MUST READ if you're flying American Airlines in the near future

[ducklite]

Isn't that what you are always supposed to do? In the end, you never know what you might be up against.

Last minute cancellations can bring a fair amount of chaos with them. But if the airline is organized I see no way how a delay that has been announced before the departure date may cause the same amount of problems. Of course, there will be some issues, but if the airline handles it well, things should work out.

 

You'd be surprised how many don't. On our last cruise there was a couple who had taken nothing but their camera and an book in their carry on and their luggage was lost for over a week before it caught up with them.

[ducklite]

B) is a highly unlikely explanation. If a delay or cancellation is caused by weather or maintenance, airlines do not have to provide food or lodging. This is a FAA regulation that removes economic pressure to fly in the presence of a safety issue.

 

Even if the delay was totally within the airline's control, the most you could expect is a few meal vouchers and a list of hotels that would charge you a "distressed passenger" rate.

 

About the only time airlines pay for a hotel room is when a passenger is a very high status customer flying on a premium fare.

 

This is incorrect. Maintenance is within the carriers control and they do provide lodging if a flight is cancelled forcing an overnight as long as you aren't at the start of your trip.

 

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.

 

It has nothing to do with FF status.

[6rugrats]

This is incorrect. Maintenance is within the carriers control and they do provide lodging if a flight is cancelled forcing an overnight as long as you aren't at the start of your trip.

 

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.

 

It has nothing to do with FF status.

Maybe this is true with US, but not with any airline on which I travel. Vouchers only for delays/cancellations within an airline's control, which does not include weather or ATC. UA, pre CO merger, used to hand out hotel vouchers to 1K and above, even for weather delays, which certainly did depend on status, but I don't know if they still do this.

[Gloria Mundi]

 

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.

 

It has nothing to do with FF status.

 

Distressed passenger vouchers can sometimes be worthless. I got one, good for a low rate at the Hyatt near ORD. Good thing I called them first- AA had been rolling them out like toilet paper even though the hotel was full up. I spent a comfortable night at the Hilton with no help from AA. This was a couple of years ago in a weather delay coming in from LHR.

[kenish]

This is incorrect. Maintenance is within the carriers control and they do provide lodging if a flight is cancelled forcing an overnight as long as you aren't at the start of your trip.

 

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.

 

It has nothing to do with FF status.

 

Friend is a GA with one of the "majors". I asked her about this, and she said airlines are not required to give out vouchers at all. The regulation I stated was abolished. It's now totally up to the airlines if and when to give out vouchers. At her airline it's as I stated...only things under their control and then it's often to high-status customers, if at all. BTW, she said that weather and unexpected mechanical problems don't count against the airline's ontime or cancellation statistics.

[tvmovielover]

I guess i was speculating when I wrote about our recent trip from SF to JAX on why we were lucky enough to make a flight we should not have as to why we did. My husband always gets in the face of the gate agents if it looks like we will be delayed to the point of missing our flight and they told him in DFW we would get hotel vouchers if we could not get home that night. We were traveling on FF miles (to use them up because of AAs current problems but also because from JAX they do not fly to a number of places we go to now) and have no special status anymore. Anyway, sometimes we just get lucky in this era of uncomfortable and unpredictable flight even with AA!

 

For future AA flyers and those changing schedules, our flight to and from SF was orginally going through Miami at a very early hour which kept getting earlier with schedule changes. My husband finally called and got the routing changed to JAX-DFW-SF and then just kept going online regularly until we got the seating we wanted. Even with FF reward tickets, there is some leeway so those of you who keep getting schedule changes, try working with the airline-it does not always pay off but sometimes it does. Asking is free.

[ducklite]

Maybe this is true with US, but not with any airline on which I travel. Vouchers only for delays/cancellations within an airline's control, which does not include weather or ATC. UA, pre CO merger, used to hand out hotel vouchers to 1K and above, even for weather delays, which certainly did depend on status, but I don't know if they still do this.

