So those of you that travel often, what is the general compensation that the airline offers you when a flight gets cancelled and you are stranded in a different city overnight? Been stuck in Atlanta since 6pm yesterday, trying to get to Houston for the long weekend. Note to Grammar Nazis: Cancelled is a perfectly normal and accepted spelling.
Usually they offer a make up fare, maybe $600....but why would they cancel a flight to Houston? Strange. You can also try to get into another city and drive to Houston - San Antonio or Austin perhaps? DD
When I went to a training in Washington, we stopped at Charlotte, and they asked us if we could relinquish our seats for peeps who couldn't fly before, because our flight was still available. I think that might be the same thing... they will ask you to take the next flight, and then also give you a voucher. They gave ME and others who did volunteer to relinquish our seats a voucher for twice the amount of money of our flight. I think it was United Airlines. Researching this. Get back to you later. Please stand by. EDIT: "cancelled" is acceptable and preferred in British English (if that can be said), but not preferred in US English.
It's not the same thing at all. You are talking about a VDB (voluntary denied boarding) situation, when a flight is overbooked and they look for volunteers who are ok to take another flight for compensation. adeelsiddiqui's flight was canceled, so nobody was flying on that flight.
Nothing if it is due to act of god which has happened to me. However in cases not involving acts of god, They gave us free food vouchers and then we called and b****ed and they gave 250 dollar travel vouchers. However the delay ended up costing more money due to hotels and stuff.
Had to do this on my most recent Vegas trip. The initial itinerary consisted of me flying from Vegas, connecting in Denver (45-minute window) and flying to Houston. There was a delay leaving Vegas, so by the time we arrived in Denver, that connecting flight had already left. Airline stated there were no more flights going to or near Houston that night. Ended up buying a one-way ticket to Austin (American Airlines) and drove from there. Sucked.
That's why I have my secretary book me on more than one flight (i.e., Delta flight from ATL--IAH and United flight from ATL-->IAH the same night) and I just cancel the one I don't take and get a refund. Never stranded unless there are weather issues or something extraordinary.
In Europe, you definitely get a compensation. For US domestic flights, sadly, consumer protection seems to be worse. It's explained at the link I posted in the first reply.
That sounds like a lot of trouble to go through for travel. Additionally, you usually don't know a flight has been cancelled until check-in and that would be too late to take advantage of the other flight wouldn't it?
? no -- I would just board the flight that isn't cancelled. I always target the earlier flight first. and it's not that much work. My secretary just books the two flights and gets a refund on the one I didn't take.
What is the time frame you have to cancel? Do you have to do it 10, 20, 30 mins before the flight departs?
So they kept delaying a flight to Houston, and finally at 11pm they cancelled it because of some "Mechanical" issue. Even though different agents told us different things such as, "the pilots didnt make it", "there was a pilot issue", "there was a machine issue" etc etc. They basically treated everyone like cattle and herded them around the airport giving them the standard overnight kit. They gave me a $6 breakfast voucher, and a $10 dinner one. A room at a Best Western, and the same seat (first class) on the 3rd available flight out in the morning. I was furious. Yelled at them and they gave me an additional $50 dollars to basically leave the area. I went outside the airport and yelled at the baggage people for not being able to get me my luggage for the overnight stay (all I had on my hand was my laptop bag) and they didnt even bother trying. I complained to another representative about how I didnt even get a decent hotel, and she was finally able to get me an additional $10 voucher and a night at the Westin. Got to the Airport, and the flight to Houston was delayed. Horrible. I called Delta to complain and before I even explain the situation, the guy on the other end says, "You have been compensated enough, I cant do anything for you" and basically hung up. Just got to Houston. I hate Atlanta.
Congrats on fighting and arguing your way to an additional $10 voucher and upgrade from the Best Western to the Westin. Your behavior was sad, and quite frankly, an embarrassment to humanity. Conduct yourself better in public and people will bend over backwards to make arrangements for you to get what you need. Scream, shout and beg for $10 vouchers and they'll make sure you don't. Somebody fits the stereotype of the angry muslim to the T.
