Should Airlines Compensate Stranded Fliers?

I read a timely news item today in the USA Today Travel section on hundreds and thousands of U.S. passengers stranded at airports and hotels unable to get home. Many of these people having to pay for extra days in hotels and food while just waiting to to book and get another flight to their original destination. Some airlines have waived their fees for re-booking flights, but they do not compensate passengers for the extra meals or hotel night they must pay for while they wait for their new flight. The article quotes passengers who waited 8 days just to get through to re-book a flight. Three hour waits on the phone and crashed websites only to find out when you got through, you could not be booked for days and were stranded. Customer satisfaction with the airlines seems to only be getting worse.


For families in this situation this can be a nightmare. Hotel, food and added car rental costs can skyrocket the budget. It you can't find a hotel then keeping the kids occupied, napped, exercised, fed, hydrated, and tantrum-free in the airport, while you wait can expensive and stressful. Not to mention work and school times that can really affect families.
As I sit here in Massachusetts while Logan airport is closed and the television is showing people sleeping at the airport due to the mayor storm outside my window, I wonder how it is that airlines can question people's reaction to them. My family decided long ago that if we can drive somewhere in under 8 hours we drive instead of fly. Between cost of flights, cost of luggage, cost of drinks and food previously free, time in flight, time at airport before flight and after, it is not worth flying for us anymore. As an agent so many of my customers feel flying for travel is a necessary evil, that can not be avoided.


How do you feel about airline customer service, especially when there are delays and cancellations? Do you think airlines should be doing more for their passengers?

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