US Airways to Dominican flight victims: “This is not a compensation issue”

Yes, the treatment of those passengers constituted abominable customer relations, even though USAir was strictly adhering to the contract to which each of those passengers excplicitly agreed when they bought their tickets. But the fact is that everyone already knows that all airlines treat their customers as nothing more than self-loading toxic cargo. Everyone already hates airlines and puts them in the same category as used car dealers, politicians, cable TV companies, and the TSA. Passengers already expect to be dumped on, ignored, or abused for any reason, or for no reason at all just because that’s how airlines operate. And airline executives know that no matter how horrible an experience a passenger has, he or she will almost certainly be back at the airport soon enough for another round of abuse because there’s no other choice.

So the decision to simply abandon those passengers was a good business decision. People’s opinion of their company is already so negative that this incident is just a drop in the ocean. It will probably be forgotten quickly as well, since there surely will be another instance of abominable airline “service” that will displace it in the press.

So why would it make any sense to waste even a penny of the shareholders’ money on palliative “compensation” that the contract of carriage explicitly states they do not owe? The shareholders would get no benefit from the expenditure, and the ungrateful passengers would probably whine and complain just the same even if the company did waste some money on a useless token gesture.

Air travel today is a crapshoot. Most people “win” (i.e., they arrive at their destination reasonably close to the scheduled time, mostly alive and with most of their belongings). A few people lose, but the airline isn’t responsible (it says so in the contract). The lesson here is that passenger are fully responsible for helping themselves when things go wrong with a flight. The sooner we get over obsolete expectations based on what air travel used to be, the better we will adjust to the Reality of Travel in the 21st Century.

There’s a major distinction to be drawn (as Chris himself is saying) between what the airline is *required* to do and what they *should* do.

274 people. If US Airways had given each of them a $200 voucher good only on a non-deeply-discounted fare for a flight within one year, the maximum payout, down the road, would have been a little over $50,000. Given that probably half the people would let the voucher expire unused, and that many of the rest would buy a higher-fare-class (than they would have otherwise) ticket in order to use the voucher, that payout would be limited to probably somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.

How much ill will did this decision cost them? Assume everyone on the flight told their friends and family about their experience (“They left us stranded for two days down there and wouldn’t pay anything for our lodging or food!”). How many people, per passenger, will book away from US Airways? Hard to estimate reliably, but I’d suggest it will cost far more in revenue than the miniscule payout that would actually be redeemed.

So from a business perspective, it’s stupid.

From a moral perspective, it’s horrible. You cancel the flight (even though it’s legitimately for weather), and you sit back and watch as armed guards force people out of the airport at gunpoint, and you don’t feel any responsibility at all to try to help people find a place to stay?

The airlines can no longer afford the jet fuel for the flights..

They pay less than you or I pay at the pump per gallon, volume or not.

unfortunately, just a step away from closing their doors for good…

A fair point, except if it wasn’t for the compensation following 9/11, (READ: Government bailout) none of them would be in buisness TODAY.

How many flights are canclled due to a tropical storm like this a year?

Five, Ten at max? assuming the above cost per passanger compensation is capped at $200 and the math above is correct what would US Airways loose (see Kevin’s post above). It’s fairly obvious that, guess, what, US Airways will loose money for not compensating these passangers. Guess what?

I’m never, ever flying US Airways after reading this story. Ever. Even with a gun to my head. Is that clear?

So to try and blame this on the passengers, Linda, is not only false, it’s just plain stupid, as has been clearly pointed out, from a buisness perspective.

What was your point again now?

On August 28th, 2008 at 5:30 pm Mike Simonson said
How many flights are canclled due to a tropical storm like this a year?
Five, Ten at max? assuming the above cost per passanger compensation is capped at $200 and the math above is correct what would US Airways loose (see Kevin’s post above). It’s fairly obvious that, guess, what, US Airways will loose money for not compensating these passangers.
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So?……Let’s compensate for HURRICANES only?……Why NOT snow storms?
FOG?……..Sand storms, they get them in the southwest.
Years ago, airlines didnt allow you to change your ticket itinerary unless you bought an unrestricted airfares. Now, due to storms, airlines allow you to change your plans:

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/08/25/daily53.html?ana=yfcpc

US Airways Group Inc. is waiving change fees for passengers who could be impacted by tropical storm Gustav. The storm is moving through the Caribbean and is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico and potentially hit the U.S. as a hurricane in the coming days.
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continued comment: Wasnt this storm predicted in the carribean days before it hit Punta Cana? Why didnt they leave EARLY?……OR LATER? Loss of THEIR COMPENSATION for hotel expenses, maybe? Added expenses for NOT having TRAVEL INSURANCE during hurricane season, maybe?

