Should I be worried?

[Cancruz]

Cancruz... We will definitely have to throw something together soon so we can all meet! I have tossed around and looked into Myrtle Beach... what a fun trip that would be!!!

 

At least there would be no worries about flights :)

[GoinCruisin]

LOL, ain't that the truth!!! Scary booking flights these days, but I guess we live in a "gambling" society!!! Hopefully we can all get together sometime!!! It would be nice to meet some more CC'ers!!! I will keep you posted!

[Kittymama]

now im really nervous... not knowing what to do.. :confused:

I agree with the posters saying to find some other line. USAirways is claiming they're going to try to do something special for their passengers, but I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole--& I've got free vouchers for first class seats! I will NEVER fly them again, ever. My niece flew them on Christmas day from DCA to FLL--even the few employees who were there were refusing to work. They said only ONE guy was checking in passengers with bags (they stood in line for 2 hours), while FOUR other employees were simply standing around "helping" people do e-checkin. Then they went over to the Shuttle desk--the Shuttle wasn't even flying that day--& a woman there also refused to assist them. She had no flights to check in, but she remained there rather than go & assist with the passengers trying to check in elsewhere.

 

If you're in Philly, maybe you could look into driving to an airport served by Southwest or Spirit or another of the discount carriers (who actually care about their passengers).

[kodiac]

This of course is not good news.

 

I know that Delta is the one I always have perfered.

 

Although the drive from PA to your destination is about 17 or 18 hours, it is a nice drive (of course if there is not snow).

 

Happy cruising!

[Cancruz]

I found this message on another thread:

 

"For those of you that don’t know we arrived in Phuket, Thailand on Dec. 16th and were planning to leave on Dec. 26th from the Kamala Beach Hotel and Resort. We are still in Thailand. We are trying to get a flight out tonight. We had a floor level bungalow on the Kamala Beach in Phuket. We felt a slight movement around 8am and didn’t think anything of it. Quickly after we heard screaming and people running from outside our window. Immediately after water started pouring into our room. Jimmy and I jumped on top of the furniture and luckily he unplugged the TV that was on before the water hit it. Within three seconds our entire room was filled with water. I had a hold of the doorway and Jimmy kept being pushed back by the strong water and floating furniture kept appearing in front of him (I thought for sure we were going to die). I reached out my arm and some how Jimmy got enough strength to swim against the water and debris and grab my arm. We went under the water to get out of our room and the current swept us inland.

 

Jimmy yelled, “grab onto anything you can.” He grabbed a tree branch and I came right behind him and luckily grabbed onto the same tree. I got some footing onto a cement block and Jimmy pulled his way towards me and we climbed the tree. There was an elderly man in his bathing suite with blood on his face in the same tree. We climbed the tree and the water went back to sea pulling everything (cars, people, debris), I remember Jimmy saying that he remembered watching the Discovery Channel on Tsunamis and he said that we need to climb the tree because a second wave will come. Quickly Jimmy, the elderly man and I climbed the tree, then the second wave came and it was 10 feet higher than the first. We clung onto the tree and waited for 2 hours as we watched cars and larger trees get swept away, Jimmy saw people attempting CPR on others but it was too late for them.

 

People from the hotel were trying to get us to jump into the current and swim to them, but the water was going out to sea to fast so we stayed in the tree. After the third wave hit there was a moment of silence and still water, we told the elderly man to grab the rope made out of bed sheets. He grabbed it and the hotel staff pulled him in. We couldn’t go that way because the current picked up again right after he was pulled up to safety. After awhile we climbed down the tree and found a lifepreserver and lounge chair matt. We grabbed them and started to run into the city. There were puddles of water and one of them pulled us both under because the sea had taken the cement from the pathway. We then ran towards town, Jimmy had no shoes and there was glass everywhere.

