Epic Disgrace by AA on 2/26 AA126 HKG-DFW diversion to HND
Feb 27, 2019, 9:04 am
#47
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,129
Feb 27, 2019, 10:43 am
#48
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
This is a pretty bad handling; I hope everyone involved has made it to their destinations by now.
A big question is whether AA will reimburse the hotel and transportation costs without complaint, or if they're going to pull their famous "Our contract rate in that city is <X>, and even if we refuse to provide a voucher to get that rate, we won't reimburse the actual cost" garbage that many of their agents seem to be trained to claim. Don't accept that bogus answer of course.
A big question is whether AA will reimburse the hotel and transportation costs without complaint, or if they're going to pull their famous "Our contract rate in that city is <X>, and even if we refuse to provide a voucher to get that rate, we won't reimburse the actual cost" garbage that many of their agents seem to be trained to claim. Don't accept that bogus answer of course.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:02 am
#49
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,301
If 2/3 of the water in the aircraft's tanks was in the cabin, this would mean a soaked carpet and some very wet carry on bags. It sounds like a big mess in the area affected by the leak, and I'm surprised that they could dry out the cabin by the next day.
It's nice that FC customers got the personal assistant to help, but this probably wasn't the best use of staff resources as I would expect FC passengers to be experienced international travelers who could handle this independently once they were given instructions/vouchers for the hotel at the airport.
It's nice that FC customers got the personal assistant to help, but this probably wasn't the best use of staff resources as I would expect FC passengers to be experienced international travelers who could handle this independently once they were given instructions/vouchers for the hotel at the airport.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:24 am
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LHR, DFW, J Cabins WorldWide
Programs: AA EXP, UA GS, FB Gold, AS MVPG, MR Titanium, VS Gold
Posts: 954
This is a pretty bad handling; I hope everyone involved has made it to their destinations by now.
A big question is whether AA will reimburse the hotel and transportation costs without complaint, or if they're going to pull their famous "Our contract rate in that city is <X>, and even if we refuse to provide a voucher to get that rate, we won't reimburse the actual cost" garbage that many of their agents seem to be trained to claim. Don't accept that bogus answer of course.
A big question is whether AA will reimburse the hotel and transportation costs without complaint, or if they're going to pull their famous "Our contract rate in that city is <X>, and even if we refuse to provide a voucher to get that rate, we won't reimburse the actual cost" garbage that many of their agents seem to be trained to claim. Don't accept that bogus answer of course.
I wont accept it, but just in case I booked her tickets on my Citi card so she should be covered.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:01 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
What a nightmare for your GF. Good thing you had the ability to help her. 3 lesson points reinforced for me (had learned these lessons the hard way)
doing LAX to AKL in a few days
in the US
have a Google Fi phone or T Mo
have 2 credit cards + ATM card (or 2)
Avoid checking bags
Carry water
be prepared to help yourself because your carrier may or may not.
doing LAX to AKL in a few days
in the US
have a Google Fi phone or T Mo
have 2 credit cards + ATM card (or 2)
Avoid checking bags
Carry water
be prepared to help yourself because your carrier may or may not.
Avoiding checking bags is a little silly IMO. Sure, I could do a 2-3 week trip with just carry ons, but that's a lot of inconvenience. I'd rather put up with the inconvenience the rare time that something happens rather than put up with it all the time.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:04 pm
#52
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
ATM card is good advice. They tend to work everywhere. Although honestly I've never had a credit card not work for a purchase either (assuming that the place takes credit cards at all), chip or no chip, across Europe, Asia, central America, and counting.
Avoiding checking bags is a little silly IMO. Sure, I could do a 2-3 week trip with just carry ons, but that's a lot of inconvenience. I'd rather put up with the inconvenience the rare time that something happens rather than put up with it all the time.
Avoiding checking bags is a little silly IMO. Sure, I could do a 2-3 week trip with just carry ons, but that's a lot of inconvenience. I'd rather put up with the inconvenience the rare time that something happens rather than put up with it all the time.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:09 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NYC LAX RDU
Programs: US-Plt;Concierge key; American AAirpass; Delta Silver;Starwood - Platinum; Amex Cent
Posts: 709
i've never been on a diverted flight, but how do you handle visa issues if it's a forced landing? Does the local government just make an exception or do they issue some kind of temporary visa when exiting the aircraft?
