Will not fly Comair/Delta Again(Long)

[Zoo Keeper]

This past Thursday I had the worst experience flying back from our WDW vacation. Everything was fine flying from Orlando to Cincinnati. In Cincinnati our flight was first delayed a half hour to 4pm. Then they cancelled the flight completely supposedly due to the winter storm that was hitting the east coast (we were fling into NorthEast PA). When we went to the counter to see our options, we were told that we would be flying out the next day at 10:50am (there were no other options as far as Comair was concerned). On that next day flight we were given seats in different rows. We were traveling with a child who would be seated by herself. But the person in front and in back of me in line were flying out that evening at 7:50. When I asked why we couldn't get on that flight, we were told that the computer randomly selected the passengers that were booked on each flight. Then we were told that the passengers with higher frequent flier miles were put on the same day flight. FYI: If a flight is cancelled for weather, you get nothing, no toiletries, no help with overnight accomodations (not even directions), no food vouchers.(While we were waiting for our flight they kept announcing that a flight to Minneapolis was delayed indefinitely because they did not have a plane. Then right after our flight was cancelled they announced they had a plane)
We asked if we could get on a US Airways flight since they had no problem flying into our home city all day. The first agent said yes but then the "Lead CSA" said there are under no obligation to do that. She went on to say that under the contract we had with them by purchasing the tickets, they are obligated to get us from Point A to Point B only. Finally we were able to get seats together on a flight that same day that was going to an airport 1.5 hours from the one we were supposed to fly into (it was better then spending 19 hours in the airport or some nearby hotel). We then had to have someone drive there to pick us up. When we booked the seats for this new flight, they assured me that our luggage "would follow the ticket" & it would arrive at the airport with us. You guessed it, it didn't. When we went to put in a baggage claim, the agent at the desk just laughed when I told him they said in Cincinnati that the baggage would arrive there. His response was "don't believe anything unless it's in writing".
Well we got our luggage the next day before 10:50am which means that our luggage arrived long before we would have if we took the flight they tried to force on us.
I can understand cancellations for our safety, but the customer service and attitudes we received from everyone at Comair that day was completely unacceptable. I'm a customer service manager. We all have bad days but we can't let our customers know that.
Our options are very limited if we want to fly out close to home but at this point, I wouldn't mind the extra hour or two to drive to a larger airport to avoid that airline.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience, and I am certainly a little surprised. Lead CSA's do not become that unless they have very good people skills. If this was a day with a bunch on cancellations though, I can see that tempers may be short. But each passenger is different and each encounter is a separate one.

Personally, I love Delta and am a loyal customer. I have found in the past that it's customer service is great. I would suggest that you write a letter detailing your problems to customer relations. I know it won't help what you went through, but maybe it will help someone else.

Yes, the airlines are not responsible for weather cancellations or delays. And unfortunately they can't place everyone on the next flight out. You could have went to US Airways and talked to them about switching flights, but I am not sure they are obligated in a weather cancellation as opposed to a mechanical (I need to look that up).

You could have always asked someone to switch a seat with you, so you could have sat with your child. I know it's inconvenient but Delta/Comair was just trying to fit you on the flight to get home. Seeing that there were passengers already scheduled for the flight, it could not bump them the allow your family to be together.

And as for the lack of aircraft, there were delays all along the east coast, and aircraft were tied up there. When your flight was cancelled but it could fly out of CVG of course that aircraft became available for another route. An aircraft sitting on the ground is a loss of money.

But please write to Customer Relations, and let them know of your experience.

 

[Minybear]

I am sorry what happened to you. I hope we don't have that same problem with United if they cancel my son's flights coming to Tucson and back to Chicago around the holidays due to their bankrupsey.

 

[CarolA]

Just an FYI. I don't think going directly to USAir would have helped. They generally won't take you unless you are written over from the original airline.

Yes, being a frequent flyer helps. I generally do get rebooked automatically by Delta on the next flight. It is my understanding that thier system is not Random, but uses a combination of your ticket fare basis and frequent flyer status. So those frequent flyers on full fare tickets get seats ahead of those on inexpensive tickets and so forth.

Seats together are not guarnteed. We have seen lots of posts lately where families where broken up when schedules were changed. The ticket actually only entitiles you to A seat not a particular seat.

I have heard the luggage thing before. It never follows me to the new airline/routing, but it gets there eventually.