Anyone else on this flight? It was JFK - SFO and was supposed to depart at 3:30 PM EST. At 3:00 they announce at the gate that there is a mechanical issue and it will take at least an hour but they really don't know how long. So we head over to the AC and just hung there. Every 20 minutes or so they would update showing a new departure about 20 minutes out. I was also getting emails from AA as frequently. Finally at 5:30 they called for boarding. We board and by 6:00 the pilot announces we are ready pending some paperwork. 1 hour later and a very frustrated pilot and the paperwork is finally finished. Now we need a tow. Another hour and we finally get that - 8:00 PM we finally push back. The pilot was great about keeping us updated and was as frustrated as we were. I have to say though that except for the dopey couple seated behind me, everyone was very calm and polite. No uproars or anything. It just was painful arriving in SFO 5 hours late.

Anyway, I sent a letter to AA just addressing the frustration of the unnecessary 2 hour delay once the mechanical issue was resolved. I did compliment the crew on their handling of it, but just wanted to express the disappointment in the unnecessary delay. Received the follow response which I was satisfied with. It certainly was not a canned response either.


February 28, 2008

Dear Ms. Ladiflier:

Thank you for contacting American Airlines Customer Relations. I am pleased to have the opportunity to assist you.

I'm sorry you weren't included in the communications of apology we sent to our frequent travelers aboard flight 85 on February 21. We didn't mean to disappoint you further by excluding you from the mailing. Unfortunately, it appears that your AAdvantageŽ number was not included in the information we received.

We'd like to make amends for the disruption of your trip and we're glad you gave us the chance to do so. Accordingly, I've credited 4,000 Customer Service Bonus miles to your AAdvantage account. Look for this mileage adjustment to appear in your account very soon; you can view your account via AA.com at http://www.aa.com/aadvantage.

I appreciate your kind words on behalf of the crew on your flight. It is especially gratifying to receive such praise from you when your trip did not proceed as smoothly as usual. One test of an airline is how well its personnel perform when there are problems. I am pleased -- but by no means surprised -- that every effort was extended to minimize your inconvenience. We have forwarded your comments to the crew - I know they will be delighted to learn how their actions created such a positive impression.


Ms. Ladiflier, please be assured that we will do our best to provide a smooth trip the next time you fly with us. We'll look forward to the opportunity.


Sincerely,

Marla Waddington
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Not sure why they didn't have my FF # because it was on my PNR. Also not sure what the other people who actually go the letter received in terms of miles.