Feb 27, 2019, 12:18 pm
#54
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Join Date: Jul 2005
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Feb 27, 2019, 12:20 pm
#55
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Depends on the country but many do. I've seen that happening in Frankfurt and in Moscow they put you up at a hotel with guards on each floor. Needless to say you're not allowed to leave.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:22 pm
#56
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Quite the opposite, the Seven Bank ATM's were always the ones that DID accept foreign cards, however nowadays you can use Master/Visa as well as Maestro/Cirrus at most ATM's in Japan. It has really improved a lot and that was truly about time.
Feb 27, 2019, 12:51 pm
#57
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,056
I was on the AA 125 flight that diverted to Macau in January, and there were many - I heard 100? - Vietnamese passport holders on the flight who were held airside at MFM until AA flew the MFM-HKG segment the next day. Those who didn't need visas for Macau or Hong Kong were shuttled across the bridge to HKG.
Feb 27, 2019, 1:15 pm
#58
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
What a nightmare for your GF. Good thing you had the ability to help her. 3 lesson points reinforced for me (had learned these lessons the hard way)
doing LAX to AKL in a few days
in the US
have a Google Fi phone or T Mo
have 2 credit cards + ATM card (or 2)
Avoid checking bags
Carry water
be prepared to help yourself because your carrier may or may not.
doing LAX to AKL in a few days
in the US
have a Google Fi phone or T Mo
have 2 credit cards + ATM card (or 2)
Avoid checking bags
Carry water
be prepared to help yourself because your carrier may or may not.
Feb 27, 2019, 1:37 pm
#59
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,301
This is a good lesson to plan ahead. Make sure your Skype dial out account is up to date. You will need to call your credit card/ATM company since your most likely did tell them you would not in the foreign place the plane landed and if you using your cell in a foreign land without a plan who knows what the bill will be? US toll free calls on skype are FREE where ever they originate.
This happen to me in a different way. I received an email from my CU ATM agent wanting to talk me at once. I checked the number on google and yahoo and it matched what appeared to be valid number. It was a disgrace it happen because I told the CU where i was going in Italy and charges were in Indonesia!? I spent an hour with the stupid agent on 800 number, on my cell provider it would have been $12US, on Skype zero$.
This happen to me in a different way. I received an email from my CU ATM agent wanting to talk me at once. I checked the number on google and yahoo and it matched what appeared to be valid number. It was a disgrace it happen because I told the CU where i was going in Italy and charges were in Indonesia!? I spent an hour with the stupid agent on 800 number, on my cell provider it would have been $12US, on Skype zero$.
Feb 27, 2019, 2:22 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
ATM card is good advice. They tend to work everywhere. Although honestly I've never had a credit card not work for a purchase either (assuming that the place takes credit cards at all), chip or no chip, across Europe, Asia, central America, and counting.
Avoiding checking bags is a little silly IMO. Sure, I could do a 2-3 week trip with just carry ons, but that's a lot of inconvenience. I'd rather put up with the inconvenience the rare time that something happens rather than put up with it all the time.
Avoiding checking bags is a little silly IMO. Sure, I could do a 2-3 week trip with just carry ons, but that's a lot of inconvenience. I'd rather put up with the inconvenience the rare time that something happens rather than put up with it all the time.
We always travel with 20 to 21" carry on bags plus a personal item (mobile device, camera, camcorder etc) even on a 45 days trip that consists pre and post 25 days cruise. The hardest part would be traveling between North and South hemisphere due to the opposite seasons. In such situation you dress with layers and make good use of woolen hats, scarves and gloves.
The key is to know what to pack and how to effectively pack it. (color coordination, light weight wool, silk, mix of natural and synthetic fibre materials, roll the clothes to minimize wrinkles and maximize space.
Our bags generally weigh 11 to 13kg max. The only time we need to check bags would be the intra-Europe flights due to most airlines with 7kg limitation and often dimension limitation.
For long haul, especially travel in J or F, there is no reason to check bag.
We always travel with both Fido and Schwab ATM cards, plus several CCs from different issuers. Extremely important to have back up cards.
Last edited by Happy; Feb 27, 2019 at 2:28 pm
