Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been lucky over the years, haven't dealt with a flight cancellation in decades. I read of the poor souls trapped at Airports, over time, like the most recent one in Atlanta where the power went off. But my luck ran out Wednesday night at LAX, last flight of the day, usually packed to Las Vegas. I got to the Airport 2 hours early for my 10:10pm flight, and they kept delaying it half-hour by half-hour, when, at 12:45am they announced the flight was cancelled. The flight out of Reno, en route to LAX, was grounded due to excessive winds. At that hour, the restaurants were all closing, and I was hungry, frustrated, and more so to learn, Xmas season you know, all flights Thursday were booked solid.
One woman, when learned that airlines are not obligated to pay for your hotel room, or give you food or transportation vouchers. completely lost it and a security guard had to restrain her. When the blame can be placed on weather, the airlines are off the hook!
I've done this often, I take the earliest morning flight to LAX, from Vegas, take the last flight back, but never, ever will I ever risk flying over any busy holiday season again. And I'll take the 2nd to last flight back, as there's 16 flights a day, Vega/L.A.
What were my options? They said I could take a 6:00am flight out of Ontario Airport, 50 miles away, but wouldn't provide the transportation to get there.
20 hours without sleep, at that point, I decided to do a one way rental to Las Vegas, and let my roommate help me co-pilot, as I have night vision, and he can't drive! So I arrived, bleary eyed, in Las Vegas at 6am!
So what have been your experiences with flight cancellations? Nightmarish, painful, you took it very calmly, almost deterred you from flying again?
I remember years ago when I had a couple flights cancelations due to mechnical issues of the aircraft, the airline promptly found me alternative flights. On the other hand, the one time I went to Southern Africa, South African Airlines went on strike when I was supposed to return home and the airline didn't help find alternative flights. I had to go with many other passengers to find an alternative option on my own and then return to the airline's desk to get a voucher from them to cover the flight after I did the legwork!
I used to travel for work 75% of the time and still do on occasion. Been stranded many times for multiple days. I just make the most of it and wait it out because there’s really nothing else to do. I did rent a car and drive across the country once but it was when I had a baby at home and they couldn’t get me out for five days. Since it’s happened on business travel da not my money and I haven’t worried about it.
I think it depends on several factors as to whether or not the airline has to, or often is willing to help you.
If they've stranded you at a connecting point.. I think they have to/are more willing to do more.
If you're flying Vegas to Charlotte with a layover in Chicago.. They get you to Chicago and then can't get you out you've got a shot.. You're likely not getting anything if they strand you at Vegas.. You're CERTAINLY not if this is not the return part of a round trip ticket.
I wound up "stranded" in Charlotte flying Kansas City to GSP once before.. Think it was on USAir.. they were willing to give me a hotel voucher for the night in Charlotte.. I went over to the Hertz counter, rented a car (Which they gave me a hell of a deal on because they needed to reposition some cars to GSP) and drove the hour and 10 minutes home. I actually wound up ahead on the deal because I got more money back from cancelling the last leg than it cost me to rent the car. That's HIGHLY unusual. I was also able to do this because I never check luggage on flights with connections. I'll check a bag on a direct flight, but not if there's connections unless there's just no other way around it.
Now, I also one time got stuck in Atlanta, because work found a cheaper flight and had me drive to Atlanta to take a flight to Boston. 2 and a half hour drive to Atlanta and they cancelled the flight, rebooked us on a 6am flight. By this time it's 9pm or so.. If I did drive home, it would have been 11:30 at least, then to get back to the airport 2 hours before the flight departed meant i'd have to leave home at 1:30am. I actually sweet talked my way into a hotel room voucher that time. That's been.. Almost 20 years ago.. pre-9/11. I doubt there's any way that happens again in today's world.
My husband travels a lot for work and almost every flight has at least a 10 minutes delay. That doesn't sound like much, but other times it's an hour or several hours which in turn could be a problem if you have to catch a connecting flight elsewhere. Some airlines are notorious for delayed flights (AA).
From my experience, most airlines will give you a hotel voucher or some kind of compensation even if it's weather related and technically not their fault. Other airlines won't give you anything however. I think travel insurance might help in a case when nothing is covered, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
From my experience, most airlines will give you a hotel voucher or some kind of compensation even if it's weather related and technically not their fault. Other airlines won't give you anything however. I think travel insurance might help in a case when nothing is covered, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
Low cost carriers, you're probably not getting anything even if the pilot jumps out the cockpit window with a beer in his hand and then the plane bursts into flames on the runway. They'll call it an act of God.
Several years ago I was in New York for the holidays and experienced my first and only cancellations.
First it was delayed because of crew issues. A couple of hours later, a crew arrived, but weather was an issue. We got cancelled and flights were full that evening. They gave me a hotel voucher and I was booked on a flight the next afternoon.
I get there early, we board, and as we start to push back there's a sudden jerk. The crew had neglected to remove a cable that attached the plane to ramp (not sure on specifics). The plane was determined to be too damaged to fly. We were told most flights were booked that evening.
So many people threw fits and were turned away from counters with no flights that day. I chose to approach them kindly, let them know I appreciated them, and they made sure I was on a flight that evening. Kindness pays.
I don't travel for holidays anymore. What a nightmare.
We gave Spirit a try from Detroit to Myrtle Beach. Outward journey whilst taxiing out the pilot all of a sudden realized there was a weather system he would have to navigate around so taxied back to the gate for more fuel.
Homeward, 5-6 hour delay due to no crew available, they gave precedence to their own people flying so literally bullied paying passengers to give up seats. In 5 hours not even a cup of coffee was offered.
Apart from that the longest I've ever been delayed by was 9 hours, middle of January, O'Hare to Traverse City. They ended up trying to persuade us that we could wait until the next morning but several passengers insisted we fly. No meal vouchers offered (no where open at that time of night anyways) and we landed sideways on ice. If they had offered lodging I think I would have taken the overnight delay.
My flight was canceled and I got stuck at San Jose( CA) airport and had to pay 300 USD for a cheap hotel. No voucher due to weather.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
