No compensation for flight delay? ...?
 

This is ridiculous. I have a family member whose flight got canceled and is stranded in Chicago (ORD) for 24 f-ing hours (yes, apparently that is the earliest time United can get for them)... and there's no compensation given out because it is a "weather related" cancellation. Seriously? W T F?

Does United expect their customers to pay for their accommodation and food for 24hrs? I'm not being unreasonable here, it's not a few hours annoyance, it is one bloody day! And what happens if tomorrow the same thing happens again? So what happens if there is "weather related" problems tomorrow?

Can anyone direct me to some resources on how to contact United Corporate? Not the form that you fill up on the website, but I want my feedback to reach higher up the corporate ladder.

Going higher up the ladder isn't going to get your complaint anywhere; the rules in the contract of carriage pretty much let the carrier out of any obligation during weather-related issues, and even if you didn't read them, you agreed to those rules when you made your ticket purchase. Here in the States, there's nothing expected from the airlines when it is a weather delay/cancellation (and there has been some severe weather in Chicagoland the last few days). The best you can hope for is a discounted hotel rate and/or a small meal voucher but they're not required to give those to you. If there's another weather cancellation tomorrow, then your relative will be paying for a second night of hotel at ORD. And given how full flights are these days, and the extent of the weather issues lately, I'm actually surprised that they actually have an empty seat on tomorrow's flight. Count your blessings even if it feels like you don't have any right now: some people will probably be waiting 2-3 days to get home.

In the EU, the carrier's obligation to the passenger does indeed cover hotel/meals even when the cancellation is weather-related; however, in last year's volcano issues, which dragged on for many days, the airlines lost millions paying that compensation. Given the thin margins on which airlines operate, I'd imagine they are lobbying very hard against such legislation being passed in the US.

the delay wasn't because of wx?....i would complain in that case....good luck...

I think it's pretty standard in the US to only pay if the delay is the result of an issue on the airline's part. Providing room and board for every person who needs it would easily run to tens of thousands of dollars, so unfortunately, it is unreasonable to expect them to pay for something that isn't their fault.

I don't see why people are so ready to accept weather problems as a trump card excuse every time the airlines feel like it.

Right now, the weather on my side is rainy, but it is not severe enough to warrant a cancellation of flight, and Chicago weather's was OK when I checked earlier this afternoon. It's not as if there is a tornado or some major earthquake here. If their planes can't handle a little rain, then perhaps it's time for them to design better ones.

This is ridiculous, in the first place what is there from stopping the airlines from outright LYING to their customers in order to avoid compensation? Why not simply write off every delay as "weather related" problems?

I remember reading years back that compensation was required if the flight delay exceeds a certain number of hours (I think it was 4hrs). What happened to those rules? Or were those only applicable to EU nations? Sad to see how bad the legislation is here in the US...

Yes, it's customary for the airline to not have to help the passenger during a weather event. And as dcpatti points out, it is even spelled out in the contract of carriage.

If the passenger wouldn't be able to absorb the cost of a weather-related delay, the passenger should have bought travel insurance. Travel insurance exists for exactly this scenario. UA even offers it during the online ticket purchase process, for 4.5% of the cost of the ticket. It can also be purchased from many third party providers. It seems that the passenger declined to purchase this insurance and is now regretting it.

Just because the weather looks okay from the terminal doesn't mean it is safe to fly. In addition, weather issues at the destination can also cause a flight to be cancelled. Equipment for your flight may also be stuck at an airport closed due to wx. Airlines can lie about weather but anyone can look up METAR information to verify.

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52939,00.html

If United is letting anyone flying through Chicago change their tickets without penalty fees, then there is pretty much no argument that there's weather issues going on. Issuing these waivers can cost the airline a lot in lost revenue, plus the complication of having to rebook those who take the airline up on their offer to fly another day instead of today. They don't do this just for giggles.


+1 in giant 48-point font.

They still exist and are actually something that have been improved recently [so the legislation is getting stronger, not weaker]. Of course those rules are for when are on a plane and stuck for 4 hours, not waiting in the airport or at home.

It's not the airlines who get to decide how many planes land in a day.

Airlines book tickets 365 days a year and the weather doesn't schedule in advance. We've all be in your friend's shoes, believe me, it sucks but that doesn't make it the airline's fault or responsibility in the least. If the airlines paid out for every stranded PAX to have a hotel [there is after all no way to enforce who is a visitor, who lives nearby and who just left their parent's house] the price of a ticket would have us all taking the train. That's just reality.

Truth is, as several others have pointed out, it costs the airlines insane amounts of money to cancel flights for weather. Sure you have the fog delays and cancellations in SFO and similar places that happen for just a few hours but usually these are delays that impact dozens if not hundreds of flights. It creates chaos in the system as flight crews don't make it to their next location (nor do the planes), baggage loaders and flight services still have to be paid, and thousands of people flood the call centers.

