AS 653 (JFK-SFO) Canceled on 5/29/2019

Old Jun 2, 2019, 12:14 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by VegasGambler
They offered nothing, but I'll be calling customer care to discuss my lyft rides and hotel bill.
That's ridiculous...a damaged aircraft is mechanical. It's on the airline to pay for this stuff. Now they may have to get it from BA later, but they should take care of the customers, er guests, at the point of incident.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 6:52 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by VegasGambler
They offered nothing, but I'll be calling customer care to discuss my lyft rides and hotel bill.
This is the number one reason to carry a credit card with trip delay/interruption protection. You just submit the claim to the CC company and are done with it. No fuss, no fighting with the airline over responsibility.

Neil
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 10:03 am
  #18  
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I don' think that absolves Alaska from providing the excellent customer service that they just acknowledged in winning a JD Power award:

It's our pleasure to help you get from place to important place in your life; we pinky-swear promise to stay focused on lower fares, better service, and sweeter rewards to keep your future flights fantastic.

Our employees are extraordinary, experts at anticipating your every need to help you fly smart, land happy, and enjoy your trip even more as you head out into the world. They're the reason flying with us is an award-worthy experience. We're beyond grateful for their kind-hearted, thoughtful, dedicated work.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/ab...r-satisfaction

I'd say they dropped the ball here in not proactively assisting the passengers on this flight. Their contract or carriage, though, says accommodations MAY be provided, not WILL be provided, so maybe they have an escape clause there, though later on it does say they can offer an electronic certificate to reimburse for passenger hotel costs. Will be interesting to see if VegasGambler is offered a certificate versus a check.
  1. Canceled: If the Passenger's flight is canceled, and the city where the cancellation occurs is 100 miles away from the Passenger's home, hotel accommodations may be provided. Accommodations include single or family rooms and round-trip ground transportation to an airport area hotel if such ground transportation is not furnished by the hotel. Alaska will provide at its option either one night's hotel accommodations, or, if no hotel accommodations are provided and upon the Passenger's request only, reimbursement for one night's hotel accommodations in the form of an electronic travel certificate that may be applied to future travel on Alaska up to a maximum amount determined by Alaska. Such accommodations will only be provided when a Passenger incurs a delay that is expected to exceed four hours between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. Where hotel accommodations have been offered but not accepted by a Passenger for whatever reason, Alaska is not liable to reimburse the Passenger for expenses relating to alternative hotel accommodations secured independently by the Passenger. Hotel accommodations will not be furnished to a Passenger whose trip is interrupted at a city which is his/her permanent domicile, origin point, or Stopover point or when such cancellation is due to circumstances outside Alaska's control, including due to Force Majeure Events. Alaska will provide ground transportation to the place of lodging via public conveyance if such ground transportation is not furnished by the hotel. Where ground transportation has been offered but not accepted by a Passenger for whatever reason, Alaska is not liable to reimburse the Passenger for expenses relating to alternative ground transportation secured by the Passenger.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/le...arriage/rule-8
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 1:26 pm
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Originally Posted by VegasGambler
They offered nothing, but I'll be calling customer care to discuss my lyft rides and hotel bill.
Definitely. I'm surprised no effort at reaccomodation on AA or DL was made either.

Originally Posted by missamo80
You just submit the claim to the CC company and are done with it.
Not denying the value of travel insurance, either through a CC or separatey purchased (I sell it), but I've read plenty of accounts that suggest it's often not that simple and/or easy in many cases (i.e., having to produce documentation from the airline confirming delay was their fault). It's always a good idea to push the responsible party to make things right first.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 2:09 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by tom911

I'd say they dropped the ball here in not proactively assisting the passengers on this flight. Their contract or carriage, though, says accommodations MAY be provided, not WILL be provided, so maybe they have an escape clause there, though later on it does say they can offer an electronic certificate to reimburse for passenger hotel costs. Will be interesting to see if VegasGambler is offered a certificate versus a check.
Last year, AS cancelled a flight that I was in that originated in SFO. It was late at night. They offered passengers hotels. The line at the gate was huge. The agent said some people could go to the ticket counter. The ticket counter said to just find a hotel and bring back the bill in the morning and said what the spending limit was. Could have been $200.

The next day, I did that and they went to the back and came back with a check. I was afraid that I had no proof of the verbal instructions given to me but it worked out without trying to persuade them.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 2:33 pm
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Originally Posted by Toshbaf
The ticket counter said to just find a hotel and bring back the bill in the morning and said what the spending limit was. Could have been $200.
I'm glad that worked out for you, but what if the employee the next day denied your claim? Would be nice to have them at least hand you an informational sheet as to what would be covered. I remember an AA delay in Brussels years back where they actually gave us informational sheets spelling out group meal times in a hotel banquet room. Guess they had put so many of us up at the airport hotel that it was cheaper to serve us all at once versus individual meal vouchers.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 3:10 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by tom911
I'm glad that worked out for you, but what if the employee the next day denied your claim? Would be nice to have them at least hand you an informational sheet as to what would be covered. I remember an AA delay in Brussels years back where they actually gave us informational sheets spelling out group meal times in a hotel banquet room. Guess they had put so many of us up at the airport hotel that it was cheaper to serve us all at once versus individual meal vouchers.
I was afraid that might happen. Maybe I should get a body cam and video stuff.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 3:38 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by channa
That's ridiculous...a damaged aircraft is mechanical. It's on the airline to pay for this stuff. Now they may have to get it from BA later, but they should take care of the customers, er guests, at the point of incident.
I think that people who hung around the gate may have been offered something. I left the gate area when they announced the cancellation.

