 Leaving Antigua VC Bird at 3:48pm, arriving San Juan Luis Munoz at 5:03pm.
AA Flight #1488 Monday Dec 5 Leaving San Juan Luis Munoz at 6:50pm, arriving New York John F Kennedy at 9:45pm.
Remarkably, our flight #792 was uneventful. Except for the confusion over which carousel actually had our luggage. The passengers were like lemmings, moving from one carousel to another.
But upon our arrival to New York John F Kennedy (we had landed on time) we had to sit on the plane for over an hour before we could get to the gate.
We will not be flying on American Airlines any time in the near future. We were concerned for our safety after so may failed attempts to leave New York. The attendants were rude and unprofessional. The planes were dirty. The stewards and stewardesses had very bad attitudes. We never got straight or correct answers from anyone. I have flown many times on many different airlines and have never encountered so many problems that apparently could not be resolved! Why were there so many mechanical issues? Why were we left standing in lines in the terminal for so long with no answers? Why weren't any of the American employees we encountered at all sympathetic to the fact that we had been up since 3:00am, and hadn't eaten yet, were getting nervous about the angry crowds, and that were missing out on our honeymoon?? What happened to customer service?
If American intends to compete at all with the younger, more organized, more proactive customer service oriented airlines, they had better get their act together.
A very unhappy traveller,
Mrs Honeibee
