Think twice before flying with US Airways

[mpillen]

I know this is a long post to read and I have learned an expensive lesson (I hope by posting my story I am able to save someone else from making the same mistake). I have spoken to US Airways and the are reviewing my letter but think all they will able to offer is my original ticket price back and the baggage fee's. Are you kidding me???

 

Insurance will only cover $500 a person x 4 people. Plus, Royal is returning our pre-cruise stuff like excursions, etc.

 

To whom it may concern,

 

My family and I flew out of LAX on 4/8/11 on US Airways flight 1446, as you may know, we had engine problems and engine #2 had to be shut down at 30,000 ft. We made an emergency landing in Omaha. Upon arrival in Omaha I immediately sat in front of the help desk to make sure that I was first in line to get help so that we could get an alternate flight to our final destination in FLL, so we could get to our cruise ship on time which sailed on 4/9/11 at 5:00pm. Announcements were made that a plane was being flown in and and alternate arrangement would not be made and if we tried to call and get another flight they would not approve them and they would not release our luggage. When we finally spoke to the supervisor, Bill or Bob, who was helping people right outside of gate 11, we told him we needed to get to FLL to catch our cruise ship by 3:30 and he rudely said "don't you know you always fly a day ahead when going on a cruise", then he said take a seat and he would see what he could do. He continued to help people while we sat there for the next 2 - 2 1/2 hours, during this time we kept walking up asking if he could help us now and he said "just take seat". Finally we got so mad that we went up and said "we have been very patient and nice, could you please help us now?". That's when he told us there was nothing he could do and we had to go to Philadelphia, he gave us (4) $5.00 meal voucher and sent us on our way. When we boarded flight 9010 and started talking to other passengers this is when we discovered that many other passengers were accommodated on other flights and their luggage was released. If we would have been accommodated we could have made it to FLL to catch our ship.

 

When we arrived in Philadelphia we were told to go to customer relations. When we got to the office it was closed and we had to wait 30 more minutes for this office to open. When the office opened we spoke to Aja Whetstone and Dana Barlett, we told them our story and told them that 2 of us had passports and 2 of us had passport cards and asked if we could fly to Nassau and meet up with the cruise ship with these documents. She checked something on the computer and said we could travel with these documents but she would have to get a manager’s approval to book the flight. Finally, she scanned all of our 2 passports and our 2 passport cards information into the computer and the tickets were issued, we were given (4) $15 meal vouchers and (2) hotel vouchers and we headed to baggage claim to get our luggage. I want to add that we spent at least another 2 hours here and the two girls helping us were very nice and polite, although the next morning we found out that we couldn't travel with the documents we had. I don't know why these employees issued tickets that do not know what documents are need to travel.

 

Off we went to the baggage claim office. Upon arrival here I spoke to Dhana Ward and she was also professional and helpful. I told my story again and she called someone and told them the story and they went to look for our bags. We waited about 15 minutes and she called back to check and see how the search was going and found out the person didn't really understand what she said the first time and she had to repeat it again. Then he was off to try to find the bags again. We waited and waited, it seemed like a lifetime it was around 5pm and we had been up since 7:00am on Friday morning and it was now around 5:00pm on Saturday night. Our bags were finally found and we had to walk to the next terminal to get them. After got our bags we waited for the hotel shuttle. We arrived at the hotel checked in, got something to eat and immediately went to bed.

 

Sunday morning 4/10 we woke up at 4:00am to go to the airport to catch the flight to Nassau. When we arrived we spoke to Christina Butler and a couple of other people whose names I didn't get, we handed her our tickets and our passport and passport cards. She looked at us funny and said "how did you get these tickets". So we stood at this ticket counter for at least another 1 1/2 hours while they tried to get in contact with customs in Nassau to see if they would let us travel with the documents we had. In the end we could not travel to Nassau and we rebooked on flight 797 to LAX which departed at 7:35am. By the time we got the tickets in our hands and got through security the plane was already boarding and we couldn't even get something to eat. The staff that we encountered here were professional, knowledgeable, and kind. I can't say enough great things about them.

