Flight Delay/missing connection compensation question

[DiverG]

Would like advice from travel professionals on a sitituation from this past summer.

Last July(2004) I booked a trip to Cozumel from Houston. My traveling companion booked from Ft. Lauderdale connecting in Houston. Her flight was delayed due to mechanical problems, and she was unable to make the connecting flight. The bad thing was that was the last flight to Cozumel for the day.

Continental did eventaully get her to Cozumel connecting thru Cancun. She was originally schedule to arrive in Cozumel at 2:10PM, but did not arrive till 7:55PM. Needless to say she was exhausted and stressed out. So one whole day of vacation was wasted.

Continental gave her a $100 voucher, and I'm wondering if she should have gotten more. I know that if she had been bumped from a flight it would have been more, but I don't what the airlines are required to do if anything in this type of sitituation.

I would like to know if legally she should have been offered better compensation then she received? All I know is I believe she should have gotten more then that, but I understand if the airlines aren't required by regulations or written policy then she's lucky she received anything.

Now if she legally should have received more compensation is it to late to get it?

 

[diversteve]

Would like advice from travel professionals on a sitituation from this past summer....Continental gave her a $100 voucher, and I'm wondering if she should have gotten more. I know that if she had been bumped from a flight it would have been more, but I don't what the airlines are required to do if anything in this type of sitituation.

I would like to know if legally she should have been offered better compensation then she received? All I know is I believe she should have gotten more then that, but I understand if the airlines aren't required by regulations or written policy then she's lucky she received anything.

I'm not a "travel professional" but the company I used to work for had me on the road 2wks. a month for a couple years so I've got a lot of experience with being delayed/bumped from flights. IMHO she's lucky to get the $100. After all they did get her there the same day. I've sat longer than that in airports waiting for another flight after mine has been canceled. Had she been delayed overnight, they would have put her up in a nearby hotel, paid for her meals and gotten her there the next day. But that's usually all they'll offer unless they're overbooked and really need your seat, then I've been offered up to $300 in airline vouchers to surrender my seat.

Now if she legally should have received more compensation is it to late to get it?

When they gave her the $100 voucher, the form she signed absolved them of any further legal or financial responsibility.

 

[scubasean]

Now if she legally should have received more compensation is it to late to get it?

I think the first question is moot, and the one above is answered by the fair negotiation being completed...She was satisfied with what she received...Could you argue something to get in front of a judge....who knows...Is it worth it? (are ya willing to risk a few thou?)

I think it is reasonable to expect some delay...And I wouldn't want the airline flying a plane having a potentially troublesome malfunction...(of course, they fly with minor problems all of the time...)

And, a six hour delay isn't a day...heh

If *she* wants to move further, she should consult an attorney...In the alternative, I recommend she look back on the fun vacation...

 

[cdiver2]

I'm not a "travel professional" but the company I used to work for had me on the road 2wks. a month for a couple years so I've got a lot of experience with being delayed/bumped from flights. IMHO she's lucky to get the $100. After all they did get her there the same day. I've sat longer than that in airports waiting for another flight after mine has been canceled. Had she been delayed overnight, they would have put her up in a nearby hotel, paid for her meals and gotten her there the next day. But that's usually all they'll offer unless they're overbooked and really need your seat, then I've been offered up to $300 in airline vouchers to surrender my seat.
When they gave her the $100 voucher, the form she signed absolved them of any further legal or financial responsibility.

My wife and I got a $1000 travel voucher each for being bumped (international) then on the return flt we had to make an emergency landing resulting in a 12 hour delay 16000 FF miles each for that. Now thats what I call a good trip.

 

[RonFrank]

I doubt that she was legally entitled to anything from the airlines.

When you purchase a ticket, you pretty much sign away most rights to be legally compenstated for anything that delays a flight.

