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March 15, 2007
Why Airlines Go Bankrupt, Reason #4948
CENTRAL TENNESSEE - Tiffany is coming down to Tennessee this weekend rather than me flying home. And I learned reason #4948 that airlines go bankrupt.
There's a big storm coming to New York tomorrow, 6" of snow predicted. Naturally there's a rush to get out. Two of the first four Delta flights to Atlanta tomorrow have already been canceled. Learning this, I rang-up Delta early this afternoon and asked if Tiffany could fly tonight into Knoxville, which is closer to me than Atlanta anyway. Delta was plenty willing to give Tiffany the second-to-last seat available to Atlanta tonight. But they wouldn't fly her to Knoxville instead without a $350 fee. Why? Because Knoxville is 233 miles away from Atlanta, which is too far, and Tiffany didn't buy a ticket to Knoxville. (Knoxville is actually closer to here than Atlanta.)
The situation at Laguardia at the present moment is so chaotic and dire that Delta has chartered a jet to fly to Atlanta tonight and carry the 92 standbys currently at LaGuardia. They were offering $400 travel vouchers plus hotel vouchers (perhaps another $200) to anyone willing to give up his seat and risk flying during tomorrow's snowstorm.
Meanwhile, what about that flight to Knoxville that leaves in a half-hour, the one Delta demanded we pay $350 to get Tiffany aboard? Yes, It's more than half empty. In other words, Delta is flying 29 empty seats to Knoxville and is paying to charter an entire plane to fly to Atlanta after offering anyone who wanted it $400 not to fly to Atlanta tonight.
I was trying to help Delta out tonight by rerouting Tiffany to Knoxville. Had they accomodated us, it would have been one less frustrated passenger getting paid $400 not to fly tonight. And I would have had a much better opinion of Delta. Next time one hears of passengers stranded at airports during storms or another airline bankruptcy, don't blame the weather--blame the airline.
UPDATE: Every Delta flight from LaGuardia to Atlanta until 6PM tonight has been cancelled. Basically, anyone who didn't leave yesterday won't make it until Saturday.
Posted by adrianjo at March 15, 2007 09:02 PM