Astronomer

So I was on the 740 am ORD-DFW flight today. And I was even upgraded to F two days ago (I am AA Plat). This morning, when I reached ORD, I was told flight was cancelled and I was rebooked on

710 am ORD-DSM
955 am DSM-DFW

It seemed strange that they would make me fly via DSM when its not a hub for them. Apparently all other ORD-DFW nonstops were full (well why cancel my flight then). So anyway, I proceeded to board the 710 am to DSM, which by now had been delayed to 755 am because a First Officer couldn't be found. We boarded and the flight got further delayed to 845 am because of a technical snag with the fire detection system in the baggage hold. Anyway, we reach DSM at 949 and just as I leave the ac and go to the gate, the flight to DFW has just pushed back!!! So once again, I am stranded. The friendly gate agent confirmed me on the 3pm out of DSM and put me on standby for the 1140 am flight to DFW.

Well 1140 am has come and gone and I didn't make it on that flight as it was full. I am still confirmed on the 3pm and I am really really hoping that that flight doesn't get cancelled. Probably my unluckiest flying day ever.

However, this does raise some questions in my mind

1) Can AA just cancel flights in the manner they did without any compensation (with the exception of weather and ATC delays) - especially in the light of the inconvenience and anxiety this has caused me?

2) When they knew that they had a passenger coming into DSM connecting to DFW, and the flight from ORD had arrived at the gate opposite, couldn't they hold the flight to DFW for literally two more minutes. The flight to DFW was still at gate C7 at DSM when we arrived at gate C6. I am not generally a proponent of holding flights and inconveniencing pax on board, but this would have been literally a 2 min wait and the flight from ORD had already arrived at the gate.

3) Does anyone else feel that I have been inconvenienced beyond what's reasonable or is it just me who feels this way? I travel a lot - all over the world - and totally understand that some events are beyond the airline's control (like weather delays). However, this was no weather delay and I feel AA didn't make any reasonable effort to get me to my destination (which is what they are contractually obliged to do)? Do you feel I have grounds for complaint? If so, how and where can I complain?

3Cforme

1. Yes. If this is unfamiliar to you, let me suggest you read a Contract of Carriage. AA's specifically is appropriate, but the C of C of any U.S. carrier will tell pretty much the same thing on this point: schedules are not part of the contract.

2. I have rejected some indirect routings when offered in IROPS and waited for the next non-stop. Sometimes that is for the best; sometimes not.

3. People complain for more reasons, and for substantially less. One can use the Customer Relations form email contact under the Contact AA hyperlink. You might get some AA miles. You will not be given cash explicitly to compensate you for inconvenience.

Herb687

You have a strange definition of "stranded."

5:11 is a lot longer than I would want to spend at DSM but hardly qualifies as stranded. You have a confirmed seat on the 3:00pm departure.


What do you mean? They made a reasonable effort to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. It sucks that the mechanical on ORD-DSM caused a misconnect at DSM but such is life. I'm sure you can complain and get a few "we're sorry" miles or a voucher thrown your way. I'm sure you can go back to the friendly DSM GA right now and get a lunch voucher since it was AA's fault (mechanical) that you'll be in DSM for just over 5 hours.

HNL

The ORD-DFW cancelled for mechanical reasons.

jrhone

The aircraft went out of service due to a mechanical issue , so little option but to cancel it and rebook .

Look on the bright side, Michelle Bachmann is flying out of DSM this afternoon, so you can go candidate spotting.

azepine00

1) yes, write to AA (use a form on their website) outlining your misfortunes and they should give you some miles or a voucher
2) hard to say, there are many factors involved, sometimes holding a plane for "literally two more minutes" can create a major delay if a slot is lost, weather moves in, crew goes over the limit and all sorts of misery ensues. A more likely scenario of course is that DSM people want to keep their ontime departure numbers to get bonuses (and after all it's not DSM GA/ramp fault you got delayed so no need to punish them) .
3) see 1

Astronomer

If I actually make the 3pm flight i.e. if that isn't cancelled as well, then yes, you have a point. However, in the light of events today, I am not holding my breath just yet.

I neither want lunch vouchers nor miles. Oh and the airline did not make reasonable effort, I had to go and ask for a new flight once I couldn't make the DSM-DFW connection. This is something they should have done automatically, when they realized I wouldn't make the flight.