To receive more compensation at this point, she would have to somehow place a value on the time she lost based on something other than...diving in Coz...priceless and then persue that in court. Good luck with that

Her chance to get more out of the airline was while the incident was happening. Had she made a big stink about the whole process, said she lost scheduled dive time, yelled and screamed, I'm betting she would have walked away with a free flight. With the rate the airlines are loosing $$$ I'm not sure they are in a position to be giving away free anything.

I'm not a travel professional, BTW, but have done my time on airlines, and have worked with lawyers (shutter).

To late now.

Ron

Would like advice from travel professionals on a sitituation from this past summer.

Last July(2004) I booked a trip to Cozumel from Houston. My traveling companion booked from Ft. Lauderdale connecting in Houston. Her flight was delayed due to mechanical problems, and she was unable to make the connecting flight. The bad thing was that was the last flight to Cozumel for the day.

Continental did eventaully get her to Cozumel connecting thru Cancun. She was originally schedule to arrive in Cozumel at 2:10PM, but did not arrive till 7:55PM. Needless to say she was exhausted and stressed out. So one whole day of vacation was wasted.

Continental gave her a $100 voucher, and I'm wondering if she should have gotten more. I know that if she had been bumped from a flight it would have been more, but I don't what the airlines are required to do if anything in this type of sitituation.

I would like to know if legally she should have been offered better compensation then she received? All I know is I believe she should have gotten more then that, but I understand if the airlines aren't required by regulations or written policy then she's lucky she received anything.

Now if she legally should have received more compensation is it to late to get it?

 

[DiverG]

RonFrank I agree with that her best chance for better compensation was at the time it happened

scubasean Trust me she was never happy about the compensation.

cdiver2 What airline did you fly? They treated you right. I wonder if that was required compensation, or if they went above and beyond what they were required to do.

 

[cdiver2]

RonFrank

cdiver2 What airline did you fly? They treated you right. I wonder if that was required compensation, or if they went above and beyond what they were required to do.

American, it was a flight from Tampa-Chicago-London they announced at the gate in Chicago they wold give $1000 travel voucher to anyone that volunteered to be bumped we did. They then flew us to NY a limo to a hotel dinner/breakfast and a limo back to the airport, we arrived in London 12 hours later than we would have. On the way back there was a smell of smoke in the cabin whilst we were over the Atlantic so they diverted into Toronto, we were locked in a room with a armed guard for 12 hours...a total of 34 hours to get from London to Tampa they did offer another hotel in Chicago but we declined it as there was only 41/2 hours to the next flight...16000 FF miles each. This paid for the flights for my wife and I to PNG the next year.

 

[Natasha]

Greg:
A 6 hour delay isn't really that bad. She was lucky to get the 100.00. IMHO.
If it would have been a case where they couldn't get her out until the next day, the most I have seen for compensation is a nights stay in an airport hotel, a dinner voucher, and a breakfast voucher along with one free RT trip usually only good in 48 states.

 

[jawfish]

I agree, $100 was good. The back of the ticket explains a lot - basically says you can't expect ANYTHING in most cases unless it was expressly their fault and a 6 hour delay is nothing. (I travel every week, believe me, 6 hours is actually very common!) If the delay is weather related, they will not compensate you at all, no matter how long the delay is. However, I too agree with the previous poster, American Airlines often does do the right thing, even when they do not have to.

The best thing would have been to plead her case then, now would be too late IMHO. When that does happen, thing sugar! Be as sweet as possible and stay calm. Ask for an upgrade (first class!) on the next flight. Ask for drink coupons or upgrade credits. And do it softly, where no one will hear! They can't do it for everyone, so just worry about YOU!


I think the fact that they got her there the same day was very good, as then the next day was not blown in travel. And to give her $100 at least makes up for the day lost ina small way. I say put it to rest and use that $100 bucks to GO BACK! :10:

 

[DiverG]

To all that have replied thanks for your imput. I agree with most of what was said, including the best time to ask for more was when it happened.