Airline "good" stories!

[knothead]

All I have heard about since I decided to fly instead of drive to Fl is flight delays, getting bumped, cancelled flights & missing connecting flights. A friend just had a nightmare experience trying to fly out for a trip to africa. First flight didn't show up, got on next flight but didn't get to connecting flight in time and had to stay overnight, shipped to another airport to make a long flight just to get to original distination, then to find out that flight had been over booked, they finally gave up and came home!

 

Needless to say I'm now afraid of my discision to fly! Any good stories out there to help my fears? How often does everything go right?

 

Thank goodness we are flying out early in the am a day ahead of departure!

[cruzelovr]

I've never "knock-on-wood" had a problem with a flight and I've always flown the same day as the cruise. The only time I haven't flown was on Disney Cruise line when we drove because it was after 9-11 an a few in the group were afraid to fly (not, me, mind you).

You've given yourself a lot of time flying out early the day before to make sure you get there. Of the few people that you hear on here talking about flight problems, which obviously can happen, the majority of the tens of thousands of people that cruise each week fly there without incident.

Good Luck, but you won't need it...

[TrentS]

All I have heard about since I decided to fly instead of drive to Fl is flight delays, getting bumped, cancelled flights & missing connecting flights. A friend just had a nightmare experience trying to fly out for a trip to africa. First flight didn't show up, got on next flight but didn't get to connecting flight in time and had to stay overnight, shipped to another airport to make a long flight just to get to original distination, then to find out that flight had been over booked, they finally gave up and came home!

 

Needless to say I'm now afraid of my discision to fly! Any good stories out there to help my fears? How often does everything go right?

 

Thank goodness we are flying out early in the am a day ahead of departure!

I fly a lot and that kind of stuff DOES indeed happen, a lot more frequently than the airlines would like you to think. That's why experienced cruisers always always ALWAYS fly in at least a day early, more if possible, and always book your own air, with nonstops if possible, or as few connections as possible with longer layovers if you can't get a nonstop to your destination.

 

When you get your tickets also make sure you get a seat assignment, having a ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat, make sure you get the actual seat assignment and show up at the airport at least 2 hours early to check in. If you're unsure call the airline or ask your TA to confirm.

 

You're already doing the right thing by flying in the day before. Make sure you take a change of clothes, and of course ALL valuables in your carry-on.

[VernRDH]

On our first cruise, we flew in to Miami day of cruise-early even. For the return trip, we were at the airport by 10:30am. Checked in at USAir. Apparently, they consistently overbook the flights to Pitt/Philly. So guy makes announcement, flight is overbooked, anyone who will give up their seat gets a free round trip voucher good in lower 48. DH goes up to ask, comes back says they can get us on the next flight an hour later and we get two free vouchers. So we did it. Got home only an hour later than originally scheduled. With two free vouchers, we book another cruise (majesty). Flying home again, flight is overbooked. Again, we volunteer to get "bumped". Only this time we got upgraded to first class, no free vouchers. But probably the only time in my life I will fly 1st class.:rolleyes:

 

 

I have to say that my new fave is Southwest. See my thread "Gotta Love SWA" and you'll find out why.:D

 

Don't worry about flying. Makes life a lot easier.

[brn2crz]

All I have heard about since I decided to fly instead of drive to Fl is flight delays, getting bumped, cancelled flights & missing connecting flights. A friend just had a nightmare experience trying to fly out for a trip to africa. First flight didn't show up, got on next flight but didn't get to connecting flight in time and had to stay overnight, shipped to another airport to make a long flight just to get to original distination, then to find out that flight had been over booked, they finally gave up and came home!

 

Needless to say I'm now afraid of my discision to fly! Any good stories out there to help my fears? How often does everything go right?

 

Thank goodness we are flying out early in the am a day ahead of departure!

 

Hi Knothead...We are getting close huh!!

Who are you flying?American or SW??

My hoping is...We are on SW,non-stop...So,no problems in that area..Also,SW has many flights (well 8) to Orlando...So hopefully we would get on something if there is a problem...And we have the earliest flight.I guess my biggest fear would be a hurricane shutting down either Hobby or MCO??