I'm not interested in voucher to a crappy hotel near the airport. I went back to Manhattan and enjoyed my night. I'll just call customer care and see what I can get reimbursed. I don't foresee any problems here.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 5:01 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by NYC Flyer
Definitely. I'm surprised no effort at reaccomodation on AA or DL was made either.



Not denying the value of travel insurance, either through a CC or separatey purchased (I sell it), but I've read plenty of accounts that suggest it's often not that simple and/or easy in many cases (i.e., having to produce documentation from the airline confirming delay was their fault). It's always a good idea to push the responsible party to make things right first.
I had no issues getting my claim paid from Chase when I had my flight go mechanical in Calgary one winter. Went straight to a hotel of my choosing instead of waiting for an incredibly overworked outstation to give me some token voucher. They paid the hotel, transportation each way, and meals. Getting the cancellation notice from Alaska was easy.

Best part? I clearly told them the charges were in Canadian dollars and they paid me the amount... in American. I actually made money on it!

Neil
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 6:29 pm
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Originally Posted by missamo80
I had no issues getting my claim paid from Chase when I had my flight go mechanical in Calgary one winter. Went straight to a hotel of my choosing instead of waiting for an incredibly overworked outstation to give me some token voucher. They paid the hotel, transportation each way, and meals. Getting the cancellation notice from Alaska was easy.

Best part? I clearly told them the charges were in Canadian dollars and they paid me the amount... in American. I actually made money on it!

Neil
I am glad to hear of a good experience, and it's possible most claims are paid expediently (maybe Chase is a leader in this regard). I do know the travel insurance industry has its detractors based on perceived bureaucracy/reluctance to pay. At least one of the big insurers (will have to check which one) has started to advertise proactive trip monitoring and automated claims to combat this. Nice bonus on the FX error too!
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 7:15 pm
  #26  
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Originally Posted by VegasGambler
I think that people who hung around the gate may have been offered something. I left the gate area when they announced the cancellation.

I'm not interested in voucher to a crappy hotel near the airport. I went back to Manhattan and enjoyed my night. I'll just call customer care and see what I can get reimbursed. I don't foresee any problems here.
I did the same thing back in the day in Vegas when our AS 734 went mx overnight; just got a cheap hotel room (not hard in Vegas) and asked for something later. As I recall I got good compensation. It beat standing in line for the Travelodge.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 8:29 pm
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fwiw, make sure to read over the insurance policies of your credit cards. Some won't cover originating flights or connections of they are NOT on the same itinerary.

Some airlines are being super evil and only offering meals/hotels for connecting pax only. Locals get shafted. I saw this once in Orlando with an AA MCO-PHX cancel... no one got a thing except for a handful of folks who flew MIA-MCO.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 8:38 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by VegasGambler
I went back to Manhattan and enjoyed my night. I'll just call customer care and see what I can get reimbursed. I don't foresee any problems here.
Will be interesting if they hold to the $200 cap a previous poster mentioned on his delay. I know $200 doesn't buy much in New York City this time of year.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 9:06 pm
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Originally Posted by UAPremierExec
fwiw, make sure to read over the insurance policies of your credit cards. Some won't cover originating flights or connections of they are NOT on the same itinerary.
Citi does not cover delays caused by a missed connection even if on the same ticket (unless the original delayed flight itself meets the claim threshold).

Last edited by NYC Flyer; Jun 2, 2019 at 9:13 pm
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Old Jun 3, 2019, 7:59 pm
  #30  
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As I suspected, no problems with AS. I was asked to mail in receipts. The agent told me about the $200 max in the NY area. She told me she would try to get my whole hotel bill reimbursed, but, if not, she would reimburse the $200 max, and give the difference (about another $100-$150) as a discount code (which I consider to be a generous resolution)

Also my lyft rides back from the airport and back to the airport (~$50 + ~$80) will be fully reimbursed.

She did mention that the reason for the 2hr delay getting the bags off the plane after the cancellation was announced was that maintenance has to inspect a damaged plane before the ramp workers can touch it. That seemed completely reasonable to me. She did offer me a 2500 mile credit for the wait though, which I thought was nice, considering that it was not their fault.

I'm happy with the way that this was resolved. I did not try to get food reimbursed because I would have had to pay for food anyway -- I was more than happy to get a great meal in Chinatown when I got to my hotel.

Overall, it was hugely inconvenient, but these things happen when you travel, and AS was not at fault for any of this.
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