Programs: DL Sky-Ultra Lounge Member frequent WN LAS-MHT nonstop member
Posts: 3,002
Compensation Cancellation of NW 260
My flight #260 from PHX-DTW was cancelled on December 18, 2005.
Finally got around to writing a note about this over the weekend, just got a response this morning. Sent the note using the talk to us function on nwa.com
They chose to credit me 19,000 miles for the inconvenience, which I think is fair, considering these type of things happen. I never did get to the airport, since I was monitoring the flight progress, but I am glad NW is also willing to [logically] pay for my hotel room.
I also appreciate the honest answer, because I had verified the following day that the crew did go illegal, and that they did NOT have a crew for the flight, which resulted in the cancellation.
My letter to NW and their response follow :
I traveled to PHX for a very short [1 day] trip for a memorial service.
I was scheduled on Sunday night, December 18th, 2005 on NW flight #260 at 11:40PM.
I had received numerous emails, that the flight was delayed, with the final delay listed as approx. 2:30AM. I of course, did NOT travel to the airport,
but instead spent some extra time with relatives (keeping close watch on the flight status) At around midnight Arizona time, I called the elite line, and the flight was indeed cancelled. They rebooked me on the Monday morning flight #256. Of course, this wrecked personal havoc on my schedule, as my wife was enroute to Atlanta from Ohio, and I needed to be home in the early afternoon for my 3 children. Luckily, I always setup backup plans... but I did NOT get back to Dayton until after 4PM on Monday, due to some additional delays on my DTW-DAY flight. I needed to spend the night at the airport hotel [airport hilton] in Phoenix, as I was on a very early AM flight [which was the re-booking]. I was told that if I went to the airport, I could get a voucher for the FREE HOTEL stay, since this cancellation was due to a NW problem. I was NOT able to make it to the airport in time to get a voucher, since I had already re-booked the flight once it was cancelled. I was able to get the airport hilton to give me the special airline problem rate. My stay at the Airport Hilton was $61.64. I would like to request that NW reimburse me for the $61.41 I spent to stay overnight, due to the flight cancellation. I have been very loyal to NW over the past year, and appreciate you reviewing this matter. Of course, this flight cancellation was quite an issue for me personally, but I understand that these things do happen. Any compensation or courtesy which NW can extend would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, baccarat_king
Dear baccarat_king,
RE: Case Number xxxxxx
In your recent email, you alerted us to your concerns regarding the
reliability of our service on December 18. Your feedback is important
to us and we thank you for taking the time to write. On behalf of
Northwest Airlines and our affiliate carriers, we sincerely apologize
for your inconvenience when there was difficulty with Flight 260. I can
certainly understand your disappointment
We regret the inconvenience caused when your flight plans were
disrupted. Federal Air Regulations, as well as our internal policies,
stipulate the maximum time crews can be on duty in any 24-hour period.
In addition, we must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
requirements which define the minimum number of cabin attendants
necessary before a flight can depart. We schedule our flights to meet
these requirements.
In all cases, we will make every effort to confirm passengers on our
next available flight. I am truly sorry that all of our efforts did not
meet your desires.
We do value you as a customer, and for that reason we have added 19,000
WorldPerks bonus miles to your account xxxxxxx. You may visit our
website at www.nwa.com/freqfly/ to verify these miles have been posted.
Please allow 3 business days for miles to appear.
baccarat_king, in order for me to settle your claim as quickly as possible,
I request that you forward your hotel receipt to my attention at the
following address:
Northwest Airlines Customer Care
P.O. Box 1908
Minot, ND 58702
When I have received your receipt I will be able to issue you a check in
the amount of the hotel stay on your receipt. I hope to hear from you
soon.
As a valued customer, baccarat_king, you are in the best position to point
out areas that need attention. Please know that we work very hard to
operate every flight as scheduled. Your business is important to us and
given the opportunity of serving you in the future, I am confident we
will meet your expectations.
thanks for that thorough description of your problem and the resolution--your letter to NWA was also wonderfully thorough but still pithy, reasonable, and courteous
What's with this 19,000 thing? I've seen several people post the exact same number lately. I'm still trying to figure out any sort of logic behind such an odd number....
Two friends and I had problems with both transatlantic flights to/from Europe in November. NW offered 10,000 bonus miles each. Not quite what I expected, but fair. Maybe I should have hoped for 19,000 miles each
I was diverted last week and received 11.5K for it--great letter by the OPer, I always try to point out something good too just so it doesn't appear as if its all whining...
