Southwest....Compensation???

[kristenrice]

I'll try to be brief...

Mom and I rented a car (one-way) and flew out of Flint to Orlando back in October. We were scheduled to return to Grand Rapids (where we live) on a 5:30pm flight with a 55-minute layover in Baltimore.

When we arrived at MCO (via DME), we saw that our flight to Baltimore was delayed with an estimated departure time of 7:30pm. I quickly realized that this delay would cause us to miss our flight from Baltimore to Grand Rapids, which was the last one of the day. I asked the gate agent what my options would be in Baltimore. Would they hold the plane? He said, "No, if you get on the flight to Baltimore, you will not be able to get to Grand Rapids until tomorrow, at the earliest." He said that overnight accommodations and flight re-scheduling would be handled by the agents in Baltimore. The delay was due to a mechanical issue (not weather) so Southwest would provide some sort of compensation. He could not speculate on what it would be. The official policy is compensation if the flight is delayed or disrupted by 3 hours or more. Since the flight from Orlando to Baltimore was NOT more than a 3-hour delay, the agent in Orlando could not authorize any compensation. Any compensation would have to be arranged and authorized once we landed in Baltimore and missed our flight to Grand Rapids.

I knew that there was a non-stop flight scheduled to depart at 7:30pm into Flint so I asked if we could get on that one instead. He said there were 4 seats left so he re-booked us on that flight. He gave me our boarding passes (in the C's!) and I asked if there was any way we could board earlier since we had originally booked EBCI and had A23 and A24. He stamped our BP's which allowed us to board between A and B and before family boarding.

We ended up landing in Flint at 10:15pm and had to book a one-way rental car to get us home to Grand Rapids. We made it safely home just after midnight.

So, my question is this...should I ask if there is anything that SWA can provide as compensation? I'm not looking for hundreds of dollars or free flights. I would be happy with free drink vouchers or even a couple hundred RR points thrown my way. Oh, and I still have not received the 1,400+ RR points that I earned for that trip. I called and was told it is because I still show a "credit" (because the price dropped and I'd rebooked at the lower fare) and therefore, my itinerary is considered "incomplete". Since I am planning to book our flights for October in February, I'd really like those points, or any other compensation they'd be willing to offer.

Please don't get me wrong...I'm not asking if I am entitled to any compensation. I only fly about once a year and I am not familiar with what can and cannot be done in cases such as this. I know that many times, if you do not ask for compensation, you will not receive it. I am just wondering if I would be out of line by asking.

 

[cmarsh31]

I think the only way you would have gotten compensation (it was $200/person for us, delayed plane arriving in Seattle - shockingly from Baltimore - that then made us 6 hours late to Baltimore and we missed our connecting flight by 4 hours...and were then stranded in Baltimore at 1am, plus a hotel room) is if you were stranded in Grand Rapids. Since there was a solution that you accepted, that's probably all they're going to give you - but no harm in asking!

 

[kristenrice]

I think the only way you would have gotten compensation (it was $200/person for us, delayed plane arriving in Seattle - shockingly from Baltimore - that then made us 6 hours late to Baltimore and we missed our connecting flight by 4 hours...and were then stranded in Baltimore at 1am, plus a hotel room) is if you were stranded in Grand Rapids. Since there was a solution that you accepted, that's probably all they're going to give you - but no harm in asking!

Well, we wouldn't have been stranded in Grand Rapids...that's where we were trying to go. We would have been stranded in Baltimore after missing our connection IN to Grand Rapids. I kind of figured that I might be surrendering my chance at compensation when I offered to fly in to Flint instead. I was just kind of hoping that they would offer up something because we saved them from having to provide us with more substantial compensation if we had to spend the night in Baltimore. We offered to change our destination airport so that they would not have to put us on a different flight or accommodate us for the night in Baltimore. We "saved" them from being "required" (per their policy) to compensate us so I was kind of hoping that they could offer us something smaller, like free drink coupons or a few extra RR points.

 

[cmarsh31]

I think everyone gets stranded in Baltimore.

 

[supersnoop]

should I ask if there is anything that SWA can provide as compensation?

In my opinion, no, you shouldn't ask for anything more. You asked to be put on a different flight, and they accommodated you, even though it was not your original destination. That's going over and above already.

 

[Allison]

I don't see any compensation forthcoming in this situation.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Why are you asking for compensation 3 months later? You asked for a different flight, they put you on so it doesn't seem like they are obligated to compensate you.

 

[sam_gordon]

Why are you asking for compensation 3 months later? You asked for a different flight, they put you on so it doesn't seem like they are obligated to compensate you.

I have to agree with this. First, if there WAS any claim for compensation, I would think you'd need to make that claim shortly after your trip (within a week if not sooner). Second, I don't think you're entitled to any compensation. You were put on another flight of your choosing (with presumably no extra charge for a last minute booking) AND given "priority" (yes, I know that doesn't apply with SW, but that's what I'm calling it) boarding. Now you want something else?

You're right, there's nothing wrong in asking. I just think it's in poor taste to do so.

 

[DebbieB]

One time our flight was delayed about 3 hours and they called everyone up to the desk to get a $100 future travel voucher without even asking. If they could do that, they can give you a voucher, the rental car probably wasn't $100 for 1 day. I agree though that I think you waited too long.

 

[wilkeliza]

Nope, I don't see any compensation here.

You decided flying into Flint instead of Grand Rapids was an okay solution (you offered it yourself not the agent) so it was on you to get from Flint to your original destination. Once you offer to change iteneraries it is on you and not the airline. Also if you really wanted compensation you should have said at the desk we could go into flint if we got a voucher for a rental car. You just offered Flint as an option.

