Reduced Compensation
 

I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Minneapolis after missing my connection to Amsterdam due to a mechanical delay on my incoming flight. Of course they put me up in the hotel and I got a $5 breakfast voucher and $13 dinner voucher but the coupon pack was much lower than what I have gotten in the past. It was only a 250 mi coupon (or a free in-flight drink) and a $35 discount coupon (original post had a typo and said $3). Last year I was on a flight from Cancun that was delayed overnight due to a mechanical issue and we got a coupon packet with a 2000 mi coupon, a 10 min phone card, and a discount coupon of $25-$100 (if I remember right).

Is this consistent with everyone's experience? Not really much compensation for the inconvencience. I really wish Mesaba would get rid of the Saabs!

-Bruce

Well, considering the current financial state that NWA is in, this is somewhat expected (correct me if I am wrong)? But then again, if you are flying in EU and there is a mechanical delay for more than four hours, airlines must follow the EU guidelines and pay whatever the guideline says, I believe.

The EU guidelines must be followed but I don't think most airlines volunteer that information - you have to ask. And according to the Iceland Air manager I spoke with, mechanical delays don't count. I was suprised, as I thought weather was about teh only exception to the policy but the manager told me "What, do you think we want to have mechanical problems, it's out of our control." So according to her interpretation of the law, a mech delay woudl not count.

I'd like to know what does qualify then...

My understanding of the EU policy is that it was aimed at denied boarding compensation for overbooked flights; particularly involuntary DBC.

Their are two or three coupon books. One is for Domestic and one for international. Their may be one for F also or that may be the international one I am thinking about.

Oops
 

I just noticed a significant typo in my original post. It was a $35 discount coupon for flights over $200.

-Bruce

This is what we got for a domestic delay earlier this year. A mistake maybe?

I got the cheapo coupon book as well a couple months ago. It was a big disappointment, as 250 miles is so small. It was from a flight delay giving me a forced night in the wonderful DTW Best Western. At least I had a meal coupon to order pizza with that night.

Same coupon for me on a mechanical for an MEM-DTW-JFK flight

Not only are there different coupons for domestic verses international but also econ verses bus/F.

They definitely gave you the wrong book. Might be a good time to complain at the world club tomorrow. :)

I would definitly complain abouth this one as it's an international flight. That 250 mile coupon has no real value on eBay. The 1000 and 2000 mile vouchers fetch a nice sum of cash. :D

Don't they usually give you miles anyway for a forced overnight layover?(regardless of the packet) When I was forced to stay overnight in HNL enroute to OGG, they gave me 20K miles in addition to the hotel accommodation (If you are wondering, the Best Western by the HNL airport is nasty)

I bet if you wrote a TTU email, you would get more miles.

there is a thread about what kind of compensation people have gotten for various inconveniences. Beyond getting a sad coupon book, you can also ask for and probably will receive many thousands of miles for the inconvenience. Check your account after you return and if nothing's been posted, fire away.