Just wanted to follow up with an update on our fiasco with AA/AE a few weeks ago (see thread titled "Stuck Inside of San Juan with the Bonaire Blues Again"). My apparently well-worded letter to American's Customer Relations department has apparently yielded some results. I was informed via email that we would EACH be receiving $400 travel vouchers in the mail as compensation for our lost day of vacation. Assuming these do arrive, I must say that I feel that's adequate compensation and that this somewhat raises my feelings about AA. Hopefully we will actually receive them. The message here is don't be afraid to complain and demand (or at least firmly request) compensation, as the airlines generally do not provide anything unless you ask.

Scott, did they also give you the vouchers in PR? We all got $400 vouchers, meal vouchers, and the hotel and transportation vouchers the day we were bumped, but it didn't really cover all expenses or compensate for the lost day of diving. We were bumped because the plane was overweight so maybe they were more up front with our compensation....?

We received no travel vouchers in San Juan. If I had not complained after we got home, we would have gotten zilch. Ours was for a missed flight due to delay, not bumping, so maybe that's the difference. 800 bucks for the two of us definitely covered our extra meal and taxi expense as well as the lost day of diving. That didn't cover your expenses/losses?

Well - it only means we'll have to use them again - and as i stood at the AE counter, I vowed I'd NEVER fly AA/AE again!

But for $800 credit - we'll find somewhere to go!

San Juan cut out our first day of diving and Hurricane Emily took our last day, so I only got in 12 dives this trip - but it just adds to the flavor of the trip! We'll be talking about it for years to come!

we got delayed 18 months ago while flying to bonaire. we were scheduled to fly AA from jfk to san juan but the plane kept getting later and later. finally i told the gate agent that if we missed our flight on AE from SJU to bonaire, they'd have to put us up for three nights since AE wasn't scheduled to fly again till friday.

they rerouted us to miami, we stayed overnight there and caught AE to curacao the next day. at curacao we had to buy tickets on either bonaire express or dca to get to bonaire. that was at our expense and we had been told to submit the receipts to AA when we got home and we'd be reimbursed.

when we got home i sent a letter to AA explaining what happened and requesting the refund. i also complimented one of the flight attendants on the first leg of our flight. it was not crowded and she took the time to actually demonstrate how to open the emergency exit door since we were in that row.

about three weeks later i got a letter back from AA. they thanked me for my input and enclosed a check for about $70 (the cost of the two one-way tickets from cur to bon). they also included one $400 voucher for AA. we used that on our next trip.

i think if they say they'll give you a voucher, they will. also, remember that most of the employees at the airport can't do much about delayed flights...but if you're nice to them, they can help you get compensated. granted, it's easier to be nice when you are losing one day out of a very long vacation like we did than one day out of a weeks vacation but sometimes you just gotta grit your teeth and smile.

I agree with you 100%. Getting mad at airline employees on the plane or in the airport not only gets you nowhere and is mean-spirited because it's not their fault, but it also only succeeds in getting you, the employees, and your fellow passengers more stressed out and irritated. Grinning and bearing it as best ya can and taking it up with Customer Relations after your vacation is always the best way to handle these things, IMHO. I've been successful at getting decent compensation that way, including free roundrip caribbean airfare from Air Jam a few years ago, this $800 worth of vouchers, and free hotel nights on several occasions.

I'm sure this isn't going to be a welcomed addition (or maybe it is)... First something brief about myself. I'm Platinum on NorthWest Executive Platinum on American Airlines. I've gotten my 100 credits on SouthWest, and I'm Gold on United. (So conversely its natural to say I'm Platinum at Marriott and Starwood hotels too).

So suffice to say I travel generally 6 days a week, unless I happen to be taking a dive trip; and yes the last two weeks of October I'll be in Bonaire.

While its tragic that on vacation you lost a few days or lost it completely (When the little nation of Antigua went on "strike" about two years ago - including air traffic control on the island - I was stranded at SJU with no where to go)

Even with the fact that I spend over 100K per year on air travel, when something is out of the airlines control (weather, etc) there really isn't much they can do about it. (I have no idea how many times I've stayed at the Marriott at O'hare because the airport was closed or gotten stuck in Detroit and stayed at the Westin in the airport, etc) Travel delays happen. (I'd personally rather be safe on the ground than taking a (bigger) gamble with my life to be in the air) So it always pains me to hear "I'll never travel xxx airline again" Well honestly the name of the airline doesn't matter, because I've gotten stuck on them all at one time or another and the only thing they or you can do to try to make alternative arrangements or wait it out.

I'm glad you did have the presence of mind to know how to get there; and yes I'm flying MIA/CUR instead of SJU/BON -- because one small ATR cannot compare to two large jets in a day in case some thing goes wrong. Divi Divi has always been great to get between the islands. Sure it costs a bit more, and you miss the wonderful duty free store in SJU, but sometimes planning for the worst is better than being stuck in a mess.

All travel is adventure travel; the journey is what you make it.
Paul, if we were to have a best first post award, I'd give today's to you.


(Message edited by seb on September 24, 2005)