Sunday, October 14, 2007

Michele and I were on our way to San Francisco International when the programmed call came from Orbitz: “This is Orbitz calling with a flight cancellation alert.” Our early-morning flight to Dallas had been cancelled.

This was more of an issue than it usually is. We were on our way to the UK, primarily so I could speak at the annual meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers. Because the SATW negotiated ridiculously low air fares for attendees, there were a number of rules we had to follow, one of which was leaving from and returning to the same airport. Since I had to be in Dallas immediately after the SATW gig, we had to fly from Dallas in order to return there. Our British Air flight was set for fourish, so I had arranged the American flight to Dallas in order to ensure we had enough time to make the connection.

I called Orbitz first, which referred me to American, since this was the actual day of the flight. American told me the next flight to Dallas was oversold (a practice I despise, by the way); the next available flight was a connection through Orange County, arriving about 45 minutes before the UK flight departed. Any delay would cause us to miss our flight, and it would be iffy for our bags making the connection even if we did get there on time.

By the time we arrived at the airport, I was on the phone with British Air to find out what would happen if we missed the flight. Because the fare was so low, the answer was simple: The ticket would be cancelled. I called American again to see if they could put us on another carrier, but none got to Dallas any earlier than the one going first to Orange County.

Waiting in line at the American ticket counter, a thought struck me. I called American again and asked, “What about Oakland?” Oakland International Airport is just across the bay from SFO. Indeed, it turned out there was a flight that would get us there more than two hours early, and there were seats available. Why, I wondered, did I need to think of this?

I got to the counter where an American Airlines ticket agent very kindly helped make the change, ensuring we still had our return flight from Dallas to SFO. Then she handed me a taxi voucher, explaining that it was American’s fault the flight was cancelled (the plane had been removed from service) and that American would pick up the tab for the cab ride across the bay. That’s Michele holding the voucher below. (We had to leave our car at SFO for a couple reasons: We were returning to SFO and we had arranged 12 days of free parking at Park ‘N Fly using points earned from participating in the loyalty program...not transferable to Oakland.)

We got down to the cab line where not a single cabbie would honor the voucher. Each one had a different reason. There was no amount on it. They hadn’t seen one before. Their dispatcher wouldn’t let them. So it was $90 to get from SFO to Oakland.

We did make our flight to the UK, but it was no thanks to any of the travel providers involved. And if American ever gives you a taxi voucher, think twice before thanking them. It isn’t worth the paper on which it’s printed.

Posted by Shel in • Cabs • Online travel services • Planes
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Thursday, August 24, 2006

My colleague, Tudor Williams, and I finished our work in a suburb of St. Paul and headed for the cab that was supposed to be waiting at 4:30 p.m. He showed up at 5:05 p.m., which worried me since it was raining and my US Airways flight to Phoenix (where I was connecting on to SFO) was scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. and my courtesy call from Orbitz indicated it was on time. Fortunately, there was no line at all at St. Paul security, and I got to my gate in time to find a weather delay had the flight rescheduled for 8:45 p.m.

I stood in line to find out about rebookings. I could get to Phoenix but no further, I was told; there were no later flights to San Francisco. What about through Vegas? I asked. Nope. How about flights to Oakland or San Jose? Nope. What about a Northwest flight to SFO? All oversold. Could I get my boarding pass for my new 7:05 a.m. flight the next day? Nope, you’ll have to get that in Phoenix.

So I booked a room at the Phoenix Airport Hampton Inn and headed back to a restaurant to have a beer with Tudor. Later, we strolled over to the Northwest lounge (my Priority Pass card got us in). I was able to relax a few minutes before heading back to my gate, where the new departure time was 9:45 p.m. I shrugged and headed back to the Northwest lounge, sat with Tudor (whose Northwest flight to Vancouver was scheduled to leave after midnight), then wandered back to the gate.

I decided to try one more time to get my boarding pass for Friday morning, which would let me get to the hotel as quickly as possible and get an extra 20 or 30 minutes of sleep. As I waited, I heard the agent working out a flight for the passenger in front of me—to SFO via Vegas! I asked if I could do the same and noted that I had been told no such flight was available. the agent said nothing. I thought it might be that the Vegas-SFO flight was delayed, but that wasn’t the case—it was due to depart at about midnight, so I had plenty of time to get there and make that flight.

I was lucky to get on the Vegas flight, since both computers at the gate froze up and the agent couldn’t print me a ticket. However, a ticket was awaiting me in Vegas, where the flight was (of course) delayed from Chicago. I’m sitting in the terminal now, waiting for a flight that is now due to depart at 1:50 a.m. It’ll be 5 a.m. earliest before I walk through my front door.

I should have just stayed in the hotel in Phoenix; I would have gotten home only four hours later.

Who ever said business travel is glamorous?

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Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Is there a cab driver anywhere who remembers what airline you’re flying by the time he gets you to the airport? You get in the cab and he asks, “What airline?” You answer: “United.” Half an hour later, you get to the airport and the cabbie says, “What airline was that?” Why don’t they just wait until they get to the airport?

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Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Writing about previous trips made me remember this little gem from a trip to New York a year or so ago.

We picked up a cab near Central Park and asked him to take us to the Carnegie Deli. The cabbie’s reply? “Address.”

C’mon, I thought. The Carnegie Deli is one of the most famous eateries in the Big Apple. How can a cabbie not know where it was? I didn’t have the address handy, though; all I could think of was that it was on 7th. I couldn’t recall the cross-street. Hell, I don’t drive a cab in New York. So I went with the next best thing. “Just take us to Carnegie Hall.”

“Address,” he said again.

So this cabbie didn’t even know where Carnegie Hall was. You have to wonder what kind of requirements the city has for cab drivers. Breath that’ll fog a mirror and a valid driver’s license? There’s an old, old joke that goes: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The answer: “Practice.” Good advice for some NY cabbies.

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