When an airplane is delayed due to the weather, they get out of a lot of obligations, and there’s little oversight over what they get to call a weather-related delay. Elliot.org interviewed industry experts and came up with five interesting things the industry is keeping from you about weather delays…
airlines
![Passenger Only Gets Half Her Seat On Delta Flight](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/con_sumopassenger.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Passenger Only Gets Half Her Seat On Delta Flight
Julie found that only about half of her seat was available due to the size of the passenger next to her. The passenger was apologetic, but obviously couldn’t magically shrink her body mass and make more room. Julie asked if she could purchase a seat in first class but was told they were sold out, and there were no more seats available. “A flight attendant suggested that the only way to change my seat was to ‘find a cute boy or girl’ and sit on their lap.” Instead, she spent the flight half in her seat and half in the aisle. When she emailed a complaint to Delta and asked for a refund, they thanked her for her feedback.
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TSA can haz blog. [Evolution of Security]
![Consumerist Reader's Story Featured On NBC Nightly News](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/bobconsumerist.jpg?w=300&h=197&crop=1)
Consumerist Reader's Story Featured On NBC Nightly News
One of our readers appeared on NBC Nightly News the other night after his story was featured on The Consumerist. Bob Loncaric paid extra to fly direct on United and when he checked his reservation, he found it had been mysteriously changed to one with stopovers. He called customer service, but was barely able to understand the outsourced call center employee’s version of English, except for the list of cities he didn’t want to stay in spouting out of the guy’s mouth….
![Stuck On The No Fly List? Use Your Middle Name Instead](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/airportsecuritycat.jpg?w=178&h=156&crop=1)
Stuck On The No Fly List? Use Your Middle Name Instead
If you find yourself mistakenly on the terrorism no-fly or government watch lists and always get hassled at the airport, there’s a simple way to avoid the trouble: use your middle name when you buy your tickets. It’s certainly a lot easier than trying to use the Homeland Security’s Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP), which was set up to help people get off the no fly lists if they’re on there by mistake. Passengers complain that TRIP is slow to respond to requests and it doesn’t stop them from still getting taken aside for secondary screenings much more than other passengers. It’s a good thing the terrorists will never figure out this amazing and advanced alternate name technique.
![Continental To Offer Free WiFi, Satellite TV For $6](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/continentallanding.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Continental To Offer Free WiFi, Satellite TV For $6
Continental Airlines has announced that it will be offering Wi-Fi and satellite TV in some of its planes, thanks to a partner ship with LiveTV (owned by JetBlue.)
![](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/midwestmidwest16.jpg?w=36&h=37&crop=1)
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Airlines continue to hesitantly flirt with hefty fuel surcharges. Delta, Northwest, and Continental imposed a $20-$40 surcharge over the weekend after previous efforts by United, US Airways, and American failed to stick. Sidestep their pricey dance by purchasing airline tickets between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday evening. [Rick Seaney]
![Launch A Virgin Atlantic EECB](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/virginatlantic.jpg?w=178&h=118&crop=1)
Launch A Virgin Atlantic EECB
Here are email addresses you can use to launch an executive email carpet bomb against Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Good for when you’ve made multiple attempts to resolve an issue with regular customer service but for some reason they just can’t get it right.
![Top 10 Airports With Worst On-Time Departures](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/hatetowait.jpg?w=178&h=133&crop=1)
Top 10 Airports With Worst On-Time Departures
Rank / Airport / On-time departure percentage
![Delta Steals Cremated Remains From Passenger's Luggage](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/baggagehandler.jpg?w=178&h=119&crop=1)
Delta Steals Cremated Remains From Passenger's Luggage
A North Carolina man says that his son’s cremated remains are missing from his suitcase. When he got his luggage at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport after a trip to Orlando, he found his bag was unzipped. Inside, some gadgets items and a box with some of his son’s ashen remains was gone. The family says it has filed complaints with Delta Airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and Orlando International Airport. They should also file a police report, but more importantly, if they have the electronic item’s serial numbers, they should check to see if the gadgets have shown up on eBay. One guy did that, found a guy listing his camera stolen from his luggage, and the thief ended up getting caught and prosecuted.
