<p>Last July I had to make a short trip on AA from Dallas to Abilene for a meeting. The morning flight out was uneventful. The return flight at around 3PM was a whole other story.</p>
<p>First off, the DFW to Abilene flight was on one of the Embraer executive jets but I came to learn that all Abilene to DFW flights after noon are on Saab prop planes.</p>
<p>As I boarded and sat in the second row, the flight attendant casually said “I sure hope this is a better flight than the one out here…everyone on board got sick!” My first response was something like “you’re kidding right?.. what happened?” She informed me that the plane’s pressurization system was not working so we had to fly the entire flight under 10,000 feet. Anyone who has flown in Texas in the summer knows that as the heat rises turbulence builds and that you absolutely HAVE to get over 10,000 feet to try to avoid it.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, the bathroom was out of order on the plane as well.</p>
<p>I could not believe that AA would put a plane like that in the air…but that’s fodder for another thread.</p>
<p>The only flight that has ever nauseated me was an American Eagle flight from DFW to Wichita Falls - right, just barely skimming the trees the whole way. And, of course, in the summer.</p>
<p>I agree with Washdad’s advice. For ebeeeee’s son’s predicament I especially agree with being as cool, controlled, and polite with the people you’re asking to ‘help you’ as possible. The airline gate employees are essentially customer service people and you can usually get more if you treat them decently. One of my Ds was a customer service person for a major retailer and it was interesting to hear some of her stories and about the times they ‘flexed’ for people who treated them decently versus ‘not’ for people who were cussing them out. </p>
<p>I’ve personally witnessed several times where an irate passenger was screaming at a gate agent for things beyond their control like weather delays, equipment failures, etc. Personally, I prefer that the flight be cancelled when there are weather or equipment issues. these screamers, in addition to making public spectacles of themselves, usually don’t get what they actually want. It’s interesting to hear the comments of these agents when you’re the one following the screamer and sympathize with the agent and treat them decently (and sometimes get what the screamer didn’t).</p>
<p>It’s actually been a long time since I had any issues of being stranded in other cities but that’s largely because I avoid connecting flights as much as possible and I don’t fly quite as much as I used to. I’m also willing to spend a bit more for a nonstop flight versus one that has a connection. I have, however been stuck on a number of occasions due to weather and equipment problems including a couple of times in unplanned cities due to emergency landings. In all of those cases the airlines reimbursed for a hotel/meal if needed but this was quite some time ago and the airline landscape has changed considerably.</p>
<p>If stuck, if you’re a member of the airline’s ‘club’ (Admirals Club, etc.) you can often get much better attention by going straight to the people at the desk in the club rather than the gate agent. If one travels on the same airline very much, consider joining the club.</p>
<p>Okay…here’s how it turned out. They got into LA…were told the delay leaving Boston was due to weather in Miami. I booked a hotel with a shuttle to/from the airport. It was cheaper than the bus/shuttle that would go from LA to the one hour drive from my house at 2am. Flew into our home airport early this morning. Went to breakfast, I went to work and they are home sleeping. </p>
<p>I definitely prefer cancels due to weather delays and was once overnighted in Tokyo due to winds in Beijing. When the pilot announced the change in itinerary, the whole plane applauded. When the captain is telling you he is hesitant to land somewhere, I listen!</p>
<p>And as a former hotel manager, I will second the above. Absolutely there is some flex if the person is polite, etc. My kids both understand the benefit of unfailing niceness. In fact, the first time DS flew home he was over luggage and broke…told me he made “puppy eyes” at the SW ticket agent and she let him slide </p>
<p>Also when I have been stuck in the past I have found that calling the 800 number is sometimes faster than waiting in line at the terminal.<br>
What was interesting in this scenario is how much the airline landscape has changed. I haven’t flown since last November and boy things were different this time from my end anyway.</p>
<p>I agree that things have changed-at least in the attitude of AA employees-in the last year. In June of 08, we were returning from a family wedding and encountered one of those situations where a few hours of bad weather in Dallas had messed up the schedule everywhere. We were at electronic check in and the roving AA attendant got on her computer and - without our having to ask - found a flight for us what had very few standby passengers ahead of us so we were sure to get on. Two weekends ago my friend (who is always very nice and very polite) encountered a similar situation. The AA employees were very rude to her - as if the situation was all her fault - and she was on about 6 standby lists before she got home. What made her angry was the unhelpful and even hostile attitude of every AA employee she encountered.</p>
<p>Oh I’m sorry to hear about JetBlue cancelling it’s San Jose/Boston flight. My DD took that flight too and really liked it. It was convenient and inexpensive and she said that Jet Blue was great. Oh well…onto another experience. </p>
<p>I hope she doesn’t have a “hostile” experience with AA at Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>DH flew on business frequently last year. He tried desperately not to fly US Air (useless Air) but unfortunately, they and American flew the routes he had to take for business. He (and I) particularly try to avoid any US Air flight that connects through Charlotte or Philadelphia. What a headache those airports are!!</p>
<p>“I can live out of a carryon bag for two to three weeks. And it’s a SMALL (20”) carryon because I can be sure I can lift it that way."</p>
<p>Amen. The people holding up the boarding line are not the people with carry-on luggage. They are the people who don’t know what they’re doing and stand in the aisle dithering about where and how to put something in the overhead, whether their wife should take the window seat, whether to take their jackets off before sitting down, etc. I can put my rollaboard in the overhead – while standing out of the way in a row of seats – in less time than my seatmates take to slide a purse under the seat.</p>
