When your plane can’t land

[charmed59]

Last night my brother flew in from St. Louis to MCO. Due to massive thunderstorms, after circling for a few hours, the plane landed in Atlanta. Right now he and a fellow passenger rented a car at Atlanta, and are driving in, expected to arrive in an hour.

According to my parents, who were at MCO to pick him up, the airport was a mess and my brother was told there were no flights available into MCO today.

We get thunderstorms here every afternoon this time of year. Yesterday’s lasted longer than most, but still, when I flew in last week we did circle Daytona Speedway about four times before we were okayed for landing.

What normally happens when planes can’t land at MCO? I’m having a hard time believing families going to Disney are stranded in Atlanta.

 

[JimMIA]

Usually what happens is you circle for an hour or so and then get diverted to another airport. You wait out the weather and then continue to your destination.

However, there are a lot of factors involved. Some smaller airports close at a certain hour at night, flight crews "time out" and can't fly, etc.

If you are flying a smaller airline, they may not be able to bring in another crew/aircraft to continue your flight. And, you might run into a situation where there either are NO flights the next day or all flights are full.

You have to read the terms of your ticket, but typically the airline will complete the trip at no extra charge. But they normally will not pay for other options like rental cars, nor will they pay for hotel accommodations if the delay is weather related.

 

[mco65]

Not uncommon for planes to have to land at another airport due to weather..... most of the time is due to low fuel. The size of the aircraft often determines where they can land but also the traffic at the airport. Having to go to Atlanta seems extreme but it makes me think that the other airports in the area (Daytona, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville) were either getting severe weather as well, had too many aircraft diverting there already or simply could not accommodate the size of aircraft your brother was on. Regardless that is a lousy way to start you vacation. Hopefully he gets there safe and sound and has a great vacation.

BTW< I live in Atlanta and prefer to drive to Orlando. My wife prefers to fly but obviously we do which ever works best for us on that specific trip.... it only takes a couple extra hours for us to drive from our house in NE Atlanta to the WDW resort vs flying... Our next trip is in Oct and we are leaving once the kids get out of school on a Wed so that will be a flight.. vs a drive.

 

[BadPinkTink]

If flights have to be diverted to another airport due to weather or other issues at the original airport it is the responsibility of the airline to get the passengers to the original airport.

Here in Europe, depending on distances, the airline will either rebook you to another flight or will provide bus transport to the original airport. Depending on flight schedules etc passengers may face long delays but will eventually get to their original airport.

Here in Europe, depending on the length of delays, the airline provide food vouchers for the delayed passengers. If the passengers are delayed overnight, ie if the next available flight is not until the following day, the airlines will provide hotel accommodation for the delayed passengers.

If passengers do not avail of the rebooked flights or the alternative transport provide by the airlines, they are not entitled to receive any flight delay compensation. In this case, your brother would not be able to claim the cost of the rental car, as there was probally an alternative flight or other transport suggested by the airline which he refused.

As it has happened to me, here in Europe, where I have been rerouted to a different airport., I always advise people to stick with the airline and take whatever food vouchers, hotel accommodation or alternative transport they are providing. You paid the airline to get you from A to B, if the airline takes you from A to C, then it is the airlines responsibility to make sure you get to B by whatever means possible.

 

[shoreward]

It is simply not accurate to state that no flights are landing at MCO today.

Very often, due to weather, an airline may not have an aircraft for a flight, due to weather in the city where the aircraft assigned to the flight is coming from. Sometimes, an airline will proactively cancel flights, so that aircraft are not stranded on the ground, due to forecasted weather conditions. When a number of pax need to be rebooked, due to cancellations, availability for a new flight may not be there for several days, due to flights already being fully booked. Also, sometimes, there is no crew available, due to federal regulations for rest periods. So, many factors come into play, when flights are cancelled or customers cannot be rebooked.

If there is a weather-related delay or cancellation, the airline is not responsible for out-of-pocket expenses of the customer. Only when there is a mechanical or crew issue, not weather-related, is there compensation to the customer.

Current flight status at MCO:
http://www.arrowcast.net/fids/mco/

 

[n2mm]

Been there too. Traveling with grandkids alone and had to fly into Jacksonville to refuel because we hovered too long at mco. Finally took off again from Jacksonville and arrived that night. We were due into mco at 2:00pm but got in at 11:00pm. It was a long day only to open my luggage of soaking wet clothes....guess our luggage sat in the rain on the tarmac. This was 2 years ago.

 

[charmed59]

It is simply not accurate to state that no flights are landing at MCO today.

I’m not sure who said no flights are landing at MCO today, but you are right, flights are landing at MCO today. Last night it was not possible to find available room on a flight from Atlanta to MCO.

This is a short trip out for my brother, he’s leaving on Wednesday. And we are an hour north of MCO, transportation into MCO would require someone to make that trek out to pick him up from there, again. He get’s an hour off the normal ATL-MCO drive. So I think he chose the rental car option just to make it here before he had to leave.

