US Airways - hotel if flight missed due to bad weather?

Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel would
be provided because we missed because of the weather.
When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out vouchers
and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although the
woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

So why the inconsistency?

We were lucky to be able to rebook. While waiting in the line, I heard a
staff member advise the people behind me to phone reservations. They
didn't have phones and I guess as they were alone didn't want to leave the
line. I left my wife in line, found a courtesy phone and rebooked by
phoning US Airways reservations. Luckily, because the person directly in
front of us in the line when we got to the desk was told the flight was
full!

Thanks.

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

"Doug Weller" wrote:
Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international
connection.
We ... were told no hotel would be provided because we missed
because of the weather. When we left the desk, we ran into the
2 (separate) people who had been behind us. They'd been pulled
out of the line, rebooked and given hotel vouchers. We found the
US Airways staff who had been handing out vouchers and he gave
us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free...).
So why the inconsistency?
... I heard a staff member advise the people behind me to phone
reservations. snip
-----
Typical snafu, but not unique. At least you scored a voucher.
On our arrival in Newark (from Rome via Amsterdam), we were
to switch from Continental to Delta, but a rainstorm in Atlanta
cancelled our flight. Delta tried to put us on another flight and
had us return to Continental, who declined to take us. Back at
Delta, they also told us weather meant no hotel. No vouchers.

I would have settled for any motel, but my dear-wife insisted on
the Hilton, who soaked us with rack-rates. sigh Then we had
to retrieve our luggage which was checked thru. At the hotel,
we rebooked again for a later flight to more fully enjoy the
amenities of the Newark Hilton. :-/

Now, if I have a connection that puts me on the last-flight-out,
or nearly so, I'll make a list of airport-hotels and their rates,
just in case.

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:40:46 +0000 Doug Weller
wrote:

:Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
:We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel would
:be provided because we missed because of the weather.
:When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
:behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
:vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out vouchers
:and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although the
:woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
:discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

:So why the inconsistency?

Higher level FFs or full fares. The airlines do tend to take extra care of
their FFs and wish to keep the full fares who can easily walk to another
airline.

--
Binyamin Dissen
http://www.dissensoftware.com

Should you use the mailblocks package and expect a response from me,
you should preauthorize the dissensoftware.com domain.

I very rarely bother responding to challenge/response systems,
especially those from irresponsible companies.

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:43:28 +0200, in rec.travel.air, Binyamin Dissen
wrote:

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:40:46 +0000 Doug Weller
wrote:

:Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
:We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel would
:be provided because we missed because of the weather.
:When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
:behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
:vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out vouchers
:and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although the
:woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
:discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

:So why the inconsistency?

Higher level FFs or full fares. The airlines do tend to take extra care of
their FFs and wish to keep the full fares who can easily walk to another
airline.

I'm sure that's not it. For a start, I was an Expedia customer, economy
class, and they knew it. They weren't even trying to find out what fare
people were on before telling them no hotel.
Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

Rog' wrote:
snip
I would have settled for any motel, but my dear-wife insisted on
the Hilton, who soaked us with rack-rates. sigh Then we had
to retrieve our luggage which was checked thru. At the hotel,
we rebooked again for a later flight to more fully enjoy the
amenities of the Newark Hilton. :-/

Now, if I have a connection that puts me on the last-flight-out,
or nearly so, I'll make a list of airport-hotels and their rates,
just in case.

If you're stranded and you're going to have to pay for your own hotel
room, see if you can get the airline to give you a pink slip from
Airport Accommodations. From my experience, you can call the 800 number
and get the distressed passenger rate at one of the hotels on their
list, or you can go with their special of the day.

.... unless you're in Newark. I went to http://airportaccommodations.net
and clicked on "About Us" and they can help you if you're at JFK or La
Guardia or O'Hare or Seattle or Denver or a bunch of other places, but
not if you're at EWR.

(If you're ever stuck at O'Hare and you need any of the basics that you
can't get at a hotel, I recommend the Radisson or the Wyndham. They're
on either side of, and a short walk to, the same Target. And IHOP.)

Louis

"Doug Weller" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:43:28 +0200, in rec.travel.air, Binyamin Dissen
wrote:

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:40:46 +0000 Doug Weller
wrote:

:Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
:We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel
would
:be provided because we missed because of the weather.
:When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
:behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
:vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out
vouchers
:and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although
the
:woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
:discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

:So why the inconsistency?

Higher level FFs or full fares. The airlines do tend to take extra care of
their FFs and wish to keep the full fares who can easily walk to another
airline.

I'm sure that's not it. For a start, I was an Expedia customer, economy
class, and they knew it. They weren't even trying to find out what fare
people were on before telling them no hotel.


But you could, of course, have made a claim on your Travel Insurance.
--

JohnT

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:09:44 -0000, in rec.travel.air, JohnT wrote:

"Doug Weller" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:43:28 +0200, in rec.travel.air, Binyamin Dissen
wrote:

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:40:46 +0000 Doug Weller
wrote:

:Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
:We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel
would
:be provided because we missed because of the weather.
:When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
:behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
:vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out
vouchers
:and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although
the
:woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
:discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

:So why the inconsistency?

Higher level FFs or full fares. The airlines do tend to take extra care of
their FFs and wish to keep the full fares who can easily walk to another
airline.

I'm sure that's not it. For a start, I was an Expedia customer, economy
class, and they knew it. They weren't even trying to find out what fare
people were on before telling them no hotel.


But you could, of course, have made a claim on your Travel Insurance.

Of course. But as they'd paid for the hotel, my expenses weren't as much
as my excess.
Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

Doug Weller wrote:

Flying back Ind-PHL-Man Monday we missed our international connection.
We got in the long line for rebooking and people were told no hotel would
be provided because we missed because of the weather.
When we left the desk, we ran into the 2 (separate) people who had been
behind us. They'd been pulled out of the line, rebooked and given hotel
vouchers. We found the US Airways staff who had been handing out vouchers
and he gave us one. (Not a great hotel, but at least free -- although the
woman who was ahead of us when we got to the hotel check in counter
discovered that the piece of paper she had wasn't a voucher!).

So why the inconsistency?

If there is a weather delay, you aren't entitled to a free hotel room.
However, airlines have been known to give them to some people.

In many cases you might be able to gat a "distressed traveler" voucher,
which gives you a discount on a hotel room. The last one I got was for
the ORD Hilton at $50, but that was quite awhile ago. I rarely have
weather problems that keep me overnight in a connecting city.

JohnT wrote:



But you could, of course, have made a claim on your Travel Insurance.

For a weather problem?

"mrtravel" wrote in message
. ..
JohnT wrote:



But you could, of course, have made a claim on your Travel Insurance.

For a weather problem?


My UK Travel Insurance would certainly cover that situation.
--

JohnT