Sad Day

I had to take Ravon and the Poot to the big city to catch their flight back to Indiana. When we got there, we went inside so they could check in for their flight. Soon, I was told the flight was delayed an hour and forty-five minutes for maintenance. This threw her late for her connecting flight out of Cleveland into Indianapolis, so they set her up with a different flight out Cleveland.

Before I left her at the airport in the big city, I asked if she needed some money and she said she was ok on cash, but when I was an hour down the road she called and said she didn't have but three dollars on her. I was ready to turn around and go back to give her the cash I should have made her take but she said she would be ok.

When she finally got to Cleveland, it turns out the newly rescheduled connecting flight had already left. I got a phone call where she was very upset, hungry and the baby was fussy. I finally got her to go to the service counter and firmly but politely ask for meal vouchers for her and Poot. Ravon said the lady was very nice, gave her vouchers, and even offered baby supplies (formula, diapers, bottle, etc) if they were needed. Last I heard, they have a flight out of Cleveland at 2100 arriving Indy 2207 and were looking for a place to eat.

What really bothers me is out of the four legs of this round trip (Indy-Houston, Houston-OKC, OKC-Cleveland, Cleveland-Indy) there were delays or rescheduling on three of them (she was held up in Houston for almost two hours because the crew was late). Granted, the airline provided about twenty dollars worth of meal vouchers, but shouldn't they have to reimburse the passenger for the time and inconvenience? I know they don't have to do this by law, but explain to me why they don't. I believe any time a flight is delayed by thirty minutes or more, said delay not being caused by something beyond the carrier's control (and the only thing I consider beyond carrier control is weather), then the carrier should be required to reimburse on the spot one half the total cost the customer spent for their ticket including taxes and airport fees. If they had to do this I believe we would see more flights running on time. I spent over four hundred dollars on their round trip tickets, and it wouldn't have hurt my feelings a bit to see Ravon put two hundred of that in her pocket.

If anything else happens, I'll update this post after I receive a phone call from her.

P.S. They arrived Indy 2215. Total travel time from my home was 14.5 hours.

Hell, I have driven from home to Indy in 13.5 hours and never ran more than 3 mph over the speed limit. I guess I need to get me a Daihatsu Charade (42 mpg at 75 mph. I know, I had an 84 model.) Then I could afford to just do the drive as needed.