MCI - MCI; then, MCI - DFW - ORD
Sep 21, 1999, 8:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: St Paul 02/04...not flying Delta
Posts: 2,324
MCI - MCI; then, MCI - DFW - ORD
The past year as a frequent business flyer has been (thankfully) rather uneventful. I made it out of ORD after the major snowstorm last January. I even made it home on a timely basis during the AA pilot sickout and I flew UA. But that all changed on Friday September 10, 1999.
It all started a few minutes past our planned 11:00 am departure. We were on a full Super 80, flight AA 1546 from MCI to ORD. The pilot started to make an announcement. The frequent flyers tensed. We knew that no way was it going to be good news. It seemed that a warning light in the cockpit indicated that there was a fire in the APU on the right engine. There was no fire, but a maintenance crew was on its way to have a look. American contracts out maintenance services at MCI to TWA. The mechanics arrive, check out the situation, and then announce the plane fit to fly. Everyone is happy. The pilot announces that we are good to go and we push off 30 minutes late. Not too bad and I am on my way home for the weekend.
About 15 minutes after takeoff, things change. The pilot executes a u-turn so tight that we see ground out of the left window and sky on the starboard. I turn to my seatmate, also a frequent flyer, and say that was not like any left turn I’ve seen before. Then the pilot announces that the warning light lit up in the cockpit and we were headed back to Kansas City. At this time, it is my opinion that the pilot shut off the right engine. I will have to check the incident reports (if I can find the web site) and confirm that. At no time did I think we were going to crash. But we had the bumpiest landing I have ever experienced.
We then taxied to a far corner of the airport, following by fire trucks. We park. The trucks catch up and drive around the plane. No smoke, no fire. The pilot gets on the PA and announces that we will be heading to the terminal and one of the fire trucks will follow us. The plane is now out of service. As we deplane, the guy next to me calls the Platinum Desk on his cell phone and gets rerouted. He hands me the phone and I (think I) do the same. We finally get off (over 100+). I head up to the Admiral’s Club to confirm my new flight. When I get up to the desk (and I am only third in line), I find out that the next AA flight (2pm) is sold out and that I will be #2 on the waitlist. The later flight (6pm) is also overbooked. So, as a backup, I am confirmed on a 6pm UA flight.
By the time the 2pm flight boards, I am number 1 on the waitlist. But the flight is oversold. Some passengers take a bump. I am flying on a discount fare. If I was full fare, AA would bump a passenger for me. But alas, I am on a cheapo fare. I go back up to the Club, they print out my ticket and send me over to United to get my boarding pass. They suggest I leave my bags behind the desk for security (my PC). {The bags have not been outside my control---LOL.)
I get to United on the airport shuttle bus. I wait in a very long line, since I have ‘no status’ on my hometown airline. I recognize people from my earlier flight. I get to the head of the line. The agent prints off my boarding pass, 10B, pauses, then tells me to hold on. She walks to the far end of the counter and tells me that the flight is oversold, and there is no room for me. She calls the American folks and tells them to stop sending people there. She returns my ticket and keeps the boarding pass that would get me home.
Back on the bus to American. I go back up to the club and say “please, get me home.” The next (and only remaining) AA flight to ORD is also oversold. She calls United again, no luck. I can get to Milwaukee on Midwest Express, a fine airline, but no way to get home from there. No one is home when I call. I could bus it to ORD from Milwaukee, but that is out of the way. Then they offered Minneapolis…would that be an improvement they inquire. I calmly point out the geography that is 500 miles north of home and now I am 500 miles west. After being rejected by United, I don’t feel secure taking a connecting flight on another airline. What if I get rejected elsewhere?
I am told that the part for the plane is due to arrive at 4:30 pm. The installation is fast. And IF the pilot signs off, the 11 am flight may actually leave around 5:30 pm. The pilot ‘goes illegal’ at 7 pm. I saw some of the FAs scatter on other flights. Even if the plane is fixed, I am uncertain there will be a crew. The Admiral’s Club agent mentioned that Operations said that the pilot hoped that no one from the earlier flight would reboard. If that plane does not take off, I am stuck at MCI until the next morning. I tell the agent, get me on the next flight to Dallas and then connect me to ORD. It is miles (already credited to my account) out of the way, but I feel I have some leverage with AA. I get on the flight with minutes to spare. I gratefully take my center seat in coach. The FA performs a miracle finding space for my bag, and we are off. We have an uneventful flight to Dallas and a relatively smooth connection in DFW. I am in first class coming home, but the service is the worst I have experienced in First Class. This is one of the few times I would like a preflight drink, but none is offered. The FA could not figure out how to serve dinner. But I don’t care, I am headed home. My partner who is O’Hare impaired meets me at the gate in Terminal 3. The car, however, is by United in Terminal 1. But after 13 hours after leaving the office, I am just glad to be home.
It all started a few minutes past our planned 11:00 am departure. We were on a full Super 80, flight AA 1546 from MCI to ORD. The pilot started to make an announcement. The frequent flyers tensed. We knew that no way was it going to be good news. It seemed that a warning light in the cockpit indicated that there was a fire in the APU on the right engine. There was no fire, but a maintenance crew was on its way to have a look. American contracts out maintenance services at MCI to TWA. The mechanics arrive, check out the situation, and then announce the plane fit to fly. Everyone is happy. The pilot announces that we are good to go and we push off 30 minutes late. Not too bad and I am on my way home for the weekend.