 

From here we boarded flight 797 and started our journey home. I was sitting on the exit row near flight attended Mike Stevens, and spoke to him about what had happened to us the previous days. He was very compassionate and an absolute delight to speak to. Once we were in the air, he offered each of us a travel nap sack to make our flight home more comfortable, which we were very appreciative of.

[frugaltravel]

Too bad about your experience but stuff happens and the first agent was correct that you should have arrived into FLL a day before the cruise.

 

Fortunately you can probably get a refund for your ticket due to a "trip in vain" but I am sure no one ever mentioned that to you. Fortunately I have a good travel agent and good travel insurance, one of which, if not both, I would call immediately in such a situation.

[Toto2Kansas]

Sorry this happened to you. It also happens to those without a cruise booked. Recently it took my son two days to get home (two flights, one only 1 hour, the second 50 minutes) because or problems similar to what you encountered. We dropped him at the airport at noon, and he didn't get home until late in the afternoon the second day. Mechanical problems with one plane, missed his connection because the first plane was so late arriving, no other flights with seats available to get to his destination.

 

If nothing else, your post as showed everyone that the need for good travel insurance is a MUST. I hope you have better luck on your next cruise, as I am sure this was a real disappointment to you and your family. :(

[mpillen]

I understand now he was correct but we had just come off of a broken airplane and we were quite scared and he wasn't even nice about it. We later found out the other's were accommodated on other flights on other carriers and their luggage was released.

[mpillen]

It's crazy what happens in these airports and with these airlines.

[monicajay]

Airlines these days are not easy to deal with. Sorry for your bad experience.

 

To help others:

 

Travel with passport ( the rest of the world does)

Yes, you can cruise with only carry on. Stop hauling suitcases full of stuff you don't need.

Finally, fly in a day or two early- but that has been said too many times.

[Cuizer2]

I know this is a long post to read and I have learned an expensive lesson (I hope by posting my story I am able to save someone else from making the same mistake). I have spoken to US Airways and the are reviewing my letter but think all they will able to offer is my original ticket price back and the baggage fee's. Are you kidding me???

 

Insurance will only cover $500 a person x 4 people. Plus, Royal is returning our pre-cruise stuff like excursions, etc.

 

To whom it may concern,

 

My family and I flew out of LAX on 4/8/11 on US Airways flight 1446, as you may know, we had engine problems and engine #2 had to be shut down at 30,000 ft. We made an emergency landing in Omaha. Upon arrival in Omaha I immediately sat in front of the help desk to make sure that I was first in line to get help so that we could get an alternate flight to our final destination in FLL, so we could get to our cruise ship on time which sailed on 4/9/11 at 5:00pm. Announcements were made that a plane was being flown in and and alternate arrangement would not be made and if we tried to call and get another flight they would not approve them and they would not release our luggage. When we finally spoke to the supervisor, Bill or Bob, who was helping people right outside of gate 11, we told him we needed to get to FLL to catch our cruise ship by 3:30 and he rudely said "don't you know you always fly a day ahead when going on a cruise", then he said take a seat and he would see what he could do. He continued to help people while we sat there for the next 2 - 2 1/2 hours, during this time we kept walking up asking if he could help us now and he said "just take seat". Finally we got so mad that we went up and said "we have been very patient and nice, could you please help us now?". That's when he told us there was nothing he could do and we had to go to Philadelphia, he gave us (4) $5.00 meal voucher and sent us on our way. When we boarded flight 9010 and started talking to other passengers this is when we discovered that many other passengers were accommodated on other flights and their luggage was released. If we would have been accommodated we could have made it to FLL to catch our ship.

