narad
Progressive metal and politics
Long story short, the last return flight SYR -> Chicago -> Tokyo was one of the worst flight experiences I could imagine. Multiple delays on my first flight arriving from mechanical failure meant that I missed my intended connection, but I also missed the connection on the redesigned trip that went SYR -> Seattle -> Tokyo, and I arrived in Seattle around midnight, and they put me in a hotel, but I had to be back in the airport by 7. Then at the gate I had to argue with the check-in counter lady because she said my covid tests were not done within the 48 hour window (which they were, when I boarded the first flight of this trip!). And so I was this asshole at the counter with the whole queue screaming at me, but ultimately was waived on with a "well, Japan isn't going to let you in, I hope you know that" (they did).
Now I'm coming back from Tokyo -> newark -> SYR, except that the first flight was delayed 5 hours, making our connection pretty tricky, but we were told all rescheduling and stuff happens automatically once we're in the air, and nothing could be done until the flight is taken off. But ultimately it didn't matter, because they just decided to stop in SF for some crew change BS, and that meant we got into Newark at midnight, and sat on the runway for an hour. By the time we got out and started talking to staff about hotels, "all hotels are booked". Like how tf is that even possible, yet it seems to be -- we spent 90 minutes the two of us calling every hotel we could find. So now we've just been sitting in this airport since midnight, waiting for the 2PM flight to SYR. We have meal vouchers but really this leaves me like... wtf, it is totally on them to schedule crew changes, and now because of this we are arriving like 20 hours later, and more importantly, spending most of that time sitting in uncomfortable chairs, freezing and hungry and with wifi at 1994 dial up speeds. Now through security the wifi and power supplies are sorted, but is that it?? You couldn't just walk up to me and offer me $2k to stay awake for the next 30 hours in a chair with no padding. Do they ever compensate for these terrible situations they put people in? I mean, a delay here or there from weather is an understandable inconvenience, but when you pay like $4k in tickets then it's overnight spent in an airport terminal, it doesn't seem right at all. I feel like I should get a free flight or a free upgrade or a hell of a lot of miles, but I don't know what to do. I imagine if you try to call up and complain, you are probably met with several layers of padding between your complaint and any accountability. Anything know anything more about it / these situations?
I miss the pizza delivery stuff like, "if it's not there in 30 minutes, it's free", it makes it clear up front what's at stake. But an airline can get you to your destination like an entire work day late and that's just within the acceptable margins?
Anyway, very tired, very annoyed, only using small set of neurons that are persevering probably by eating each other for lipids
(Also there was an academic conference deadline the night before the flight so I'm doing all that on top of a near all-nighter proofing student drafts)
Now I'm coming back from Tokyo -> newark -> SYR, except that the first flight was delayed 5 hours, making our connection pretty tricky, but we were told all rescheduling and stuff happens automatically once we're in the air, and nothing could be done until the flight is taken off. But ultimately it didn't matter, because they just decided to stop in SF for some crew change BS, and that meant we got into Newark at midnight, and sat on the runway for an hour. By the time we got out and started talking to staff about hotels, "all hotels are booked". Like how tf is that even possible, yet it seems to be -- we spent 90 minutes the two of us calling every hotel we could find. So now we've just been sitting in this airport since midnight, waiting for the 2PM flight to SYR. We have meal vouchers but really this leaves me like... wtf, it is totally on them to schedule crew changes, and now because of this we are arriving like 20 hours later, and more importantly, spending most of that time sitting in uncomfortable chairs, freezing and hungry and with wifi at 1994 dial up speeds. Now through security the wifi and power supplies are sorted, but is that it?? You couldn't just walk up to me and offer me $2k to stay awake for the next 30 hours in a chair with no padding. Do they ever compensate for these terrible situations they put people in? I mean, a delay here or there from weather is an understandable inconvenience, but when you pay like $4k in tickets then it's overnight spent in an airport terminal, it doesn't seem right at all. I feel like I should get a free flight or a free upgrade or a hell of a lot of miles, but I don't know what to do. I imagine if you try to call up and complain, you are probably met with several layers of padding between your complaint and any accountability. Anything know anything more about it / these situations?
I miss the pizza delivery stuff like, "if it's not there in 30 minutes, it's free", it makes it clear up front what's at stake. But an airline can get you to your destination like an entire work day late and that's just within the acceptable margins?
Anyway, very tired, very annoyed, only using small set of neurons that are persevering probably by eating each other for lipids
(Also there was an academic conference deadline the night before the flight so I'm doing all that on top of a near all-nighter proofing student drafts)
