The last mechanical delay I took (about six hours), I received a $125 voucher in the mail about three weeks after the flight. I don't know if you would on an award ticket though.

Why would you allow that to happen??????

Read all about it

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ighlight=plane

:mad:

For a 20 hour delay on an international reward ticket, I got hotel, meals, and the miles I would have earned had it been a revenue ticket (though I think the last item was accidental).

For an 11 hour delay on NW, I got nothing but a phone number for discount hotel rooms.

Flew B6 recently JFK-SJC. Made a fuel stop in MSP. Unsolicited via email, Jetblue sent me a letter of apology and a $50 voucher for future use.

What's a mere 4 hour delay in the greater scheme of things? I would view that as a lounge opportunity.

My boss & her husband are now stranded in Vegas due to a Delta mechanical (apparently, the plane is so broken they cancelled the flight instead of delaying it, awaiting other equip., etc.). Delta put them on standby for the day, all day long at the airport, but all of Delta's flights were full. Apparently, no attempt was made by Delta to put them on another carrier. They've been booked at a 6am flight back to STL tomorrow. They've been put up in a hotel, & given a couple of $7 meal vouchers.

They know I travel a lot, and will be asking for my help in follow-up w/ Delta when they return (so, an opportunity to help out the boss is always a good thing). I won't hijack this into a comparison of what AA vs. Delta does in mechanical's, beyond my surprise at the low $7 amount. The hotel they're accomodated in is in the Gold Coast/Barbary Coast vein.

What would be reasonable to expect Delta to do for them? A transportation voucher for another Delta flight? xxxx number of Skymiles? Anyone just happen to be flying outta' Vegas in the same situation??

Did they ask if there was a chance on another carrier? I don't think Delta is obligated to offer that as an option.

I don't think a trans. voucher is reasonable. I just had a trip delayed due to a mechanical. It was a Skymiles trip and I asked if they could credit me miles for the delayed segments. Not only did they do that, but they changed my booking class to Y which scored me a few upgrades. Had I not asked, I doubt they would have offered anything as compensation. All that was a nice gesture, but they were under no obligation to do anything but get me to my destination in the timeliest manner possible, which they did. Planes break down sometimes and I'd rather wait a little for properly working equipment.

Well, Delta is in bankruptcy, so I'm not terribly surprised that Delta wasn't able to accommodate your boss in a suite at the Venetian. If your boss hasn't checked into the "REALLY basic place", he might be able to get a modest transportation credit voucher (or Delta Dollars) in lieu of accommodations, then he could make his own arrangements for more suitable lodging. Also, $7 does seem a bit chintzy for dinner. As I recall, not even the buffets on the strip are that cheap any more. Whenever I face an issue like this, the first thing I do is try to call SMS and get protected on another flight. Also, it never hurts to ask both SMS and the agent if another airline is available. Sometimes, Delta won't offer the other airline option, but if you ask, they'll usually explore it for you.

At best, I'd expect some SkyMiles, or a small amount of Delta Dollars.

Out of curiosity, where does AA put their pax in Vegas? Mandalay Bay? The Bellagio? Or do they force them to "slum it" in the NYNY? :D :D (I'm just kidding here :D )

I probably should have qualified "basic space" more. In fact, I'll edit the "really". They're not expecting a suite at the Venetian. Sounded like Gold Coast, or something in that vein. It's been Marriott's for me w/ AA in similar situations.

I think I was more surprised at the $7, as yeah, that may buy one a feast at the "graveyard breakfast buffets" but def. not dinner, and likely not much in lunch. They described the agents as being really resistant to the idea of placement on another carrier, and somewhat unwilling to check.

What's interesting is that they're NOT "booked" for sure on the flight tomorrow, just another "standby." I'd hate to think they'd go thru this again another day. They're not travel idots, and they're not travel snobs.

They know how to strike a good, professional balance between being appropriately persistant and not being beligerantly argumentative. And, while not addicted frequent fliers, they're not travel newbies either. They just can't seem to get any Delta agent to book/confirm them on anything (Delta or other carrier) out of LAS. Maybe it's just a huge convention throng in town or something, that EVERY seat on EVERY flight out of LAS is taken.

I'm sorry, I was being a bit too sarcastic and flip in my hotel comments.

Remember, CES is coming up in Las Vegas - that's a HUGE show. In any event, they should return to the airport and try to get Delta to CONFIRM them on SOMETHING. Do they have any status with Delta at all? Perhaps a call to SMS might help?

No worries...I thought they were hilarious, actually, and realized how I must have sounded like an arrogant dork in what I posted.

I was on the phone with a couple of Delta agents...and really got nowhere. I kept getting agents clearly working from home (telling wife where to put the groceries, asking son not to play w/ the cat, & various other backgrounds....).

I'm not necessarily in a hurry to get the boss back at the office :D :D. I've done what I can do, made the inquiries I can make...she's appreciated that. In my latest phone call w/ them, I ascertained that their bigger worry was knowing their teenage children back at their house have been guaranteed mom & dad won't be home for at least another 24 hours :D.

DL 1899 Today- 5+ Hour Mechanical Delay
 

My poor wife and daughter are on today's (Saturday, 3/23) DL 1899 (LAX-BOS)... looks like it finally pulled out of the gate slightly over 5 hours late due to a mechanical. Something with one of the engines. They were kept onboard for the first 2+ hours while mechanics installed a part borrowed from CO. But as luck would have it, the paperwork entanglements kept them from using this part. The crew said that phone calls were being made to GE (engine maker?) to allow the CO part, but at the end of the day, it was a no-go with that part. They were then taken off the plane and told that another DL flight would arrive in an hour and a half, and that they planned to canabalize the part of that aircraft. Indeed, that is what happened. It sounds like DL kept everyone informed. There were no other alternatives (I called SMS myself from back home) due to Spring Break traffic etc... but I had them protected on the same flight Sat AM if cancelled. All of tonight's red-eyes were booked solid. I assume that the flight crew must have timed out and a different crew from the original is taking this flight.

I am not a big compensation whiner. These things do happen. But what would a likely compensation be from DL for a 5 hour plus delay... home at 2AM (with luck) instead of 9PM? A SkyMiles bonus... extra MQMs would be nice!

I'd say it will probably trigger a $150 TCV per passenger, unless you let them know that you prefer Skymiles instead (however, MQMs are not a service recovery tool - only bonus miles).