Comments on: You call that a weather delay? http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gary Scott http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/comment-page-1/#comment-11821 Gary Scott Wed, 07 May 2008 04:13:13 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/#comment-11821 Carver Farrow feels that somehow his higher ticket price alone entitles him to preferential treatment. Unfortunately this is not realistic or defensible in any court unless he can prove that his 'contract' with the airline specifically states that all first class passengers are covered by different rules than coach or economy class passengers. Certainly we all understand that flying first class has some perks but unless it's in writing on his ticket or in the airlines detailed ticket rules, everyone is to be treated the same. And I seriously doubt that any FAA or federal document declares 1st class passengers as 'specially' priviledged. The basic rules concerning weather delays, bumping, overbooking do not specify a difference in the treatment passengers as Mr Farrow suggests. Carver Farrow feels that somehow his higher ticket price alone entitles him to preferential treatment. Unfortunately this is not realistic or defensible in any court unless he can prove that his ‘contract’ with the airline specifically states that all first class passengers are covered by different rules than coach or economy class passengers. Certainly we all understand that flying first class has some perks but unless it’s in writing on his ticket or in the airlines detailed ticket rules, everyone is to be treated the same. And I seriously doubt that any FAA or federal document declares 1st class passengers as ‘specially’ priviledged. The basic rules concerning weather delays, bumping, overbooking do not specify a difference in the treatment passengers as Mr Farrow suggests.

]]> By: Carver Farrow http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/comment-page-1/#comment-1882 Carver Farrow Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:07:10 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/#comment-1882 The second and third paragraphs of your response suggest that the preferential treatment that first class passengers receive is somehow unfair. I respectfully disagree. The first class passengers generally paid for the so-called preferential treatment by either paying a higher fare or by frequently flying on that carrier. That's a choice. It is no different than someone choosing to spend their money on any other indulgence, or not at all. The second and third paragraphs of your response suggest that the preferential treatment that first class passengers receive is somehow unfair. I respectfully disagree. The first class passengers generally paid for the so-called preferential treatment by either paying a higher fare or by frequently flying on that carrier. That’s a choice. It is no different than someone choosing to spend their money on any other indulgence, or not at all.

]]> By: Alan Cunningham http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/comment-page-1/#comment-1881 Alan Cunningham Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:27:05 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/you-call-that-a-weather-delay/#comment-1881 I once was held-up in Boston for only 9 hours for a "weather delay" and considered myself lucky. I arrived at noon for a flight that was to leave at 730 PM hoping to get on an earlier flight. I found the airport filled with people who could not get out and most flights cancelled. The reason given by the airline (US Airways) was weather. Any plane on the ground in Boston could take off but no planes could land. It was aerie to look out over the airport and see absolutly no planes. The actual facts were that all of the runway lights were out (electrical failure) and there was a low cloud cover that required runway lights. If the lights were working, flights would have been able to land but the excuse was that if there were no cloud cover, they would have been able to land without the runway lights (I have never seen any landing even in the best of weather where the runway lights were off). It is this type of action that causes passengers to be skeptical of airlines pronoucements of "weather delays." As it happened, my original flight was the first to arrive in Boston and to get out about 2 hours late. I was lucky. All of the travelers on earlier flights had to wait until the next day. By the way, it was a Friday afternoon. As is usual, when there are problems, they always happen at the worst time. I once was held-up in Boston for only 9 hours for a “weather delay” and considered myself lucky. I arrived at noon for a flight that was to leave at 730 PM hoping to get on an earlier flight. I found the airport filled with people who could not get out and most flights cancelled. The reason given by the airline (US Airways) was weather. Any plane on the ground in Boston could take off but no planes could land. It was aerie to look out over the airport and see absolutly no planes. The actual facts were that all of the runway lights were out (electrical failure) and there was a low cloud cover that required runway lights. If the lights were working, flights would have been able to land but the excuse was that if there were no cloud cover, they would have been able to land without the runway lights (I have never seen any landing even in the best of weather where the runway lights were off). It is this type of action that causes passengers to be skeptical of airlines pronoucements of “weather delays.”

As it happened, my original flight was the first to arrive in Boston and to get out about 2 hours late. I was lucky. All of the travelers on earlier flights had to wait until the next day. By the way, it was a Friday afternoon. As is usual, when there are problems, they always happen at the worst time.

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