wqcoleman

Have at it -- sent this Monday and still have had no response. Considering I'm a Plat and have been for the last four years, they would have done something by now. This was the worst, I'm wondering if anyone else was on the ramp with me.

Read away.. (to the CO Cust Service)

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To whom it may concern,

I was on flight 348 last night (Nov 6th) - Onepass number <deleted>. I have never been on a CO flight (let alone another airline) that was as screwed up as last night.

We sat on the ramp for 5 1/2 hours, and then took off at 10:30pm for a 6 1/2 hour flight and a full scale prison riot going on in the plane. No food, no drink, NO anything was served on the plane for 5 1/2 hours and people were screaming "get back to the gate" - it was like a rock concert gone bad. I fly a lot and I have NEVER been on a flight or airline that did that - I mean really, get the plane under control. With a completely full plane, and people mulling about the aisles, the plane was a clausterphobia box - my wife and I felt like crazy people on that plane.

I think next time (my advice) - go back to gate or not board the plane with a storm heading into the NYC area. Most westbound and eastbound traffic on hold into the NYC area - you knew this before we boarded. Why I know this - I talked to the gate agent before boarding and she told me that there was a delay and that eastbound and some westbound traffic was in "Hold" - I said, why board the plane now? - she said, we are going to try to "make it". Next time, I'll be smarter and know that "make it" is code for clearing gates so that you can move planes in a delay and keep me in a rat trap for 11 1/2 hours. Shame on you.

I'm done flying out of EWR with CO, it's just been such a hassle lately, no upgrades, no service, PACKED planes. I think my biz will go to NWA with less packed planes to HPN routed through DTW to SFO - it's a real shame, but this was the straw that broke the camels back.

Thanks,

vachataboon

You'll get a better response if you tame the letter down a bit. Ranting and raving isn't going to get you anywhere. What's the old addage? You can draw more flies with honey than vinegar...

gsupstate

I'm all for civility, but if you'd been through what this guy had been..... I don't know how I'd react, but I'm pretty sure I would have ended up in jail. There is NO EXCUSE for this kind of thing, and the airlines need to realize it. Sometime, strong wording IS called for!

radonc1

my biz will go to NWA

You are going to go with the airline that made "holding passengers in the plane against their will" famous ??

I flew BWI-CLE that evening and there were other issues going on at that time (maybe something for another post). The staff tried their best to handle the situation and they did give out food vouchers and courtesy packs. I used the airfare discount coupon that night for my next flight ^ .

I am always sorry for everyone when these situations occur. However, as a CO plat and a NW Gold, you must fly enough to know that these things will happen at some point.

Lemurs

Interesting. I was on 1881 (EWR-SEA) that same night. We sat on the ramp from about 6:30 until 10:00, and then took off for our 5.5 hour flight. No one was freaking out on our plane. The F/A's were serving drinks out of the back of the plane for anyone who went back there. The Captain got on the intercom and said people could get up and make themselves comfortable as needed, but to be prepared to be seated should we be cleared for takeoff.

One thing the F/A's did that was nice: After the first hour or so they got up and passed out headphones free of charge, and fired up the movie that gets shown on the West->East legs. We watched almost the entire thing before takeoff. Then when we got in the air, finished that movie, and then got the normal East-West movie too, along with the food and drink service.

I sent CO Care a message praising the F/A's for taking the initiative in doing that, also telling them that I didn't need a reply, but they responded in under 24 hours anyway to say thank you. Proof that praise gets noticed by customer service people much faster than criticisms. My advice to everyone when they have a complaint: Include the good with the bad. If the agent sees that you can recognize and appreciate good service, they will take your criticism of bad service more seriously. (i.e. they learn up front that you are not just a habitual complainer, who they hear from often and loudly.)

gsupstate

Facts are facts. Shouldn't have to sugar-coat anything. If anything, it should be the other way around.

BowdiKa

I've been flying NW out of LGA for a few months now - this type of thing happens in the NYC area more than you think. There are a lot of weather delays (never experienced 5 1/2 hours but have had some long ones). Here's what has happened to me on more than one occassion.

It had just finished raining and more storms were quickly moving in. Our inbound was delayed for 2+ hours in a holding pattern. When it landed, the GA told us in no nonsense terms, board only when we call your row and board quickly, if we don't get you pushed back from the gate soon, the crew will time out for the night. After the plane door was closed the pilot came on and told us that we were going to push back but it didn't look good. We HAD to get in line for takeoff because they only let 30 planes in line. BUT we were going to have to sit on the plane because they had just shut down EWR and the rain was moving in quickly, after that ATC would start releasing planes but who knows how long before we could take off. The good news was, a lot of other inbound planes had to land elsewhere for refuel, but he didn't and that it sounded like it helped the crew not time out. We sat for 2 hours and then were released, my friend on a United plane at the same time waited for 3+ hours to take off. No riots on my plane, the pilot let us use phones and get up and "move about the cabin" - just be ready to get back in your seats quickly if/when we get released and it was a packed 757 with every seat taken (or so the GA said).

