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Patience Pays for Flight Gripes
The Travel Troubleshooter · May 6, 2002

Q: I'm writing to complain about a flight on Northwest Airlines from New York to Aspen via Minneapolis.

My flight from New York left the gate on time at 5:52 p.m. After we locked the cabin door and pushed back from the gate we taxied to the runway for departure. Then, to the surprise of the 100 or so passengers, we were advised by the captain that he had received a call from headquarters advising him to return to the gate to pick up 30 passengers who had missed a connecting flight.

We had to wait for a truck to taxi us back to the gate. Then we had to reboard the aircraft, and the flight took off at 6:50 p.m. Anyone with a connection in Minneapolis, myself included, missed their next flight.

This is totally unacceptable. What do we have schedules for? I view this as a breach of contract between the passenger and the airline. I missed a day of skiing because of Northwest Airline's decision to return to the gate. When I complained to the airline, all I got was a form letter that promised I would soon receive a "mystery gift."

Can you help?

-- Tony Tooma

A: You bet. My first advice is to wait a while and see what Northwest sends you. Only a few days after you shared your grievance with me, Northwest sent you a $125 travel voucher. In a subsequent e-mail exchange, you said that was enough.

Even though there were elements of a form letter in the note you received from Melissa McLaughlin, a Northwest customer relations supervisor, I would take her apology for what it's worth: $125.

I'm fascinated by her explanation. She noted that a "great deal of thought" is always given to the ramifications of a decision to call a plane back. "The manager who is responsible for coordinating each flight must take into account the complexities of aircraft rotation, crew scheduling, an aircraft's takeoff position and how the best service can be provided for the greatest number of people while inconveniencing as few travelers as possible," she wrote.

Northwest doesn't always make the right call when it comes to returning to the gate. Over New Year's weekend in 1999, it locked many passengers in its aircraft on the tarmac for upward of six hours during a blizzard. The travelers were sometimes denied food and the use of bathrooms.

My advice to you and anyone else in a similar situation as yours is to be patient. Airlines typically take between four and six weeks to respond to a complaint. Only when you're certain that the carrier won't react to your grievance should you consult a third party.

I'm your second-to-last line of defense against a non-responsive airline. Your final option, of course, is a court of law.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. ChrisCrossings appears weekly on this site.