 

Go read the UA/CO web site. You'll find that what I wrote is what they state.

[ducklite]

I guess i was speculating when I wrote about our recent trip from SF to JAX on why we were lucky enough to make a flight we should not have as to why we did. My husband always gets in the face of the gate agents if it looks like we will be delayed to the point of missing our flight and they told him in DFW we would get hotel vouchers if we could not get home that night. We were traveling on FF miles (to use them up because of AAs current problems but also because from JAX they do not fly to a number of places we go to now) and have no special status anymore. Anyway, sometimes we just get lucky in this era of uncomfortable and unpredictable flight even with AA!

 

For future AA flyers and those changing schedules, our flight to and from SF was orginally going through Miami at a very early hour which kept getting earlier with schedule changes. My husband finally called and got the routing changed to JAX-DFW-SF and then just kept going online regularly until we got the seating we wanted. Even with FF reward tickets, there is some leeway so those of you who keep getting schedule changes, try working with the airline-it does not always pay off but sometimes it does. Asking is free.

 

Getting in a GA's face is generally not going to get you anywhere. I've seen GA's refuse to assist customers who were being rude or aggressive and made them go to teh back of the line until they could calm themselves down. Being nice and calm and giving them options to work with will get you everywhere. Yelling or getting twisted into a frenzy can get you a "no-fly" status.

[purduemom1]

Agreed! It's not the GA's fault that flights are delayed or cancelled but they seem to get the brunt of it. Watching people rant and rave at the gate is just good entertainment for those waiting to board but often doesn't have the desired results.

[6rugrats]

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.

 

It has nothing to do with FF status.

 

Go read the UA/CO web site. You'll find that what I wrote is what they state.

 

I am not sure what you are reading on UA's webpage. They are not obligated to give you anything for delays (weather, ATC) that are beyond their control. They are not handing out hotel vouchers for delays for these reasons. You could get lucky, though not likely, to get a food voucher.

 

This is what UA states on their webpage, and this is their policy:

 

Delays or cancellations that are not within United's control

For issues not within United’s control, such as inclement weather or air traffic control problems, the following amenities may be offered, depending on the length of delay:

• Depending upon the duration of the delay, we may offer food and beverages where available. Snack or meal vouchers may be offered in locations where a beverage cart is not available.
  
• If you have to stay overnight, we may be able to give you a distressed passenger rate voucher for a nearby hotel. These discounted rates, when available, will often be lower than those you would receive if you were to contact the hotel directly. Your accommodations will be at your own expense.
  

[ducklite]

I am not sure what you are reading on UA's webpage. They are not obligated to give you anything for delays (weather, ATC) that are beyond their control. They are not handing out hotel vouchers for delays for these reasons. You could get lucky, though not likely, to get a food voucher.

 

This is what UA states on their webpage, and this is their policy:

 

Delays or cancellations that are not within United's control

For issues not within United’s control, such as inclement weather or air traffic control problems, the following amenities may be offered, depending on the length of delay:

• Depending upon the duration of the delay, we may offer food and beverages where available. Snack or meal vouchers may be offered in locations where a beverage cart is not available.
  
• If you have to stay overnight, we may be able to give you a distressed passenger rate voucher for a nearby hotel. These discounted rates, when available, will often be lower than those you would receive if you were to contact the hotel directly. Your accommodations will be at your own expense.
  

 

But my point was that MECHANICAL delays and cancellations ARE within the control of the airline. Yourself and Kenish are trying to say they aren't within the airlines control, which is just not the case.

[DG2007]

Sitting on flight 1926 to JAX on AA @ DFW. Guess who's been delayed. Boarded on time but we've been sitting here due to "a maintenance issue" with a supposedly non-essential system we could fly without - per the pilot's explanation - yet here we sit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kenish]

But my point was that MECHANICAL delays and cancellations ARE within the control of the airline. Yourself and Kenish are trying to say they aren't within the airlines control, which is just not the case.