It's not just a CO thing for this type of delay, it happens on NW too. I have lots more NW delay stories out of the NYC area if you think NW is better at getting out of there in that type of situation (I'm a NW plat by the way and I really like them, for the most part).

Lemurs

What facts? There was a long delay, and the F/A's did not give out food or drink service on the ground. Those are the facts. There's also the fact that they couldn't possibly do this since they had no idea when the plane might have to immediately taxi and takeoff, and the cabin needs to be free of service items before you can do that. Therefore, no cabin service.

People were very uncomfortable? Sure. That happened to EVERYONE at EWR, not just people on CO. My girlfriend JUST avoided this exact same situation that night on NWA because I called her to warn her off, and we sat next to a JetBlue plane that didn't move for hours too. Her plane sat on the tarmac for 2.5 hours. This kind of feedback is about a subjective experience, not an objective set of facts. Some people were happy, others were not, none of it was directly CO's (or NWA's, or JetBlue's) fault, but related to weather.

Personally, I, and a number of other people around me, would have been pissed if we had gone back to the gate because of a few whiners. I needed to get to SEA if at all possible. Since we did end up getting there, I'd have to give CO a thumbs up for mission accomplished. If they had bowed to the "but I'm uncomfortable" crowd, the tone of my letter would have been different.

otralot

Your letter should also to Feds since cleary the ATC system is not working in the NYC area. Cleary CO's service could have been a bit better or maybe freindly but they can't do much when ATC rules the day and night.

Planes should not be pushed if there is the potential for this kind of delay. LGA is small and the probably needed the gate for incoming traffic.

OP does have right to be angry. System is not working and plenty of balme to go around.

wqcoleman

There was a guy behind me who had his co-worker on 1881, in fact, 1881 left from the gate right next to 348 (Gate 87 - maybe saw each other ).

You know, I never complain to CO, never. I fly an avg of 100K a year, and I'm used to delays -- leave . But, frankly, this was a freakshow. I mean, my wife who never flys, said, why doesn't the Captain come back and stop everyone and calm people down?? I said, I have no idea? I also thought that that plane didn't have enough gas to fly and sit? but, I was wrong on that.

The longest I had to wait on the ramp was in DTW for a 3 1/2 hour delay for a snowstorm and de-icing. Other than that, I've always gone back to the gate. Seeing that you were on 1881, I counted 42 jets on the ramp from my window, with about 20 being E-145's. Now, I will freely admit, being on one of those for 5 1/2 hours would HAVE SUCKED more than being on my plane.

There you have it.

mbreuer

This type of delay is not unheard of.

I once spent 5 1/2 hours sitting #1 for takeoff on a AA flight from ord->bos. Thunderstorms.

And there was the 5 1/2 hours on Piedmont at Kansas City - at the gate, but not allowed to deplane. Engine MX.

BearX220

Yeah, everybody's got a good ORD penalty box story. And during the winter at EWR I have been on the ground for up to four hours waiting to deice before flying to SEA. It's unpleasant but that's the nature of the system today.

Which is why the OP should write a considered letter to the Feds highlighting not his perception of an onboard riot, but how the lack of discipline and capacity planning at EWR leads to unacceptable conditions. I flew out of EWR to BOS this morning and we taxied for 45 minutes, we were number 25 for takeoff when we joined the conga line, and that's considered perfectly normal. ANY wx disruption creates chaos and leads to situations like the OP's. That's the fault of ERJ-happy schedulers who tie up the airport with swarms of little airplanes. This is a macro/structural problem, not a my-flight-sucked anecdote, and I would complain on that basis.

Lemurs

I was wondering if that was the same flight! I was down there when that flight was boarding, so you're probably right re:seeing each other. I remembered 87 had a SFO flight, but no the number. I think it was the heat frying my brain. I did spend a lot of time loitering up near 85 too, which was boarding for Stockholm I think...lots of pretty Scandanavian women in the terminal area.

I seriously considered filing a complaint about how hot it was in Terminal C that night. It must have been 85 degrees EVERYWHERE. The only place I got even a little respite was in the big PC at the front of the terminal. I almost felt like passing out at one point. One of the PC workers mumbled something to me about how they turned the A/C off expecting colder weather and couldn't get it back on or something. All I know is that I couldn't wait to get onto that plane, and wasn't interested in heading back to the terminal.

MBM3

My wife and I were stuck in a snowdrift in DTW a couple years ago on our way to AMS. Delays happen, but this was a comedy of errors and it took far too long for us to get pulled out. We got a little frustrated at the seemingly little effort taking place to pull us out, while also looking out the window at our flight backing out of the gate. We comment to each other on how ridiculous it was and suddenly a FA jumped out of her jumpseat and got in my wife's face with a warning that she could have the police meet us at the gate if she didnt "calm down". I was freakin shocked at this treatment - are we supposed to be happy about huge delays? Are we not allowed to discuss our frustrations? Are threats of this nature really the best may to maintain control?

BearX220

As is the case with the general population, 10% of all FAs are out of their minds. When these things happen, stay calm, get names, and write letters.