 

We ran up to a second floor apartment where we met several people (one woman had a 8 month old baby and a two year old, she was glad that this happened on a Sunday because normally her two year old is at preschool which is located on Kamala Beach) the water did not reach there apartment so they were all okay, but unfortunately their neighbors were not as lucky. Their neighbor lost an infant as the family was visiting the beach that day. They gave us water and dry clothing and a pair of sandals for Jimmy. We heard more screaming that more water was coming we started running through the streets for the mountains trying to wave down cars. We asked a man to take us with him in his pickup truck. We jumped in and more people were running to the truck a Swedish family climbed in and we made a pac to stay in a group with them for safety.

 

We stayed in the mountains with the Swedish family and local Thai people. The Thais gave us water and plastic Baggies full of rice. We stayed there for about three hours and we figured with all of the cobras, spiders and other dangerous wild life that we would walk down to the apartments and stay in an unfinished one that was being built. We went to the apartment area and met a man named Michael who owns a real estate company (he is an aussie) he gave us and the Swedish family food, water, a place to sleep and let us bath in the pool. At night Michael and a man named Jason took Jimmy back to Kamala Beach Hotel and Resort to search for our luggage (we wanted to find our passports), luckily he found one shoe and three out of four bags with our passports. Some beach chairs got inside the room and wedged the door shut. It was dangerous for them to be there, since people were looting and the worry of after shocks. He said there was a speedboat in the reception area and cars in the pool.

 

The next day Michael arranged for one of his employees to take us to Phuket City Hall so that we could register with our embassy. From there, Dulwich International College gave us a free room, shower, clothes and food (we are emailing you from here). We have talked to several people and feel that we are the fortunate ones. One injured lady is here with her daughter and they don’t know where the husband is. The flights are full and we are trying to get off the island. Hopefully we can get out tonight or tomorrow. We are so lucky to be alive and that we were able to stay together. "

 

My concern seems rather selfish after reading this. What blessings we have!

[Host Caroline]

Caroline, if United issued you the ticket, then United will have to "protect" you, so you are fairly safe. Look at either your ticket or electronic document for a ticket number. If the ticket number starts with 016, you are in good shape. If it starts with 037, have your backup in place.

It starts with "016" but I'm still glad I have my backup:) .... I am going to book a FF ticket thru Star Alliance on United for my Alaska cruise in June and hope against hope that United stays afloat with US Airways gone (which I truly believe it will be)...

[Host Caroline]

Sounds great. We obviously share a love for cruising. You appear to be very knowledgeable about airlines. Is that your occupation or a necessity?

 

I have lived in NC my entire life - my family since 1770's. It's a great area. DH is from Tidewater area of VA. It didn't take long to convert him.

 

I visted the NC thread and the attempt to get a local meet n mingle. I'm afraid that I didn't closely follow their plans.

We have a very active party group here in Charlotte -- we cruise together and do stuff locally -- but no one in the Greensboro/Durham area ever set anything up to my knowledge...

 

I have lived in NC since late 60s and can honestly say I can't wait to get back to PA... I am a "winter person" who hates hot weather so if I don't want to be a really "weather nasty" old lady, I'll have to head north for retirement in 12 or so years!!!

[dtchem1]

What is scary about the way airlines shut down is that they give no warning. When Northwest shut down, they just announced in the terminal that the have ceased operations as of now! Everyone was stranded and scrambling for flights on other airlines. It amazes me that these huge airlines are going under, but Airtran and Southwest are ordering new planes. Maybe management needs to look at something other than cutting employees salaries. It's probably too late for USAir, but look at their history; the USA in USAir stands for unfortunately still Alleghany; another failed attempt.

[anthk333]

I have the opposite.........I'm flying United on tickets issued by US Air (037 ticket numbers). So, you think if US Airways goes under, my seats on United disappear????? I thought, as codeshare parnters, they were just selling each others seats. I thought I was in a better position since the airline I'm actually flying on (United) would still be in business even if US Airways is not. Thoughts..........

 

You are in a somewhat better position than if you were flying on USAirways. United should accept code share revenue tickets, it's frequent flyer seats that may be an issue. Do you have electronic or paper tickets?