 

Well we're both right as I tried to explain. If an inspection, routine part replacement, etc. is required by the airline's Maintenance Plan that is totally under the airline's control. It's rare but if they discover something is due or overdue (very bad), the plane has to be removed from service unless they can get a deferral signed off. Continuing to fly is grounds for big fines as several airlines have discovered.

 

But if a tire blows out, the standby horizon fails a pre-takeoff check, the FO notices a bird strike during her walk-around, or an O-ring fails (all have delayed or cancelled flights I've been on), that is an unexpected maintenance issue and out of the airline's control. The FAA does not count those in their cancel/delay statistics.

[headhunterke]

As an airline employee myself, I can only agree with the 'be nice to the GA'. It's not only respect, but you are most likely get far more done then when you start being a pain in the A-hole. When I have to pull strings for someone and I have 2 options between a friendly or a rude pax, I don't have to think for 2 seconds.

Many people think GA's can solve everything that happens. In fact, in certain cases pax are more informed about the flight then the employees are, because they have last minute info from the HQ itself through the internet...

[ducklite]

Also, make sure you know what your rights are. For example, if pre-flight cancellations happen and this affects your trip with more then 2 hours, they need to give you other (and free!!!) alternatives.

If you are worried about your flight getting changed/cancelled, thoroughly read the rights you have.

Also know that at a lot of airpots agents aren't the one who take decisions. They have to listen to the supervisors and can only do as much as they are allowed to. Being a customer service agent myself, I think it's a shame how less we can still be of help to pax.

 

What dives me crazy is that they won't issue "back ups" any longer. Grrrr....

[kenish]

My best "be nice to the GA" story was on Alaska. We were in line to board and nearing the front of the line. An older woman barged in front of the line without even an "excuse me" and held out her BP. The GA was unflappable and asked "Can I help you with something?" The passenger importantly said she was in an earlier boarding group. GA said her group had been called several times. The woman said she never heard the announcements but the GA pointed out everyone waiting patiently in line had heard them, and asked the woman to go to the back of the line and her seat would be ready for her.

 

After a minute of the woman not budging, several people in line were shouting at her and "suggesting" she get in line. She finally got in the face of the GA and said "You will board me NOW!", and the GA took her BP. She must have had a flash of victory until the GA said, "Ma'am, you have two choices. You can take this boarding pass to the Customer Service desk by Gate xx and they will rebook you on a flight tomorrow. If you choose to fly with us today you need to take your carry-on to the gentleman at the podium so he can check it, and then go to the back of the line".

 

The woman went to the podium seething, as everyone applauded. I emailed Alaska complimenting the agent, I'm sure they got a long one from the passenger!

[6rugrats]

But my point was that MECHANICAL delays and cancellations ARE within the control of the airline. Yourself and Kenish are trying to say they aren't within the airlines control, which is just not the case.

I never said anything about mechanical delays not being within the control of an airline, merely weather and ATC delays were not, and I stand by my statement, that airlines will not generally hand out food or hotel vouchers for this type of delay.

 

 

Yet you say airlines will hand out meal and hotel vouchers due to weather and ATC, which simply is not true. Except with some airlines, where status does affect what an airline is willing to do for a passenger:

 

Originally Posted by ducklite

Distressed passenger vouchers are handed out when significant delays and cancellations are caused by weather or ATC.It has nothing to do with FF status.

[Freckles_51]

Advice please:

 

The flights we have booked for Oct 16, YYZ-DFW-HNL go out daily and I have been checking our reservations, as well as the same flights daily to see what kind of delays they are experiencing.

 

YYZ-DFW has always been on time, and mostly the DFW-HNL, but yesterday the DFW-HNL was cancelled. When I checked first it was shown as delayed by 2 hours. At that time, had it been our travel date, we would have been at the gate in DFW patiently waiting to board.

 

I'm not a frequent flyer and never experienced a cancellation, so please excuse my questions:

 

Would the gate agent make the announcement and if not how would we be made aware of the cancellation? Do we just keep checking the display board at the gate?