I dont understand why the flying public thinks the airlines have this ENDLESS COMPENSATION for all that goes wrong when traveling.

I, certainly DO NOT get compensation when my dentist cancels my appointment, and he has.
I, certainly DO NOT get compensation when I’m at a ballgame and WEATHER cancels the event.
I, certainly DO NOT get compensation when I go to a concert and it’s cancelled.

IMAGINE THAT………other CORPORATIONS not offering compensation either!

There happened to be a corporate travel manager that was supposed to be on this flight w/ his wife. He was treated like ****.
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Just because he didnt LIKE the answer from the airline employee, doesnt make it RUDE. You would THINK a “Travel MANAGER” would have the common sense to rebook out of that storm. This is the age of the internet. There’s easy access to information on weather to make a judgement on your travel plans.
We all know what happened down there. The employee stated, “The flight has been cancelled due to weather”. The angry mob of passengers didnt like that answer and elevated to DEMANDING different results for THEIR LACK of making alternate plans in the eye of a LARGE STORM.

http://WWW.WEATHER.COM

Center of Gustav Exiting West of Jamaica
Gustav continues to impact Jamaica and will be heading for the Caymans; Tropical Storm Hanna has begun to strengthen.

Article | Video

TS Gustav: Tracker | Projected Path | Hurricane Warning for Jamaica, Caymans
TS Hanna: Tracker | Projected Path
New Orleans Taking No Chances | City Takes Post-Katrina Precautions
Hurricane Katrina 3 Years Ago Today: Recovery Slow but Steady
Get Ready Now: Tips to Protect Your Home

The compensation you get when a concert is canceled is nothing more than a refund for your ticket price, or a new ticket if the concert is re-scheduled. They certainly don’t compensate you for your travel costs if you came in from out of town for the concert. Some ticket contracts even do not allow a refund if the event is re-scheduled; even if you cannot re-arrange your travel plans to meet the new date.

With an airline ticket, if the flight is canceled, you usually can request a refund if you do not want to take the trip. Of course, since all of these passengers were tourists, not making the trip home was not exactly an option.

If you are going on a trip, you need to make a Plan B if your flight gets canceled. (i.e. trip insurance) You have no place blaming the airline if you get stuck due to circumstances beyond the control of the airline.

What exactly was US Airways supposed to do? The flight is canceled due to weather, (not under US Airways control), the airport (not under US AIrways Control) was closing, transportation from the airport to local hotels was poor (not under US Airways control)… What COULD they have done?

They cannot fly through unacceptable weather. They couldn’t wave a magic wand and let the passenger stay in the airport that US Airways didn’t own. They cannot magically conjure taxis to hotels out of mid-air.

What poor treatment was US Airways supposed to be compensating for? What did US Airways fail to do that they could have done?

SirWired

On August 29th, 2008 at 10:49 am Mike Simonson said @Frank: Actually people are generally compensated when concerts are cancelled. Missing your dentists appointment doesn’t hace the same effect as people who miss a vacation. You can always go the dentist, not so with a trip.
I don’t think endless compensation is in order, that’s a false argument, as no one was calling for that. Reasonable on the other hand, is called for. What defines reasonable Frank? Not treating the customer like $— for one thing. Let’s start with that OK? Or do you wholeheartedly approve? Apparently the answer is yes.
You’re a swell guy, Frank. A real winner.
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YOU, MIKIE. JUST PROVED MY POINT.

YOU DIDNT LIKE MY ANSWER SO YOU GOT PERSONAL.

No different then the passengers at the airport thinking they would get home in a storm. NO ANSWER would have appeased that situation, so now they CLAIM they were treated like__________.
What they wanted, everyone knows, is HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS. CHEAP FARES have come with a price, it’s caused the disappearance of MEAL, PHONE and HOTEL VOUCHERS. And, rightfully so!

