How was your Christmas? Below, you can find out how mine went...
December 28, 2004
Comair, Inc. and Delta Inc.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
International Airport
P.O. Box 75318
Cincinnati, OH 45275
Dear Comair Inc. and Delta Inc.
I am writing to offer your company a timeline of my travel itinerary for four nightmarish days – Dec. 23, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Dec. 26 – and also to formally request that you reimburse me for all my flight and hotel expenses for these days. After all, it was incompetence from your airline at almost every turn that all but ruined my Christmas.
5 p.m., Thurs. Dec. 23: Leave, via automobile, from my place of business in Jersey City, NJ for a hotel stay in Philadelphia, Pa. The next morning, I am scheduled for two Comair flights – one from Philadelphia, Pa. to Cincinnati, Ohio and one from Cincinnati, Ohio to Cleveland, Ohio.
9:30 p.m., Thurs. Dec. 23: Arrive at Holiday Inn, Philadelphia International Airport.
10:40 a.m., Fri. Dec. 24: Arrive at Philadelphia International Airport, only to find out that my scheduled flight, Comair Flight 1841 to Cincinnati, has been canceled. I immediately use the Delta Direct phones to try and get another flight out to Cincinnati. The representative notifies me that she cannot find another Delta flight until the next morning. She also informs me that she cannot help me get a flight on another airline, but does tell me the phone numbers of other airlines that fly directly from Philadelphia to Cincinnati. All those phone numbers are busy. I wait at the airport, trying to get information.
1:25 p.m., Fri. Dec. 24: A man in the Delta terminal announces that a new flight to Cincinnati has been created, Comair flight 9380. I get on the flight, which leaves at around 2:40 p.m.
4:20 p.m., Fri. Dec. 24: Arrive at airport in Cincinnati. Wait for flight 5277 to Cleveland, which is supposed to be departing at 5:20 p.m. The big board says that it will be departing at 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. passes, and a half hour later, the time is changed to 6:30 p.m. Gates for the flight change (even after Comair representatives say that “the plane is already here,”), and “boarding” is flashed a few times as well. The time keeps getting pushed back, to 7:30, then 8:45, then 9:30.
10 p.m., Fri. Dec. 24: The flight boards. The captain, over the intercom, says at 10:15 p.m. that all the plane needs to take off is the “air start” system, which is needed to start the plane. The system is apparently at another gate.
11 p.m., Fri. Dec. 24: The flight attendants and captain are still saying that the air start system is at another gate, and that nobody has delivered it yet. A pattern is developing.
Midnight, Christmas Day: The captain is said to have personally walked over to make people from another terminal deliver the air start system, but it still is not there. We are still waiting to take off.
1 a.m., Christmas Day: The flight attendant announces that the flight has been canceled due to mechanical failures.
1:30 a.m., Christmas Day: Back at the airport, a Comair representative tells me that I cannot get to Cleveland until 7 p.m. He also says he cannot book me on another airline. He does not offer food vouchers. Nobody ONCE offered me food vouchers. Not ONCE! Furthermore, he says he cannot find a hotel for me in the area! Luckily, my girlfriend, who is in Cleveland waiting for me, has a phone number that allows distressed passengers to get hotel rooms. I get booked for a room at the Radisson/Cincinnati Airport (receipt attached). How does Comair not have the ability to book me a hotel room in the area, but my girlfriend can find out how to do this? This is unacceptable. It is abhorrent to everything an airline, or any business concerning customer service, should be.
2:30 a.m., Christmas Day: I arrive at the Radisson, after walking from the airport (Delta was supposed to have offered a shuttle since the Radisson shuttle stopped operating at 2 a.m., but there was no Delta shuttle). I pay for my room at the Radisson, and go to that room.
2:45 a.m., Christmas Day: My girlfriend informs me that after spending an hour on the phone with Delta, she has booked me on a 9:10 a.m., Christmas day Comair flight, to Cleveland. I go to sleep.
7:30 a.m., Christmas Day: I wake up, and find out that my flight to Cleveland has been canceled. Comair has shut down its operations, because of computer failure. At this time, I would like to remind your company that NONE of these problems had ANYTHING to do with weather.
10 a.m., Christmas Day: I get booked on a flight back to Philadelphia, just in case nothing comes through regarding Cleveland. Delta has still not offered me ANYTHING on another airline, although I have asked. One representative does give me a $7 food voucher for an airport meal, but only after I asked for one. I should have received about six of them for all the time I spent at the airport paying out of my pocket for food.
Noon, Christmas Day: I get booked for standby on a flight from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Delta flight 518. It is supposed to depart at 2:50 p.m.
1:30 p.m., Christmas Day: I get moved from standby into seat #21F on Flight 518.
5 p.m., Christmas Day: After (surprise), delays, I finally depart for Cleveland.
6 p.m., Christmas Day: I arrive in Cleveland.
