When bad weather strikes...
 

Sounds like a bad Fox TV special, but since we've had some of this lately all around the east coast:

I wonder if anyone would be interested in contributing to a list of procedures they use when bad weather strikes and a flight is in limbo?

For example:

-- get on the phone to the 1K or PE or EP line, and protect yourself on other flights

-- bypass long lines with other passengers and head to ANY counter or gate that's got agents willing to help you

-- check other airlines for similar delays, if not, get over there quick!

Any other tips that seasoned travelers know about or use?

How about favorite diversions and things to do when incapacitated by weather? What's your worst weather story?

[This message has been edited by TA (edited 05-22-2000).]

In an airport, I tend to go directly to an airline club if available. I have found that generally airport agents, as opposed to telephone agents, have more latitude and authority in terms of reaccommodation than telephone agents...and are typically quicker and do not seem to have to check with their supervisor for clearance to do things out of the ordinary. I find that if I am protected on another airline, it is possible to get miles on both the original and new airline...always a bonus. If you really absolutely must be at some place on time, I recommend checking weather, and perhaps leaving in advance because delays, etc. are so commonplace. This, of course, is not always possible.

Though its not really a weather related story...I was once trying to go stand-by on the last NW flight of the night DCA-BOS. I had been booked on an earlier flight. The last flight of the night which I was trying to stand-by on was cancelled. NW put passengers up in the DCA Doubletree...even pax such as myself who were just on stand-by not even confirmed. They did it very quickly too...all but thirty seconds...they didn't pull an "oh I'll have to get my supervisor," or an "you weren't confirmed on the flight so there is nothing we can do," routine. I think this is one of the best positive customer service experiences I have had with any airline. Not only did they provide the hotel voucher, but they did it so quickly and without any questions.

I guess my best (or is it worse?) weather story would be a CO EWR-BOS flight. I think it was the 10PM flight. Anyway, it pushed back from the gate late...during a snow storm. Then, it sat out on the airport until literally about 4 to 530AM...when it finally took off. I had gotten a comp upgrade because I was a travel agent, so at least I was in first. Also the pilot said it would be ok for me to use my scanner (to monitor ATC/airport operations) while we were on the ground. It was interesting to listen mainly to the EWR CO operations frequencies, etc. At times, the whole operation seemed very dis-jointed and unorganized. E.g. the de-icing trucks, the operations people at the terminal, the ATC ground control frequency, the pilots of the aircraft, etc. At one point, a pax on the plane tried to break into the cockpit...though the door was locked. The crew just handled it quietly...so no "air rage" headlines in the paper or on CNN. "Just calm down...have a drink of water...you can stay up here...etc" was what they told the person. If I remember right, the pax had a child. We landed in BOS, and I think we were one of the only aircraft to land...then they closed the field. Another EWR-BOS aircraft was sent back to EWR...because they felt it was not safe to land in BOS. I think the aircraft was nearly completely full. As far as I know, no compensation was provided to any pax. Some of the CO agents were going over to the BOS Harbor Side Hyatt...to rest and then return to work in the evening. I went over to the hotel, had breakfast, and then went home to sleep.

Another time I flew NW ORD-DTW-BOS and then on a separate ticket was booked on CO BOS-SYR. In DTW, there were tornado warnings, and I told the agents I might miss my connection to SYR once in BOS. They offered to switch my ticket to go directly to SYR...but I had my college friends BOS-SYR ticket with me so I had to go to BOS. I had a few drinks throughout the day, and when we landed in BOS, I asked if they could provide a ramp escort from NW to CO (just like they do for the celebrities). It was kind of funny, they open the door and the FA says "he is looking for a ramp escort over to CO." "No," was obviously the answer...but stranger things have happened. So I took the bus over to CO, like anyone else. At CO, the BOS-SYR commuter flight was cancelled. BOS was having one of those low visibility days with fog and light rain. "Can you write a fim," I asked. They were amused that I knew what a fim was, saying "he knows all the secrets." They did write one fim for the two of us to take the US BOS-SYR flight which was still a go. We went over to US, and I had one of those upgrade booklets. In the past, I was Gold on US. The gate agent upgraded the two of us for two of those certificates off of the FIM. My roommate had never flew in 1st, and was quite amused at how one could get tickets switched to other airlines, get upgraded, etc. Also when I finally arrived in SYR...my bag was waiting...it made it all the way from the ORD curb to the SYR baggage claim. We had a good weekend in SYR, and flew back on our originally scheduled SYR-BOS CO commuter which ran on time.