And, it’s interesting how “MY TIME” is NOT IMPORTANT to “YOU” when appts are canceled, and yes, NO COMPENSATION for a canceled concert. It was simply rescheduled. (GREAT POST, SIRWIRED) Vacation day versus DAY OFF is no less important.

http://www.usairways.com/pv_obj_cache/pv_obj_id_B15B5F3C7A4017DB056EC1BE74F31E277C6E0300/filename/US_contract_of_carriage.pdf

it’s interesting how all AIRLINES have a contract of carriage. It CLEARLY STATES what it’s obligated for and what NOT.
Too bad most of these people think they’re vacation was ruined by LCC, when in reality it was a TROPICAL STORM that caused havoc on AIR TRAVEL that day!!!!
And, it’s that “sense of entitlement” that has invaded most CONSUMERS that this incident is seen so differently!

Again, what could US Airways have done that they failed to do? Why exactly are you mad at the airline? They had no choice about canceling the flight, and they couldn’t single-handedly keep the airport open or conjure up hotel rooms or transport to them…

SirWired

I was one of the passengers on this flight. This is not an issue of compensation or entitlement, but one of common sense and safety. Both US Airways and the travel authorities in the Dominican Republic showed they had no regard for their customers.
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Actually, the airline showed regard for your safety. They canceled the flight because it COULD NOT BE SAFELY performed that day in or out of Punta Cana.

You were in a foreign country, expecting to CAMP OUT at the airport during a tropical storm?
Was that a WISE DECISION involving YOUR SAFETY?

Frank, other airlines ended up flying in and out. Apparently the true reason our flight was cancelled and we were stranded was because the flight crew went over its allotted service hours. As for “camping out” in the airport, unless you’ve been there, please refrain from commenting about the safety. And, please, stop your uninformed infatuation with the tropical storm. I reiterate: other flights were taking off and landing. It was a rain storm, not a hurricane.

On August 29th, 2008 at 6:34 pm Mike said:
Apparently the true reason our flight was cancelled and we were stranded was because the flight crew went over its allotted service hours
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that’s a safety issue. If the crew went illegal, then they would go over a 15 HOUR DAY. That’s an FAA mandated regulation.

Glorya,

If you were in a US airport that does not have 24-hour staffing, the same thing would have happened… you would have been sent outside of the airport by the security staff and left to make your own arrangements for a hotel room.

Also, the passengers were not “rounded up”… that would imply they were arrested, which is not the case. The US Embassy is there to prevent US Citizens from being unlawfully arrested, having their fundamental human rights violated, or losing their lives… it is not the job of the US Government to make sure you have a pleasant vacation in a foreign country. Being stuck at an airport overnight outside is certainly unpleasant and unfortunate, but it is well outside the realm of the sort of situations the embassy is supposed to intervene in.

SirWired

SirWired: As a customer, I wanted them to provide accurate information (which they didn’t) and do what they could to fulfill a contractual business agreement (which they didn’t; again, other flights were able to fly in and out; they could have sent another plane with a fresh crew).

Beyond what US Airways (and the Dominican Republic) were required to do “by the book,” both organizations failed enormously at even the most basic level of customer service (and public relations). At least one other airline (Continental to Miami, I believe) proactively secured buses and hotel rooms for its customers. Seeing that — an action most likely outside the scope of policy — makes my future purchasing decisions (and, I suspect, those of many of US Airways’ other passengers on the flight) much easier.

On August 29th, 2008 at 7:27 pm Mike said SirWired: they could have sent another plane with a fresh crew).
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Who has a 50 MILLION dollar airplane sitting around………..just in case?

What’s sick is the fact that there are commenters defending the actions of the airlines.

Contract legal-ese aside – they do get paid money from the people they promise to fly. The airlines have a bigger obligation to their customers than their shareholders, and any analysis of risk/safety should belong to the passengers (the public) – and not the shareholders. (they understood the risk of investment when they put their money in).

The customers of this flight paid US Air. US Air had no problem taking the money from their passengers. One way or another, their passengers got stiffed – depite who’s to blame. Is it really so wrong to make it right?

There is no reason for US Airways to compensate the passengers for cancellations due to weather. However, any well-run company would have had contingency plans for assisting the customers knowing that storms occur and the airport closes. US Airways staff should have had a plan to find lodging and transportation. They should have had an arrangement with the airport to stay open a little longer in cases like this. This is just simple common sense in serving your customers. Had they done this I’m sure the passengers woiuld have been grateful instead of upset. But, I’m certain that no airline has any contingency plans for anything – they seem to work day-to-day with no long-term strategy. They also apparently believe that customer service starts at the ticket counter and ends at the jetway exit. And we wonder why they’re in trouble?