About 15 minutes after takeoff, things change. The pilot executes a u-turn so tight that we see ground out of the left window and sky on the starboard. I turn to my seatmate, also a frequent flyer, and say that was not like any left turn I’ve seen before. Then the pilot announces that the warning light lit up in the cockpit and we were headed back to Kansas City. At this time, it is my opinion that the pilot shut off the right engine. I will have to check the incident reports (if I can find the web site) and confirm that. At no time did I think we were going to crash. But we had the bumpiest landing I have ever experienced.
We then taxied to a far corner of the airport, following by fire trucks. We park. The trucks catch up and drive around the plane. No smoke, no fire. The pilot gets on the PA and announces that we will be heading to the terminal and one of the fire trucks will follow us. The plane is now out of service. As we deplane, the guy next to me calls the Platinum Desk on his cell phone and gets rerouted. He hands me the phone and I (think I) do the same. We finally get off (over 100+). I head up to the Admiral’s Club to confirm my new flight. When I get up to the desk (and I am only third in line), I find out that the next AA flight (2pm) is sold out and that I will be #2 on the waitlist. The later flight (6pm) is also overbooked. So, as a backup, I am confirmed on a 6pm UA flight.
By the time the 2pm flight boards, I am number 1 on the waitlist. But the flight is oversold. Some passengers take a bump. I am flying on a discount fare. If I was full fare, AA would bump a passenger for me. But alas, I am on a cheapo fare. I go back up to the Club, they print out my ticket and send me over to United to get my boarding pass. They suggest I leave my bags behind the desk for security (my PC). {The bags have not been outside my control---LOL.)
I get to United on the airport shuttle bus. I wait in a very long line, since I have ‘no status’ on my hometown airline. I recognize people from my earlier flight. I get to the head of the line. The agent prints off my boarding pass, 10B, pauses, then tells me to hold on. She walks to the far end of the counter and tells me that the flight is oversold, and there is no room for me. She calls the American folks and tells them to stop sending people there. She returns my ticket and keeps the boarding pass that would get me home.
Back on the bus to American. I go back up to the club and say “please, get me home.” The next (and only remaining) AA flight to ORD is also oversold. She calls United again, no luck. I can get to Milwaukee on Midwest Express, a fine airline, but no way to get home from there. No one is home when I call. I could bus it to ORD from Milwaukee, but that is out of the way. Then they offered Minneapolis…would that be an improvement they inquire. I calmly point out the geography that is 500 miles north of home and now I am 500 miles west. After being rejected by United, I don’t feel secure taking a connecting flight on another airline. What if I get rejected elsewhere?
I am told that the part for the plane is due to arrive at 4:30 pm. The installation is fast. And IF the pilot signs off, the 11 am flight may actually leave around 5:30 pm. The pilot ‘goes illegal’ at 7 pm. I saw some of the FAs scatter on other flights. Even if the plane is fixed, I am uncertain there will be a crew. The Admiral’s Club agent mentioned that Operations said that the pilot hoped that no one from the earlier flight would reboard. If that plane does not take off, I am stuck at MCI until the next morning. I tell the agent, get me on the next flight to Dallas and then connect me to ORD. It is miles (already credited to my account) out of the way, but I feel I have some leverage with AA. I get on the flight with minutes to spare. I gratefully take my center seat in coach. The FA performs a miracle finding space for my bag, and we are off. We have an uneventful flight to Dallas and a relatively smooth connection in DFW. I am in first class coming home, but the service is the worst I have experienced in First Class. This is one of the few times I would like a preflight drink, but none is offered. The FA could not figure out how to serve dinner. But I don’t care, I am headed home. My partner who is O’Hare impaired meets me at the gate in Terminal 3. The car, however, is by United in Terminal 1. But after 13 hours after leaving the office, I am just glad to be home.
Sep 22, 1999, 1:11 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 46,817
Thanks Comicwoman. May I ask that you please define "O'Hare impaired" for me however.
BTW- I was in Home Depot the other day and guess who I thought of. Next time I'm going to take the time and I'm getting a gift cert (or two) for sure!
BTW- I was in Home Depot the other day and guess who I thought of. Next time I'm going to take the time and I'm getting a gift cert (or two) for sure!
Sep 22, 1999, 7:07 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: St Paul 02/04...not flying Delta
Posts: 2,324
O'Hare impaired = parking at United Terminal 1 when I am arriving at Terminal 3 American, sometimes walking endlessly in the garage looking for the vehicle, and/or taking the wrong exit on the tollway to the airport.
Oct 9, 1999, 9:32 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: source of weird and eccentric ideas
Posts: 38,678
A while ago we were boarded IAD-LAX and sat at the gate, then taxiway, for 3 hours. I complained to AA. I said "it's not the delay that was the problem, it was sitting in the plane for 3 hours. Why did you board us with the impending delay?"
They gave me 5000 bonus miles and an apology. The apology seemed sincere and I was happy with how they handled it.
They gave me 5000 bonus miles and an apology. The apology seemed sincere and I was happy with how they handled it.
Oct 10, 1999, 10:08 am
#7
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
That was a FOUR PAWS UP report Comicwoman!
After you get over all the stress for getting home, you have great material for your act (do it travel themed!) Like O'Hare impaired! I can relate to that.
And you have enough material from these boards!
After you get over all the stress for getting home, you have great material for your act (do it travel themed!) Like O'Hare impaired! I can relate to that.
And you have enough material from these boards!