You’re Grounded!

By MzTravelDiva ⋅ April 11, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

We’ve all heard about it lately on the news…and some of you have experienced it first hand. The flight cancellations. Nothing is more irritating than thinking you’ll be home, at your business meeting, or on your vacation in a few hours, only to discover when you get to the airport that your flight is delayed or even worse canceled!

Some cancellations you can’t help, like those associated with severe weather. In that case, I’m happy to sit and wait instead of flying into dangerous situations. Equipment problems? Get that fixed, then put me on the plane!

But, then there are those string of cancellations you just don’t get. Like when your flight to Atlanta is canceled but other carriers are still flying there, and the same thing is happening to flights to other destinations on a particular airline. What’s really going on?

Oh, the drama…
Well, this was the question about 250,000 passengers on American Airlines asked this week. The carrier began to cancel many of its flights this week due to required inspections on its MD-80 fleet. The inspections were conducted to ensure that the airline was in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s requirements relating to the bundling of wires in the wheel well of the aircraft. 450 flights were canceled on Tuesday, 1094 flights on Wednesday, 930 flights on Thursday, and 570 more flights are to be canceled on Friday. Inspections were reportedly held overnight to assist with bringing more planes back into service.

American, however, was not the only airline that canceled flights due to these inspections. Alaska Airlines, Midwest Air, and Delta also canceled some of their flights on Thursday. What’s interesting is that the FAA ordered all airlines to complete these inspections back in September 2006, and gave them 18 months to do so. Looks like somebody’s been sitting at ‘procrastination station’. The recent airline situations have been added to already long list of questions that Congress wants FAA officials to answer. And it looks like travelers might have a long summer in store.

Can you help me, please?
American as well as the other airlines are still working to accommodate many displaced passengers affected by earlier cancellations this week. And I’m sure they will continue to do so over the next week.

American asserts that passengers who were scheduled on a flight that was canceled may request a full refund or apply the value of their ticket toward future travel on American Airlines. Additionally, customers scheduled to travel on any MD-80 flight April 8-13, even if their flight has not been canceled, may rebook without a change fee to any AA flight with availability in the same cabin as long as their travel begins by April 17.

However, sometimes full refunds are not guaranteed for flight cancellations. Refunds are often determined by flight schedules and the airline’s ability (or lack thereof) to find an alternative route to your final destination.

If you’re ever faced with a cancellation situation like what’s happened this week, the NY Times offers some great tips on how to handle it in stride.

Some Diva tips:
1. Always have your airline or travel agent’s number handy. Sometimes this is easier and quicker than standing in line. If you bought your ticket through an online booking site, they can sometimes assist with situations like this as well. Keep their numbers handy.
2. Before you fly, try to map out a Plan B in case of cancellations. If Greyhound or Amtrak are necessary, at least it’s in your thought process.
3. Always make sure that you bring the contact information of friends and family in the areas that you are visiting. Helping hands and familiar faces always makes situations like these easier.
4. Patience. Getting fired up will do nothing but keep you fired up. Calmly approach the situation and you may yield better results. Write the letters of complaint when you’ve safely made it home.

I also found a cool website that not only can inform you of airline and airport delays, but predicts them as well. Check out
www.delaycast.com the next time you fly, and see what your delayed flight chances might be. But don’t bank on it and just get to your flight late because it has a 62% chance of running late! Always check on your flight schedule before you head to the airport.

Happy Flying, folks!