 

Being that you are going a day early...I bet everything will end up just fine,even if there are some snaffus's..I really think you did the right thing by flying...We consider driving and the train as well...But for 627 round trip for the three of us...Flying was the best choice...(plus,have you ever driven 1-10 to FLL???boring:p )

[Jimbo]

Took a bump last Month was suppose to be Orlando to Raleigh to Philadelphia....instead took Orlando to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, actually arrived an hour early then original Flights.

 

Also got a $386.00 credit voucher for the trouble. :D

 

Gotta Love Southwest...........guess some people just have to get to Raleigh. lol

 

Jimbo:)

[DEERINH2O]

We always fly in a day early, but "knock on wood" we have never had a problem. Yes, we have had delays, and got their earlier or later, but always go there no problem. Go with the attitude that you are on vacation. Throw a deck of cards in your purse and if you are delayed, play a game together in the airport. Try not to let any of the little stuff bother you and you will have a great time.

 

Kathy

[knothead]

Hey eveyone, I appreciate all the "good" responses. I get alittle antsy when all I hear is the bad things. Here is our flight details tell me what you think.

 

Cruise 10/02/05

 

Depart DFW on American Airlines @ 6:18am ( first flight ) 10/01/05

Non-Stop to MCO arriving @ 9:42am.

 

Return MCO on American Airlines @ 5:18pm on 10/09/05 Non-Stop to DFW

arriving @ 7:05pm.

 

Our e-tickets have our seat assignments listed. In fact I hand picked our seat assignments!

 

So what do ya'll think?

[Globaliser]

Any good stories out there to help my fears? How often does everything go right?

Almost always.

 

I do about 15 trips a year by air (fortunately, all for pleasure and none for work). About half of these are long-haul trips, either across to the US or out to the Far East and Australia. Many of them are time-critical - for example, going to Hong Kong for the weekend but having to be back in London by Monday morning so I can go to work.

 

Despite that, I think that I probably encounter a real problem only about once every two years - and even then it's usually nothing more than a 2 to 3 hour delay.

 

So as you're flying the day before the cruise, you should be absolutely fine. The only problem I can see with your flight arrangements is the excruciating pain of getting up so early on the day you're flying to Orlando. I'm not a morning person ...

[TheWog]

Last flights this January were USAIR and everything went as planned. Plane was cold on first flight, because they hadn't warmed it up yet, but other than that we made connections and all luggage arrived when we did. We booked these flights using vouchers from USAIR from the previous year when we missed our connection (watched it back away from the terminal out the plane window while we waited to get off our plane) and had to wait in Charlotte for 7 hours to get to MCO with our 6 year old son. Glad we fly in a day early for our cruise.

[steve20832]

My good stories: everytime I fly Southwest Air

My bad story: the one and only time I flew Airtran - never again!!

[Guest OBAYbee]

Obviously, this didn't happen to me, but the BEST airplane story I have heard happened in Toronto Canada when the Air France plane with 300+ skidded off the runway and nobody was killed or seriously injured. What a lucky group of passengers they were for sure!

[TrentS]

Hey eveyone, I appreciate all the "good" responses. I get alittle antsy when all I hear is the bad things. Here is our flight details tell me what you think.

 

Cruise 10/02/05

 

Depart DFW on American Airlines @ 6:18am ( first flight ) 10/01/05

Non-Stop to MCO arriving @ 9:42am.

 

Return MCO on American Airlines @ 5:18pm on 10/09/05 Non-Stop to DFW

arriving @ 7:05pm.

 

Our e-tickets have our seat assignments listed. In fact I hand picked our seat assignments!

 

So what do ya'll think?

You should be fine with those flights, by flying in early on the day before you've given yourself plenty of time. :)

[steve20832]

The flight to MCO is fine. The flight back you could have picked a flight that left MCO around 1pm and you would have been fine.

[bearette]

I have two good stories for you.

 

One I went to Denver for my husbands's sister's graduation. When we booked the tickets he had to work the weekend so we were only going for 5 days. Well by the time it was time to go he didn't have to work until Tuesday of the next week. (We left on a Monday.) I called about rescheduling, but they wanted a hundred dollars per person to change. Sorry can't do that right now so on a stormy Friday we went to the airport only to have our fight cancelled for bad weather. We rebooked for Monday and got to stay the extra days we wanted for free! So sometimes those weather and flight delays do help someone.