A buisness is never going to give you the difference between compensation and what you offer up as ok if it is less than their standard.

 

[pigletto]

I think everyone gets stranded in Baltimore.

Had to laugh because.. you guessed it, the one and only time we've had our plane diverted for mechanical issues was ... Baltimore.

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks for all the information. I know that I waited a while, but since they still do not show my itinerary as "complete", I wasn't sure if they were still looking at it or something.

When I offered to fly into Flint (in Orlando), I did ask if they would be able to compensate me the $60 it cost for the rental car. The gate agent there said that he wasn't authorized to do anything because I had not yet missed a connection. I was being pro-active in making the change myself because he already told me that if I got on the plane to Baltimore, I would NOT get to Grand Rapids until the next day *at the earliest*. I guess in hindsight, we should have just kept our original itinerary and let SW pay for the overnight accomodations and provide free vouchers for future travel. I realize now that getting home that night was a bigger priority.

I really wish they would hurry up and credit my RR account with the points I earned for that trip. It was about 1,400 points and I am still waiting. I don't understand why having unused travel funds causes my itinerary to remain "incomplete".

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I disagree with the other posters. While Southwest offered to get you home the next day, that is a delay of one day from your original flight. At the very least, send a brief explanation of what happened, include your rental car receipt, and ask to be reimbursed that expense. If you don't ask, you won't get anything. Don't delay any longer though.

I don't understand the RR issue. I'd probably send a separate email asking for an explanation of this.

 

[Jestocost]

I think SWA probably should have paid for the rental car to get you from Flint to Grand Rapids. You booked travel between specific locations and they were not going to be able to get you there without an unreasonable delay, so some kind of compensation should be due. It seems to me that the rental car costs would be substantially less than overnight accommodations plus meals plus future travel credits, and I'm not sure why they would be ready to do the latter and not the former. The one thing working against you likely will be the delay in submitting the expenses for reimbursement.

 

[supersnoop]

I disagree with the other posters. While Southwest offered to get you home the next day, that is a delay of one day from your original flight.

It was a potential overnight delay until she got to BWI. She chose to fly to Flint instead of waiting to see if the flight to Grand Rapids was delayed enough to make the connection.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

No, you shouldn't receive any further compensation in this situation. SW accommodated you by putting you on that flight to Flint and stamping your passes so you could board sooner than C. You negated the need for compensation when you agreed/asked to be rebooked into Flint instead.

 

[sam_gordon]

While Southwest offered to get you home the next day, that is a delay of one day from your original flight.

And if she would have taken that flight, she would have been entitled to compensation. But she didn't. SHE offered (and SW accepted) a different solution. I think the time to ask about compensation for the rental car should have been before accepting the flight change. Again, she got a last minute ticket (which I'm guessing cost more than what she had originally paid) AND boarding before 2/3 of the plane.

 

[bumbershoot]

I really wish they would hurry up and credit my RR account with the points I earned for that trip. It was about 1,400 points and I am still waiting. I don't understand why having unused travel funds causes my itinerary to remain "incomplete".

I think that you should call RR and talk to them about that. Talk about the whole situation. Ask when you'll get your miles. See where the conversation goes from there.


DH got 2500 miles on Delta the other day because a flight attendant watched him give his seat to another passenger; she was walking with two canes and looked like she was hurting. He was in row 12 and she was in 14 and she looked like she couldn't go any further. They were the same class of seats and he just got up and offered to switch seats so she didn't have to walk further. He got her bags settled, too. The FA thought it was awesome, and he gave him a code for 2500 miles.

If airline personnel can do that sort of thing for an act of kindness, they should certainly compensate her for her being ridiculously reasonable and flexible, and taking that other flight.

But at the very least, Kristen deserves a REAL answer about her miles, and to have this resolved.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It was a potential overnight delay until she got to BWI. She chose to fly to Flint instead of waiting to see if the flight to Grand Rapids was delayed enough to make the connection.

OP stated the flight was delayed enough that the connection would be missed.

I travel a lot (1K on United), have asked for compensation for similar things several times, and am pretty certain if the OP complains, Southwest will offer some type of compensation. It's dumb not to ask; it won't hurt anything and will likely result in something being offered.

 

[kristenrice]

I just wanted to add one more piece of information...

I looked at the time that flight from Orlando to Baltimore (that we did NOT get on) landed and what time the flight from Baltimore to Grand Rapids departed. The flight into Grand Rapids departed 20 minutes before the flight from Orlando landed, so we would indeed have missed our connection. So, yes, what the gate agent told us in Orlando was correct...we would NOT have made it home to Grand Rapids had we gotten on our original flight. I understand why he, nor anyone else in Orlando at the time, was able to offer us any compensation because our departing flight was NOT more than 3 hours delayed. It would have been up to the agents in Baltimore to provide compensation for missing our connection, but since we just wanted to get home, we chose not to go that route.

Like a PP said, I completely understand that *I* initiated the change in itinerary and I know that they waived the fee for the difference in airfare (which was "only" about $100) but *I* am the one who inconvenienced myself and "saved" SWA the hassle and cost of accommodating, re-booking and compensating us in Baltimore. Let me reiterate, I am not looking for anything huge...even a $60 equivalent in SWA RR points would be great...just more of a "hey, thanks for being flexible and helping us out" kind of thing.

I sent them an e-mail, detailing my experience, but without any sort of request for compensation. My main purpose was to try and figure out why I still don't have my RR points for either leg of my trip. I have called twice and got the same answer...and neither person was authorized to "close" the itinerary. Hopefully, the e-mail makes it to someone who can resolve the issue before February.