 

When we arrived in Philadelphia we were told to go to customer relations. When we got to the office it was closed and we had to wait 30 more minutes for this office to open. When the office opened we spoke to Aja Whetstone and Dana Barlett, we told them our story and told them that 2 of us had passports and 2 of us had passport cards and asked if we could fly to Nassau and meet up with the cruise ship with these documents. She checked something on the computer and said we could travel with these documents but she would have to get a manager’s approval to book the flight. Finally, she scanned all of our 2 passports and our 2 passport cards information into the computer and the tickets were issued, we were given (4) $15 meal vouchers and (2) hotel vouchers and we headed to baggage claim to get our luggage. I want to add that we spent at least another 2 hours here and the two girls helping us were very nice and polite, although the next morning we found out that we couldn't travel with the documents we had. I don't know why these employees issued tickets that do not know what documents are need to travel.

 

Off we went to the baggage claim office. Upon arrival here I spoke to Dhana Ward and she was also professional and helpful. I told my story again and she called someone and told them the story and they went to look for our bags. We waited about 15 minutes and she called back to check and see how the search was going and found out the person didn't really understand what she said the first time and she had to repeat it again. Then he was off to try to find the bags again. We waited and waited, it seemed like a lifetime it was around 5pm and we had been up since 7:00am on Friday morning and it was now around 5:00pm on Saturday night. Our bags were finally found and we had to walk to the next terminal to get them. After got our bags we waited for the hotel shuttle. We arrived at the hotel checked in, got something to eat and immediately went to bed.

 

Sunday morning 4/10 we woke up at 4:00am to go to the airport to catch the flight to Nassau. When we arrived we spoke to Christina Butler and a couple of other people whose names I didn't get, we handed her our tickets and our passport and passport cards. She looked at us funny and said "how did you get these tickets". So we stood at this ticket counter for at least another 1 1/2 hours while they tried to get in contact with customs in Nassau to see if they would let us travel with the documents we had. In the end we could not travel to Nassau and we rebooked on flight 797 to LAX which departed at 7:35am. By the time we got the tickets in our hands and got through security the plane was already boarding and we couldn't even get something to eat. The staff that we encountered here were professional, knowledgeable, and kind. I can't say enough great things about them.

 

From here we boarded flight 797 and started our journey home. I was sitting on the exit row near flight attended Mike Stevens, and spoke to him about what had happened to us the previous days. He was very compassionate and an absolute delight to speak to. Once we were in the air, he offered each of us a travel nap sack to make our flight home more comfortable, which we were very appreciative of.

 

Wow! I found some additional information on your flight that you might be interested in ...

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-airways-dividend-miles/1203709-us-airways-1446-emergency-landing.html

[6rugrats]

I know this is a long post to read and I have learned an expensive lesson (I hope by posting my story I am able to save someone else from making the same mistake). I have spoken to US Airways and the are reviewing my letter but think all they will able to offer is my original ticket price back and the baggage fee's. Are you kidding me???

 

Insurance will only cover $500 a person x 4 people. Plus, Royal is returning our pre-cruise stuff like excursions, etc.

 

 

Any airline can have a mechanical problem; it happens everyday, not just to US.

 

Flight 1446 is a redeye, which would have had you arrive the day of your cruise. I guess you now know why people advise constantly to NEVER arrive the day of your cruise. When you travel, stuff happens that you have no control over, such as the problems you experienced with your plane.

 

I guess you are also know why people are constantly advised to get a passport. If you'd all had those, you could have met up with the ship. It's not the job of airline personnel to advise anyone of correct travel documents. Nassau does not require you to have a passport to enter the country, but the US DOES require you to have a valid passport to fly home from Nassau. Maybe that's where the confusion came from? Why didn't the two people who had passports take the flight and meet up with the ship?

 

 

US's Trip in Vain rules:

Trip in Vain:

If you have excessive delays that prevent you from timely reaching your destination, you may request a trip-in-vain to return to your point of origination. This is something granted on a case-by-case basis and is NOT an entitlement. If granted:

-Mileage credit will be given for segments flown only.

-Option will be given for a full refund or reticketing within 7 days.

