What did I do wrong?
 

We booked a round trip MHT-TUL via Expedia. They booked us out on Delta, back on Continental. They had an ice/sleet storm in Tulsa. It appears that there is no equipment to handle this anywhere in the city. The streets were all but undrivable. Hotel and restaurant parking lots were the same. Most importantly, the airport simply shut down.

Knowing our Sunday AM flight was cancelled, I call the Expedia help line Saturday AM. They said they can't do anything once the trip has started. So, I called Continental. They said that, since the outbound leg was on Delta, we had a Delta ticket and they had to rewrite it. I called Delta, who told me that it was a Continental flight that was cancelled, so they had to rewrite it.

I went around the phone loop again, finally reaching a Delta guy who admitted he could do it. He told us we were all set for a Monday afternoon flight. We hung around the hotel all day Sunday, killing time.

We arrived at the airport at 10am Monday. Delta told us that our flight was cancelled and that they couldn't get us out until Friday. They would not try any other airlines for us. BTW, the reason they gave is that they can't get the fuel trucks up to the planes because of all the ice.

We walked over to the Continental counter, where a nice lady (Theresa) spent an hour, finally finding us flights on Tuesday. So, we'll be home 2 1/2 days late.

I was once a frequent flyer, but have only been travelling a half dozen times a year recently, so I'm out of practice. Would you think I would have been better off to hang around the airport all day Sunday, trying to get out earlier? I should point out that the local TV stations were claiming the airport was completely shut down when, in fact, some flights left.

I also want to write to Continental, telling them how good was their service, and to Delta, telling them how bad was theirs, and how curt were their counter folk (including the supervisor). Where can I find the best addresses to use?

Dick.

Extreme weather conditions are always VERY difficult. Add in the fact that most flights are going out FULL these days and you have a very big mess. DL probably didn't have any flights to book you on. That being said, they should have looked at their partner carriers, CO and NW, for help.

Customer Service addresses are best found on the airlines' own websites. Just click on "Contact Us" and usually the addresses will be found there. Or call and just ask for the address for customer service (refrain from explaining why).

Also, if you had access to a computer, sometimes you have to do your own research. See which airlines appear to be operating and make suggestions. Unfortunately, the phone agents have less power to change your reservations than the airport agents. Also, you may have been dealing with the commuter carrier's airport agents (which tend to be much less knowledgable than the airline's own agents).

Why can't Expedia do anything? I think I'd be more annoyed at this company then CO or DL.

Does (has) Expedia ever help (helped) anyone in such situations?

I'm an AA Plat member. On Dec. 1, I got in trouble on a Chicago connection due to a severe snowstorm there and my 2nd leg was cancelled and re-booked for the next day. Didn't want that, so AA re-booked me that night on UA and then gave me original routing credit for miles on AA anyway. It was a weather problem so AA wasn't responsible, but they came through for me and I am grateful and will remember that when a low-cost carrier beats an AA fare by a few dollars. But they probably wouldn't have done it if I weren't an "elite" AA member.

Actually yes,

I had a rental which I was to pick up in Geneva. Got delayed due to weather. They couldn't do anything about the flights but they changed my rental pickup.

The next day I met someone at the gate who was working for the client I was going to visit. He had a car with driver waiting for him so I called expedia and cancelled the car. Got it credited back to my card.

/E

welcome to FT.

I have been thru similar hell. My advice: Start now, and always take all names, ID numbers and info, and save EVERYTHING involving your entire experience down to the last detail.

Write it all down in full, noting that as silly as it may sound to some, the longer your letter, the more effect it will have because when something big comes in to CS, they have to sit down and deal with it.

Send copies to both airlines and to two departments. CS management AND the miles departments. Why them? Well, you want credit for both flights--or, you want to put all the miles from one partner onto the other airline (DL and CO are partners so do that) MAIL THIS "packet", do not email it!

Send a copy to Expedia as well, and be sure all copies show that you sent it to the other guys. I'd even put on the bottom that you CCd it to some lawyer just to add some gusto to it. OR the BBB at the very least!

Explain the frustration in full detail and note how discouraged you are, but that you would continue doing business if they can FIX this issue now, and also make it easier for the next new guy! that helps your case.