![United Airlines: Sorry, Your 200,000 Frequent Flier Miles Have Expired](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/modelunitedairlines.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
United Airlines: Sorry, Your 200,000 Frequent Flier Miles Have Expired
Ouch this one really hurts.
![$40 Airline Surcharge Rolls Forward After $50 Surcharge Rolls Back](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/gassiphon.jpg?w=178&h=119&crop=1)
$40 Airline Surcharge Rolls Forward After $50 Surcharge Rolls Back
Seeing that a $50 fuel surcharge wouldn’t stick, airlines backed down from it, only for most of them to roll out a $40 surcharge. As of now, of the legacy carriers, only Northwest and US Airways have yet to match the increases. Based on how these things trend, airfare bloodhound Rick Seaney expects Northwest and US Airways to pricematch over the weekend. So, if you like flying either of those two airlines as opposed to the budget airlines, buy your tickets now.
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American Airlines flight attendant throws two snack bags at a passenger’s head, then dumps water on his head, dripping down onto his cashmere sweater. By way of apology, AA gave him 5,000 bonus miles. [Elliot.org]
![American Airline's Weather Delay Excuse Successfully Debunked](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/iphoneweather.jpg?w=178&h=121&crop=1)
American Airline's Weather Delay Excuse Successfully Debunked
You don’t need to hire a forensic meteorologist to dispute an airline’s so-called weather delay and get the compensation or rebooking you’re deserved, sometimes you just need the internets! Here’s how Jasmine did just that with a recent flight on American Airlines:
My last canceled flight was blamed on the weather. I called a friend with the internet, had them look up the weather at my destination and en route (which was fine). I went back to the desk and said, “The weather is fine. You sure there aren’t other problems?” That’s when then he said that it was the weather AND technical problems with the plane…
![JFK Airport Is Notoriously Corrupt: Baggage Handlers Caught Stealing $250,000 In Diamonds](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/jfkhoward-thumb.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
JFK Airport Is Notoriously Corrupt: Baggage Handlers Caught Stealing $250,000 In Diamonds
Queens prosecutors said Monday that a 51-year-old worker and his 39-year-old supervisor are charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property. They say the jewelry was stolen last week from a container marked “high value” that was being shipped from Switzerland to Brazil.
We won’t lie, corrupt baggage handlers piss us off. These two specimens broke open the container and stole the jewelry, hiding it in a locker at the American Airlines terminal.
![Dispute An Airline's So-Called "Weather Delay"](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/airportdelay.jpg?w=178&h=119&crop=1)
Dispute An Airline's So-Called "Weather Delay"
Unless it’s due to the weather, if there’s a flight delay or cancellation, passengers are entitled to some kind of refund, unless of course it’s due to the weather, but are flight delays as due to the weather as often as airlines say they are? And how would you go about proving otherwise? Well, as a fascinating interview posted over at airline blog Elliot.org informs us, you could always hire the services of a forensic meteorologist.
![Expect Airfare To Include Airport Congestion Fees](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/airportcongestion.jpg?w=178&h=190&crop=1)
Expect Airfare To Include Airport Congestion Fees
In a move meant to promote reducing congestion, the DOT yesterday announced that airports can now charge airlines landing fees based on time and overall airplane volume, rather than simply their weight. Critics charge the previous policy allowed airlines to schedule flights on smaller and more regional jets during busy times, when what were needed were fewer and larger jets.The move would allow airports to schedule their flights throughout the day. Most likely the fees will be passed on to consumers, as they should. A good way to increase in a system is to make those who want to use its resources when they’re in short supply pay a premium. Airlines are expected to lobby fiercely against the measure.