AIRLINE PROBLEMS - Page 4 of 8

How to get banned from flying to Singapore or anywhere else.

Surprise! You just got banned from flying. Now what?

October 19, 2024March 29, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

We’ve all heard the stories of air passengers getting banned from flying for aggressive and outlandish behavior. But Marko K. found a more harmless and unique way to get banished permanently by an airline. After threatening a mid-air starvation strike to protest the cost of airline food, he landed directly on Scoot’s no-fly list.

Marko’s tale serves as a reminder to travelers. Passengers who make any threats of problematic behavior – even benign ones – can end up banned from flying. No airline crew wants to be faced with an inflight situation that could force an emergency landing. So it’s vital that passengers resolve all of their complaints and concerns on the ground, not 30,000 feet in the air.

My American Airlines flight was on time. How did I arrive on the wrong day?!

June 23, 2024March 21, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Evan H. made an embarrassing self-ticketing mistake on American Airlines that caused him to miss a business meeting. His time zone confusion led him to take a flight to Hong Kong that landed as scheduled but one day too late.

So why is he contacting a consumer advocacy organization about this blunder?

He says American Airlines did not inform him of the significant time zone changes (and date changes) involved in flying from Dallas to Hong Kong. As a result, he wants compensation of an undetermined value from the airline.

Aer Lingus aircraft, green and white airplane.

What would you do if you were given this terrible airline seat?

May 26, 2023March 14, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Have you ever wondered what the worst airline seat in the history of modern-day air travel looks like? Well, wonder no more! Aer Lingus passenger Matt Madrigal sat in it on a flight to Dublin.

Madrigal endured the dirty “seat” with no cushion and exposed metal for his entire transatlantic flight to Ireland from the United States.

Ouch!

His mom is furious with the airline’s treatment of her son. And she wants to know if our advocacy team can help.

This case underscores the importance of learning how to self-advocate in real-time. If you’re presented with a wholly unacceptable situation, it’s critical to voice those concerns at the time. If you don’t, you may endure unnecessary, unpleasant conditions that should have — and could have — been corrected immediately.

Editor’s Note: I first reported on this awful excuse for an airline seat in 2018. This article was last updated on March 14, 2023, as it moves to its permanent archive home here at Consumer Rescue.

Empty gate area after missed flight connection, missed connecting flight, sitting at the gate alone.

What happens if you miss your flight connection (and it’s your fault)?

December 3, 2024January 31, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

What’s the correct thing to do if you miss your flight connection? The answer depends on why you failed to board your connecting flight. But it’s a question that Alla Machavariane is asking.

She has an unusual tale to tell. Alla says she and her husband missed their flight connection in Chicago while sitting at the gate in full view of the aircraft and crew members.

The duo is unsure why they never heard any announcements or noticed all the passengers around them boarding the plane. But they believe Spirit Airlines is somehow responsible for their missed flight connection and want the airline to reimburse them $2,200. That’s the cost of the new tickets they were forced to buy to get home.

But what caused the couple to miss their flight connection?

That is the $2,200 question.

Canada has air passenger protection regulations to know about.

This is how Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations apply to you

March 5, 2023January 27, 2023 by Stephanie Patterson

Did you know that you can receive monetary compensation if your flight is delayed or canceled in Canada? The skies have recently become friendlier when flying to, from, or within Canada. The reason? The Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

These regulations apply to all airlines operating into, out of, and through Canada, holding them accountable for flight disruptions. They are designed to soften the financial and mental hardship felt by passengers. The Air Passenger Protection Regulations are similar to the EU261 in the European Union. Here’s what you need to know.

Mexico's blue water, ocean, honeymoon destination

Here’s a honeymoon horror story that could have been avoided. This is how

April 30, 2024January 22, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Lauren Weichman missed her honeymoon and she wants you to hear her horror story.

After their wedding, she and her new spouse boarded a Frontier flight for their much-anticipated honeymoon to Cancun. Upon landing, the giddy couple made their way to the immigration window and handed over their passports. But when Mexican authorities asked Lauren’s husband for his required visa, the couple’s honeymoon came to a premature halt. He didn’t have a visa — and the border agents rejected his entry to Mexico.

Now Lauren wants our advocacy team to find out who is to blame for this honeymoon horror story. And who will refund her missed honeymoon?

A Lufthansa aircraft on a runway, Lufthansa flight delay causing problems

After a Lufthansa flight delay, I canceled the trip. Where’s my $5,459 refund?

December 30, 2023January 20, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

How did an extensive flight delay cause a Lufthansa passenger to lose $5,459?

That’s what Sruthi Samraj wants to know after her bizarre experience with Lufthansa. She recently boarded a last-minute flight planning to make a connection in Frankfurt to Bangalore to attend her grandmother’s funeral. But after an extensive delay, during which the passengers deplaned, it was clear Sruthi would miss her connecting Lufthansa flight.

So she canceled the trip and went home.

But the disappointment of missing her grandmother’s funeral was soon exacerbated by the airline’s response to her refund request. Lufthansa intended to keep her entire $5,459, calling her a no-show on the delayed flight.

ANA owes this Expedia customer a $1,296 refund for a flight the airline canceled. He asked Consumer Rescue for help getting it.

ANA canceled my flight two years ago. What happened to my $1,296 refund?

March 25, 2023January 6, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Over two years ago, All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled Jurian Yee’s flight to Japan. ANA promised that it would soon send a $1,296 refund through Expedia. But it never did materialize.

Now a frustrated Jurian (via his dad) is asking the Consumer Rescue team for help. He’s hoping we can nudge ANA to send that refund so he can finally take his long-awaited trip to Japan.

But after so much time, is this a lost cause? Let’s find out.

This is why you should not skip parts of your airline's flight itinerary.

You should never skip parts of your flight, this is why

March 11, 2024January 5, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Thinking about skipping parts of your next flight? Charlie Williams can tell you from experience — it’s a very bad idea.

Here’s why.

Consumer alert: Don't buy two one-way airline tickets to save money. This is why!

You should not buy two one-way airline tickets to save money. Here’s why

May 27, 2024January 3, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Airline passengers can sometimes save money by booking two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip flight. But Sharon Sanborn found out the hard way that there’s a downside to this practice.

Now she wants to know if our advocacy team can do anything to help her out of the financial headache in which she’s landed.

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