Include every receipt you have. Don't NOT have pieces of this pie. Have your boarding cards, ticket info, itinerary, etc. Even the luggage tags!

yes, weather is an issue, but frankly, I find it as an excuse. Someone should have given you SOMETHING you could do! Instead, they all confused you out of the game and you were left to fend for yourself, totally unarmed. that, to me is a breach of MY security and I would like some compensation for this!!

When you get to that part, I would craftily word it as such, noting that if they do agree to help you, they will try to do as little as possible:

I have enclosed a copy of all receipts and costs associated with this problem. I have even enclosed a copy of the postage receipt 9you can ask the USPS to give you one to slip into the letter pack you are sending, seeing as how it will cost you a few stamps or priority postage costs!) and I would like to ask for a monetary refund for my efforts. Should your airline/business NOT be able to provide cash or check, then kindly add miles to my FF account. Should this also not be doable, then if you do provide vouchers, I would kindly ask that these be useable by ANYONE, with more than one year expiry, and that they can be used ONLINE or on the phone, and not just in person at an airport desk. I would like to consider future travel with you but i need to be the one to make the decision as to how and when this is done, without unreasonable restrictions that make me more frustrated. Surely you can understand, after having read my whole story.

Ask also to find out who, if anyone "owns" your problem at said airline CS department. You may find yourself chasing a lot of people if you don't. Hold everyone accountable and do not give up until you get what you need. Don't necessarily be greedy but definitely push 'em! It's not easy but it's part of this whole flying game these days!

Good luck and enjoy the ride. I tend to have big and small battles like this one nearly every day just with mileage promos!

:)MM

PS: check this example of travel problems from Conde Naste's Ombudsman section found online and if you have a chance, grab Conde Naste Traveler magazine at any newsstand and then write to the Ombudsman address in that section. Who knows, maybe they will both pursue and publish your story!

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/...rticleId=10462

[QUOTE=Marathon Man;7023115]welcome to FT.

I have been thru similar hell. My advice: Start now, and always take all names, ID numbers and info, and save EVERYTHING involving your entire experience down to the last detail.

Send copies to both airlines and to two departments. CS management AND the miles departments. Why them? Well, you want credit for both flights--or, you want to put all the miles from one partner onto the other airline (DL and CO are partners so do that) MAIL THIS "packet", do not email it!

Send a copy to Expedia as well, and be sure all copies show that you sent it to the other guys. I'd even put on the bottom that you CCd it to some lawyer just to add some gusto to it. OR the BBB at the very least!


yes, weather is an issue, but frankly, I find it as an excuse. Someone should have given you SOMETHING you could do! Instead, they all confused you out of the game and you were left to fend for yourself, totally unarmed. that, to me is a breach of MY security and I would like some compensation for this!!

Ask also to find out who, if anyone "owns" your problem at said airline CS department. You may find yourself chasing a lot of people if you don't. Hold everyone accountable and do not give up until you get what you need. Don't necessarily be greedy but definitely push 'em! It's not easy but it's part of this whole flying game these days!

Good luck and enjoy the ride. I tend to have big and small battles like this one nearly every day just with mileage promos!

PS: check this example of travel problems from Conde Naste's Ombudsman section found online and if you have a chance, grab Conde Naste Traveler magazine at any newsstand and then write to the Ombudsman address in that section. Who knows, maybe they will both pursue and publish your story! [quote]


OK - I must be getting confused. The original poster explained that this was due to WEATHER. There is a HUGE storm throughout the country. Not sure that you could have done anything more. MM person - you're posting about MILES.

When it is weather there really isn't anything that the airline CAN do. I would probably have gone to the airport and continued to "bug" somebody to help get me home but other than that - there really isn't anything else that could be done. I would definitely write to the airline about their rude personnel but that's a separate issue. I'm glad to hear that you're going to get home though!

Additionally, this is not for the BBB or an attorney - you can file with the DOT since they're the responsible government agency for airline complaints.

Booking with someone like Expedia you get the worst of all possible worlds.