 

You should certainly ask for that, but it's not guaranteed. What else do you think they should offer you besides a return of your fare and baggage fees? What kind of travel insurance did you have that only covers $500 a person? Was this the limit of coverage? Is it because you didn't make an attempt to catch up to the ship?

[Jade13]

 

 

Sunday morning 4/10 we woke up at 4:00am to go to the airport to catch the flight to Nassau. When we arrived we spoke to Christina Butler and a couple of other people whose names I didn't get, we handed her our tickets and our passport and passport cards. She looked at us funny and said "how did you get these tickets". So we stood at this ticket counter for at least another 1 1/2 hours while they tried to get in contact with customs in Nassau to see if they would let us travel with the documents we had. In the end we could not travel to Nassau and we rebooked on flight 797 to LAX which departed at 7:35am.

 

What was wrong with your passports? It sounds like you did not all have passports. That part is not US Airsways fault.

 

Did you have travel insurance? Which policy? Was it with the cruise line? I see you are out almost $10,000.00.

[pms4104]

What was wrong with your passports? It sounds like you did not all have passports. That part is not US Airsways fault.

 

Did you have travel insurance? Which policy? Was it with the cruise line? I see you are out almost $10,000.00.

Unless the insurance had a Cancel for Any Reason Up to Sailing Time, not sure any policy would have covered this ... two people with passports ditched the trip and two people with passport cards now would not have been on a closed loop cruise and did not have the required docs to fly to Nassau, sail, then return to a U.S. port. So, yes, 'tis a lesson for all the folks who (1) fly in the day of and (2) don't get a passport because nothing bad could possibly happen to them.

 

I think the OP was lucky to get anything back from the insurance.

 

Also, the letter is too long and rambling to garner any significant attention from US Airways. Or, maybe, it wasn't a letter to corporate ... just a blow-by-blow account to the people here on the boards.

[JLC@SD]

Anatomy of a disaster, and the issues that cause the problems:

 

1. Fly in the day of the cruise.

 

2. Two people had only passport cards instead of passports....and needed passports.

 

3. Insurance ......that will only cover $500 a person x 4 people.

 

There are three separate .....and well discussed thread subjects here....;)

[CruiserBruce]

Anatomy of a disaster, and the issues that cause the problems:

 

1. Fly in the day of the cruise.

 

2. Two people had only passport cards instead of passports....and needed passports.

 

3. Insurance ......that will only cover $500 a person x 4 people.

 

There are three separate .....and well discussed thread subjects here....;)

 

Those are good points. There is always the common misconception that if a mechanical problem happens, it is easy to replace the plane or find seats for everyone in a very short time.

 

Airlines don't keep spares just sitting idle. That is a waste of money. Plus they require crews that have the "time" to fly safely. You can't just put 150-300 people on other flights. Those other flights are running 80+ full. And there just aren't that many other flights going on to your destination, from your current location, at any given moment.

[alidor]

I skimmed your article and I can see why you were disappointed, but you have learned a valuable lesson and I hope others who read this finally get it - GET A PASSPORT!

 

Hope your next trip goes a lot more smoothly...

[Budget Queen]

What also may have been helpful, was to have called/web searched, what other flights were available that day- direct, by you. You seem to have spent a lot of time, "waiting", which may have been more productive if you had had some solutions yourself.

 

Yes, flying in the same day of the cruise was poor planning, along with not all having passports. I would have left them behind, if an option- assuming they weren't dependent? That wasn't the airlines's fault. It isn't a perfect world, and having some wiggle room, can be very benficial.

[Shorex]

Over the past few years there have been various threads with titles something like "beware flying xyz airlines" and "I'll never fly xyz airlines again".

 

Trouble is, after adding up all the different xyz's, there is virtually no airline that has escaped unscathed. Well, maybe Singapore Airlines and Emirates and the like, but no airline that primarily serves the US market.

