[francinerummel]

First, of all, how can I add a complaint more than 1000 characters?

Here is my complaint I will be mailing to American Airlines

My entire flight experience was horrible and I would like a complete reimbursement for my time, trouble, and flight. There was not one flight from my entire trip from CVG to MBJ with a stop in DFW that was on time or seamless. I lost an entire day of my vacation that I could not extend, an excursion that I did not get to go on, luggage that will need to be replaced, and the hassle was relentless on this trip. Below is a description of my travel with your Airline.

First, the travel agency had an incorrect DOB on one of my travelers Kristen McKean. We could not correct this online, so we could not check in online. I called to speak to a representative who could not help me. She could not check me in online or update the information. Not such a big deal, but inconvenient.

Our flight from CVG to DFW (flight 2246) was over a half an hour late leaving

Now, our connection from DFW to MBJ- 11:10 am flight. Where do I begin? FIRST, the flight was late boarding. Then, as we are going down the jetway the agent tells us there is no overhead room that we have to check our carry-on item (we are at the entrance to the plane). No biggie as we are on our last leg of the trip and will be arriving in our destination shortly, so we do that. We get on the plane to discover that several bins were not opened by the flight attendant and several that are open with only 1 or 2 items in them. There are at least 4 bins that were opened by passengers after I get on that do not have ANYTHING in them, so we could have brought our carry-on items on the plane. This gets very important later.

Then the pilot comes on and comically tells us that they have not crossed all their "T's" and dotted all their "I's" so they are checking on an engine light issue. I would hope that is not something that is funny, as it is a serious matter. The checks to see if the plane is flight worthy should be completed before passenger boarding. The pilot tells us it will be about 20 minutes to check out.

45 minutes later, sitting in the plane, we are told that the engine has been checked out and the plane is ready to go, but now there is an issue with the beverage carts. The wrong cart is on the plane. They can't simply replace it with one that is for this plane, they have to "build a new beverage cart". This is insane. They are not building a new cart. The guy from maintenance came onto the plane and DUCT TAPED the cart's handles so they wouldn't fly off.

Another hour later and we are told they are still building a cart (which is not true as there was never a new cart added, only the duct tape).

Finally we are able to taxi out, yahoo. But Wait, they forgot to as the pilot says "Dot all their I's & Cross all their T's" because as we are taxing, there is the engine light again (which was the problem the entire time they were trying to fix).

Now we are going to another new gate so they can look at this again, but we can't get off while they fix it because it is an international flight.

Another hour or so of waiting. The air conditioning is dripping on us passengers because of the condensation, so the flight attendants give us napkins to stuff in the seams of the plane (just wonderful). Now we have napkins stuffed, duct tape, and an engine light. I think this is an example of a disaster waiting to happen.

After another couple of hours waiting we find out that of course now we have been sitting in the plane for over 4 hours and TSA states that we have to be let off the plane.

We get off the plane and are provided sandwiches and drinks and wait around. I didn't want a sandwich so I had to purchase a lunch for myself at the airport because I"m now hungry. We are told that we will board again at 6:30 pm, yay.

THEN, 6:30 pm comes and goes and we are all still waiting as we have not started boarding yet. Finally the agents come over the speaker to inform us that the plane is ready to go, but now no flight crew to is available. We will have to wait until 9 am tomorrow.

We stand in another line for vouchers for the hotel. We do that, I ask where I can get my CARRY ON that I was told that there was no room for (but was incorrect, as there was) and I'm told we can't get it because it was checked. I explain that there is a cell phone in it as we were already on the jetway and they took it from us so it shouldn't be there anyway with the cell phone. She says if I want it I have to put in a request (again, wait in a different line) and it can take another 1-4 hours to get it IF they are able to get it at all. I have been traveling since 5 am and it is now 7 pm and I still haven't made it to my destination and now I have no luggage. I decide having clean clothes from my carry on and my phone is not a worth waiting another 4 hours with only MAYBE getting it.

I go to the hotel to purchase dinner (another added expense). I have NOTHING with me. All my toiletries and items are in my checked items, so I had no clean clothes, noting to brush my hair, toothbrush, NOTHING.

I finally make it back to the airport again the next morning to stand in more lines for security, etc and get to the gate.
9am comes and goes and we are NOT boarding the plane. This is because the engine problem that was "fixed" on the plane that was supposedly ready to go without a flight crew was NOT fixed.
They had to switch planes and move to a smaller plane that does not fit as many people and now we need 17 people to volunteer to move to the 11:10 flight for the next morning. At this time, it is almost the same time so I think about moving from this horrible experience, but there is no guarantee that one is going to make it either. I wait, FINALLY they get volunteers, and we board our flight an hour late.

We wait in line to get on the plane and get seated. NOW we are told that since it is a different plane, we have to wait a while longer, because the pilot that is here cannot fly this smaller plane, only the bigger one, so here we are waiting for a pilot and we are all sitting on the plane. There should have been a check to verify we have a pilot before everyone boards the plane (just like checking to verify there are no issues with the plane like yesterday). So, now here we are, sitting on a plane AGAIN late AGAIN, and no one to fly us.

The flight crew explains how they are coming in on their day off to accommodate us on this Monday morning. Now, we wait until almost 11 and the pilot gets there and we finally arrive in Jamaica.

At this point, I have missed an entire day of my vacation. I am a day late checking in, so my room has been given out to someone else, and I have lost my reservations for the dinners I booked because I was not checked in on time. I had to leave a message for my travel agency as they were closed when I finally made it to the hotel Sunday night. Now I have lost an entire day's vacation, excursion, my room, and dinner reservations. I have the hassle of waiting for a new room, which is not the same amount of beds and not in the same part of the resort I booked because of this issue, but I take the lesser room with no dinner reservations because I am just happy to have made it there.

So now, I'm on my way back. The flight back from MBJ to DFW is moved back a half hour later than scheduled. Luckily for me I had a long layover, but others from my flight were not so lucky and missed their connection.

THEN, I get to DFW again, and guess what? My flight is late leaving (no surprise after the ordeal I have been through).
We finally leave and I get home a half an hour late to get my bags from baggage claim. Guess what? One of my suitcases has the bottom busted and there is a wheel missing. No note attached to state that there was anything amiss, just here is your luggage we busted, come and get it.

This was the first time I have flown American Airlines and needless to say this experience is the worst I have ever experienced with any airline. Everything here could have been prevented and it is an example of how horrible this airline is.

This caused me an entire day of my vacation, endless extra lines, waiting hassle, money spending on food I had to buy because I didn't have my luggage, money spent on extras I had to buy because they made me check my carry-on unnecessarily, that if they had done their job they would have know their was space and I could have at least had clean clothes (I had to wash mine in the sink at the hotel with shampoo provided to me). Also, Now I have to buy a new suitcase. I expect a full refund of my ticked that I purchased for all the issues that the airline caused. If you wish to speak to me in person (I tried to call and was told I have to fill out this form) please do so