So again, every member of this site has been in a similar spot and knows the aggravation it causes. I'm in agreement that the handling of those delays can be poor [it can also be good] but beyond that you have to realize that while you want someone to blame, there's just the clouds.

This isn't a car, you can't just take off, realize it's worse than you thought and stop...

I would agree..

But hopefully the airline is a little more compassionate about the situation and give a hotel night stay and some food.. but otherwise, just roll with what's going on.. visit somewhere relaxing and make the most of it.. and hopefully get out of there sooner rather than later.

I was in Italy last December trying to get home via LHR, which was closed due to a snow storm. There was a big, complicated poster in the airport detailing EU rules on the airline's responsibility for compensating the passenger, and weather was excluded.

Other exclusions are earthquakes and Volcanoes. Then there is the all inclusive "Acts of God".

If any government tries to legislate mandatory all inclusive compensation for flight delays of any reason air travel to and from that country would cease.

Hotel and meal expenses are not "compensation".

Refunds are not "compensation".

"Compensation" is restitution provided over-and-above the actual costs to make up for the inconvenience.

Funny thread.

It's weather related, they are on their own. United's hub is Chicago, and the planes are very full out of there, even more so with delays. As we saw over the winter, one messed up day weather wise could have people stranded for days.

Over 500 flights were canceled in Chicago today, mostly due to low visibility. Not sure where you got your credentials to determine the weather was fine to fly, but apparently the airlines thought different.

The United States does have regulations regarding delays. They do not apply to canceled flights, and do not apply to weather related delays.

You can call, you can write, you can rant, you can drop the F word a hundred times. You will get nowhere, as it's a weather delay.

Does they have the "Act of God" clause in the USA? Could you not argue to the airline that it is unconstitutional and quote the first amendment.

The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed.

I think you could probably argue that your full and equal rights of conscience as an atheist have been infringed and they would probably give you a hotel voucher and a sandwich

Only works if it's a government organization. There's no civil right to fly in dangerous conditions. :)

I like that :)

This is ridiculous. Their flight got canceled AGAIN, and we're not looking at just a 24hrs delay (but maybe even 48hrs or more).

It's not just the fact that United is failing to provide some compensation (even token ones would be appreciated), but it's the crappy attitude that they presented to my folks.

For example, the United staff told my folks there was no other flight from ORD to DTW for yesterday, and my folks did ask for a night flight. United LIED. I checked there were two flights that were not canceled.

Next example, the United staff rebooked them on the exact same timing, when my folks requested for a morning flight (since they were misled to believe there was no flights left yesterday), again United LIED saying there is only ONE flight from ORD to DTW. I checked online, there are 8 flights everyday from ORD to DTW.

What a bunch of LYING <insert your favorite swear word>.

I guess the only consolation is that hotel at ORD ain't that costly...

The airline cannot control the weather. Why should they be at fault for it?

OP is just looking for compensation, he is even trying to get them from CBP.

There is a huge difference between the number of daily flights and the number of daily flights that have available seating.

Ever consider that seven of those eight flights have no seats available?

Instead of ranting, have you considered alternative methods of getting there if when United has seats available is not working for them? MegaBus for example will take five hours and has several buses leaving a day for $30 a seat.

Where did that crap come from?

And can't they get people bumped off voluntarily? Oh no... that would be bad since the airlines would have to compensate those who volunteer to be bumped. Doesn't make sense to do this because they don't need to compensate those who have been delayed by 24hrs due to "uncontrollable" weather. Crappy double standards if you ask me. Overbooking is as unpredictable as the weather, so why is there compensation for one but not the other? I've also just realized ORD is have the 3rd highest delay/cancellation in the nation, so this weather excuse is pure bull... if you know that flights from ORD have a very high risk of delay/cancellation, you jolly well have some sort of contingency in place like creating another night flight. But no... that would cost money and spending money is the last things the airlines would do when they can just show the middle finger to the consumer.

I don't think United has offered my folks a free bus ride to Detroit. Are you seriously expecting them to pay out of their own pocket? After paying a sh*t ton of money this is the sh*t customers who fly on United receive. Obviously we will be considering moving to Delta... and I'm not planning to let this go. Google searching this forum has shown that 24hrs delay should be entitled to at least 10k miles as a form of compensation, and some airlines do offer meal/hotel compensation, so I am not being unreasonable here...

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Since there’s a weather waiver, you could’ve just gotten a refund and taken the bus. Seriously, you’re overreacting.

And how is the airline just supposed to create another flight? It’s not like they keep a fleet of emergency aircraft on hand. Plus, lots of their aircraft are probably stuck out of ORD at other stations and they can’t get them back.

