by Beks
After 27 hours of travel, we arrived home at midnight last night/this morning. Our flight was delayed out of Rome for an hour because of some security dogs and then we sat on the tarmac for another two hours because of a mechanical problem with the plane.
The very last thing you want to hear before taking a 10 hour flight is that your plane is having mechanical problems. Nasty turbulence didn’t help either. I spent 12 hours wishing I had a written will.
The long delay before takeoff made us miss our connecting flight from Chicago and they didn’t have any seats available for what seemed like decades. When seats finally did open up, they were in the very back of the plane and we couldn’t sit together.
I understand that planes have unexpected problems and not everything will go according to plan. What I don’t understand is how badly we were treated and how rude the employees of the airline were. Rather than treat us like we CAUSED the problem, I would have at least appreciated an apology when you add 12 hours to our travel time – but I guess that was too much to ask.
I’d hate to call out the airline *cough* *cough* AMERICAN AIRLINES *cough* *cough* but really, I honestly can’t believe how badly things went.
At least we finally made it home to a broken window and a tattered house… but that’s something I’ll have to post about tomorrow. I’ve got killer jet lag and I’m going to bed.
Beks is a full-time government employee who enjoys blogging late into the night after her four kids have gone to sleep. She’s been married to Chris, her college sweetheart, for 15 years. In 2017, after 3 long years working the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, they paid off more than $70K and became debt free. When she’s not working or blogging, she’s exploring the great outdoors.
You’re not alone I had horrible service with American Airlines earlier this year trying to get from Tampa to Denver, had a stop in Dallas where we missed our connecting flight and they had NO other options till the next morning, nor did they have any partner airlines to fly us out.
We were offered COTS in the terminal to sleep on… and then finally Vouchers for chintzy hotels and to top it all off, my carry on, which they FORCED me to check because first boarders carried on too much, i was not allowed to have. They said it would be on my morning flight out.
Like you said no apologies were every really issued in our case either.
Call them, write letters, etc. Airlines will often offer some reimbursement if you call them on their bad behaviour.
Oh, American Airlines. My favorite. The one and only long trip my family ever took was ruined by American Airlines in much the same fashion as yours. Never again will I fly American. So sorry your trip end was such a hassle.
Glad you’re home safe and sound!
Sorry to hear about the delay! I’ve had the same problem with that airline in the past when they have been delayed (no fault of mine) and refuse to fly them again. Refuse.
While I usually don’t have problems with AA, I think their Chicago people might be awful. We got bumped from our connecting flight in Chicago on our way home from Rome as well (weather). They swore that they had no seats to give us on any flights until the next morning. Luckily, my husband thought to call the travel agent he uses through work. She cut right through their BS and got us on a flight. She explained to us that that when stuff like that happens they give priority to people who paid a lot for their tickets. We got a great deal (which was still a lot to us), therefore we were not a priority. Just another reason to love the airlines, right?
pics or it didn’t happen 😉
I love your blog! You were my motivation to start my own 🙂 Did you see this article on Yahoo about the worst airlines? Turns out American was #4 out of the worst 5!
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-36360593
I don’t think I’ve ever flown American. I tend to stick to Southwest or Delta mostly because they’re usually the cheapest. I’m sorry to hear your experience with American was so bad.
Sorry about your experience with American. I had a similar experience this weekend. They’re horrible!
Yeah, that’s why I’ve vowed to never give another US based airline any of my own money (Southwest being an exception if need be). I travel a lot for business and have to fly US Airways (equally bad, if not worse than AA), but whenever I don’t get reimbursed for flights, and it’s an international flight, it’s Lufthansa all the way, they understand how to treat customers (which to US based airlines seems more like “live airfreight”) and they don’t nickel and dime you either (free headphones, free blankets, free wine, beer, liquors if you want). Are they more expensive? Yes, but the additional 10-20% in cost is well worth the lack of hassle and rude behavior.
All airlines have their moments.
My wife and I sat in the lounge watching them work on a plane engine.
I joked that it was our plane. 10 minutes later they announced our delay.
I still fly predominantly with that airline.