I wonder if he waited around at the airport in ATL if they would have flown him into MCO at 2am. I noticed some flights did that.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I wonder if he waited around at the airport in ATL if they would have flown him into MCO at 2am. I noticed some flights did that.

Very likely, the airline would have offered an alternative flight, and it sounds like he refused and paid for a rental car. As a result, he will not be refunded any of the flight and the airline will not pay for the rental car expense.

 

[charmed59]

Very likely, the airline would have offered an alternative flight, and it sounds like he refused and paid for a rental car. As a result, he will not be refunded any of the flight and the airline will not pay for the rental car expense.

Yes, for those where budget is tight, I would never suggest they spend their own money to get somewhere sooner, since the airline is on the hook for getting you there eventually.

In this particular case my husband tracked down what happened to the flight. He would have had to sleep in the airport or pay for his own room, and he would have been flown to MCO around 11, here around noon. So, from a budgetary standpoint, he didn’t have to pay for a room, didn’t have to sleep on the floor, did have to pay for half a car rental, and got here 4 hours earlier than the airline would have.

I am interested in the “refunded any of the flight”. Do airlines refund you on delayed travel due to weather once your plane takes off? For those folks will get to MCO 17 hours after the original scheduled landing, will they get a refund or partial refund?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I am interested in the “refunded any of the flight”. Do airlines refund you on delayed travel due to weather once your plane takes off? For those folks will get to MCO 17 hours after the original scheduled landing, will they get a refund or partial refund?

here in Europe, there is law about compensation / refunds for delays

The Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004 is a regulation in EU law establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays of flights. It requires compensation of €250 to €600 depending on the flight distance for delays over 2 hours, cancellations, or being denied boarding from overbooking. Shorter delays mean a percentage of the full compensation. Airlines must provide refreshments and accommodation where appropriate. The Court of Justice of the European Union has interpreted passenger rights strictly, so that there are virtually no exceptions for airlines to evade their obligations for breach of contract. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_Compensation_Regulation_261/2004

If this situation happened in Europe, those that waited and got to MCO 17 hours after the original scheduled landing would be entitled to claim from the airline under European law.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I’m not sure who said no flights are landing at MCO today, but you are right, flights are landing at MCO today. Last night it was not possible to find available room on a flight from Atlanta to MCO.

This is a short trip out for my brother, he’s leaving on Wednesday. And we are an hour north of MCO, transportation into MCO would require someone to make that trek out to pick him up from there, again. He get’s an hour off the normal ATL-MCO drive. So I think he chose the rental car option just to make it here before he had to leave.

I wonder if he waited around at the airport in ATL if they would have flown him into MCO at 2am. I noticed some flights did that.

Yes, they would have. Been there done that. They generally tell you to hang around so they can fly you to wherever you were going.

Unless he got the airline to agree to pay for the rental car he's stuck

Now the real scary part. What airline was he on? Did he tell the airline "I am leaving" or just get on the train to the rental car place.

I would suggest he call TODAY and make sure his return flight has not been cancelled (if he's on SW he's fine. If he's on Delta he needs to call) They generally won't cancel your return in a case like this IF you tell them but if you just disappear it's likely to happen!

here in Europe, there is law about compensation / refunds for delays

The Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004 is a regulation in EU law establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays of flights. It requires compensation of €250 to €600 depending on the flight distance for delays over 2 hours, cancellations, or being denied boarding from overbooking. Shorter delays mean a percentage of the full compensation. Airlines must provide refreshments and accommodation where appropriate. The Court of Justice of the European Union has interpreted passenger rights strictly, so that there are virtually no exceptions for airlines to evade their obligations for breach of contract. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_Compensation_Regulation_261/2004

If this situation happened in Europe, those that waited and got to MCO 17 hours after the original scheduled landing would be entitled to claim from the airline under European law.

You are leaving out the fact that this regulation often does NOT apply due to weather. Since this flight was directly impacted by weather and closure by ATC due to weather there's no compensation due.

https://www.bottonline.co.uk/flight-delay-compensation/claim-guides/flight-compensation-bad-weather

After all we would rather have the airline risk our lives then be delayed right?

 

[JimMIA]

I would suggest he call TODAY and make sure his return flight has not been cancelled (if he's on SW he's fine. If he's on Delta he needs to call) They generally won't cancel your return in a case like this IF you tell them but if you just disappear it's likely to happen!

This is great advice! Have him be sure to call.

 

[bumbershoot]

It is simply not accurate to state that no flights are landing at MCO today.

That’s not what she said, though. It might be what her parents understood, of course.

According to my parents, who were at MCO to pick him up, the airport was a mess and my brother was told there were no flights available into MCO today.

His airline might have had no seats available to put those people on from last night.