<p>It’s the wave of the future. AA cancelled one of my flights for November and rather than arrive in the middle of the night I changed the routing and have to drive 3 hours each way to the airport.</p>
<p>Also, when I had an emergency appendectomy the night before my AA flight to attend D’s graduation, my H rescheduled us for the same flight, one day later. Not only were we each charged a $100 “change fee,” we ALSO were charged the increased fare, which had doubled, from $350 to $700. since I’d made the reservation. </p>
<p>Like someone else said, I used to use my credit card to get AA miles, but now I’m just disgusted with all airlines.</p>
<p>I need to admit that I HATE those people who bring bags of luggage, some of which barely fits down the aisle… but then, I have never had a problem with lost luggage.</p>
<p>In about six hours DD and I are headed to NOLA. Thanks for all the airline horror stories. JK! I have a bunch of those myself – the clear skies “delayed for weather” and the “can’t fly because the crew hasn’t eaten” excuse, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. But the final straw was my attempt to use some FF miles for a trip. I knew I’d have to be flexible. So I told the agent I’d take ANY flight from ANY airport on the East Coast to ANY airport on the West Coast within a twenty day period. Nope, no seat available — in either direction.</p>
<p>Gee…No problems beyond a short delay over my summer holiday but can I rant about the obnoxious woman behind me who prohibited my seat from reclining and put her bare feet up on MY arm rest during a red-eye flight. Hey, we’re all uncomfortable here but get your nasty feet off my arm rest. Buy a ticket in 1st class if you really need to stretch out that bad!</p>
<p>Here’s a “reverse story”. I was in Greensboro and my flight was late in the evening…but I had finished my business there. So…I went to the airport at about noon (my flight was at 7:30). Now…keep in mind that the sky was clear…some fair weather clouds, but very nice. No rain forecast…lovely. I decided it was worth it to me to pay to get on an earlier flight home. So I went to the counter, and politely asked if I could be rescheduled. The ticket agent said I could be put on a standby flight at 1 and a confirmed seat at 3. Perfect. I asked how much and she said “with this weather today…no cost…we want everyone out of this airport as soon as possible”. What weather…I thought? But whatever. I didn’t get on the standby flight but did get on the 3:00 flight. Got into Phili to get my connection and it was CHAOS there (I think it’s always chaos in Phili airport)…flights had been cancelled into Boston and points north because of thunderstorms (I guess THAT was the weather in Greensboro??). Anyway…I had a standby ticket for one flight, and my original confirmed reservation. I got onto the standby flight…it was open seating by that time…and there were plenty of seats. I walked into the first class section. Everyone else was walking into coach. There was a nice first class seat and I asked the flight attendant if there was any reason I couldn’t take that “open seat” and she said…go for it. So I had a nice second leg of my trip in first class. Oh…And thank goodness I had carryon luggage. With all of my stand by and confirmed tickets, heaven knows where and when my luggage would have arrived if I checked it. Oh…and I got home three hours earlier than my original scheduled flight. USAir…unbelievable.</p>
<p>kind of late to this session but the last post, right before this one is a nice story. I have recently developed a “fear” of flying and this thread has helped me see why. my DD travels quite a bit more than I do and our most horrendous story has to do with AA! surprise, surprise!! it was international, from Bolivia and that’s where the problem was, there and the connection in Miami. She was about 19 at the time and got very sick from not resting and sleeping in the airport trying to get home in time for the beginning of the fall semester at school. I did everything I could with AA staff over the phone. It became clear that what many have mentioned here, speaking calmly with an understanding of their perspective, got us a lot further than yelling and crying and expressing my hysteria that I had a daughter who may be in need of medical attention at the airport. AA did come through with a free round trip after all was said and done.
I do like JetBlue the best.
United is not very good.<br>
We pay a little more or drive an hour to the next airport to get direct flights.
My new fear of flying is from all the bad things discussed on this thread. It’s gotten too stressful.</p>
<p>Wow, it sounds like things are worsening steadily. </p>
<p>I flew from HNL to LAX IN May & then LAX to Torronto. After several days there, I flew Torronto thru Vancouver to HNL. The entire itinerary was on time and all the passengers and flight crew were polite. We were offered decent food for purchase and free good movies–on the newer Air Canada flights, you can choose from a huge selection of recent movies & flip them from channel to channel at will. I flew UA for the 1st leg of the trip & Air Canada the rest of the time. </p>
<p>My dad recently flew from HNL to Seattle on Continental. He had an OK flight but the movie on his seatback didn’t work so the flight attendant was VERY apologetic and offered him free food and beverages to make up for it. He found his flight very pleasant.</p>
<p>My kids & nieces have flown on many flights including HNL to Japan to Taiwan this summer & had pleasant flights. Between our family, we have probably flown over 30 legs this summer & most were on time & unremarkable.</p>
<p>My sister’s in-laws were flying in for her daughter’s wedding and were supposed to arrive for the rehearsal but were held up by flight delays, which ALWAYS happens to them. Don’t know what airlines but I’ve been assured that they have the worst luck with connections and airlines of anyone. I will be sure not to fly with them.</p>
<p>I admit I am annoyed at United taking advantage of my S–they charged him $100 (the flight was only $50) because his ONE suitcase was too heavy–never let him put things into his carry on so he could avoid the fee.</p>
<p>We’re scheduled to fly AA from HNL to LAX (non-stop) in October & again in January & expect it should be fine. Maybe I won’t struggle so hard to try to get my other flights that I’m supposed to catch for October and December, given these experiences aired above.</p>
<p>That is annoying indeed. D has always been given the opportunity to repack suitcases (after getting out of line) to avoid fee. Definitely going to carry on only a small bag.</p>
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