As far as the airline is concerned you are someone who booked through a travel agent, and that makes you the travel agent's responsibility, not the airline's. (Some airlines are worse than others in that respect... if you select the "I booked through a travel agent" option on KLM's switchboard you get a recorded message saying "Please talk to your travel agent. Goodbye")

The problem is that Expedia isn't really a travel agent - they operate with a travel agent's licence, but they really just see themselves as a booking site, and customer support is virtually non-existent. And it's got worse over the years.

So - you're really caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. For the airlines you're a travel agent customer, but your travel agent doesn't see itself as a travel agent.

[QUOTE=ldsant;7023203][QUOTE=Marathon Man;7023115]welcome to FT.

I have been thru similar hell. My advice: Start now, and always take all names, ID numbers and info, and save EVERYTHING involving your entire experience down to the last detail.

Send copies to both airlines and to two departments. CS management AND the miles departments. Why them? Well, you want credit for both flights--or, you want to put all the miles from one partner onto the other airline (DL and CO are partners so do that) MAIL THIS "packet", do not email it!

Send a copy to Expedia as well, and be sure all copies show that you sent it to the other guys. I'd even put on the bottom that you CCd it to some lawyer just to add some gusto to it. OR the BBB at the very least!

yes, weather is an issue, but frankly, I find it as an excuse. Someone should have given you SOMETHING you could do! Instead, they all confused you out of the game and you were left to fend for yourself, totally unarmed. that, to me is a breach of MY security and I would like some compensation for this!!

Ask also to find out who, if anyone "owns" your problem at said airline CS department. You may find yourself chasing a lot of people if you don't. Hold everyone accountable and do not give up until you get what you need. Don't necessarily be greedy but definitely push 'em! It's not easy but it's part of this whole flying game these days!

Good luck and enjoy the ride. I tend to have big and small battles like this one nearly every day just with mileage promos!

PS: check this example of travel problems from Conde Naste's Ombudsman section found online and if you have a chance, grab Conde Naste Traveler magazine at any newsstand and then write to the Ombudsman address in that section. Who knows, maybe they will both pursue and publish your story! ok, point taken but allow me to further clarify... sorry to confuse anyone.

yeah i talk of mile issue in my post and also I posted a link about mile problems. BUT the idea is that when you have a problem with an airline, you need to write to them about it. I guess my issues are often about mile problems but either way, you need to complain not about the weather or even the policies involved in it, but about how you were given no options and everyone at both airlines just sort of passed you around like some useless rag doll. That sort of problem is similar to the mile problems I have run into where some promotion is done by a third party to the airline and then no one takes responsibility to anything. The thinking behind writing to everyone is to get someone to take notice and to also show how serious it is to you. As well, you figure it will possibly help with compensation. Maybe it is overkill to some, but my theory is based on the fact that they can and do use weather as a reason to kill everything else, and no matter what the case, the guy was stranded without any recourse. All the airlines should have said--one or both of them, was: DO THIS and if it does not work, talk to THIS PERSON.

they never do that though and we are left totally blind. It's not fair I think.

that's what I was going off about. Maybe it is still off. So if I confused anyone, I am sorry about that. I have had to shoot a lot of bullets in the dark but in the end, the answer always reveals itself. one day it wont need to be so bullish.

I had the same problem once with Orbitz booking me on multi airlines and once there was a problem, no-one wanted to own it.
Solution for me was always using the airline to book, no more Orbitz.

I think the OP's question was more about how to do this better next time. In my experience, staying at the airport, working every communications angle available and staying visible are the keys. Work the phone, your laptop, and keep talking to every available agent (obviously, stay calm, polite and friendly, they have enough jerks in their faces in this situation).

Maybe most importantly, stay within eavesdropping distance of gate agents so you can hear what they are saying to each other and on the phone. Keep on top of where the weather is ok, not just your final destination. When that first flight goes out to any hub destination with clear weather, be in a position to be on it.

I guess sometimes it's unavoidable, but I'm generally not a big fan of the mix and match itineraries you can ened up with through the online travel sites, for reasons which are illustrated by the OP. Unless the savings are significant, or the schedule much more convenient, I would much rather be ticketed on one airline so there is no confusion about who is responsible for any issues (I don't even really like codeshares, but that's probably taking it a bit too far).

As far as the OP's question goes - I don't think you really did anything wrong under the circumstances. You got about the best outcome that could be expected by following up with everyone involved until you found someone who was willing and able to help.