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Author Topic: Airline Compensation Master Thread  (Read 1098861 times)

Offline lg10

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3180 on: May 25, 2017, 12:00:11 PM »
Airline: American Airlines
Flight: PHL-AMS
Class: Economy
Incident: Arrival delayed by 35 hours (boarded & deplaned two aircraft due to mechanical issues, crew timed out, flight cancelled, then rebooked on PHL-LHR-AMS much later the next evening)
Compensation: 10,000 AAdvantage miles

I submitted my request to AA's customer care via their online form, but the response has been less than satisfactory. The 10,000 miles offered was really inadequate considering the circumstances (35-hour delay due to mechanical issues). Any suggestions for receiving something more reasonable?

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3181 on: May 25, 2017, 01:17:47 PM »
Woah. 35 hours and 10k useless miles?

Offline refill

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3182 on: May 25, 2017, 01:21:29 PM »
Seems very weak. A friend got delayed on that same PHL-AMS a day and also got 10k. Should ask for more.

Offline lg10

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3183 on: May 25, 2017, 01:32:40 PM »
Seems very weak. A friend got delayed on that same PHL-AMS a day and also got 10k. Should ask for more.

I suppose the question is "How much more is reasonable?" AA countered with 15k miles, and the rep is acting like AA is doing me a huge favor with the 15k. It seems that AA's going rate is 1k/hr of IFE problems, so applying that rate to my delay would be 35k miles. However, even 35k still seems low considering that this was a more significant issue than in-flight entertainment malfunctions.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can receive a more reasonable level of miles/vouchers? It seems that this rep is either unauthorized or unwilling to issue a greater goodwill gesture.

Woah. 35 hours and 10k useless miles?

I share the same feeling. The AAdvantage miles are pretty much useless for me since I use my Alaska Mileage Plan account for AA flights. They offered a $250 flight voucher in lieu of the 15k miles that they counteroffered, but that still seems inadequate for the circumstances.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3184 on: May 25, 2017, 01:38:33 PM »
Airline: American Airlines
Flight: PHL-AMS
Class: Economy
Incident: Arrival delayed by 35 hours (boarded & deplaned two aircraft due to mechanical issues, crew timed out, flight cancelled, then rebooked on PHL-LHR-AMS much later the next evening)
Compensation: 10,000 AAdvantage miles

I submitted my request to AA's customer care via their online form, but the response has been less than satisfactory. The 10,000 miles offered was really inadequate considering the circumstances (35-hour delay due to mechanical issues). Any suggestions for receiving something more reasonable?

Try Twitter. And good luck

Offline jsk173

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3185 on: May 25, 2017, 02:38:43 PM »
I suppose the question is "How much more is reasonable?" AA countered with 15k miles, and the rep is acting like AA is doing me a huge favor with the 15k. It seems that AA's going rate is 1k/hr of IFE problems, so applying that rate to my delay would be 35k miles. However, even 35k still seems low considering that this was a more significant issue than in-flight entertainment malfunctions.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can receive a more reasonable level of miles/vouchers? It seems that this rep is either unauthorized or unwilling to issue a greater goodwill gesture.

10,000 miles *is* a "goodwill gesture," while the 35,000 miles you want = a free flight. How much did you pay for the flight? Do you have AA status?

Offline lg10

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3186 on: May 25, 2017, 03:01:25 PM »
10,000 miles *is* a "goodwill gesture," while the 35,000 miles you want = a free flight. How much did you pay for the flight? Do you have AA status?

The 35k miles figure is based on the length of the issue (35 hour delay) and the rate that AA appears to use for IFE issues (1k/hr). It seems to me that this experience was worse than malfunctioning IFE.

Consider the following:
  • I boarded and deplaned two separate aircraft during one night due to mechanical issues preventing takeoff. These issues were apparently discovered prior to boarding, but they had us board both aircraft regardless.
  • The crew timed out, and the flight was supposed to be rescheduled to noon the next day.
  • AA did not provide overnight accommodations.
  • The rescheduled flight was later canceled by AA without any communication (I only discovered that I was unilaterally booked on another flight when I checked the AA app the next morning). The next soonest flight they offered resulted in a 35-hour delay.
  • The rebooked flight involved a 6-hour layover in a place I had no plans to travel to. (The original flight was supposed to be direct).
With the above in mind, it would seem that AA's initial offer is indeed low. While I do not have status with AA, I booked my flight using my Alaska MVP status.

To clarify, what do you find to be an adequate customer service gesture under these circumstances?

Offline jsk173

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3187 on: May 25, 2017, 03:19:09 PM »
The 35k miles figure is based on the length of the issue (35 hour delay) and the rate that AA appears to use for IFE issues (1k/hr). It seems to me that this experience was worse than malfunctioning IFE.

