Any recourse for meager compensation for rolling delays + cancellation?
May 4, 23, 5:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 81
Any recourse for meager compensation for rolling delays + cancellation?
I'm posting for my sister who just experienced a full day of rolling delays due to 'mechanical difficulties' followed by a flight cancellation. She was compensated with 2 x $12 food vouchers, 15K in miles for her, and a $150 flight voucher for her husband.
In short, I'd appreciate any insight into whether she can appeal and request more commensurate compensation, and if so, how she should proceed.
THE GORY DETAILS:
My sister's father-in-law passed away late last Friday night, so she and her husband booked 2 seats on AA308 from ORD to JAX for Saturday morning (4/29) to take care of his mom and their affairs.
In short, I'd appreciate any insight into whether she can appeal and request more commensurate compensation, and if so, how she should proceed.
THE GORY DETAILS:
My sister's father-in-law passed away late last Friday night, so she and her husband booked 2 seats on AA308 from ORD to JAX for Saturday morning (4/29) to take care of his mom and their affairs.
- AA308 was scheduled to depart at 10:37 AM and boarded on time
- Passengers were removed at about 11:52 due to a "dent in the engine."
- Passengers waited at the gate for 7 more hours.
- They experienced a total of 6 flight delays with subsequent departure times posted for 2:15pm, 2:45pm, 3pm, 4:20pm, 4:40pm, and 6:45pm.
- At 6:56pm -- 11 hours after their initial arrival at the gate -- the flight was canceled -- well after the last alternative flight to JAX had departed.
- When their luggage was finally removed from the plane, one bag was missing and was not relocated until 9:30pm.
- They arrived home at 11pm and flew out the following morning from ORD to MCO, requiring their son to make 2 additional 56-mile round-trip drives to ORD.
- For their inconvenience, which they reported via the AA app, AA offered my sister 15,000 miles and her husband (a non-AAdvantage member) a $150 AA voucher with a 1-year expiration date.
May 4, 23, 6:01 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,907
Sorry to hear of the loss -
Legacy airlines in the US for flights within and operating from within the US really aren't required to provide compensation and the concept of duty of care is non-existent so customer service gestures like the one that your sister was provided with are framed as such, just a customer service gesture.
No compensation for the additional roundtrip drives or delay is due or should be reasonably expected without an adoption of European-style travel protections in the United States. The candidate that proposes such a change would undoubtedly be greeted with open arms from the flying community!
Legacy airlines in the US for flights within and operating from within the US really aren't required to provide compensation and the concept of duty of care is non-existent so customer service gestures like the one that your sister was provided with are framed as such, just a customer service gesture.
No compensation for the additional roundtrip drives or delay is due or should be reasonably expected without an adoption of European-style travel protections in the United States. The candidate that proposes such a change would undoubtedly be greeted with open arms from the flying community!
May 4, 23, 6:02 pm
#4
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
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May 4, 23, 6:09 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 81
Personally, I would expect a much more meaningful set of vouchers. Considering ...
- the complete lack of transparency throughout
- the cost to them (equivalent of a night's accommodation, plus 3 $70 uber rides had their son not spent about 6 additional hours driving), and
- the fact that their bags were held onboard for 10 hours (which precluded their rebooking) and then misplaced ...
May 4, 23, 6:32 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 81
Personally, I would expect a much more meaningful set of vouchers. Considering ...
- the complete lack of transparency throughout
- the cost to them (equivalent of a night's accommodation, plus 3 $70 uber rides had their son not spent about 6 additional hours driving), and
- the fact that their bags were held onboard for 10 hours (which precluded their rebooking) and then misplaced ...
All that said, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and the additional context regarding AA's obligations.
Very helpful!
May 4, 23, 6:40 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,741
Having said that, you can write to customer care, mention the exact expenses incurred, and see what they do. I don't think that these requests are unreasonable.
Basically, if you want something specific, ask for it specifically.
May 4, 23, 7:19 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Airlines don't do that because it makes their liability unlimited.
Having said that, you can write to customer care, mention the exact expenses incurred, and see what they do. I don't think that these requests are unreasonable.
Basically, if you want something specific, ask for it specifically.
Having said that, you can write to customer care, mention the exact expenses incurred, and see what they do. I don't think that these requests are unreasonable.
Basically, if you want something specific, ask for it specifically.
AA (and any airline) will not compensate for non direct monetary losses. However, if you have clear expenses that are a result of AA, specifically ask for them.
May 4, 23, 8:15 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NYC, Wash DC
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Posts: 366
Thanks to the US Congress, airlines aren’t required to provide anything. Let your Congress person know you appreciate them looking after mega corporations.
May 5, 23, 1:45 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 257
The FAA and American based airlines are a joke. I am truly sick of the protections and bailouts constantly given to Mega Corporations (by both parties) while providing little to nothing in regards to consumer protection. If you are in the US and there is an issue with a Corporation just assume you are getting F-ed
May 5, 23, 8:01 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
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Posts: 1,593
Sadly, rolling delays and lack of transparency are hallmarks of irregular operations on AA. Fly defensively. It's important that the moment things begin to go south, proactively research your options and work with reservations and/or the gate agent to get yourself booked an an alternative flight.
May 5, 23, 11:46 am
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,095
The FAA and American based airlines are a joke. I am truly sick of the protections and bailouts constantly given to Mega Corporations (by both parties) while providing little to nothing in regards to consumer protection. If you are in the US and there is an issue with a Corporation just assume you are getting F-ed
Anyone whose power is not resisted is going to do whatever he/she can get away with (ask George III, Senators who trade stocks of companies that they are regulating, and large corporations).
Reduce barriers to entry and get more competition in aviation and airlines would quickly shape up.
May 5, 23, 2:26 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,741
The FAA and American based airlines are a joke. I am truly sick of the protections and bailouts constantly given to Mega Corporations (by both parties) while providing little to nothing in regards to consumer protection. If you are in the US and there is an issue with a Corporation just assume you are getting F-ed
By the way, with the European model, the airlines are free to ignore the rules unless you sue them. Most people don't bother, and for the few who do, the lawyers get a big chunk of the money.
May 6, 23, 11:50 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Exec Club, Flying Blue
Posts: 584
With the European model, the regulator sets the rules and if the airline chooses to ignore them, you have recourse in law. You do not need a lawyer, you file your complaint with the airline, and if they refuse, you file with the regulatory body or an appointed agency which deals with it for you, there many be a nominal fee, but not lawyer sized!
May 6, 23, 3:56 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / AA CK baby!
Posts: 603
Sadly, rolling delays and lack of transparency are hallmarks of irregular operations on AA. Fly defensively. It's important that the moment things begin to go south, proactively research your options and work with reservations and/or the gate agent to get yourself booked an an alternative flight.
what do you want the airlines maintenance team to be doing, an advanced course in turbofan repair issues for the pax, or actually fixing the plane so you can get to where you are going? canceled or delayed flights cost the airlines money. that is the last thing they want. Why do you think D0 is such a big deal? it's not like they are hiding secrets from you. Sometimes things just take longer.
