Troubles with TWA
 

I need some advice from knowledgeable TWA flyers. I just got back from an fiasco with TWA.

My original itinerary was for me to leave DC last night (Saturday) on a Trans States crop duster to JFK and then to connect on a TWA flight to Las Vegas. Unfortunately the crop duster was late taking off to JFK. Despite the rep's assurances, I missed the connecting Las Vegas flight.

While this seems innocent enough, the ensuing chaos at JFK was not. First, I was bussed to TWA's terminal (5) were I finally found a TWA representative at one of other flight desks. (I've never been to JFK before so didn't know the layout). She told that Trans States was mistaken to have sent me to TWA and that Trans States would set me up for the night. They called Trans States who said they would send a rep over to pick me and "take care of me." Twenty minutes later, TWA rep called again and was told the same thing. Another twenty minutes later, the TWA rep told me that Trans States probably would not send anybody over that late (it was 10:30 pm) and that I should take the shuttle to terminal three (Trans States terminal). When I got to terminal three, nobody was there.

I then went back to terminal five, only to find out that TWA was now also closed. I was thus left with the option of paying for my own hotel and hope that I would be reimbursed or to go to terminal four(the only all night terminal) and attempt to sleep there. Given the hotel prices in NY and my lack of trust in TWA or Trans States, I chose the latter.

When I went to get my bags the next morning, the TWA rep told me that my bags were in Las Vegas. She typed in a request and gave me a DC telephone number to call for an update. (I gave up on Las Vegas by this points). When I called this number six hours later, the DC rep could not find the request. She said the bags went to Las Vegas on the flight I was suppose to have taken the night before. (Hard to imagine since I confirmed that the Las Vegas flight left twenty minutes before the Trans States flight landed).

This long winded story leads to my questions. Has anybody had such problems with TWA (and Trans States? If so, how did you deal with it? What type of compensation did you receive? Any help would be appreciated.

DC flyer -

I had a similar experince but not that bad - this is why I no longer fly TWA - Trans States is the pits. Contact TWA and find out who is currently head of consumer relations, I think the address is 1415 Olive St., St Louis Missouri 63103. You'll get something - a discount coupon or whatever. TWA just does not have any real service out of DC.

MG