The miles/hotel compensation you saw is for elite customers. I don’t know UA’s policies but I think it’s reserved for 1K/GS.

you are

Some other post about CBP here on flyer talks. That poster is Rommie something. Wait a second...

Because all those people who have been already waiting a day or two are going to be very eager to give up their seats, even if there's a voucher dangled under their noses.

Why didn't they just rent a car and drive 5 hours? If I was at ORD and they said I couldn't fly to DTW for the next 1-2 days I would be on the Dan Ryan within 30 mins. @:-)

Seriously, you must have problems understanding English. I have never asked for CBP for any compensation. Hell, I haven't even been on a flight lately. Don't you understand what is the meaning of a hypothetical question?

It's like risk management. If you know your flights from a certain airport have a high probability of getting delayed, you should analyze the problem and come up with solution including contingency plans, maybe having a plane or two on standby to ramp up capacity later when the skies are clear. Unfortunately this is not how the airline industry operates since it costs money, and we know how good the airline industry is at gouging their customers and providing crap service especially one carrier called United.

They were not informed of any weather waiver, and in any case, I am unsure how United is going to refund part of an itinerary in a multi-stop ticket. United's website also seems to indicate the travel waiver is a promise for no additional-fees for rescheduled flights (which is to be entitlement but they are making it sound like it's not) and not a refund for cancellation. The URL to Chicago waiver is not even working, great job United! Again the United staff must have LIED to poor folks that have no internet access. If anything this episode that shown that United lies to their customer habitually, because they think they can get away with it... should have told my folks to fly with Delta, which is the normal carrier I use.

So let's focus on the solution then.

Like it or not the weather is impacting flights dramatically. The odds of seats on other flights opening is slim... there are a lot of delayed people many, presumably some who have waited longer and from their same flight thoes with built up status. The longer the cancellations go the worse it gets... lines increase, flights get more and more backed up.

That's the bad side.

Now the good side.

There's a travel waiver issued the 24th-26th meaning refunds and cancellations can occur penalty free depending on what they try to do. Thus they have options that do not require them to loose what they already paid. Options are good. http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,52939,00.html

Try Delta, try anyone, but if one airline can't fly, they don't let the plane next door go either, weather is almost always not an airline decision.

They offer compensations to voluntarily give up their seats when they have too many confirmed reservations for a flight. They don't pay volunteers to give up their seats so that standby passengers can ride.

Of course. I would have taken the bus, or rental car, as soon as the first 24-hour delay became apparent. The airline will refund the fare for the flight(s) that aren't taken due to the original flight being canceled. Even without the refund, a $30 bus fare is a lot less than a hotel room.

Their travel insurance, which I'm sure you had them take out, will cover all their additional expenses to get back home, and hotel and the rest.

Seriously, why are they still in Chicago? There are so many other alternatives to get where they need to go.

There's an Amtrak leaving at 6 that will get them there about midnight.

Yes weather is affects all airlines, but the way airlines handle it differ. This is not my first negative experience with United.

About a year back, I flew in from an international flight on United/Continental, and that flight took off late (for some reason it likes to sit on the tarmac for 1hr+), and as a result I lost my connection. United/Continental provided the same screwed up "service", no apologies at all and I was delayed for hours.

Compare this to Delta. Once they lost my check-in luggage and got it back to me within 6hrs. Not to mention they also provided a complimentary kit (some toiletries and a change of clothes), even when I did not ask for it.

Not to mention that Delta does not have any air-related fatalities in modern time (last I check was in 2006). United on the other hand, has a long list of air fatalities.

It's already obvious that United in screwed up in everything. From their customer service to quality control and safety standards.

I guess they weren't expecting a cancellation of their re-booked flight?

As I said the travel waiver option was never presented to them. So it's on the website, but for those people who don't carry iphones with them, will they know about it? No...

Isn't this where you would come in? You seem keenly interested in their situation and clearly have access to the internet...kindly inform them of their other options - help them get to their destination!

Not counting September 11th, the last United Fatalities were in 1997. Delta had fatalities in 2006. Who's LYING now?

Or was September 11th United's fault too?

I think the OP's family would be home safe and enjoying a home-cooked meal and a nap on the sofa if the OP put as much time and effort into finding them alternate transport as he/she does into demanding that UA do something about it.

Like it or not, the airlines don't owe you hotel money for weather delays, can't magically get more planes and crews from thin air, can't fly extra flights even if they had those magical extra planes, won't throw someone else off of an existing flight to make room for a delayed passenger, don't sell bus tickets, and won't kiss you on the head to make all those Won'ts and Can'ts seem less mean. That's the way the industry is, and you might as well go complain to The Weather Channel about there having been thunderstorms and tornadoes in the first place.

Use the force for the good and not the dark side, Luke. Go book your family some bus or train tickets and get everyone home.