What Happens if Flight Cancelled/Delayed??

[Bill From PA]

Being a compulsive Disney planner, I've been tracking the flights we'll be taking from northeast PA through ATL to MCO. Canadair is the Delta partner on our first leg and at least once in the last 2 months the 7 am flight we'll board on Feb. 28 was cancelled, weather not being an issue. Today it was 2 hrs late getting in the air and will land at ATL after the second flight is scheduled. I realize 'stuff' happens, but what happens to us in either senario? What responsibility does Canadair and Delta have to us? I'm not enough of a world traveller to have experienced this first hand but I want to be prepared with a plan in case it does. As usual, we're trying to capture the first day and we're counting on being at MCO by noon and at Boardwalk around 1. Any advice from air travel veterans would be appreciated.

Bill From PA

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

What will happen is the airline will rebook you on another flight as soon as they can.

 

[Lewisc]

The airline will put you on a later flight from ATL to MCO. You won't be happy. I doubt you'll even get a meal voucher but that's the most you'll get.

Is the first day very important to you? Drive to an airport tha offers N/S service (PIT?), fly in the night before or take your chances.

 

[seashoreCM]

To answer the original question: They have to eventually fly you with reasonable diligence and endeavor, or give you your money back, your choice.

You might have a case if they put someone else standing by or walking up and who was not similarly delayed (but perhaps flew more miles) on the next flight first leaving no room for you (which constitutes failure to use reasonable diligence and endeavor), but it would be up to you to prove this.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Bill From PA]

Thanks for the replies. We did drive to PHL last March and did the park 'n fly out of the Ramada and got on the ground at MCO well before 10 am. It's a trade off. The drive is 2 + hrs, $117 for the room and parking and wifey just doesn't care for that. What I'm curious about is if Delta will sent us on another airline if necessary. In 2004 we were connecting through ATL and my SIL left something that he checked with the flight attendant when we boarded the first plane. He asked a Delta employee if he had time to retrieve it and was told that if he missed the flight he wouldn't get out of ATL that day. Luckily Delta sent the bag along with our flight to MCO, but the point is, there may not be any seats available on a later Delta flight that day. What do they do then?

Bill From PA

 

[seashoreCM]

What happens after flight delays depends on the airline's Rule 240, which varies from one airline to another. I saw at least one airline that said it would put you up in a hotel under a few conditions excluding weather. Another airline included a provision to rebook you on a different airline. It would help if you had a list of available flights made up in advance just in case.

A long time ago you could book with an extra long connection time but stand by for an earlier connection flight if you got in early enough. (You would get in early enough 95% of the time although the chances of standing by are not as good.) This doesn't work anymore because they charge you a change fee to stand by.

It is not a missed connection if you have a separate (Canadair) booking from home to ATL and a separate booking (Delta) from ATL to MCO and in this case you could forfeit the second fare.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I beleive that DL's rules say that it will rebook customers on the first available seat in the same class of service. That means that you may be able to purchase a FC seat if you are stranded in ATL rather than wait for the airline to rebook you in coach. For that reason, if a delay is certain, try to find alternative flights before you leave your home airport.

Apparently UA has the same rule and some people trying to get to DEN after it was closed down last Christmas bought FC tickets rather than waiting to be rebooked in coach days later.

AA, US and Continental will rebook coach passengers into available FC, so this isnt' an option if you are flying one of them.

Also, as noted above, the airline owes you almost nothing if the delay is weather related.

We got tired of flying our of our local airport for these reasons. One year, an 8 hour flight turned into 24 hour delay including a night at the airport hotel (that delay was mechanical). The next year, we were told that we would have a 3 day delay unless we were able to catch a flight at another local airport 30 miles away that was leaving in 30 minutes! It wasn't all bad, caused I've always wanted to tell a cab driver that there was an extra $50 in it if he got us there in 30 mintues (and yes, we made the plane).

You can also purchse travel insurance that will cover your extra expenses in the event of a delay.

Best of luck-- Suzanne

 

[Jestocost]

Thanks for the replies. We did drive to PHL last March and did the park 'n fly out of the Ramada and got on the ground at MCO well before 10 am. It's a trade off. The drive is 2 + hrs, $117 for the room and parking and wifey just doesn't care for that. What I'm curious about is if Delta will sent us on another airline if necessary. In 2004 we were connecting through ATL and my SIL left something that he checked with the flight attendant when we boarded the first plane. He asked a Delta employee if he had time to retrieve it and was told that if he missed the flight he wouldn't get out of ATL that day. Luckily Delta sent the bag along with our flight to MCO, but the point is, there may not be any seats available on a later Delta flight that day. What do they do then?

Bill From PA

Under SOME circumstances SOME airlines will book you on another airline to get you to where you are going. They probably are not obligated to do so and likely will not offer up that option. If they can't get you on a flight reasonably soon and you specifically request that they check on options with other airlines—and do so politely, but forcefully—they may be willing to do so. If you're stuck in Atlanta, however, Delta flys more flights from there than anyone, so in all likelihood they will have more flight options than anyone else, so the chances of another carrier being able to get you out sooner is relatively slim. You never know, however.

