AA passenger wants her two days back

American Airlines has received some praise from industry watchers for how it handled the stormy weather over D/FW last week - one of the worst travel days for the airline since 9-11.

But some passengers are still steamed about their experiences. We got an email from Michelle Leder, a business writer who was in Dallas conducting a seminar for journalists and got tangled up in the storm. She wrote about her experience on American on her blog, footnoted.org:

Since we were allowed to use our cell phones while we waited, my second call was to American to inquire how they planned to compensate me for getting me to New York more than 24 hours late. There was an extra night in a hotel room, an extra day of a rental car, plus two meetings in New York that I missed on Wednesday. The woman, who was a supervisor, told me that the delays were due to their over-riding concern for my “personal safety”. When I asked whether that deep concern for my “personal safety” extended to me having to drive the Saw Mill — a road that often floods even after a light rain — at 2 am in the morning, I got a sorry that sounded about as genuine as a three-dollar bill.

Michelle also pointed out this trove of AA complaints at the Consumerist.

Not all passengers are howling. I also got a copy of this passenger email to American, who had kinder words for the airline:

Just wanted to thank you for your safety procedures during such a bad, rain y day this Tues., 3/18. Certainly when all flights are cancelled, it can b e frustrating to travelers, but hopefully they all can understand that AA i s being safe, and caring for their personal safety. I wish the tv news wou ld report the cancellations in the vein of being safe, and not just frustra tions upon frustrations at DFW. As an onlooker and relatively frequent traveler with AA, I just wanted to thank you for your decisions for everyone’s safety and well-being. Not long ago when my husband was coming home from a business trip from Phoenix to DFW, his flight was cancelled due to bad weather, and even though it meant another night away from home, etc., he really appreciated AA for its decision regarding safety. We appreciate you u and your decisions.

- Trebor Banstetter

Comments

[John S]

I really don't know what people - Ms. Leder in particular - were expecting? Every frequent flier knows that weather is a game-stopper for the airlines and totally beyond their control. Would she have preferred to fly throw funnel clouds to get to New York?

From what I've read about the shutdown most passengers were appreciative and said AA handled things quite well. I guess there are always people who are predisposed to complain and misplace blame.

[KMC]

The Ms Leders of the world need to wake up! Unless and until teletransportation moves out of the realm of science fiction, weather delays will remain a reality. You couple this inescapable reality with the new world of passenger's rights, and no sane airline is going to put plane loads of passengers on runways for hours awaiting takeoff clearance. But somehow when someone like Ms. Leder is further incovenienced she can launch into a diatribe against the airline which has considered all these things and cancelled flights. Are we suppose to be outraged for her? How much did Ms. Leder pay for her ticket? Thankfully most passengers were appreciative of AA's efforts on their behalf.

[Chris]

Ms. Leder got what proponents of the "Passenger Bill of Rights" demanded: no long hours-long stays on aircraft weather-delayed on the ground.

Instead,she got the days-long delay and a bonus night or two sleeping on the airport floor, as is apparently a passenger's right.

At no additional charge there follows another day of lines and waiting as the schedule is reassembled not with "reservations," but with a lengthy "standby list" for those who enjoyed their passenger rights the day before. No long on-aircraft delays though.

Be careful what you wish for.

[DRay]

Michelle,

I’m sorry that you had two days out of your life disrupted, and I assure you that the majority of employees at American love their job and want to treat the customers with respect and dignity.
As stated by another poster, our hands have been tied to an extent so they can save every dollar possible. Even at the expense of customer service.

Again, sorry for the two day disruption but please realize that many, many employees have had more than two days of disruption. Many have had lives destroyed or dramatically changed by American. I’m sure you are well aware of the turmoil the industry has gone through over the past few years and though I realize the customer has paid a heavy price, the employees have suffered tremendously. Some have actually taken their own life because of the situation.

Michelle, I regret that your experience was bad and I hope things have gotten better and you consider American when you fly again.
But always remember as bad as you might temporarily have it, there are those who have it worse and some who always will.

Happy Easter

[Kathleen]

As a wise airline Captain once told me:
"I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air, than in the air wishing I was on the ground."
I know there are frustrations when you can't get to where you're wanting to go, but have some common sense too!

[Wylie H.]

The weather was terrible and unsafe for flying; what the heck does she expect?

[Michelle Leder]

It's pretty clear that the people who are telling me to wake up (or some variation on that theme) work for someone else. So when they don't show up for work, they get paid and whatever work they're supposed to get done is likely handled by someone else. But those of us who work for ourselves know that a missed day is missed revenue and that there's often nobody else to do the work that doesn't get done. That American and its supporters here don't seem to get this is, quite frankly, part of the problem with air travel today.

[SWFt]

Ms. Leder,
You are so misinformed on several aspects of the weather that day. A tornado "warning" means one has been spotted on the ground, take cover immediately. So, at DFW airport, that day, a Tornado "warning" was issued around 10:45am. ATC had spotted a funnel on the west side of the airport and evacuated their facilities. Love Field was not affected at that point. DFW was shut down (not by American), but by ATC from about 10:45 until 5PM. Love Field was also shut down from around Noon until 5PM (no Tornado warning). Shut down means no flights are operating. Even after the tornado warning expired, both airports experienced high winds with wind shear, heavy rain, lightning, etc. If you don't know what wind shear is, google the Delta Flight that crashed at DFW in 1985. Do you want to attempt to fly in those conditions?

Southwest cancelled roughly 50% of their flights for the day, and AA cancelled 75%. SW did resume some later night flights, but had their own little operational meltdown on Wed. at DAL that didn't receive much press. AA also resumed some flying, but it was limited to bringing back in the flights that had been diverted during the day and some outbound Int'l flights. AA was able to get back normal on Wednesday, your 2nd delayed flight not-withstanding.

But, if really do any flying into any NY area airports, ATC delays are quite common, you should realize that.

[Jon G.]

Just what does Ms Leder wished that American had done? Fly an airplane through a tornado or thunderstorm? Get real. Does she honestly think the airlines control the weather? I cannot understand the thought process going on in Ms Leder's head.