Originally Posted by
monitor
It is absolutely ludicrous to expect compensation for a 90 minute delay and that can only be among the expectations of someone careless and/or inexperienced enough to schedule himself so tightly that his trip is blown by such a minor glitch.
This is one of the "What should I get for compensation when nothing really happened" threads that we have been laughing about around here for years.
What happened appears to be a 90-minute delay caused by a mechanical malfunction. People have been compensated for much less. While I would not ask for compensation for missed events in this case, I certainly would expect the airline to be reasonably on time, excluding events beyond the airline's control such as weather, which is apparently not the issue here despite the storm in Atlanta. The OP may be inexperienced compared to seasoned FT'ers, but is it "ludicrous" and "laughable" simply because he thought to ask someone more knowledgeable for help?
Originally Posted by
obscure2k
Speaking as a "private poster" and a member of FT, I have to give a big ^ to monitor. My thoughts, exactly.
Considering a few of my comments were removed from this forum without reasons given, I am rather disappointed by you, "private poster" or not, for lending your support for such disparaging (if not inflammatory by your standard) post. Very helpful indeed. Bravo!
Originally Posted by
skoker
And if you ran late to work because you got a flat tire, would you expect Goodyear to send you a check for the hour of work that you missed? There's 24 hours in a day, if your schedule is so tight that 90 minutes causes so much of a ruckus for you, you have another thing coming for you. And with the WX in ATL lately, I'd say plan on a delay and hope for the best. I've lost all sympathy for passengers who wind up inconviencing themselves by creating stupid travel plans, for god's sake, if you're in a wheelchair or traveling alone with 5 kids, DON'T plan a 20 minute connection, or take the last flight of the night out of an outstation to a hub! (ESPECIALLY if you're catching an international flight!!)
So many issues here... If I get a flat tire, whether it caused me to be late or not, I would expect Goodyear to buy me a new tire, provided that it is still under waranty. Now, this is not the same with the airlines because we pay for each trip, instead of a lump sum. Hypothetically, if I could pay Goodyear to service my tires every 5,000 miles, and I get a flat tire, heck yeah I would expect them to pay.
The OP didn't appear to be in a wheelchair, nor was he traveling with 5 kids, nor did he try a 20-minute connection, so your anger/frustration towards these travelers(for whatever reason) is misdirected. Inexperience travelers will make mistakes due to inexperience, if you don't want to help, I am sure there are others who will.
I don't think anyone could have predicted the weather for 9/26 or 27 a couple of months ago, when most people make their travel plans. While seasoned travelers know there is an increased chance of storms this time of the year, an inexperienced traveler probably would not take weather into consideration. I don't want to sidetrack the topic, but what the OP described is a delay caused by a mechical problem, not weather, anyway.
Originally Posted by
Canarsie
I think you would quickly change your mind if you had actually toured the Technical Operations Center for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta.
So the OP doesn't appear to be very knowledgeable about Delta TechOps.. Should he be flamed by others (mods included) for asking the "wrong" question or lack of knowledge about Delta maintainance? While he may have been mis-informed, he did not become defensive until after the disparaging remarks started.
Originally Posted by
MisterNice
Ninety minutes late and the OP wants "compensation"? What has FT become with all the whiners demanding "compensation" for any minor inconvenience, inconvenience or travel hiccup. You are lucky you didnt get a middle seat between a pair of unwashed tobacco-chewing 330 pounders loudly asking you to change to their religion every 5 minutes and praying for you every time you refuse.
MisterNice
Too bad I also missed the old days. But last I checked, Flyertalk still "brings everyone together -- from leisure travelers to mileage junkies". "Whiners" apparently are still welcome, too.