The cab meter read $81 from IAH-EFD. But, why do I have to pay for a cab ride when the flights were cancelled for mechanical problems? Surely $81 isn't going to break me, but I shouldn't have to take up this slack to make CO whole. It is more a matter of principle. I'm sure CO has negotiated special rates with the cab companies (as this probably happens quite a bit).

This brings back memories of another CO incident. Back in Fall 99, I flew CO to Corpus Christi, TX. A hurricane was headed right for Corpus (can't remember its name). I was scheduled to leave Corpus on a Sunday morning, and the hurricane was due to hit in the late afternoon to early evening. I called CO, and they told me that my morning flight and all their other flights into and out of Corpus were cancelled. I asked if there were flights being operated by other airlines. The agent told me that CRP was closed and no other airlines were operating for the day. BIG LIE. The fact was CRP was not closed and Southwest was operating all of its flights out of CRP until 1 p.m. I made a reservation on WN for their 9 a.m. flight to HOU, and then went to CRP airport. CO's check-in desk at CRP was deserted - not one agent was there. So, I went to the WN ticket counter and paid the $98 walk-up fare to get home.
As it turns out, CO wouldn't refund the unused part of my ticket (CRP-IAH), and worse yet, onepass would not even give me the mileage credit for my cancelled flight from CRP-IAH because I voluntarily went on WN (i.e., they did not put me on WN themselves). I then asked the Onepass rep what would you have expected me to do... Stick around for the hurricane?

Generally, I am very satisfied with CO - these are the only two times they failed me. I guess with all the flying I do it isn't all that bad.

TX-flyer asks Similar result in a different venue: I needed a home health nurse to be scheduled to explain my IV's in order to be released from the hospital in March. Insurance wouldn't pay for home care because I was ambulatory, but couldn't tell me where I could go to get the explanation! The discharge coordinator figured it would take him ~24 hours to get an answer...with me staying in the hospital.

Solution: I paid the $135 myself - despite having insurance and Medicare - so I could be released that day. Was it worth it to avoid an additional day in the hospital? Of course. Should the insurance have paid it? Unfortunately, also "of course."

Unfortunately, some battles are worth fighting, others aren't. Life's like that sometimes.

Hey, I was only sort-of-kidding earlier. The airline has to put you on another airline if the delay was not weather related and more than two hours. I know, no one else flies iah-hou. However, it could be done on NW thru one of their hubs. Therefore, I would ask for MILES. Iah-dtw-hou Miles to be exact! (1075+1075= 2150) PLUS, elite bonuses etc! Not as silly as you might think. Just another mileage run.

Whoops, You said ellington...no body but CO flies there. What about the part of the contact that requires 200-400% compenstation? I can't remember the web site that prints the contracts of carriage. However I know it was posted recently.