Myself and a companion were scheduled to fly back to Memphis via Detroit (DL4028) on 12/27/2012, the first flight out of the day. Something happened to the plane the night before, causing it to not be in Akron Canton Thursday morning and they cancelled the flight. We were rebooked on a Saturday afternoon flight, causing us to miss two days of work. Fine, so be it. We get to the airport Saturday to find out the CAK-DTW flight is delayed, causing us to miss our connection to Memphis. So I call the reservation hotline (after the guy at the ticket counter said he couldn't help us) and we get rebooked....to Monday. Five extra days, three missed days of work.
What should I do in this situation? Delta offered 5k miles as compensation from the cancelled flight, but it doesn't seem like they realize just how much of a bind they put us in by leaving us stuck there for five days. Should I ask for more compensation? Should I have done something differently to avoid being bumped to a flight several days later (twice)? Neither of us have any status with DL, though we both hold Delta Gold AmEx cards
Edit: Also, we both paid for EC on two legs (ATL-CAK and DTW-MEM). After all the rebooking nonsense, I still got EC but she was relegated to the back of the plane. Should she receive a reimbursement for that?
I would have driven and charged the car to Delta. it's only an 11-12 hour drive to Memphis from Detroit. Personally, I've done the 13 hour drive from MSP to Memphis with 4 kids under 8, and it was relatively painless (even with a snowstorm in Iowa).
I would have driven and charged the car to Delta. it's only an 11-12 hour drive to Memphis from Detroit. Personally, I've done the 13 hour drive from MSP to Memphis with 4 kids under 8, and it was relatively painless (even with a snowstorm in Iowa).
or asked for a flight out of CLE or driven to DTW (about a four hour drive) or even CVG.
Seems the obvious answer here is being more proactive getting on the phone with agents. And sometimes true with air travel you do just have to give up and drive.
I would have been asking about flights from other airports and reimbursement for a rental car and about flights for other airlines.
Three more things:
You shouldn't be depending on the agents to find you a convenient flight. Hop online and start searching yourself. Once you find something, be it another airport or airline or arrival city, start advocating for DL to switch you to what you found. Agents are looking for an easy solution so that you will go away. (Not meant to be a slam. They need to solve the problem and move on to the next customer. The first solution found might not be the best, but it's a solution.) You've got nothing but time at that point. Use it!
FT is your friend when these things happen. Jump online and ask the community for help. People on this board are amazing and have so many tricks up their sleeves. It's worked for me in the past.
If all else fails, be at the airport for SB at the next flight, and every flight until you are on a plane. Several years ago, my PHL-ATL was canceled. Earlier flights were also canceled, so by the time I found out, everything was booked until late the next day. Nonetheless, I showed up for the first flight the next day. At the check-in counter, I was told they were four over and I was fourteenth on the SB list. My rule is to wait until the plane pushes back. It worked. I was on the flight.
Tenacity has allowed me to never not be where I needed to be in ten-plus years of heavy travel.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Omne38103
Edit: Also, we both paid for EC on two legs (ATL-CAK and DTW-MEM). After all the rebooking nonsense, I still got EC but she was relegated to the back of the plane. Should she receive a reimbursement for that?
To this particular point, her EC fee should be automatically refunded.
Seems the obvious answer here is being more proactive getting on the phone with agents. And sometimes true with air travel you do just have to give up and drive.
Being proactive while traveling can really improve the travel experience.
By at least the 3rd day of being stranded, you should have put some palm fronds on a volleyball and walked around the airport with it having conversations
Tenacity has allowed me to never not be where I needed to be in ten-plus years of heavy travel.
I think tenacity is exactly the correct advice here. There were any number of things that could have been done, but the tone seems to be oh just kinda hung out and they will fix it.
I have found that if I offer suggestions, I usually get to where I need to be. If a flight to MKE is cancelled, fly into Green Bay, Madison, Chicago, Appleton, etc ...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Omne38103
Here's my story...
Myself and a companion were scheduled to fly back to Memphis via Detroit (DL4028) on 12/27/2012, the first flight out of the day. Something happened to the plane the night before, causing it to not be in Akron Canton Thursday morning and they cancelled the flight. We were rebooked on a Saturday afternoon flight, causing us to miss two days of work. Fine, so be it. We get to the airport Saturday to find out the CAK-DTW flight is delayed, causing us to miss our connection to Memphis. So I call the reservation hotline (after the guy at the ticket counter said he couldn't help us) and we get rebooked....to Monday. Five extra days, three missed days of work.
What should I do in this situation? Delta offered 5k miles as compensation from the cancelled flight, but it doesn't seem like they realize just how much of a bind they put us in by leaving us stuck there for five days. Should I ask for more compensation? Should I have done something differently to avoid being bumped to a flight several days later (twice)? Neither of us have any status with DL, though we both hold Delta Gold AmEx cards
As others have said - at some point you just have to give up and drive. Or ask to be re-booked out of an alternative airport. If the delay was their fault, they may (should) have even provided the ground transportation to an alternate airport or another airline. Within 2 hours of CAK you have CMH, CLE, and PIT, and I know at least CMH has a nonstop to MEM. I realize that the weather was bad up in the northeast on the 25th and 26th which probably had impact on seat availability over the next few days due to cancellations but surely there had to be seats available at some point between your delay and when you actually got out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Omne38103
Edit: Also, we both paid for EC on two legs (ATL-CAK and DTW-MEM). After all the rebooking nonsense, I still got EC but she was relegated to the back of the plane. Should she receive a reimbursement for that?
Yes, she should get a reimbursement for the EC seat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CJKatl
FT is your friend when these things happen. Jump online and ask the community for help. People on this board are amazing and have so many tricks up their sleeves. It's worked for me in the past.
+1.
It's about knowing what to ask. Asking on here may help you get that knowledge if you don't know what to do, such as trying alternate airports or airlines. Truth is some agents are awesome and will look into that for you without you having to ask. Others will go the route of least resistance, especially if they have a lot of other customers to assist behind you.
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Due to my own screw up we were once faced with not being able to get a flight home for three days. Instead, we rented a car on our own, paid for a hotel, as well as the increased cost for a flight the next morning out of a different airport. I think in the end it cost us each $150 (including dinner at Hooters). We each missed less than 1/2 day of work.
So once the ball starts rolling you need to take control. The agents are usually more than willing to have you offer them a plan as it makes their job easier. And if you offer a plan you can often get them to either pick some of the costs or at least bump you into a better seating. So as said be proactive.
There are probably 50 things experienced travelers could tell you on what the OP could have done. At the end of the day though, it really comes down to being proactive and finding solutions for yourself and not just sitting back waiting for the airline to resolve the issue. The one constant in travel is things always change and dont always work out so you have to prepared to deal with the unexpected. I've found that universally true no matter where or how i travel.
As to what you could have done to prevent the problem...you've gotten some good advice. You have to take the bull by the horns and force the issue as much as you can. In these days of capacity cuts and increasing travel, the potential for situations like the one you faced will be on the rise.
Notwithstanding that, What was the cause of the delay?
If it was MX I would be seeking compensation for the additional expenses incurred because of DL's failure to get you to your destination in a timely manner.
FWIW, the last couple of flights I took had slight MX delays of <2 hrs. I didn't even bother to write in. Stuff happens and I plan for it. But, who plans for a 5 day delay?
If this was within DL's control, they should pony up.
Being proactive while traveling can really improve the travel experience.