 

What is the procedure for making other arrangements? Is it everyone for themselves - ie a mad dash to line up at the gate agent, if someone is there, or do they call up groups/names to keep it in an orderly manner?

 

Or would we go to AA customer service desk? Where is it in DFW? (from looking at past flights, we would be in terminal D, perhaps A)

 

BTW I already have a list of optional flights that would get us from DFW-HNL, one way or another, realizing that everyone else is vying for the same seats.

 

Thanks :)

[ducklite]

Would the gate agent make the announcement and if not how would we be made aware of the cancellation? Do we just keep checking the display board at the gate?

 

What is the procedure for making other arrangements? Is it everyone for themselves - ie a mad dash to line up at the gate agent, if someone is there, or do they call up groups/names to keep it in an orderly manner?

 

Or would we go to AA customer service desk? Where is it in DFW? (from looking at past flights, we would be in terminal D, perhaps A)

 

BTW I already have a list of optional flights that would get us from DFW-HNL, one way or another, realizing that everyone else is vying for the same seats.

 

Thanks :)

 

Sign up to get notified of changes on your cell phone via text message. Often you'll get info before the gate agent does.

 

Nothing is orderly at all.

 

Have the 800 number for your carrier in your cell phone, and the minute you get notified that the flight is cancelled, call them. At the same time, go to the gate agent. They might not know it's cancelled yet so might not do anything for you. It's possible they'll direct you to Special Services for re-booking. No idea where it is, there might be several of them. The gate agent can tell you, or you should be able to find it on any airport map. Chances are you can get re-booked over the phone before you reach guest services.

 

If there is no gate agent, go directly to customer service.

 

Have a plan. Make suggestions. Be patient and flexible.

 

If they need to reroute you through SEA or LAX or any other connecting airport to get to HNL, as long as they ticket you WITH A SEAT ASSIGNMENT before you take a flight to SEA, go with it. Understand that you will likely get crappy seats and no, they won't move others so you and your traveling companions can sit together. Once on the new flight, feel free to ask others if they would switch, but be prepared to give up the better set for the worse in the process.

 

If they are trying to send you to a connecting airport without a seat assignment, tell that that's unacceptable and to find you something that you can be ticketed on with a seat assignment. Those without seat assignments are the first on the IDB list.

[Freckles_51]

Thanks for the very helpful response.

I just found DFW map on aa.com and it shows locations of rebooking centres - I will take a copy with me :)

[kenish]

Thanks for the very helpful response.

I just found DFW map on aa.com and it shows locations of rebooking centres - I will take a copy with me :)

 

Definitely have the list of alternate flights handy. You will have a much better chance of a good outcome if you help the agent rebook you as quickly as possible. They are pressed for time (and often tracked and evaluated on how quickly they can resolve issues). Lacking your suggestions, they will jump at the first thing they see on their computer.

 

Get in line at the customer service counter...but you should be on the phone at the same time.

[Freckles_51]

This is the terminal map I am looking at, from aa web site.

Looking at the legend the symbol for re-booking centres appear to be a non-manned setup within the secure area (machine or phone maybe?) while the ticket counters appear to be manned but outside the secure area. Is that correct? Which am I to go to if I am already in the secure area and discover my flight is cancelled :confused:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/whereWeFly/terminals/terminal_DFW.jsp

Maybe I'm just worrying too much over this :rolleyes:

[wrp96]

If you are in the secured area, go to the nearest gate with an agent working. Do not leave the secure area.

[Freckles_51]

Thanks :)

[waterbug123]

This is the terminal map I am looking at, from aa web site.

Looking at the legend the symbol for re-booking centres appear to be a non-manned setup within the secure area (machine or phone maybe?) while the ticket counters appear to be manned but outside the secure area. Is that correct? Which am I to go to if I am already in the secure area and discover my flight is cancelled :confused:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/whereWeFly/terminals/terminal_DFW.jsp

Maybe I'm just worrying too much over this :rolleyes:

 

You get on your cell phone to the airline's 800 number!