[Doug Tokayer]

We arrived at Miami International Airport for our flight # 1344 on March 8, 2010, and boarded on time. The crew reported mechanical problems and we were asked to de-plane. After de-planeing the attendant announced over the PA system that our flight was cancelled and that there were no other flights available to New York on American since they were “all over-sold”. She said “ you are on your own; there is nothing we can do; this is no joke”. We were given no information regarding alternate flights, other routes, overnight stay, meals; nothing! My wife and I each own our own business and had important business to attend to on the following day, Tuesday.

Needless to say, this seeming lack of concern for our situation left us feeling frustrated and angry.
We then got on our cell phones to the various airlines that have New York routes. Jet Blue was able to provide us with 2 tickets to New York JFK leaving from Ft. Lauderdale at a price of $379.70 per ticket (receipt attached) at 4:35 on Monday. Additionally we incurred additional expenses of the taxicab to Ft. Lauderdale and lunch for the two of us.

Since the American Airlines personnel announced we were ”on our own’’, we naturally assumed that reasonable costs would be covered for our alternate plans.

In several correspondences with AA they have stonewalled us stating "We wish we had it in our power to guarantee that planes would always arrive on time and that delays and cancellations just wouldn't happen. Unhappily, we don't"...this simply doesn't answer the point: First, it was AA's mechanical error; not weather related or 'act of God' and secondly, even it was weather related, to say "you are on your own" is unacceptable. And then once AA has taken zero responsibility, customer service gives some ridiculous answer to the situation.

We have asked for our flight costs on Jet Blue and Taxi expenses be reimbursed by AA: they countered with 10,000 FF miles! Unbelievable!

I look forward to hearing responses/ advice...

Very disappointed AA customer (did I mention I am also a Frequent Flyer?!!)

[azstar]

Immediately get on the phone and contact the reservations department of the airline you were travelling on and use their resources to confirm you on alternate flights on any other airline via any routing they can find. Then, you'll need to stand in line, maybe for an hour or so, and have the airport reissue your ticket as an "involuntary reroute" so you won't have to pay anything extra. Once the seats have been obtained, in your original reservation record, the airport agents can do their reissuing in just a couple of minutes. It's finding the seats that is time consuming and many airport agents don't want to be bothered with that part of it.

[Cicero]

"We wish we had it in our power to guarantee that planes would always arrive on time and that delays and cancellations just wouldn't happen. Unhappily, we don't"

This was a reasonable response from the airline. Its just a few hundred dollars each so I don't understand the difficulty. I suggest you take the miles as you are a frequent flyer.