This Thanksgiving I was travelling on a CO flight - HPN-CLE-CMH-DTW-LAS-MSP-CLE-HPN.
HPN-CLE-CMH segments were on the 27th, the CMH-DTW-LAS was on the 30th and the LAS-MSP-CLE-HPN was on the 1st.

I missed my first flight but called beforehand that I was going to miss it, reached the airport within the 2 hour standby rule and took the next flight. At that time, I was given an itenary with the rest of my flights listed correctly.

On the 29th, I try to check in for my flight the next day but to my shock, I see that there are no flights listed under my confirmation number. I call CO and the agent was confused as well but for some reason, all my other flights were cancelled. She tried to rebook them but the CMH-DTW-LAS segment (on NW) was unbookable. So she put me on the CMH-IAH-LAS flight which arrived LAS 1 1/2 hours later. She said she would book me in F as a compensation.

I was already upgraded for my CMH-DTW-LAS flight so I thought that I would be booked in F and get some extra miles or EQMs. However, today in my statement, I see it as XT (upgraded T). Also, I lost 41 EQMs by taking this flight which may affect my requalification for Elite (yes, I am that close).

So I am just wondering, since I was involunatry denied my original flight and put on this new flight which arrived 1 1/2 hours later, am I eligible for any compensation in terms of miles or money? Who should I call?? 1-800-2-We-Care or 1-800-We-2-care... (I forgot the number..)

Compensation for 1 1/2 hours?? I doubt it. It seems a little chinsey to even ask, especially since you missed your original flight, and they accomodated you

Well, according to thier rules if you miss your flight, you can go standby as long as you report to the airport within 2 hours of original departure. So I did that and was on standby for both my flights.

Secondly, according to the same rules if you are involuntarily rebooked and you arrive at your destination within 1 hour you get no compensation but if you arrive within 1-2 hours you are suppose to get $200.

CO admits that it is their mistake (the itenary should not have been cancelled) and that it was an involuntary change on my part.... I am not saying I deserve compensation, I am just wondering if people in similair situaions got compensation or think I should get something? eg - The difference in mileage between CMH-DTW-LAS and CMH-IAH-LAS, booked in F rather than XT, voucher, etc?

[This message has been edited by PrivatePilot (edited Dec 02, 2003).]

If you were not happy with the solution presented on the phone, you should have voiced that displeasure at the time, not now. It sounds to me like you agreed to the new itinerary. If so, you deserve no compensation. Am I making an incorrect assumption? If you didn't like the new itinerary at the time it was given to you, why didn't you register a complaint at that time and demand to have a supervisor or WECARE2 put you on the Northwest flights?

Well, I was satisfied with the solution but the only reason I am making a deal of it now is because like I said I am about 35 miles or so short of elite with this solution so the original itenary with the 41 miles would have put me over the top. I didn't sit down with a pencil to do the math then, I was more concerned with getting home on a flight...

When I was re-booked on the new flight, I was told that I am being booked in F as compensation for the inconveniance which led me to believe I would get the 50% EQM for F -which is not the case.... since they booked me on XT. (I was already on XT on the earlier flights so what's the compensation?)

Anyways, I guess what's done is done....

I would write customer service and ask for miles needed. We called to let CO know we would not make a flight and were given seats on the next flight out without problems at ticketing. The agents at ticketing and at the gate said we were confirmed for our return. Day of return, our flight and flight before ours was oversold, and agent put people from earlier flight on our flight, but said we had no reservation. A phone call and follow up letter to CO, we were sent vouchers and a fruit basket.

Tis the season. Bet we'll get a number of cases where "inefficient," mileage-heavy itineraries come undone by one thing or another and the rerouting causes the miles earned to fall short of the desired threshold. Have had it happen to me before.

but, if the rerouting causes someone to fall short and it was the fault of the airline (not saying that is the case here), presenting the original itinerary to the offending airline should have the situation corrected, no?

This is news to me. Any idea where can I read this rule?

http://travel.lbl.gov/Air/airpolicies.htm#Continental

You can call CO reservations to confirm....

Continental may still observe the "2 Hour Rule" but it ain't written any more.

The rules have changed, the current written rule is:
Note: This rule is not in the contract of carriage, but in the ticket "Fare Rules and Restrictions", since it applies to discounted fares, and not full Y and F fares.

Snake, the rule you quoted says "... passengers may standby on same dayflights after their ticketed departure timeonly if they have cancelled their reservation prior to the ticketed departure time." (I just love the lower() function in Excel), and that is exactly what PrivatePilot did.


PrivatePilot, you are due the originally booked EQM, since you abided by the rules of the fare as posted above. You are not due extra bonus miles just because you arrived in LAS 1.5 hours late, and you are certainly not due extra miles just for not being re-booked in full F. It's only a loophole, not an entitlement.

Write a letter to Continental with the necessary details and request the 41 mile EQM adjustment.

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"It's as easy as 1, 2, C" -- Kelly, Married With Children

Just in... I wrote a letter to CO describing my situation and requesting the 41 miles adjustment.... I got 500 bonus miles (not elite) PLUS a $200 travel voucher arrived in the mail today... I'm impressed.... As for my elite status, a last minute trip last weekend got me the remaining segments and mileage I needed to re-qualify Thanks CO!