 

Occasionally there is a genuine failure of customer service, but most often it's a "stuff happens" situation. "Stuff" can be mechanical delays, weather delays, TSA issues, missing crew delays, and a litany of other such "stuff."

 

So many posters have the attitude that "it hasn't happened TO ME yet so I won't be concerned." Well, be concerned. If stuff never ever happens on your flights, be grateful. But at the same time, be proactive (in the ways already mentioned).

[Keith1010]

Any airline can have a mechanical problem; it happens everyday, not just to US.

 

Flight 1446 is a redeye, which would have had you arrive the day of your cruise. I guess you now know why people advise constantly to NEVER arrive the day of your cruise. When you travel, stuff happens that you have no control over, such as the problems you experienced with your plane.

 

I guess you are also know why people are constantly advised to get a passport. If you'd all had those, you could have met up with the ship. It's not the job of airline personnel to advise anyone of correct travel documents. Nassau does not require you to have a passport to enter the country, but the US DOES require you to have a valid passport to fly home from Nassau. Maybe that's where the confusion came from? Why didn't the two people who had passports take the flight and meet up with the ship?

 

 

US's Trip in Vain rules:

Trip in Vain:

If you have excessive delays that prevent you from timely reaching your destination, you may request a trip-in-vain to return to your point of origination. This is something granted on a case-by-case basis and is NOT an entitlement. If granted:

-Mileage credit will be given for segments flown only.

-Option will be given for a full refund or reticketing within 7 days.

 

You should certainly ask for that, but it's not guaranteed. What else do you think they should offer you besides a return of your fare and baggage fees? What kind of travel insurance did you have that only covers $500 a person? Was this the limit of coverage? Is it because you didn't make an attempt to catch up to the ship?

 

Grugrats, thank you so much for clarifying that this was a red eye.

 

When I first read the OP's post I was thrown off by the dates as it mentioned that the flight was on 4/8 but the cruise was on 4/9.

 

To the Original Poster while I am sure that things could have been handled better, it is never a good idea to fly out the day of the cruise and as Grugrats mentioned since you were supposed to arrive on 4/9 this really is like flying in the day of the cruise.

 

I always tell people that they should fly in one or two days ahead of time and if their schedule permits even earlier than that when flying outside the USA.

 

There is too much that can go wrong including mechanical issues, computer issues for the airline, FAA issues,airport issues, a breach in airport security, lack of flight personnel and the list goes on.

 

One time while traveling on business I got on multiple aircrafts on a flight from Dallas to St Louis and it wasn't until the third flight that we took off. About 15 minutes prior to landing at St Louis there was a terrible thunderstorm. After circling around for an hour we were rerouted to Memphis. About two hours later we took off again for St.Louis.

 

We could have driven this quicker than the flights.

 

This is one of many examples that I experienced which is why I never never never fly in the day of a flight or in this example on a red eye that would still get me in the day of the flight.

 

Keith

[greatam]

What also may have been helpful, was to have called/web searched, what other flights were available that day- direct, by you. You seem to have spent a lot of time, "waiting", which may have been more productive if you had had some solutions yourself.

 

 

NOT having alternatives and depending on the gate agents or whomever was there in Omaha to meet the flight was the biggest failing in this event.

 

You CANNOT wait in line. You CANNOT HOPE that someone will get you to your destination. YOU need to be VERY proactive. Have the airline's phone number programmed into your phone. Have alternate flights readily available. Probably couldn't do much pre-planning for an Omaha emergency landing but surely there was a computer around, someone's laptop or a cheap hotel with a computer close to the airport.

 

The OP needed to have a list of flights that were acceptable even if it meant flying 100's of miles out of route. GETTING to the destination is much more important than HOW you get there.

 

Think out of the box. Just because your routing is through PHL, there is no reason to NOT look for flights from Omaha to Kansas City, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. etc onto your final destination. The PHL routing is EXACTLY what the agents will look for. Agents really don't think out of the box much. http://www.itasoftware.com/ is your very good friend in situations like this.