I was at the Punta Cana airport the next day trying to get out on US Air. The situation was ridiculous. We heard horror stories from the people who were there the day before. They were left stranded with nowhere to go. There aren’t hotels around the airport. The hotels they had just left were refusing to let them back because they were booked up. The group we heard about had to pool their money together to when they finally did find a room because the hotel the found charged 500.00 for one room…cash. No one had that much cash on them.

On the 16th, we arrived. The US Air lines were the only lines at check-in with their LCDs not working. Having never been there before, we didn’t know where in the heck the US Air line was. The airport staff was less than helpful. We finally confirmed the line and it was probably 200 people deep and not moving. After an hour and a half in line, we were at the point where we would miss our flight if we didn’t get checked in. We were probably another hour back in line still. I finally saw a 8×11 piece of paper taped up at about waist level at the counter with our flght nubmer on it. No instructions for people who were on the flight, no one polling the line to see who was on that flight, and you couldn’t even see it unless you hopped out of line and moved up a bit.

So I went up to the desk, cutting in front of everyone else and explained that we had been in line for 90 minutes and were now 40 min from takoff and we HAD to check in. He looked at me like I was an alien. No response. Just a blank, “so what?” stare. Thankfully, one of the women from the group behind us in line, who was also on the same flight, spoke Spanish and she came up there and had to start yelling at the US Air employees. They checked us in…VERY begrudginly.

When we were in line, I had commented that the line was moving so slowly, they must not have computers. As it turns out they did….one. For 3 or 4 agents. They had, instead, stacks of pre-printed boarding passes and as you got up to the counter they went through them. “Is this you? No? Is this you? No? Is this you?” No wonder they were getting through one checkin, oh, every 15 minutes or so. It was ridiculous. There is no reason thatin 2008 you are managing your airline checkins like this. There was NO reason for the lack of communication and consideration provided to the passengers at the Punta Cana airport.

I won’t even go into the US Air nightmare that ensued once we did board (3 hour flight taking 7+ hours).

Overall, the lack of communication, the unprofessionalism, the general chaos that was the Punta Cana airport and US Air that day has ensured that I too will no longer be a customer of either. And you can be sure that I have told way more than 6 people. It was a horrible experience and I didn’t even have to be subjected to being stuck in a 3rd-world country and prodded by armed guards. I can’t even imagine that situation.

Bother way, THIRTY SIX “people” LOST THEIR LIFES during that storm. It was quite extreme at times. Unfortunately, the AIRPORT and the AIRLINE couldnt return to normal operations fast enough for you.
Imagine that, long lines and computers out………..after aircraft couldnt get in the previous day from a TROPICAL STORM. It tried to arrival, but finally had to divert. You participated in the aftermath of that situation.
And, bother way, ON TIME stats are out for the airlines, JULY STATS. This airline ranked in the TOP FOUR.

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/

On September 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am digawina said Well, if their computers were “out,” then they were also invisible. There was one computer and it was working. Their LCDs were out, but they were the ONLY airline whose LCDs were out, so logic would follow that it wasn’t the airport without power. US Air simply didn’t provide their employees with the computers necessary to handle the volume of customers they get.
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Several flights cancelled the day before. 270 PASSENGERS are now trying to get to their destination in ADDITION TO THE PASSENGERS who are booked to leave THAT DAY. It’s a small caribbean airport. LIMITED checkin area. This was an unusual situation, so they dont normally need excessive amounts of computers to check-in BECAUSE they only have a couple of flights PER DAY.

The computers were working, but their LCD’s were out? (dont they work together?)

http://www.csatravelprotection.com/frequently-asked-questions.do#reasonstocancel

Travel Insurance can protect non-refundable Cruise, Flight, Tour costs. Travel Insurance can provide peace of mind, covering Trip Cancellation & Interruption – Medical Expenses – Baggage & Personal Belongings – Baggage Delay – Travel Delay – Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation.

Insurance allows you to cancel your trip due to STORMS and get REIMBURSED.

http://www.csatravelprotection.com/comparepolicy.do

provides COVERAGE for delays, interruptions, cancellations.

For those complaining that USAir stranded the passengers in a DANGEROUS third-world country…..

….Didn’t the passengers plan a vacation in a DANGEROUS third-world country??