The joys of flying?

Do mere delays become easier to accept in light of all the issues we see in the news with plane doors being blown off, and other more serious situations?

The joys of flying! NOT.

Flew to Charleston recently using American Airlines on Friday, May 10, a 6:30 a.m. flight from Westchester (White Plains), which was set to arrive at 7:42 in Washington for a connecting flight. This made for a very early morning, but I was going only for a long weekend, so wanted to be there with plenty of time to enjoy the afternoon. I fly with only carry-on (pix above) whenever I can.

Arrived on time, but no gate available, so we sat on board after landing, missing the 8:51 connection to Charleston, which was supposed to get me to Charleston at 10:40 a.m.

Got bumped to the next flight at 10:40, as standby #1. That plane was full. No seat for me. The desk attendants seemed unconcerned when I complained. Very dismissive.

They said I was standby #1 on the next flight (12:30 p.m.), but it was also full. Now, I was getting seriously annoyed. Was I going to spend the whole day in this airport?

Desk attendants said there was nothing they could do.

The desk staff was also very clear that the only reason I was rescheduled at all was because I booked through AA. If it had been third-party like Expedia or something, I would be on my own to find a flight.

Finally, I called AA customer service, holding for quite a while to speak to a rep. When I got someone on the line, I was a bit upset. Suddenly a confirmed seat became available, so I did get on that 12:30 p.m. flight, getting to Charleston about 2:30.

There was never an email or text from AA apologizing for my inconvenience.

This was not the worst flight I had on American. There were others. Connecting in Washington was a problem at least once before. (If I find my letters of complaint, I’ll share those stories.)

Why did I fly AA then? I had miles. Now that they have been used, the only way I would use AA is if forced via some emergency or last resort.

I took Breeze back, based on the fact that the flight was nonstop and about 2 hours long. The friends who I was visiting said they take it all the time. I wish I could say it was perfect. It wasn’t. The direct 4:56 p.m. flight Monday, May 13, was supposed to land in Westchester at 7:08.

A little bit about Breeze, from the website (it’s a newish airline):

Breeze Airways began service in May 2021 and has been ranked as one of the U.S.’ best domestic airlines for the last two years by Travel + Leisure magazine’s World's Best Awards (#2 in 2022 and #4 in 2023). We offer a mix of more than 150 year-round and seasonal nonstop routes between 50+ cities in 25+ states. Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, we operate a fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft, with a focus on providing efficient and affordable flights between secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times. Our flights include seamless booking, no change or cancellation fees, up to 24-months of reusable flight credit, and customized flight features – including complimentary family seating – delivered via a sleek and simple app. We make it easy to buy and easy to fly.

We boarded on time, but after a long delay, we had to exit the plane due to mechanical issues (taking our bags with us).

With plenty of time to wait, I had a glass of wine, which you see on my luggage at the top of this post, a plastic cup of Frenzy Sauvignon blanc, $21. Prices at airports are quite crazy. They have a captive audience. What are the alternatives when this is the scenario?

But the crew and desk staff were much more responsive than the AA folks.

The captain made nearly all the announcements and apologies. He said he was quite optimistic the issue would be resolved. So I was appeased. A good book (set in SC) and glass of wine helps.

Eventually, the flight took off, about 9:15 p.m., arriving in Westchester around 11.

Then Breeze offered some compensation, $50 toward next my next Breeze flight. I’ll give them a few more chances.

The weekend, however, was fabulous with beautiful sunny days, low humidity and good times with old friends, including Mother’s Day with my friend, Robin. (Celebrated with my kids the weekend before.)

It was all good. I’m actually just happy the flights landed safely.

Photos of Charleston and a couple favorite spots coming in my next post.

P.S. After complaining to AA about the delay (via the AA website), I received the following reply this morning:

As a valued AAdvantage® member, your business is incredibly important to us. We would be beyond delighted to have the opportunity to regain your confidence and welcome you onboard another American Airlines flight soon. As a token of our apology, I have credited miles to your AAdvantage® account, which will be available within the next 24 hours. 

I am not sure how many miles that means. I’ll keep you posted on that. It never hurts to file a complaint!