That might be the right math but it's not the approach AA or other airlines use, though. 5,000 or 10,000 miles for things like IFE failures is the equivalent of a coupon — i.e., a little inducement to fly AA again while mollifying the customer. But 35,000 miles, as I mentioned above, is the equivalent of one or more free round-trip flights. AA almost assuredly isn't going to do that here.

Quote
  • AA did not provide overnight accommodations.

For you or for anyone? If it was really a mechanical issue, then the above is odd.

Offline lg10

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3188 on: May 25, 2017, 03:34:35 PM »
That's not really the right math, though. 5,000 or 10,000 miles for things like IFE failures are the equivalent of a coupon — i.e., a little inducement to fly AA again while mollifying the customer. But 35,000 miles, as I mentioned above, is the equivalent of one or more free round-trip flights. AA almost assuredly isn't going to do that here.

For you or for anyone? If it was really a mechanical issue, then the above is odd.

One issue is finding data points for similar circumstances. I searched here and on Flyertalk for compensation reports, but it seems that IFE-related complaints are the most frequent. From what I can tell, AA offers 1k/hr for IFE-related issues. Since I was unable to find enough mechanical-related flight delay compensation reports to determine a trend, the IFE-related compensation rate represented the best info available. On one hand, it is good that it is so difficult to find a pattern of issues that were as bad as this experience. On the other hand, this lack of data makes it difficult to determine what is fair.

I understand the differences in magnitude between a 10k offer and a 35k offer, but the higher value does not seem out of line when one considers how much AA failed at each step of the process. As previously indicated, AA miles are not particularly useful to me since I use my Alaska FF account for everything.

After the crew timed out (at about midnight), the AA staff at PHL announced on the intercom that AA did not have any rooms to offer. All hotel capacity near the airport was apparently saturated due to the NFL draft that was in town at that time. The AA staff indicated that we could book hotels on our own and later claim compensation, but they would not specify what dollar amount they would be willing to compensate. It was a moot point regardless since the closest hotels with available rooms were in NJ. It made the most sense for me to stay with family at that point since they were located closer to the airport.

When I left the airport, there were several passengers staying in the airport overnight. I wonder what those passengers did when they discovered that the rescheduled flight for noon the next day was canceled.

Offline jsk173

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3189 on: May 25, 2017, 03:41:11 PM »
One issue is finding data points for similar circumstances. ...

I flew into ATL just in time for the Delta meltdown that occurred on April 5, so I've had a recent reminder of how frustrating airline travel can be. If I were you, I'd mention that you saved AA ~$150 by staying with family and hope they send a voucher or more miles. But I can tell you that airlines don't generally give out the equivalent of a free flight to people who encounter a one-day delay.

Offline lg10

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3190 on: May 25, 2017, 04:34:24 PM »
I flew into ATL just in time for the Delta meltdown that occurred on April 5, so I've had a recent reminder of how frustrating airline travel can be. If I were you, I'd mention that you saved AA ~$150 by staying with family and hope they send a voucher or more miles. But I can tell you that airlines don't generally give out the equivalent of a free flight to people who encounter a one-day delay.

Thank you for your insight. How much compensation did you receive from Delta as a result of the meltdown? While it may not be directly comparable to my situation, it is interesting to see how other airlines handle things.

It is worth noting that I was originally scheduled to arrive early in the morning at about 8:30am, but I wound up arriving the evening. While 35 hours is about 1.5 days, it effectively resulted in two days lost of my trip since I arrived so late the next day. I had prepaid bookings for those two days, but AA was simply unwilling to reimburse me for any of those nonrefundable expenses. While I understand that they are not obligated to reimburse for prepaid expenses in this situation, AA just seems to be making a minimal effort in making things right.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3191 on: May 25, 2017, 05:40:39 PM »
I flew into ATL just in time for the Delta meltdown that occurred on April 5, so I've had a recent reminder of how frustrating airline travel can be. If I were you, I'd mention that you saved AA ~$150 by staying with family and hope they send a voucher or more miles. But I can tell you that airlines don't generally give out the equivalent of a free flight to people who encounter a one-day delay.
I'm not sure why you say he deserves so little? AA really messed up here. EU law only applies ex-EU?

Offline jsk173

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3192 on: May 25, 2017, 07:54:24 PM »
I'm not sure why you say he deserves so little? AA really messed up here. EU law only applies ex-EU?

"Deserve" isn't the standard here. Except in extreme circumstances, airlines don't give out free flights after a cancellation or reimburse expenses like hotel rooms at the destination.

Without knowing what this person paid for the ticket, it's impossible to know what a fair resolution might be.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3193 on: May 25, 2017, 08:43:57 PM »
"Deserve" isn't the standard here. Except in extreme circumstances, airlines don't give out free flights after a cancellation or reimburse expenses like hotel rooms at the destination.

