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    Do airlines play fair when it comes to dealing with delays? Have you ever been delayed and received compensation, or been given reasons why you were not entitled to it? Email us, tell us about your experiences and we will publish your comments on the issue. I no longer count on travel agents or the airlines to make the best reservations for me. If I have to make a connecting flight, I leave at least a two hour layover if possible to protect against missed connections. If leaving on a cruise, I plan on getting there at least 24 hours before the cruise departs. I get to the airport at least 2 hours early. I have had airlines change my reservation after it's made to fill a connecting flight, removing my 2 hour cushion and replace it with a 15 minute one (through Atlanta, are they kidding). I had to waste my time to get put back on my original flight. If I hadn't checked I would have missed my connection. The airlines have caused this mess, and their computer systems and agents make it worse. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sincerely believe it is not the actual delay that angers people, but rather that we are treated like school children when it comes to the "excuses". Saying it will be a 15-minute delay, and 3 hours later we still have not been updated is the greater frustration. One thing I love about Virgin Atlantic is that they are straight with you. They will come out and say that they are having computer problems, the pilot is not here, the ground staff is not available, or whatever the reason. Furthermore, I get regular updates on the situation. This allows me to go to the lounge, shopping, or burn the waiting time in some other fashion. When it comes to delays, passengers simply do not believe what they have been told. My company did a survey last year for an airline, in which we asked how credible the service staff was (mainly pertaining to seat selection and up-grades), and the results were more then alarming. Less then ten percent of the surveyed passengers believed the service staff when they were told that a particular seating arrangement was not available, or that they could not be up-graded. If I am not going to believe an airline about an available seat, why should I believe it about a delay? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Inconsistency is the one word that best describes how airlines accommodate customers faced with long delays. A few years ago I was returning to the United States from a conference in Vienna, Austria. Due to weather, the first leg of the return trip, Vienna to Amsterdam, was delayed by several hours. In both cities, airline staff were prepared with timely information as to how the delay would affect the connections in both Amsterdam and Dallas-Fort Worth. After several hours KLM informed us that we would no longer be able to make the connecting flight from Amsterdam to DFW, and as such were rerouting my party through Paris on an Air France flight that would make a connection in Atlanta before returning to Kansas City. Quality service satisfying all involved. If only this remained the case once we made the transfer. The flight from Vienna to Paris left without further delay, however, the flight from Paris to Atlanta was delayed another two and a half hours - just within the window of the layover before the flight from Atlanta to Kansas City. While on approach to Atlanta, I informed the purser that we had a very close connection and were at risk of missing the last opportunity to fly back to Kansas City that day. She assured me that our party would be the first off the plane and that the next flight would be held to allow us to clear customs and cross the airport to the appropriate gate. If only this were true. The flight landed at the appointed departure time for the Kansas City flight. Once clearing customs and racing and break-neck speed across the terminals of Atlanta Hartsfield, I looked out the window to see the Delta 737 rolling away from the gate. Repeated attempts to reason with the customer service staff of Delta Airlines in their main hub were entirely unsuccessful, and we were forced to spend the night in the airport, as the delay was not the fault of the airline, but of rather the employees of U.S. Customs and Immigration (individuals who performed their job as fast as possible to usher us through the system and on to our next flight). In the end, after contacting both Delta and Northwest (KLM) to follow up on the experience, the original airline was still the most accommodating, apologizing for the poor behavior of Delta, and still awarding each of the effected passengers in our group a generous number of frequent flyer points. Since, I have tried to avoid both Delta and Atlanta whenever possible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's just start with basic education on the equipment that flies you half way around the world. It's a machine, just like any other machine and several hundred computers all talking to each other to give the passenger the most efficient trip from A to B. Hey lets take all the people that you can fit into an average size airplane (Airbus 332 approx 300 passengers) and put them all in cars on a trip from coast to coast! How many of those cars would break down during that trip. How many people would set off without an extra pair of socks or underwear? Here are some of the few things that it takes to get a flight off the gate on time: 1. Pilots have to drive to work