...you're way past on notice...you're dead to me!

So I was delayed leaving Houston tonight for my connection through DFW back to DC. They (American Airlines/AA) made arrangements for me to stay at a DFW hotel and gave me a voucher for a $10 dinner and a $5 breakfast. Of course, the hotel they booked me at does not offer food service (and I'm sure AA knows this) so it was pointless.

As we sat on the runway waiting to leave Houston in this teeny, tiny prop airline, we could see out the window Southwest Airlines jet after jet taking off, probably most of them on time! And to top it off, we had a pilot that couldn't even maneuver the plane away from the gate without almost running the left wing into the jetway, so we had to wait for the ground crew to come and push us back to the gate so he could back the plane correctly this time to get in line to take off. The landing was even more fun, as you would have thought we had ice on the runway, the way he skidded the plane to and fro.

What should have been a 35-45 minutes flight took us well over 1 hour and 10 minutes airtime! Then they had the nerve to continue the lie to passengers hoping to make connections in other DFW terminals with less than 30 minutes to make those connections. I'm sure they arrived at their gates panting and sweating to only be told that they too would have to stay at this same luxury hotel (with no food service, although they would probably get the same meal tickets I received).

And then, they too, would get to wait over an hour for the hotel shuttle to arrive, the bus unairconditioned and full of unruly and extremely pissed off passengers who had gotten the same runaround I had from American. (Also noticed that there were no AA crew members on the shuttle...could it be that they actually put them up at a nice hotel WITH FOOD SERVICE!??!!! and a van that comes on time and is air conditioned?)

Upon arrival at DFW, I asked the baggage claim people where my luggage was. Of course, this was after landing at the gate in A terminal and taking the skylink to B terminal where they said my luggage was waiting for me. Upon arrival at B terminal I was informed that no, my luggage was at A. So I waited for the bus to come to take me back to A. Upon arrival there, I was informed that I would not be able to get my luggage, as it was locked up downstairs, awaiting my early morning flight to DC. Of course, it didn't matter that I asked the gate agent in Houston 3 TIMES if I would be able to get my luggage in DFW for my quick overnight stay here and he assured me 3 TIMES that I would be able to get my luggage, as he said smarty-pants to me "where else would your luggage go, except that you'd be able to get it in Dallas?"

Long ago, my smart brother Ted relayed a somewhat similar incident about American and I, at the time, couldn't identify.

Now, of course, I know exactly what he's talking about and I will do all I can to never, ever take another American Airlines flight unless I just have to! What a way NOT to run an airline. I, for one, hope they go under, and quickly!

As my kids say "Uncle Ted is always right!"