Do not fly American

[tulsa1603]

I'm sorry, i didn't mean that SW had dropped their frequent flier program...it just doesn't suit me.  With elite status on American, you get double miles, so I rack up 25,000 miles every 5-6 round trips, plus I get easy upgrades to first class, etc.  Also you can standby for earlier flights without an extra charge, whereas SW makes you pay the difference to full fare.

I will agree that AA's hubs are in weather prone areas, so it seems like we see a lot of delays.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

I'm sorry, i didn't mean that SW had dropped their frequent flier program...it just doesn't suit me.  With elite status on American, you get double miles, so I rack up 25,000 miles every 5-6 round trips, plus I get easy upgrades to first class, etc.  Also you can standby for earlier flights without an extra charge, whereas SW makes you pay the difference to full fare.

I will agree that AA's hubs are in weather prone areas, so it seems like we see a lot of delays.

There's another issue I take with the big carriers vs. SWA.  I always get the feeling I'm just a lowly peon when they start calling out all the elite members to board first.  Oh the shame [][}:)]

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

I'm sorry, i didn't mean that SW had dropped their frequent flier program...it just doesn't suit me.  With elite status on American, you get double miles, so I rack up 25,000 miles every 5-6 round trips, plus I get easy upgrades to first class, etc.  Also you can standby for earlier flights without an extra charge, whereas SW makes you pay the difference to full fare.


I will agree that AA's hubs are in weather prone areas, so it seems like we see a lot of delays.

There's another issue I take with the big carriers vs. SWA.  I always get the feeling I'm just a lowly peon when they start calling out all the elite members to board first.  Oh the shame [][}:)]

Haha, that's why I stick with AA and SW.  I'm elite on AA and NO ONE is on SW, so I don't feel bad. []

[okiebybirth]

It's never good when a flight is cancelled, so I totally understand your frustration.

But here is what I found online:
"No delays or cancellations were reported this morning, but, the airlines are still rebooking passengers, clearing up the backlog from hundreds of flights canceled yesterday and the day before at both O'Hare and Midway.  

On Tuesday night, a thousand passengers spent the night on cots or on the floor of O'Hare.  Last night, there were 1,500.

She hoped that by mid-day or early afternoon, most of those passengers will finally be on their way."
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/626696.php?contentType=4&contentId=647423

So my guess is that O'hare is trying to move those people that spent the night in the airport and get them on their way before they flew any other people to Chicago.  

While weather may have caused all the disruption, obviously whoever you spoke with didn't make it clear that is wasn't weather from today.

My significant other works for the airlines, and I know that he pulled a twelve hour shift yesterday trying to help people stranded at the airport, calling hotels and such.  He was totally drained when I talked to him and I could hear in his voice how hard it was on him to know that there was not enough hotel rooms for all the stranded people.  He also was looking for ways for people to continue their travels, and looking at flight loads that are at capacity.

All airports have only so much staff to handle all the planes coming and going, so it's near impossible for them to add extra flights because their isn't enough people to service them.

I'll have to ask why their website is still showing seats to be sold, that piques my interest as well...

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, it's been frustrating to people all over the country to fly this week. [V]

[mr.jaynes]

I'm strictly a Continental man.

[pmcalk]

quote:Originally posted by Wekiwa

I somehow don't see how a travel voucher can make up for the fact that the travelers didn't get to their destination when they contracted with the airline to get them there.  Don't know the circumstances, but if it were something like a wedding or funeral, those are unique and personal events in one's life.  And not being able to attend them due to some dipstick airline decision is something that cannot be compensated for by a lousy travel voucher.

I am not saying that a voucher was the answer, but just that they recognized the problem, and made efforts to apologize.  On any given airline, I have heard at least one story of some stupid, bad decision/treatment that resulted in a person getting scre***.  Even a good company cannot control every employee all of the time.  

I think overall Southwest is best in customer service.  But I will only fly them to nearby cities.  I tried to fly to DC/Baltimore on Southwest once, and had to take off & land three times.  The flight took two hours longer than American.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by okiebybirth

My significant other works for the airlines, and I know that he pulled a twelve hour shift yesterday trying to help people stranded at the airport, calling hotels and such.  He was totally drained when I talked to him and I could hear in his voice how hard it was on him to know that there was not enough hotel rooms for all the stranded people.  He also was looking for ways for people to continue their travels, and looking at flight loads that are at capacity.

That is one of the all-time suck jobs when it comes to customer relations.  I always try to be polite to the ground crew (unless they snarl first, then all bets are off []) because I know they get their donkey handed to them all day long by tired, irritable, and impatient passengers.

Whenever I've had to go to lost baggage, the first thing I ask the attendent is:  "What happened, did you draw the short straw this morning?".

[okiebybirth]

Okay, here is what I was told about selling tickets on the website...

The airline will sell you a ticket for a seat at the price they are offering on the website.  This doesn't mean that they have extra space on the plane though.  What the airline is doing is betting that they can offer someone that is already on the plane a sum of money to agree to fly at a later time.  There are people out there who actually look to sell their seat so they can get a free flight out of the deal plus some cash in their pocket.

Those seats you see offered on the website aren't shown as available when the airline staff is looking to fly passengers that are displaced from another flight since essentially there isn't an available seat.

[YoungTulsan]

quote:Originally posted by okiebybirth

Okay, here is what I was told about selling tickets on the website...