3 p.m., Dec. 26: after less than 24 hours with my loved ones, I arrive back at the Cleveland airport to fly back to Cincinnati.
10 p.m., Dec. 26: after more delays, I arrive at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia Airport. I go to sleep, and the next morning I leave the hotel to go to work in Jersey City.
Delta and Comair, for all intents and purposes, ruined my Christmas. Other airlines from Cincinnati had few problems on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, while Delta and Comair were basically incompetent. I could have stayed with other family in New Jersey had I known all these problems were going to take place. I could have had a stress-free Christmas, without having to spend a bulk of my time in airports. Therefore, I think that it is only fair that Delta and Comair refund me for:
My round trip airfare ($258.40).
My hotel stays in Philadelphia for Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 ($135.90) (again, I would have never flown had I known the problems were going to arise).
My parking at the Holiday Inn ($25).
My hotel stay in Cincinnati that Delta/Comair DID NOT FIND FOR ME ($54.02).
At least five $7 food vouchers ($35).
Total: $508.32.
Please note, proper documentation for most of these is attached.
Sincerely,
Joseph J. Checkler
Cell (732-674-4871)
Office (201-938-4297)
e-mail: joseph.checkler@dowjones.com
Your Trip Details Flight(s): Fri, December 24, 2004 Flight: Delta Air Lines flight 1841 (Non-Stop) Flight Details Depart: Philadelphia, PA (PHL) - TERMINAL E Fri, Dec 24 at 1:30pm Arrive: Cincinnati, OH (CVG) - TERMINAL 3 Fri, Dec 24 at 3:27pm Seat: REQUESTED (Boeing 737-200 Jet) Meal: No Meal Served Status: Confirmation Code P45QW8 Flight: Delta Air Lines flight 5322 operated by COMAIR INC (Non-Stop) Flight Details Depart: Cincinnati, OH (CVG) - TERMINAL 3 Fri, Dec 24 at 4:20pm Arrive: Cleveland, OH (CLE) - Terminal Information Unavailable Fri, Dec 24 at 5:32pm Seat: REQUESTED (CRJ-700 Canadair Regional Jet) Meal: No Meal Served Status: Confirmation Code P45QW8 Flight(s): Sun, December 26, 2004 Flight: Delta Air Lines flight 1727 (Non-Stop) Flight Details Depart: Cleveland, OH (CLE) - Terminal Information Unavailable Sun, Dec 26 at 5:05pm Arrive: Cincinnati, OH (CVG) - TERMINAL 3 Sun, Dec 26 at 6:13pm Seat: REQUESTED (Boeing 737-200 Jet) Meal: No Meal Served Status: Confirmation Code P45QW8 Flight: Delta Air Lines flight 1843 (Non-Stop) Flight Details Depart: Cincinnati, OH (CVG) - TERMINAL 3 Sun, Dec 26 at 7:15pm Arrive: Philadelphia, PA (PHL) - TERMINAL E Sun, Dec 26 at 9:03pm Seat: REQUESTED (Boeing 737-200 Jet) Meal: No Meal Served Status: Confirmation Code P45QW8 Airfare Summary - Prices shown in U.S. dollars Total: USD 258.40 Travelers Price per person Taxes & Fees Total Price 1 adult 198.13 55.27 253.40 Service Fee 5.00 5.00
Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Int'l Airport, PA
45 Industrial Hwy. Essington, Pennsylvania 19029(610) 521-2400
Guest Name(s): Joseph ChecklerJoseph Checkler must be present at check-in.
Check-in: Thu, Dec 23, 2004
Check-out: Fri, Dec 24, 2004
Hotel Confirmation No.: 61686178
Traveler and Billing Details
Hotel
1 room(s) @ $58.00 per night x 1 night(s)
$58.00
Hotel Taxes and fees:
$10.95
Hotel Subtotal
$68.95
Total Price
$68.95
Some hotels may apply additional charges for incidentalfees such as parking. Prices are in $USD
Billed To: Joseph ChecklerDate Purchased: Dec 23, 2004/9:39AM PSTCharged to: Visa (************1517)
Contact phone: (732) 674-4871Contact email: joeyscoops@aol.com
Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Int'l Airport, PA
45 Industrial Hwy. Essington, Pennsylvania 19029(610) 521-2400
Guest Name(s): Joseph ChecklerJoseph Checkler must be present at check-in.
Check-in: Sun, Dec 26, 2004
Check-out: Mon, Dec 27, 2004
Hotel Confirmation No.: 61687424
Traveler and Billing Details
Hotel
1 room(s) @ $53.00 per night x 1 night(s)
$53.00
Hotel Taxes and fees:
$13.95
Hotel Subtotal
$66.95
Total Price
$66.95
Some hotels may apply additional charges for incidentalfees such as parking. Prices are in $USD
Billed To: Joseph ChecklerDate Purchased: Dec 23, 2004/9:42AM PSTCharged to: Visa (************1517)