[CruiseMark]

Umm, I hate to say this but United's flight attendants are threatening to strike too, while US Air just announced when it will announce it's plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Details at my link below.

[bUU]

In deciding whether and what contingency plans to make, do keep in mind that the airline industry doesn't seem to have enough capacity these days to absorb the ceasing of operations of a major airline, so regardless of what type of protection you may have, whether it be a promise by the cruise line, a code-share airline, or whatever, there may simply not be a seat available to put you into if an airline ceases operations. Remember the Scout's motto.

[hdawson]

bickder. I totally agree about getting a seat. It could take two or three days to get a flight.

[GoinCruisin]

I would question United long and hard at this point... Agreement was made today to strike if an agreement is not made by 1/7/05... a week from now. Here is a link to a good article... http://www.unitedafa.org/res/chaos/ol_20041230.asp

 

No United for me thank you :mad:

[bUU]

Just to be clear, the strike is contingent on abrogation of the contract, which is something that must be effected by a judge. That's not to say that it isn't going to happen, but rather that the company itself cannot void the contract.

[pasto5]

We are flying into Fort Lauderdale on 1/12 and sailing the next day. We are booked on USAIR and I haven't been sleeping at night worrying whether we will have the flight or not. We booked through Expedia and they assure us that they will help us out. But I don't want to miss the sailing. Coming back, we can be more flexible about a return flight. So yesterday, I booked fully refundable tickets on SW which means a 3 hour trip to the airport for us as they only fly out of Buffalo and Albany. But I slept well last night!

[cali-croozer]

You are in a somewhat better position than if you were flying on USAirways. United should accept code share revenue tickets, it's frequent flyer seats that may be an issue. Do you have electronic or paper tickets?

I have e-tickets.

[anthk333]

I have e-tickets.

If you can get them to issue paper tickets to you, it would be a big plus.

[cali-croozer]

If you can get them to issue paper tickets to you, it would be a big plus.

 

Why?................I'm not a frequent flyer so I don't know the advantages/disadvantages. Thnx

[nybumpkin]

Quote<It's probably too late for USAir, but look at their history; the USA in USAir stands for unfortunately still Alleghany; another failed attempt>

 

 

Or, back when they went by Allegheny - "Agony Airlines"! I haven't flown them since 1989, when they managed to mess up every leg of a trip from Albany-Cleveland-Los Angeles-Monterey-Los Angeles-O'Hare-Albany.

[bUU]

Why?................I'm not a frequent flyer so I don't know the advantages/disadvantages. Thnx

Traditional thought is that with a paper ticket, you can more readily carry the ticket over to another airline who may accept it and accommodate you. In reality, it works great for business travelers and those traveling on unrestricted ("Y") fares, but for those of us who do most of our traveling these day on discounted fares, it doesn't make much difference. Often, such tickets need to be physically endorsed by the issuing airline before another airline will accept them, so you don't save anything by having paper tickets in advance (and indeed incur the risk of losing them).

[anthk333]

Why?................I'm not a frequent flyer so I don't know the advantages/disadvantages. Thnx

 

This is all hypothetical right now anyway because no *major* airline has gone out of business since the introduction of interline electronic tickets. There are two schools of thought on this. The first, and one everybody hopes is true, is that the electronic ticket is in the carrier's sytem that you are flying (United) and they can access it with no problem and life goes on as normal.

 

The second thought is that when the flying carrier (United) goes into the system to look up the ticket information, the data from the e-ticket is just gone since the hosting systems (SABRE and EDS) have not been paid and may or may not be on line. This is why many travel experts are saying if you have a ticket issued by USAirways for travel on another airline, make sure that you have a paper ticket so there can't be a claim of data loss - you have the physical ticket right there.

[hdawson]

Worry? Why worry? The worst thing that can happen is that you might have to spend the rest of winter in Fl. It might also be the best thing to happen too.

[ginam]

Is this airline effected???

[anthk333]

Is this airline effected???

 

No. At the moment American is in decent shape.