One other question, do you mean that your first leg is on Comair (the Delta Connection)? Comair flys regional jets manufactured by Canadair, but I don't think Canadair is an actual carrier. Or I could be completely wrong.

 

[CarolA]

Thanks for the replies. We did drive to PHL last March and did the park 'n fly out of the Ramada and got on the ground at MCO well before 10 am. It's a trade off. The drive is 2 + hrs, $117 for the room and parking and wifey just doesn't care for that. What I'm curious about is if Delta will sent us on another airline if necessary. In 2004 we were connecting through ATL and my SIL left something that he checked with the flight attendant when we boarded the first plane. He asked a Delta employee if he had time to retrieve it and was told that if he missed the flight he wouldn't get out of ATL that day. Luckily Delta sent the bag along with our flight to MCO, but the point is, there may not be any seats available on a later Delta flight that day. What do they do then?

Bill From PA

Yes they will book you on another airline. I was on a DL flight from Colorado Springs Friday. Weather in Colorado Springs was great. Weather in SLC where the plane came from and I had to go to not so good. So remember when you don't see a weather delay it may very well be one. Weather ANYWHERE can mess you up. If you think this is going to happen try to get rebooked at your airport. Also while standing in the line to rebook call the 800 #, that may be faster. (The problem with Atlanta is the only other airline to MCO is AirTran and DL and AirTran are not getting along and recently the "interline" agreement between them was dropped so it's harder to get moved to an AirTran flight. Yes, I know Spirt flies the route, but you aren't getting moved there either!)


DL rebooked me on American to DFW and on to home. In your SIL's case that was her fault not Delta's and they probabably would not have booked her onto another airline. (In other words if I had mised the flight Friday because I arrived late I would have been out of luck!) Also, they will work harder at getting you on the sold out flight if it's their fault or weather then if it's your fault.

 

[bicker]

If they don't have room for you on any of their own upcoming flights, Delta will rebook you on a flight on another airline that it has an interline agreement with, assuming they have appropriate availability for you.

 

[Bill From PA]

One other question, do you mean that your first leg is on Comair (the Delta Connection)? Comair flys regional jets manufactured by Canadair, but I don't think Canadair is an actual carrier. Or I could be completely wrong.

I got the Canadair name from Flightview.com where I do the live tracking. Actually it seems that the partner is Atlantic/Southeast, whoever that is. In March 2004 it was Comair, which got off the ground 1 hr late due to a mechanical problem, which in turn prevented my SIL from going back for his bag. I'll keep my finger crossed, it's not as though this is an everyday thing, but I do want a Plan B, and Plan C.

Bill From PA

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Yes, Canadair is not an airline. Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets are smaller jet aircraft, typically seating 40 to 86 passengers.

For information about the Canadair aircraft used by various Delta Connection airlines, see http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/aircraft_types_layout/index.jsp

Confirming what others have written... flight delays happen, and the airline's only real obligation is to get you to your destination -- eventually.

If the delay is only a few hours, you'll typically get nothing. If the delay is weather-related, you'll typically get nothing. But if you have a significant (such as overnight) delay due to issues under the airline's control, you may get a hotel night and/or some extra frequent flyer miles.

I normally plan on a delay of several hours. Then, when I arrive on time after all, I'm pleasantly surprised.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

By the way, Bombardier, the company that builds the Canadair Region Jets, also built the current Walt Disney World Monorail fleet,

 

[Bill From PA]

By the way, Bombardier, the company that builds the Canadair Region Jets, also built the current Walt Disney World Monorail fleet,

Thanks for all the useful info, everyone, and Horace, I don't know if I'm comfortable with a plane called 'Bombardier'. Exactly what falls from their bomb bay at 30,000 feet? Don't think I'll be joining the Mile High Club on that flight.

Bill From PA

 

[havencruiser]

Have you looked into flying from ABE in Allentown? They have direct flights AND Allegiant Air which often has very very inexpensive flight, flys out of ABE. It's only a 1-hour drvie then instead of the 2-hour drive to PHL.
I live about 10 minutes from PHL but grew up in Plains so I know your pain!

 

[Bill From PA]

Have you looked into flying from ABE in Allentown? They have direct flights AND Allegiant Air which often has very very inexpensive flight, flys out of ABE. It's only a 1-hour drvie then instead of the 2-hour drive to PHL.
I live about 10 minutes from PHL but grew up in Plains so I know your pain!

USAir used to have a 6:30 am direct out of ABE and we did that once, but they don't offer that anymore. Several friends praise Allegiant, but they use Sanford (I think) and getting to WDW from there is longer and more expensive. The airlines have it all figured out. The difference in airfare between AVP and ABE is pretty much exactly eaten up by the commute and parking, the same for PHL. We now prefer to drive ourselves to AVP, my son retrieves the car later in the day, for a small fee of course, and we get to MCO only an hour or so later than a direct, without all the hassle.

Bill From PA