Compensation for cancelled flights
 

Over the weekend, my USAirways flight from PHL to MCO was cancelled. There was a plane, but no crew. (ah, the joys of USAirways)

Since this was Friday night, the Preferred desk gave me the option of either taking a later flight to TPA or staying over in PHL and taking the next flight out to MCO in the morning. Since my ride lives halfway between MCO and TPA, I elected to go on to TPA that evening. After confirming the arrangements over the phone with the airline, I preceeded to the special services desk to inquire about compensation for the hassle and delay.

To make an already long story a little shorter, there are no official compensation guidelines for canceled flights on USAirways. But here's where the logic takes a wrong turn.

If my flight had been overbooked and I volunteered for a later flight, I would have recieved at least one roundtrip domestic ticket. But my flight was cancelled so I'm entitled to nothing....even though I agreed to go to a different city altogether and three hours later than I had planned.

At least in this instance, the canceled flight was much more inconvenient than an overbooked flight would have been, but the compensation is nill. Anyone have experience with getting compensation from USAir or other airlines for cancelled flights?

In a word- "Baloney". I've got a 7 yaer old son that likes it bit I personally never have! This could be related to the low morale and impending strike threat (See Gen Trav Talk today) bit there's no adequate excuse for this type of nonsense. I'd follow up and ask for at least the "standard" comp package to which your entitled do to INvolutary circumstances. They should throw in some extra goodies for the 'crap' they gave you too IMHO! Let us know.

Rules of The Air http://www.onetravel.com/rules/rules.cfm

PassengerRights.com https://www.passengerrights.com/

Travel Rights Galore
http://www.boardroom.com/blp_html/ar...el_rights.html

Consumer Complaint Links
http://www.bestfares.com/member/desk.../10012751L.asp

There is compensation. Generally, (correct me if I'm wrong) if the cancellation is not an act-of-god, wars, or anything beyond the airline's control, you will compensated. So, some form of compensation will be given for maintenance, crew not being at the airport, plane not being at the airport, etc.

Of course, USAirways tried to blame the crew mix up on Hurricane Floyd. And indeed, PHL was a mess the day before.

This excuse might have worked if they hadn't issued a press release earlier on Friday saying that service had returned to normal.

The USAirways crew in PHL overall has attitude problems. Two times I've had flights cancelled there and it was like pulling teeth to even get a meal voucher. Both times I contacted Customer Relations and got two confirmed any time in advance any fare upgrades. Used them for my wife and I on PIT-LAX trips, 2100 miles. Cancelled flights were 120 mile hops http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Got to my destination 3-4 hours later. I think it was appropiate. Both times compensation was quick and agents admitted fault since it was crew problems too.

Good luck from someone else who avoids PHL whenever he can... I've never made a roundtrip through PHL without a 30+ minute delay at least in one direction. Stick with PIT http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif heh.

Seawolf--maybe on some airlines there is some compensation, but not on US Airways. If you read the links given, such as Rules of the Air, you will see that US Air's Rule 240 tariff says they have an obligation to get you on another flight to your destination, even if only first class is available, but that if you are not satisfied with the arrangements that they make for you, all you are entitled to is a refund of your ticket (and no transportation). Of course, that doesn't do you much good.
Harold, I have had this happen twice in the last two months. Have had delays of 6 and 8 hours, had to catch later flights, and got nothing, zero, zilch, nada! Just like you. That is the way things go at US Air. And yes, I believe that some of this does relate to the ongoing labor problems, both as the cause of some of the flight cancelations, and for the attitude from the gate or ticket agents when you try to get some compensation for US messing up your day.

Maybe there really is such a thing as Southern hospitality--I had no trouble getting hotel and meal vouchers (even though I didn't have a right to a hotel under even the new rules) from gate personnel at DCA and CLT. One gal even tried to help me reroute to a different city (it failed when that flight was also zapped). On NW too, Memphis personnel seem to be better than the stories I hear from their northern hubs.