Without knowing what this person paid for the ticket, it's impossible to know what a fair resolution might be.
Why do you say so? EU and Israeli law disagree with you He does deserve fair compensation. AA messed up badly. They tried sending on two planes that needed repairs. They got him to his destination 35 hours late. They did not set him up for the night at a hotel.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3194 on: May 26, 2017, 02:24:58 AM »
Why do you say so? EU and Israeli law disagree with you He does deserve fair compensation. AA messed up badly. They tried sending on two planes that needed repairs. They got him to his destination 35 hours late. They did not set him up for the night at a hotel.

Does EU law apply to U.S. carriers for flights originating in the U.S.? (No idea why you mentioned Israeli law; we're talking about a PHL-AMS flight.)

I already suggested he mention to AA how he saved AA money on a hotel, which might yield a voucher or more miles.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3195 on: May 26, 2017, 05:41:17 AM »
Airline: American Airlines
Flight: PHL-AMS
Class: Economy
Incident: Arrival delayed by 35 hours (boarded & deplaned two aircraft due to mechanical issues, crew timed out, flight cancelled, then rebooked on PHL-LHR-AMS much later the next evening)
Compensation: 10,000 AAdvantage miles

I submitted my request to AA's customer care via their online form, but the response has been less than satisfactory. The 10,000 miles offered was really inadequate considering the circumstances (35-hour delay due to mechanical issues). Any suggestions for receiving something more reasonable?

Being that you flew between 2 European airports you might be entitled to mandatory compensation under 'european commission law EC261'
If indeed the case, you'd be entitled to 600 Euro (or equivalent)

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3196 on: May 26, 2017, 08:28:29 AM »
Does EU law apply to U.S. carriers for flights originating in the U.S.? (No idea why you mentioned Israeli law; we're talking about a PHL-AMS flight.)

I already suggested he mention to AA how he saved AA money on a hotel, which might yield a voucher or more miles.
I don't know if he's eligible for EU mandatory compensation. All I'm saying is that according to EU and Israeli law he is due quite a bit in compensation, therefore AA is not right in this case to throw him a bone, so to speak. He deserves a lot more.

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3197 on: May 26, 2017, 12:50:04 PM »
Being that you flew between 2 European airports you might be entitled to mandatory compensation under 'european commission law EC261'
If indeed the case, you'd be entitled to 600 Euro (or equivalent)

Unfortunately, the source of the delay was my flight out of Philadelphia, PA. The intra-EU portion of the revised itinerary from London to Amsterdam was actually on-time. Since AA is not an EU-based airline, and the delay was caused outside of the EU, it would appear that I am ineligible for EC 261 compensation.

It is interesting how my flight from Amsterdam to Philadelphia on the same B757-200 aircraft did not experience any delays. I have a feeling that regulations such as EC 261 provide a stronger incentive for airlines to avoid delays and cancellations when guaranteed compensation is involved. If I had experienced even a small portion of the issues on the return portion of my trip that I had experienced on the outbound portion, then I would have been entitled to 600EUR cash compensation under EC 261.

I don't know if he's eligible for EU mandatory compensation. All I'm saying is that according to EU and Israeli law he is due quite a bit in compensation, therefore AA is not right in this case to throw him a bone, so to speak. He deserves a lot more.

Thank you for mentioning the mandatory compensation that would have been offered elsewhere. Since this was a US-EU flight on a US-based airline, it does not appear that I am eligible for mandatory cash compensation. However, the mandatory compensation practices for other countries help illustrate that a large number of people have determined that these types of delays are unacceptable. It is sad that AA's compensation practices are primarily motivated by law rather than a desire to help customers affected by AA's failures.

I explained to the AA rep that they lost much of my trust when I experienced significant mechanical issues on two aircraft of the same type, but the AA rep did not seem particularly interested in this. While the delay and the associated problems were certainly disappointing, AA's failure to maintain its B757-200 aircraft was most concerning to me.

The main lesson from this experience is to always fly on an EU/Switzerland/Norway-based airline when flying to those destinations. That way, EC 261 applies, and the compensation is already predetermined.

Offline Meir

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3198 on: May 26, 2017, 02:47:27 PM »
Booked 2 Business class tickets (comped by my company) on elal paid 5,200$ each tickets. The return flight was supposed to leave 12:30 am on Friday and then elal changed it to 7am. I didn't want to risk with shabbos so my travel agent got elal to put me on the Thursday night 11pm united flight. My friend got Bussines and I was put on economy. How can I work the compensation. Also I booked it on Amex Starwood should I just dispute the charge?

Offline jsk173

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Re: Airline Compensation Master Thread
« Reply #3199 on: May 26, 2017, 06:02:44 PM »
Booked 2 Business class tickets (comped by my company) on elal paid 5,200$ each tickets. The return flight was supposed to leave 12:30 am on Friday and then elal changed it to 7am. I didn't want to risk with shabbos so my travel agent got elal to put me on the Thursday night 11pm united flight. My friend got Bussines and I was put on economy. How can I work the compensation. Also I booked it on Amex Starwood should I just dispute the charge?

Disputing the charge is highly ill-advised.