What have people found different airlines to do in case of weather related cancellations. I flew NW this weekend IAH-MSP-EWR. 2:30pm flight was cancelled from MSP to EWR. They were only able to confirm me on a 10:00 pm flight from MSP-EWR. I stood by on 7 flights to either EWR or LGA and couldn't get on any. Some people were not even given 10:00 pm flight, they were told they would have to travel next day. Hotel was not paid for. meal voucher was not provided. Nothing was provided. Overbooked flights only took volunteers to make room for confirmed pax. Volunteers were refused even though standby pax from first cx'd flight were denied. I ended up 8 hrs late. I had missed connections or cancellations requiring overnights before. Once on AA, once on DL. Both times they paid for hotel and $25 meal voucher. Was I lucky those times, or did NW screw an entire plane load of pax. What bothers me is not that I was 8 hours late, but that no sort of attention of anykind was paid. Weather in NYC was bad and nothing can be done about flight cancellation. Every flight on every airline was completely booked. I called every airline and there was no way to even buy a full fare ticket. However NW basically said that it's a weather related delay and therfore pax are expected to handle 100% of inconvenience. In my experience NW should have shared some of the inconvenience. Pax should have been provided with meal vouchers, access to world club, and hotel if necessary. This is the kind of service that I have received from AA and DL. One thing that NW did which was really wrong however was refuse to put me on waiting list to LGA, since my ticket was to EWR. I thought that this was really wrong since this was not a voluntary change, and I was already several hours late. I didn't make a big fuss however, because I knew there was no way I was getting on LGA flight anyways. Do I deserve something from NW, or am I expecting too much.

What was the cause of the delay in those instances when AA and DL paid for your room and gave you a food voucher? Was it a mechanical problem or otherwise the fault of the airline (ie, not weather)?

Airlines are only required to pay for a hotel if the cause of the delay was within their control, ie a mechanical, scheduling, or crew scheduling problem. In the case of a delay caused by weather, the airline doesn't owe you anything. If AA or DL gave you anything for a weather delay, it was a goodwill gesture.

But the airlines aren't totally heartless -- two weeks ago I was on a flight that was delayed for 3 hours because the FAA stopped ALL flights from Florida to NYC due to a severe weather system. I, along with many folks who missed connections, weren't able to schedule another flight out of EWR until the next day. No matter how nicely I asked, I got no compensation for a hotel or meal (and I'm Gold with Continental). BUT- an elderly couple who was in line in front of me at the service desk did get a hotel voucher from CO. So they're not totally heartless

Both AA and DL incidents were due to weather. ON AA flight was flying MIA-IAH and houston had huge flood. It was a night flight, so I had to go next morning. Entire plane not originating in MIA was given hotel and meal. ON DL was flying dfw-cvg-roc. DFW had sever thunderstorms and I missed last flight from cvg-roc. Was given hotel and meal in cvg. I know airlines are required to do nothing in weather case, but from my expereince they have done much more. Didn't even need a hotel from NW, but meal and worldclub pass would certainly help kill an 8 hour delay.

Rundown of my experiences with delays--

NW SFO-mem-CHA--Four hours in gate area at SFO, destroying last conxn, no explanation ever provided. Got meal and hotel.

US DCA-clt-CHA--Massive thunderstorm at DCA. They agreed to rebook me nonstop to alternate destination BNA, but in fact, nothing got out that night. Got meals, hotel, and phonecard. Also a meal the next day when a smaller (mechanical) delay put me in CLT during lunch when I should already have been home.

DL TPA-atl-CHA--Thunderstorms. The second leg was equally delayed, but since it was a Delta-to-ASA connection, I was not informed, causing me a needless panic (esp. as my grandmother's funeral was the next day).

US LAX-clt-CHA--West Coast ATC out. They had already rebooked me on DL (I was going to object, since this meant ASA, and I do not fly ASA if at all possible, plus a downgrade would have occurred by that happening), but I just made the connection. Suitcase arrived next day, couriered to my office.

US BOS-clt-ATL--Weather. Arrival in CLT was such that the remaining connection would have stranded me at Hartsfield that night. Agreed to reroute to CHA, and got a phonecard.

US PIT-clt-CHA--I think this was mechanical. Delay would have meant rearranging conxn onto a Dash-8, and I had upgraded. Since the upgrade was lost anyway, I was rerouted onto the also-prop PIT-CHA nonstop. Got the coupon back, a phonecard, and original routing credit.

According to the Star Employees guide,

"In the event of an "uncontrollable" (ie, ATC, weather, etc) Star Alliance carriers will provide amenities to Premium Customers (First, Business and Star Gold) travelling on an "intercontinental" journey including connection to/from domestic services.

(that's a word-to-word quote)

I think it just depends on the airline policy because, quite frankly, it's not their fault (as such) and therefore they should not be responsible financially for the consequences of the delay.

But I think elite members (and F class pax) have the advantage in cases like this.

On AA, elite status makes a big difference. In my experience, they provide room/meal vouchers during weather delays for EXP, sometimes for PLT, not for others.

This is not a published elite benefit - at least to passengers, though it may be (as with UA, see previous post) in an employee handbook. As anthonyanthony points out, they are under no obligation to provide them to anyone.

That makes me wonder if I would have gotten a hotel/meal voucher from CO if I had made a big deal about my elite status. When I went to the CO service desk at EWR to negotiate my new flight, I made no mention whatsoever of my status. I assumed that, if it made any difference, my gold status would show up on the computer, esp. since I was upgraded to first class.

Maybe if I had pulled out my Gold Card and started waving it in the air and making demands about how elite I was I could have gotten something But that's not in my character.

So...is CO and NW the worst airlines to fly when it comes to compensation for weather delays? Sounds like it so far.

Very interesting discussion, but like many threads on The Buzz this week, I really can't see it has anything whatever to do with MILES. The Moderators have selective (or inoperative) trigger fingers this week.

I think this series of posts is a worthy discussion. If I see that a certain airline is a bad apple, I don't want to fly it and don't want to hoard miles in that airline.

My own experience is that US Airways is very good with hotels, Northwest - only 1 experience and hotel provided, Delta - bad.

CO gave passengers a whopping $8 meal voucher at EWR when the last flight of the night to Toronto was cancelled due to weather a couple of months ago. I think I threw it in the recycling pile recently...maybe I should've kept it as one of those rare souvenirs.

[This message has been edited by Hashman (edited 09-04-2001).]

I also got stuck with Nortworst in MSP on Friday night on my way from LGA to YYC. At about 11 pm there were a total of three customer service reps with an attitude of "we do not need this tonight either", handling about 25 people with missed connections. For me it took thirty minutes, for some others it took longer. No hotel paid, just a phone number you could dial up for a "special rate". The best deal in town they had available was $61 in the Doubletree. On top, the next NW flight to YYC the next day was only after 11 am and it was full. Next flight with availibility only at about 4pm. No stand-by list for the early flight, I had to come in person. Luckily I was able to make that earlier flight (with one hour delay due to mechanical problems).

There was a young guy who was not able or willing to pay for the hotel. He was offered a blanket to sleep at the airport.

I have had very few delays through inclement weather, but the last one I remember was on AA and I received a hotel room, they booked me on another airline for an earlier departure the next day, and they gave me meal vouchers.

My experiences:

with AA, as an elite (gold or above) AND member of AAdmirals Club, then hotel is paid for weather delays. NOT for non-elites that are AAdmirals members, and NOT for Elites that aren't AAdmirals members.

With UA, no hotel or other compensation for overnight due to weather unless you're 1K.

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American Airlines
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