The airline will sell you a ticket for a seat at the price they are offering on the website.  This doesn't mean that they have extra space on the plane though.  What the airline is doing is betting that they can offer someone that is already on the plane a sum of money to agree to fly at a later time.  There are people out there who actually look to sell their seat so they can get a free flight out of the deal plus some cash in their pocket.

Those seats you see offered on the website aren't shown as available when the airline staff is looking to fly passengers that are displaced from another flight since essentially there isn't an available seat.

Wow, so when tickets are being offered for already sold out flights online, are you paying like 300 or 400% more?  Thats the only way I could see the airline being able to give the other guy a free flight and some money for his trouble, and still make MORE out of selling the desperate person someone elses ticket.

[okiebybirth]

quote:Originally posted by YoungTulsan

quote:Originally posted by okiebybirth

Okay, here is what I was told about selling tickets on the website...

The airline will sell you a ticket for a seat at the price they are offering on the website.  This doesn't mean that they have extra space on the plane though.  What the airline is doing is betting that they can offer someone that is already on the plane a sum of money to agree to fly at a later time.  There are people out there who actually look to sell their seat so they can get a free flight out of the deal plus some cash in their pocket.

Those seats you see offered on the website aren't shown as available when the airline staff is looking to fly passengers that are displaced from another flight since essentially there isn't an available seat.

Wow, so when tickets are being offered for already sold out flights online, are you paying like 300 or 400% more?  Thats the only way I could see the airline being able to give the other guy a free flight and some money for his trouble, and still make MORE out of selling the desperate person someone elses ticket.

I didn't look at prices, but that's essentially what they are doing; accepting a large sum of cash for a person desperate for a seat, and using that cash to make a deal with someone who'll agree to a free flight and a little money.

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by okiebybirth

quote:Originally posted by YoungTulsan

quote:Originally posted by okiebybirth

Okay, here is what I was told about selling tickets on the website...

The airline will sell you a ticket for a seat at the price they are offering on the website.  This doesn't mean that they have extra space on the plane though.  What the airline is doing is betting that they can offer someone that is already on the plane a sum of money to agree to fly at a later time.  There are people out there who actually look to sell their seat so they can get a free flight out of the deal plus some cash in their pocket.

Those seats you see offered on the website aren't shown as available when the airline staff is looking to fly passengers that are displaced from another flight since essentially there isn't an available seat.

Wow, so when tickets are being offered for already sold out flights online, are you paying like 300 or 400% more?  Thats the only way I could see the airline being able to give the other guy a free flight and some money for his trouble, and still make MORE out of selling the desperate person someone elses ticket.

I didn't look at prices, but that's essentially what they are doing; accepting a large sum of cash for a person desperate for a seat, and using that cash to make a deal with someone who'll agree to a free flight and a little money.

And especially at hubs, they are banking on a certain number of mis-connects.  They can give those seats away, too.

[YoungTulsan]

Actually selling seats for sold out flights at desperation markups just begs them to work the system and screw people over.  They could have people on the inside buying out these flights that are on a good pace to selling out.  That of course increases their odds of selling the insanely marked up tickets.  They could "buy" 20 tickets at $100, forcing 8 desperate people to pay $500 for tickets.  Then the other 12 could just conveniently not show up or cancel (who audits these things anyways) - So they could make an extra $3200 off desperate people and throw away $1200 in "normal priced" tickets.

Im just bored and imagining things Im sure, but having a system like that would allow the airline to manipulate prices in my mind.

[citizen72]

A few years ago on an AA flight we had an emergency landing on a little of nothing of an island in Grand Turk. As soon as we landed we were virtually on our own by AA.  Oh, that was after the airport had to throw together a rusty device to get us off the plane. We were taken to a small primitive terminal while the airline personnel stayed on board the airplane in comfort.

In two hours we had completely bought out the concession stand and was reduced to drinking their foul smelling city water. Where was AA???  We were told by one of their representatives that when we got off the plane they ceased being responsible for us. SAY WHAT?

We were on that island for 6 plus hours and we saw very little of AA. My wife and I now avoid flying AA as much as possible. They are all talk  and no delivery on customer service.

[okiebybirth]

quote:Originally posted by YoungTulsan

Actually selling seats for sold out flights at desperation markups just begs them to work the system and screw people over.  They could have people on the inside buying out these flights that are on a good pace to selling out.  That of course increases their odds of selling the insanely marked up tickets.  They could "buy" 20 tickets at $100, forcing 8 desperate people to pay $500 for tickets.  Then the other 12 could just conveniently not show up or cancel (who audits these things anyways) - So they could make an extra $3200 off desperate people and throw away $1200 in "normal priced" tickets.

Im just bored and imagining things Im sure, but having a system like that would allow the airline to manipulate prices in my mind.

You also have to take into consideration there is more than one airline that flies to each city, so there would have to be some collusion involved for that scheme to work.  

I travel alot, and I've found that if you are looking for last minute deals, then it's best to look at Southwest.  There ticket prices are substantially cheaper from what other airlines offer for last minute fares.  Then you can ask for credit for your flight from American, etc... and use that credit for a flight in the future.

[inteller]

although their destinations suck, if you are going somewhere they serve, use expressjet.  They have in flight XM radio and they serve you food on the flight.  and the stewardesses tend to be young and HAWT.  Not like KJRH hawt, but pretty hawt.[}:)]