When your plane can’t land

[writerguyfl]

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!

Even though you and JimMIA both highlighted this, I'm going to mention it again because it is so important. Unless the passenger notified the airline, chances are strong that the rest of the ticket was canceled in this scenario.

 

[DVC-Don]

Years ago we were on a Orlando bound flight that could not land due to T-storms. We circled the area for about an hour and then landed at Tampa due to low fuel. Plane tanked up there and then we flew back to Orlando and landed as the storms had passed by then.

 

[SirDuff]

The worst (well, really annoying) experience I had was in South Africa. I was going to Durban via Johannesburg. There were storms in Johannesburg so (after some circling) we had to land in Durban to re-fuel. However, we weren't allowed off the plane! So, flew LHR-JNB-DUR-JNB-DUR (though didn't land at JNB the first time). It was a long day (for the record, JNB-DUR is about an hour).

 

[NotUrsula]

Even though you and JimMIA both highlighted this, I'm going to mention it again because it is so important. Unless the passenger notified the airline, chances are strong that the rest of the ticket was canceled in this scenario.

Even *if* he notified the airline, there is a fairly strong chance that a return flight reservation may be deleted. Legacy carriers get really PO'd when you leave half-way through (planning it deliberately is called hidden-city ticketing), even if the stop was unplanned, and some have their software set to cancel out any further legs of the itinerary if you fail to board any leg of it. I had this same thing happen once on AA, and they told me that if I gave up and drove the delayed leg, they would cancel the entire return portion of the itinerary. Had to spend the night at DFW on that one. (It was a job interview trip, which made the situation just THAT much more special.) The airline prejudice against hidden-city ticketing has never made any sense to me; if you pay for a flight leg and notify them that the seat will be empty, they are not out any money, and they even have a chance to sell that seat twice.)

Now that airlines no longer give a price advantage for a round trip (well, except for packages which IME are never a good deal domestically), I always book the outbound and inbound separately, just in case.

 

[charmed59]

No worries, it was a one way flight. He’s out here to pick up a car and drive it back. The airline was Frontier.

In situations like this even legacy carriers give you a choice, either you can wait until x (which in this case was the next day) and we will fly you to your final destination or you can get there on your own. They will not pay for accommodations between now and when they will get a plane back there. They are actually hoping enough people drop out that they can get everyone on existing flights and don’t have to send a non-scheduled flight. In my experience, the legacy carriers know the options before the plane touches down at their alternate airport.

In the case of this Frontier flight, they weren’t sure what they were going to do an hour after they deplaned in Atlanta. For some people, including the guy who shared the rental car, getting to Orlando was worth more than whatever the rental car was going to cost. Businesses pick up these type of costs for their traveling employees all the time. Their gamble paid off, they beat the eventual alternate flight to Orlando by 5 hours, enabling the business guy to make his meetings.

If you are on vacation, and on a tight budget, and in good enough shape, sleeping in the airport until they get you on a flight to MCO is your best bet.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Even *if* he notified the airline, there is a fairly strong chance that a return flight reservation may be deleted. Legacy carriers get really PO'd when you leave half-way through (planning it deliberately is called hidden-city ticketing), even if the stop was unplanned, and some have their software set to cancel out any further legs of the itinerary if you fail to board any leg of it. I had this same thing happen once on AA, and they told me that if I gave up and drove the delayed leg, they would cancel the entire return portion of the itinerary. Had to spend the night at DFW on that one. (It was a job interview trip, which made the situation just THAT much more special.) The airline prejudice against hidden-city ticketing has never made any sense to me; if you pay for a flight leg and notify them that the seat will be empty, they are not out any money, and they even have a chance to sell that seat twice.)

Now that airlines no longer give a price advantage for a round trip (well, except for packages which IME are never a good deal domestically), I always book the outbound and inbound separately, just in case.

So, in other words, if I took the last flight out to Orlando, and the plane lands in Tampa with no way to get to Orlando for the night (weather problems, so no free meals or lodging). I just can't rent a car in Tampa and drive the 75 miles to Orlando and my already reserved and paid-for hotel room? I have to spend the night in Tampa on my dime, then fly to Orlando the next day? Losing probably a half day of vacation?

Thanks for the warning. Looks like I'll start booking two one-way trips.

 

[maxiesmom]

So, in other words, if I took the last flight out to Orlando, and the plane lands in Tampa with no way to get to Orlando for the night (weather problems, so no free meals or lodging). I just can't rent a car in Tampa and drive the 75 miles to Orlando and my already reserved and paid-for hotel room? I have to spend the night in Tampa on my dime, then fly to Orlando the next day? Losing probably a half day of vacation?

Thanks for the warning. Looks like I'll start booking two one-way trips.

If it was due to weather moving the flight around, I would call. But yes, if you have a round trip flights and miss part of one of the first ones, they probably will cancel the rest of the flights. It is because sometimes the shorter segments are more expensive to book than the longer ones. They don't want someone booking, for example, Chicago to Orlando and then getting off at their Atlanta stop.

 

[CarolA]

Even *if* he notified the airline, there is a fairly strong chance that a return flight reservation may be deleted. Legacy carriers get really PO'd when you leave half-way through (planning it deliberately is called hidden-city ticketing), even if the stop was unplanned, and some have their software set to cancel out any further legs of the itinerary if you fail to board any leg of it. I had this same thing happen once on AA, and they told me that if I gave up and drove the delayed leg, they would cancel the entire return portion of the itinerary. Had to spend the night at DFW on that one. (It was a job interview trip, which made the situation just THAT much more special.) The airline prejudice against hidden-city ticketing has never made any sense to me; if you pay for a flight leg and notify them that the seat will be empty, they are not out any money, and they even have a chance to sell that seat twice.)

Now that airlines no longer give a price advantage for a round trip (well, except for packages which IME are never a good deal domestically), I always book the outbound and inbound separately, just in case.

Actually I have done this several times due to weather. The agents will note it in the record and "protect" your return flight if you are transporting yourself due to weather or mechanical. (You can't in other words just go up in Atlanta and say 'I changed my mind can you just let me off here and then let me fly home Sunday on this ticket' )

So, in other words, if I took the last flight out to Orlando, and the plane lands in Tampa with no way to get to Orlando for the night (weather problems, so no free meals or lodging). I just can't rent a car in Tampa and drive the 75 miles to Orlando and my already reserved and paid-for hotel room? I have to spend the night in Tampa on my dime, then fly to Orlando the next day? Losing probably a half day of vacation?

Thanks for the warning. Looks like I'll start booking two one-way trips.

You can... And I have. But first you have to get OFF the plane. (ANd make sure you have a rental car before you get off the plane.) Also it's probably better to be doing carryon only.

When we did it Delta originally wasn't going to go to a gate and open a door. If its just refueling you have to stay on the plane. If they open the door you get off, go tell the gate agent that you are getting to MCO on your own (where upon she will tell you "we are out of rental cars" because it's a lot of work for them ) and you say "well I just booked one on the National App on my phone" She will then sigh and make the notation in your record and you drive to Orlando.

Please note they will NOT unload you luggage since if you are in TPA they will be taking off and heading to MCO. My flight got to MCO about an hour after I got to my hotel. Unless MCO is closed all night (unlikely if TPA is open) they will get that plane to MCO if at all possible. Diversion to TPA is generally fuel only, they wouldn't have gotten that close unless they thought they were going to land. In our case it was a thunderstorm right over the airport. As soon as that DL jet fueled and catered it took back off to get in the pattern to land at MCO.

ANd on my trip next weekend, 2 one ways on Delta were $50 more than a round trip (and Delta was $30 cheaper than SW so...)