[This message has been edited by jetsetter (edited 05-22-2000).]

During bad weather, I try to remember that's it's better to be down here wishing I was up there, than it is to be up there wishing I was down here.

Good idea only if everyone else on the continent hasn't figured it out first. BTW, when confronted with the automated answering systems or the dreaded perversion of Gershwin, keep trying all the numbers you have, up to and including one above the one you're entitled to.
I'd never get into an elite or FC line if I didn't belong there (even if I might consider using a phone number I didn't deserve), but were I not entitled to use an airline club or a status concierge (who, tending towards strictness at the best of times would most likely be doubly so in troubled hours), I'd figure out what flight would suit me and then go directly to the gate in question. Gate agents can often do stuff that others can't or won't.
If it's really weather, would that do much good?

Sorry for a stupid quesiton - but what is a FIM?

FIM=Flight Interruption something-or-other (Manifest?)

Also, if you know any other languages, the wait on the foreign-language number might be shorter than on the primary one for the airline you're calling.

And good tip on the gate agent. I once had one who was willing to let me try for another city (that had nonstops from where I was, while my real destination did not) within ground range of my real home (didn't help--ground delays meant I couldn't get home from there that night anyway).

[This message has been edited by silverpie (edited 05-26-2000).]

Yes a FIM is a flight interruption manifest. It is a document...kind of looks like a hand-written carbon copy ticket type thing. It is a way for one airline to issue you a ticket on another. The airline that is "fiming you" will pay the carrier you are going on some discounted amount for your ticket. I think its like 25% or so of the full Y fare that the other airline pays the carrier taking you...but not 100% sure each airline may have its own arrangements. In lieu of writing you a fim, an agent might instead just book you on another carrier, and write on your flight coupon(s)
"rule 240 endorsed to xx"
where XX is the airline they are sending you too.

Writing a fim is the more official and formal way to do it...and just writing on your ticket is the quick informal way of doing it. I don't know exactly what determines when either method will be used.

A lot of times phone agents (csrs) have leeway during weather that they don't have at other times, unless they're on a very top tier desk (then they almost always have a lot of leeway). In particularly bad weather I know that AA at least will let you go into or out of another city within a certain range of miles. As far as calling one desk above which you are entitled to that's a personal decision but I know that at AA the ExecPlt desk is restricted to Exec Plats and the agents there have to transfer anyone else that calls in..those ExecPlat phones have to be answered in a certain amount of seconds and AA is really adamant about not handling anyone but Exec Plat. If you want fun in the air industry during weather, try being a csr when there's weather in three major US cities. DFW,ORD,JFK like there was last week. Our top tier members or 99 and nine tenths percent of them understand but there's always a certain few that think that calling us names and cussing at us is going to help. It always helps to remember when you're on the phone that right now there are two people trying to help you...you and me...and I'm losing interest fast. Believe it or not we really care about our passengers and most of us do our level best to help out. Sorry about longwinded..just want you to understand our side of the fence.

i have not yet seen anyone mention:

#1) paper tickets

e-tickets still require that you stand to
get the darned things converted to paper,
so that you can use'm on another airline.

if you already have paper tickets, the whole
exchange can usually be arranged over the
phone and you only have to show-up at the
gate of the other airline.

#2) carry-on bags are always a good/better
idea

#3) ask agents to check flyfo (flifo) for
flight info - not the swill in the resv
system.

-doug

At the risk of too many cross-posts, I am going to post the link in this thread also for the ATCSCC page. Thate the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. You can access real time airport specific data on ground stops, ground delay programs, delays, de-icing programs, runway-equipment outages, etc. If you click on Products...you get several choices on how you want the data presented: http://www.fly.faa.gov

Sorry to burst your bubble DRANZ, but the original air carrier usually has to endorse the ticket over, even if you have a paper tkt. Only if you are on a full Y, or the other carrier will accept valid XX only tkts, will they take you as is.

I was supposed to fly from MSP-IAH but our plane had a mechanical problem. After waiting almost an hour, the agent endorsed my ticket to CO under rule 120. What's the difference between rule 240 and rule 120?