Herb687

And to reiterate the more immediate action: if you're hungry at least insist that AA buy you lunch (meal voucher) during your overly long connection at DSM.

Often1

Why did AA cancel your original flight? Your post doesn't say why. I would hazard that given the loads on other ORD-DFW flights, it was likely cancelled for a good reason such as MX, WX, ATC.

Why send you through DSM? Likely becs. it was the closest arrival on which they could confirm you. You could have rejected the indirect routing, insisted on standing by for non-stops or asked for a non-AA routing.

You are not entitled to compensation, but might get a small token such as a few hundred miles if you send in an email with the facts (about 1/3 the length of your post above).

Herb687

Ok, so you don't want a lunch voucher right now while still in DSM. And you don't want AA miles as an apology after the fact... What do you want?

If you are really worried that the 3pm flight won't operate I'm sure you could get a full refund from AA on the spot ("trip in vain") from the DSM ticket counter and just do your own thing to get to DFW.

Do you want AA to put you on another airline? They will, in the case of mechanical. Of course it's entirely likely that OA options are sold out or actually take longer. This is likely why they sent you through DSM in the first place - it was the quickest way (including OA) to get you to DFW that had space based on info known to ORD agents at the time of rebooking...

zski1

What exactly is it that you want? Validation for feeling miserable that you had a bad travel day? If that is the case you have probably come to the wrong place.

I'm sorry you had a bad day. Next time ask to be put on another carrier (in this case, UA); the worst thing they can do is say no. If you do end up stuck somewhere and it's AA's fault, why allow yourself to become more miserable? If they should give you a meal voucher, then you should ask for it and use it.

If you write to AA I would avoid hyperbolic terms like "stranded"; I do agree that from a customer service standpoint they should apologize and offer you some token for your troubles -- just write and lay out the facts of what happened.

-z

DillMan

If so, you should buy a lottery ticket if you think your issue qualifies as the worst travel day of your life. AA found you a creative routing and got you to DFW a few hours late. Considering you were on a hub-to-hub cancelled flight, that's pretty darn good for any airline. If you had a subscription to EF, you might have been able to find something better yourself but as it stands you didn't make out horribly.

Astronomer

Well, all I want to do is get from A to B - nothing more! And IMHO, what AA should have done is made more of an effort to get me on the flight to DFW in the morning i.e. the 0955 flight (from DSM that is). The fact that the flight pushed back after the flight from ORD arrived at the gate tells me that they had the opportunity to do a little extra and they chose not to. Even then, I had to ask to get put on to another flight - again something AA should have done automatically.

I don't know if its just my misfortune or whether its the norm for 1 out of every three of my flights to get cancelled or delayed (by more than 2 hours).

Perhaps I am overreacting, but I have been spoilt by experiences in Asia and Europe. And I am sure you can't argue that travelling by air in the US leaves a lot to be desired after travelling in other parts of the world. I have no expectation whatsoever of even a smile from a GA (although there are some very nice ones) nor of any sort of service. All I expect is to be transported to where I need to go within reasonable timeframe of the booked ticket. This in my experience does not happen in atleast 1 out of every 3 flights (ignoring weather and ATC delays). (/rant over)

I will however point out that Admirals Club staff have always been polite and helpful.

I was travelling ORD to DFW. Not Boise to Tulsa. Are you really saying there wasn't another flight in AA or UA or anyone else they could put me on??? Atleast divert me to another hub/mini-hub like STL (as an example) from where I have more options

Astronomer

I have had worse experiences, but they have been outside the airline's control (Heathrow snow storm comes to mind). And in all events they have been handled admirably with alternative routing provided.

What is EF by the way, if I may ask?

Blumie

Rule Number 2 of air travel: know your options, and don't rely on the airline to tell you what they are. Most of us would not have gotten on the ORD-DSM flight, and those of us who had would not have stayed on it once it got delayed. When I experience a problem like you did this morning -- and every seasoned traveler experiences this every once in a while -- I don't ask the airline what my options are. I know my options and I tell them which option I want to take. (And on the rare occasion when that doesn't work, I revert to Rule Number 1 of air travel.)