 

[DebbieB]

For the heck of it, I checked flights on SW yesterday from Pittsburgh. Looks like a 4:30 non-stop that was to land at 6:45 got diverted to Tampa and finally arrived at 2:10am. Flights normal today.

 

[shoreward]

I’m not sure who said no flights are landing at MCO today, but you are right, flights are landing at MCO today. Last night it was not possible to find available room on a flight from Atlanta to MCO.

I misunderstood when the message stated no flights available.

 

[keishashadow]

Last night my brother flew in from St. Louis to MCO. Due to massive thunderstorms, after circling for a few hours, the plane landed in Atlanta. Right now he and a fellow passenger rented a car at Atlanta, and are driving in, expected to arrive in an hour.

According to my parents, who were at MCO to pick him up, the airport was a mess and my brother was told there were no flights available into MCO today.

We get thunderstorms here every afternoon this time of year. Yesterday’s lasted longer than most, but still, when I flew in last week we did circle Daytona Speedway about four times before we were okayed for landing.

What normally happens when planes can’t land at MCO? I’m having a hard time believing families going to Disney are stranded in Atlanta.

SW had us sit in the plane in middle of runway @ MCO during an awful storm a few years ago. Scary to watch the lightening crash around us for a good half hour. It was supposed to be a NS flight home from MCO to PIT.

I’m not sure who said no flights are landing at MCO today, but you are right, flights are landing at MCO today. Last night it was not possible to find available room on a flight from Atlanta to MCO.

This is a short trip out for my brother, he’s leaving on Wednesday. And we are an hour north of MCO, transportation into MCO would require someone to make that trek out to pick him up from there, again. He get’s an hour off the normal ATL-MCO drive. So I think he chose the rental car option just to make it here before he had to leave.

I wonder if he waited around at the airport in ATL if they would have flown him into MCO at 2am. I noticed some flights did that.

Depends on how long the crew had already been on duty, etc.

Yes, for those where budget is tight, I would never suggest they spend their own money to get somewhere sooner, since the airline is on the hook for getting you there eventually.

In this particular case my husband tracked down what happened to the flight. He would have had to sleep in the airport or pay for his own room, and he would have been flown to MCO around 11, here around noon. So, from a budgetary standpoint, he didn’t have to pay for a room, didn’t have to sleep on the floor, did have to pay for half a car rental, and got here 4 hours earlier than the airline would have.

I am interested in the “refunded any of the flight”. Do airlines refund you on delayed travel due to weather once your plane takes off? For those folks will get to MCO 17 hours after the original scheduled landing, will they get a refund or partial refund?

Depends on the airline. SWA is helpful, Spirit & Allegient are not. They will refund fare easily, but good luck getting on next flight out. Spirit has one per day from PIT, another from LBE. allegient flies 3 days a week out of Sanford.

Weather delays are not compensatable on any airline.

 

[Huff]

here in Europe, there is law about compensation / refunds for delays

In the USA there are similar laws. However, they only apply if the cause of the delay was under the control of the airline. Weather is not therefore there are no penalties paid to passengers for weather delays unless you are on the ground and they keep you waiting more than 2 hours on the tarmac in hopes the weather will clear for takeoff.

If a plane is diverted to another airport due to weather it is the airlines responsibility to get you to your destination on another available flight. Not sure if there is anything that specifies how long the airline can take once the weather clears. The airline does NOT have to pay for a hotel for the night if the next flight out isn't until the next day.

Reimbursements are generally only for delays caused by the airline itself.

 

[DebbieB]

SW had us sit in the plane in middle of runway @ MCO during an awful storm a few years ago. Scary to watch the lightening crash around us for a good half hour. It was supposed to be a NS flight home from MCO to PIT.

Most likely air traffic control ordered it. During a bad storm, they can’t see where planes are so everyone stops where they are.

 

[NotUrsula]

It *is* possible to be told that "no flights are landing" when the airline rep telling you that means that none of that airline's flights are landing, which is possible if the airline only has a small presence there. A situation where all traffic is stopped at a particular airport is called a "ground stop"; most of the time thunderstorm ground stops only last 30 minutes or so, though there may be several a day. A ground stop that lasts all day is normally going to be due to a major storm system.

A couple of weeks ago we sat at our MCO gate for 3 hours before being pushed from the jetway; the storm wasn't severe, but did have lightning, and the airport ordered ground personnel under cover. When that happens, planes cannot leave the gate because they cannot back up under their own power; they need the tugs to push them back. Planes CAN land under those circumstances, but usually end up sitting out on a side runway somewhere until gates are cleared for them.

 

[Spunky946]

We were once flying home on southwest from San Diego to Pittsburgh. We flew San Diego to Nashville and then Nashville to Pittsburgh. Half way flying on the second flight and we hear an announcement that due to storms in Baltimore the ramps in Pittsburgh were closed because they had diverted planes to Pittsburgh. We ended up landing in Louisville Kentucky to refuel and wait a bit. Ended up being on the ground about 20-30 minutes until the weather cleared.