 

We came back from a trip to Orlando and we had a stop over in Las Vegas. We were going to Ontario, California about a 45 minute flight. Well it was the last flight out that night at midnight and it was overbooked. We got a $300 voucher for a future flight and a free night stay in Las Vegas plus some $30 vouchers for meals. (I had a lot of airport food for breakfast before we left.) We left on an afternoon flight the next day. We used those vouchers for our Denver trip that I mentioned above.

[redwings1958]

Here is another good airline story.

We were supposed to fly from FLL to STL via DFW, leaving at 12:15 but not arriveing in STL until 5p. Well we got to the airport early and I noticed that there was a direct flight ffrom FLL to STL that left at 11:45 and arrived at 1:30P. I asked the gate agent if we could go on standby. She said we could but would have to wait until 10 min before departure to be sure. Well it turns out there was a cancellation and she gave us all four seats in the front of coach!! So we saved 3 hours of travel time.

Can't beat that!!!

[hdawson]

I've been so impressed with AirTran that I've bought stock in the company. Youngest all Boeing fleet flying and the only airline that provides 100% fresh air in the cabin. Everyone has a favorite.

[steve20832]

I've been so impressed with AirTran that I've bought stock in the company. Youngest all Boeing fleet flying and the only airline that provides 100% fresh air in the cabin. Everyone has a favorite.

 

hdawson is Airtran's only happy customer...

[grvdggr71]

US Airways has done well for me since I began flying with them. There have been hiccups - including a mechanical problem related delay, one overbooked flight (got free tickets to Miami for our November cruise though!) and lost luggage once (was returned later that same evening). All in all, I've been pleased with the service I have gotten.

[TEXASMUNK]

#1 You are flying AA, not USAir or any other carrier.....Good decision.

 

#2 You are on the first flight out of a Hub, DFW, which means you aircraft will have arrived either the night before or from a west coast flight overnight. WHich means you will not be facing a major problem with weather out of the north or northeast.

 

#3 You have plenty of time!

 

#4 People do not come on web sites and rave about their on-time flights, only when they have a "nightmare" You can actually check the on-time performance history of your flight. I would guess you are probably looking at one that runs in the 90+ range. (on-time: arrives within 15 minutes of shceduled arrival time)

 

So..find something else to worry about.....like when to book your NEXT cruise!

 

Bon Voyage

[hdawson]

Steve. For 2004, AirTran was ranked as number two in customer service in the annual survey that the FAA contracts. Ranked first was JetBlue and third was Southwest. Fourth was United in a very good improvement over the previous year. Also, FAA ranked AirTran as Best in baggage handling among all domestic carriers. I'm truely sorry they singled you out. (just kidding). Stuff sometimes happens.

[JBoshears]

I am a big Airtran fan! They have been great for our City, and I have not had one ounce of trouble flying with them.

 

Like someone said....we all have our favorites!

[hdawson]

JBoshears. We are at least two satisfied customers out of the 4.3 million that flew on AirTran in the first SIX months of this year.

[blusky558]

On our recent return from FLL, the plane was delayed e hours by weather and then by mechanical. The staff at FLL was less than helpful, and I knew that the delay would cause us to miss all chances of any connecting flights to Denver in Atlanta. All they offered us were meal vouchers. I was traveling with 3 seniors over the age of 75, 1 teenager, and a young mother with a 4 month old baby. I knew we were all dead tired and that in the least, my parents could not handle spending the night in Hartsfield.

 

Once in Atlanta, it was a madhouse as it usually is there, but I was able to deal with a CSR named Ricky at the A Concourse CS desk. He managed to get my two daughters and the baby in the last two seats on the very last flight to Denver. He then proceeded to get us very nice hotel accomodations, meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast, overnight kits, and an escort with wheelchair for my dad who was worn out by then. All done with a smile and gracious kindness. Later, when I stopped to thank him again when I knew the girls where on their way, the guy Ricky was dealing with was yelling, etc. He got a hotel room, but not a the same quality hotel we got. When you do have delays, I have always found that a little kindness and politeness goes a long way in dealing with the problem at hand.

[knothead]

Thanks to all for your good responses! Jim: I did check the % of on time for each flight. The first one is in the 90% range. The second one is only 50%. I'm not really worried about the return flight all I have to do is go BACK TO WORK!!