 

Sorry the OP went through this. Passports would have solved the problems on this particular itinerary. Thank goodness, these were not consolidator tickets. They may still be in Omaha or PHL.

[alidor]

OR - you could have done the smart thing and booked with a travel agent in the beginning. They could have probably helped you with your flight problems - yes, a good one can be reached even in the middle of the night. But, then again, a decent agent would have totally advised you about not having passports.

 

"Without an agent, you are on your own." Didn't work that well for you, did it?

[mpillen]

We had the insurance through RCC. We are still waiting to hear back from US

Airways. I have learned many lessons because of this. I have already sent off for the passports. Since we do not fly much I was really dependent on what US Air reps were telling us. So I was penalized for being naive. It just baffles me that the airlines do not have their employees trained... I mean if I went to work and did my job like they did, I would be fired. Also, they called customs to see if we could fly to Nassau on the passport cards and you do need a full passport. That's what we were told anyway..which may or may not actually be fact.

 

I will update to let you know how this all turns out.

[greatam]

We had the insurance through RCC. We are still waiting to hear back from US

Airways.

 

Were your airline tickets cruise air/Choice Air tickets? If so, that is the reason you WERE NOT offered a flight on another airline. They are NON ENDORSABLE tickets-meaning they are NOT good on any other airline.

 

Otherwise, I cannot see how you had insurance through the cruise line. They generally WILL NOT insure self booked airline flights.

 

 

I have learned many lessons because of this. I have already sent off for the passports. Since we do not fly much I was really dependent on what US Air reps were telling us. So I was penalized for being naive. It just baffles me that the airlines do not have their employees trained... I mean if I went to work and did my job like they did, I would be fired. Also, they called customs to see if we could fly to Nassau on the passport cards and you do need a full passport. That's what we were told anyway..which may or may not actually be fact.

 

I will update to let you know how this all turns out.

 

If I am correct that these were cruise air tickets, you were at the bottom of the pecking order for rebooking. That is why you were told to "sit and wait". You simply had to take what you were given due to the heavily restricted nature of your tickets.

 

Yes, you need a passport to fly in or out of the USA, even to the Bahamas. The AIRLINE is responsible if they do not check for passports before allowing people to fly from the USA. IF the airline allows someone to fly to a country where a passport is required and that person is refused entry into the country due to passport requirements, the airline is responsible to keep someone in a "quarantine" area and return them to their country of origin IMMEDIATELY.

 

IF I am correct, a heads up to all those who insist Choice Air/Princess EZ Air is a great way to go (simply because of the price). The OP was about the last to be accommodated. This was pointed out by the experience someone posted on Flyertalk. That person's friend was re-accommodated on Delta and was only in Omaha for a short period of time. The OP was there for a long while and was no place close to getting to SJU.

[mpillen]

Yes it was cruise air and I had no idea those tickets had restrictions. Wow! Not only that they wouldn't release our baggage either. Just madness.

 

QUOTE=greatam;28801985]Were your airline tickets cruise air/Choice Air tickets? If so, that is the reason you WERE NOT offered a flight on another airline. They are NON ENDORSABLE tickets-meaning they are NOT good on any other airline.

 

Otherwise, I cannot see how you had insurance through the cruise line. They generally WILL NOT insure self booked airline flights.

 

 

 

 

If I am correct that these were cruise air tickets, you were at the bottom of the pecking order for rebooking. That is why you were told to "sit and wait". You simply had to take what you were given due to the heavily restricted nature of your tickets.

 

Yes, you need a passport to fly in or out of the USA, even to the Bahamas. The AIRLINE is responsible if they do not check for passports before allowing people to fly from the USA. IF the airline allows someone to fly to a country where a passport is required and that person is refused entry into the country due to passport requirements, the airline is responsible to keep someone in a "quarantine" area and return them to their country of origin IMMEDIATELY.

