Friends flew into JFK from overseas, enroute to PDX via ATL. After boarding, they are advised that they are waiting for 70 pax coming from Greece. Greece pax arrive, doors close, and they are advised that the "luggage stuffer" (is there really such a thing, I"m picturing a giant garbage compacter) had broken, and they had to load the luggage by hand. 1 hour later they are enroute to ATL. Just before arriving in ATL there is a medical emergency, their flight jumps to the front of the line, but pax are kept until paramedics have attended the ill woman. So, they finally get off the flight and to the new gate just in time to see the tail lights on the PDX flight. Now the fun begins.

As they are being reaccomodated, they are placed on standby for the first flight out the next day, and confirmed on a later flight. When asked about accomodations, the GA immediately said they got nothing, since it was a weather delay! Freinds assured them that it most certainly was NOT a weather delay, and the GA said there were no hotel rooms available. Friends had to clarify, and the GA indicated that there were no rooms available at hotels that they contract with. GA tells them that if they purchase at another hotel, they would be reimbursed in the morning. No meal vouchers, no hotel voucher, no phone card, nothing.

So, the next morning they checkin at the kiosk and proceed to a customer service counter behind security, who indicates they can't do anything, they'd have to go back to the ticket counter to be reimbursed. They decided they did not want to go back to the ticket counter, they'll eat the $100 and never fly Delta again.

So my questions are:

1) What are they entitled to? The flight was not weather, and you can't blame the medical, cause if they hadn't had the mechanical, then the medical wouldn't have occured on the plane.

2) No hotels they contract with? Are those the only hotels that will take the vouchers, or the only ones that will give them a cheap rate? What if my friends didn't have the money to front for the hotel?

3) If I talk them into calling/writing, what kind of additional compensation should they request now?

It's too bad that airlines don't accept responsibility for their mistakes/delays! Were situations like this handled well, they could create incredible brand loyality. I would love an airline that I knew would do everything within their control to get me where I needed to go, and in those instances where stuff happens, they'd make sure I was taken care of as well!

Thanks in advance for any input!