delays
United To Unveil Miserly Compensation Policy For Delayed Passengers
By 5.27.07
Above And Beyond: Southwest Melts Customer's Heart After Deicing Snafu
By 4.21.07
Dan’s family changed planes in snowy Chicago while on their way to sunny Orlando. Before taking off, their Southwest flight spent three hours awaiting deicing on the tarmac. Dan’s family took the delay in stride.
The pilot kept us informed (he even said at time he would pull back into the gate if we were there much longer) and the flight crew were very helpful and understanding. No one got upset, we all just tried to make the best of it.
After returning from Orlando, Dan did not complain about the delay to Southwest. That did not stop Southwest from apologizing…
Department Of Transportation To Examine Deceptive Airline Schedules
By 4.21.07
The Department of Transportation is accusing eight airlines of publishing unrealistic schedules. At issue is whether airlines are properly disclosing on-time performance statistics as required.
“We want to understand … how it is possible that a flight could be late 70 or 80 percent of the time and actually not disclose that inadequate rate to the customer,” said Andrew Steinberg, assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs.
If airlines do not demonstrate improvements within the year, Congress has threatened to unleash a barrel of monkeys new rules. The Department can start by having a friendly chat with U.S. Airways, operator of Flight 154 from Philadelphia to San Francisco, which arrived late 100% of the time in February. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
JetBlue: When Your Canceled Flight Is Not Actually Canceled
By 4.4.07
JetBlue, JetBlue, JetBlue. When you cancel a flight, should you be allowed to uncancel it? If you do uncancel it, shouldn’t you tell your customers? Customers who may have left the airport when they saw that their flight was canceled? Grace Kim and her boyfriend had return tickets on JetBlue when their flight was canceled, forcing Kim to rebook on the next available flight 2 days later. When she heard JetBlue was offering vouchers to inconvenienced passengers she called and was told she qualified. Or did she?
Jet Blue Blues Continue, Even When You're On Continental
By 3.29.07
The bad thing about flying journalists to and fro is that when something goes wrong, they tend to amuse themselves by taking notes. Sadly, JetBlue does not yet have a policy prohibiting pens and paper from their flights. From the Boston Herald:
A passenger, talking loudly into his cellphone, says, “I went out of my way to fly JetBlue,” he said, “and instead I’m on some Express Jet. It’s a bait and switch.”
Need a Passport? Apply Early, Expect to Wait
By 3.23.07
The State Department is swamped with passport applications. The backlog is driven in large part by new rules that require U.S. citizens to have a passport (and not just photo id and a birth certificate) in order to re-enter the country by plane from Canada, the Caribbean, and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Point/Counterpoint: JetBlue's Apology Isn't Enough
By 2.23.07
Consumerist HQ responded positively to jetBlue’s apologies earlier this week. Understandable: Airline CEO David “Mortified” Neeleman’s words felt sincere, and it was good to hear him apologize for the unfortunate imprisonment of hundreds of people inside their airplanes for hours on end last week. It’s tough to apologize, and they did it. Hats off.
AirTran Grounds Screaming Toddler And Family, Literally
By 1.25.07
AirTran is defending itself today for removing a screaming toddler and her family from a flight bound for Boston.
Westjet Delays, Pays Happy Traveler
By 6.20.06
7.50 worth of complimentary drinks at the airport bar. That’s the way customer service is handled in Ireland.