 

IF I am correct, a heads up to all those who insist Choice Air/Princess EZ Air is a great way to go (simply because of the price). The OP was about the last to be accommodated. This was pointed out by the experience someone posted on Flyertalk. That person's friend was re-accommodated on Delta and was only in Omaha for a short period of time. The OP was there for a long while and was no place close to getting to SJU.

[mpillen]

From the Department of State's website...Again we were lied to by US Air...

 

Travel by Air: All U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport in order to enter or re-enter the United States when travelling be air. U.S. citizens do not need visas for short trips to The Bahamas for tourist/business purposes. It is important to note that although the Bahamian government only requires proof of citizenship and identity in order to enter The Bahamas, the U.S. government requires that Americans have a valid passport in order to fly home. Most airlines will not permit a U.S. citizen to fly to The Bahamas without a valid U.S. passport and risk getting stranded.

[greatam]

From the Department of State's website...Again we were lied to by US Air...

 

Travel by Air: All U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport in order to enter or re-enter the United States when travelling be air. U.S. citizens do not need visas for short trips to The Bahamas for tourist/business purposes. It is important to note that although the Bahamian government only requires proof of citizenship and identity in order to enter The Bahamas, the U.S. government requires that Americans have a valid passport in order to fly home. Most airlines will not permit a U.S. citizen to fly to The Bahamas without a valid U.S. passport and risk getting stranded.

 

The airline did not really lie to you. You COULD have flown to the Bahamas. BUT to re-enter the USA on a cruise ship, you would have needed a passport. You were NO LONGER on a closed loop cruise that would have allowed just a BC/DL. THAT is where the problem came in.

 

Again, I am SURE the cruise line was filling in the airline on the requirements when you got to PHL. In Omaha, the agents most likely had NO IDEA that you needed a passport to get BACK INTO THE US on a cruise ship. That is why they issued the tickets. It was an emergency situation from an airport that most likely doesn't have a tremendous amount of international/cruise passengers with varying rules regarding documentation that is needed. And for those international passengers flying from Omaha, the requirements are clearly documented in the airline records when you check in. YOUR particular requirements changed when you missed the ship.

 

So sorry this happened to you. I seriously doubt you will get no more than the $500 you were offered by RCCL. They will use the lack of passport to refuse to pay as you did not make an effort to catch up to the ship (I understand you did but the lack of passport is clearly in all insurance policies denying claims-the section is listed "required documentation"). That is a valid reason to deny a claim.

 

If you are going to cruise again, fly the day before (even if it is a red eye). BUY YOUR OWN TICKETS!!! And BUY YOUR OWN INSURANCE!!! Lots of help in this forum for airline tickets. Lots of help in the travel insurance forum for travel insurance. Good luck!!!

 

You really should fight it out with US for return of your airfare.

[Cuizer2]

Yes it was cruise air and I had no idea those tickets had restrictions.

 

This is another good reason not to book cruise air.

[6rugrats]

From the Department of State's website...Again we were lied to by US Air...

 

It's not US's responsibility to advise you of correct travel documents, it's yours. From US's webpage:

 

You are responsible for bringing the correct documents for international travel (including Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe). If you do not have the required documentation and identification, you will not be allowed to board the plane.

 

 

The airline did not really lie to you. You COULD have flown to the Bahamas. BUT to re-enter the USA on a cruise ship, you would have needed a passport. You were NO LONGER on a closed loop cruise that would have allowed just a BC/DL. THAT is where the problem came in..

 

Thank you for that clear explanation.

 

 

So sorry this happened to you. I seriously doubt you will get no more than the $500 you were offered by RCCL. They will use the lack of passport to refuse to pay as you did not make an effort to catch up to the ship (I understand you did but the lack of passport is clearly in all insurance policies denying claims-the section is listed "required documentation"). That is a valid reason to deny a claim.

 

 

You really should fight it out with US for return of your airfare.

Agree.

 

OP's story should be at the top of this forum in a sticky illustrating why cruise air may not be the best choice, and why one should always travel with a passport.