and not get stuck in traffic or encounter any mechanical issues getting to work. Yes, I do agree that air travel is not perfect and to make it more user friendly the average passenger will have to pay lots more for the same service. Yes, the airline can put all 300 passengers in a five-star hotel when you break down, but the next time you travel you will have to pay for it. Airlines are in serious trouble with fuel and maintenance costs as well as expensive landing fees. This is why air travel is not perfect...and people should anticipate delays, but they don't! Leaving the best for last...how many times have you not left a tip in a restaurant after a meal? In New York, the manger would run out after you screaming blue murder that the service industry survives on tips. Well, how about the people who fly you in a sealed tube for 1ten hours around the world and cater to your every need from providing meals to dealing with medical cases and emergencies. Think about it...we're not asking for tips but a thank you for a nice flight would go a long way! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In December 2006 I was booked from Paris to London with a connection to Los Angeles and then on to Maui, Hawaii on American Airlines and British Airways. The flight from Paris was supposed to leave at 7.45am but at 9am we were still in the terminal and the plane completely dark at the gate! There were no gate personnel either. Several hours later, we were called to "board immediately" and then sat on the plane for 3.5 hours more at the gate! Clients were assured that their connections would be respected (Heathrow being shut down due to ground fog). Finally after 7 hours of delays we were taken to London where, of course, the connecting flights had already left. I and another passenger were put on a flight to Chicago with a connection to Los Angeles (on United). We arrived in Los Angeles at 1.45am and had to pay for a hotel ($136) for about four hours of sleep and then we were put on the morning flight to Maui on American. Arriving in Maui, the jet-way was broken and we were forced to stay two hours and fifteen minutes in the plane while a ground crew tried to find a staircase. There were other open gates but for some reason the plane didn't change gates. All in all it was 43 hours of travel before getting to the final destination! The worst part was the insistence of American Airlines to send passengers to a closed airport. During the wait in Paris, six American Airlines flights took off to the USA but neither American nor British Airways would transfer passengers and just kept passing the buck or making false promises. The return trip was just as bad with a three hour delay due to a passenger who lost his passport on the plane in Chicago. A long letter of complaint was sent as well as eight calls to American Airlines in France and in the USA. That was in January and still no response. I sent an email via the AA.com website and I have only had a response that the complaint was received and I will be contacted soon. Two months later, nothing! I understand weather delays being a private pilot myself. What I don't understand is the airlines not looking at the final destination of a passenger and doing what it takes to get them moving in the right direction. Why force them into a bad situation? My answer to that is if we can blame the weather, why look any further? No compensation, no help and incompetence at every level. Apparently being a "Platinum" frequent flyer just gets you a nicer "I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do." My total cost of the delay was over $500 and two lost work days in Hawaii. I am still waiting for a response from American but I am not holding my breath. I am, however looking at other carriers for my future flights. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My flight from Vancouver to Singapore was delayed by three hours. When I arrived in Hong Kong, it was to late for my connection. I then found out that my luggage was still in Vancouver, I did not bring a change of clothes! Air Canada put all the passengers up in a grotty hotel, where there were cockroaches. I did not sleep that night, also the toilet in the room did not work, the hotel housekeeping never came to eradicate the bug or repair the toilet! The next day I took the first flight to Singapore but without my luggage. I did receive $195 (S$300) from Singapore Airlines (Star Alliance) to buy some clothes, but it's a laughable amount when you know how expensive Singapore. Amex gave me $425 (C$500) after a six hours delay. This delay caused me to miss my meeting and my limo pick-up. I wrote a letter of complaint to Air Canada and all I received was a form letter of apology and a 10,000 Aeroplan points. The disorganization of Air Canada (nobody met us with instructions on what we were to do) and the chaos that this delay had caused, especially for the unseasoned travellers, was stupefying. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've often found it hard work to get information from airline staff when there are delays to flights. They usually just make a PA announcement and hope us poor travelers will just sit it out. A voucher for a meal at the airport restaurant was the most I've receieved, it was from BA for a delay of four hours in Stockholm. |
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Delays can make traveling hell. But is it too easy for airlines to pass on the blame?
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