Our American Airlines flight delay turned into a nightmare. What are we owed?

Readers and members of our Facebook Lounge often write to us for help when things go wrong with their travels. The Points Guy wants to help members of the TPG community when possible, so they have asked Michelle Couch- Friedman to act as their ombudsman.

If you've had a situation where something has gone wrong with your travels or one of your credit cards and you're not getting a response from the company responsible, she can help you reach a satisfactory solution. She has decades of experience advocating for consumers and has already helped readers get thousands of dollars' worth of compensation.

Are you in need of her assistance? We will try to get your query to her in the cases where she might be able to help you.

A flight delay at American Airlines set off a chain of events that left a man stranded.

Smith and his pregnant wife were going to get home to the U.S. after a long weekend in the Cayman Islands.

The delay and subsequent flight diversion cost the couple over a thousand dollars. Smith wants American Airlines to pay up, and he hopes that can be done with the assistance of TPG.

American Airlines owes the couple something. You might be surprised by the answer.

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A flight delay notification

Smith and his wife went on a vacation in June of this year. The trip was supposed to be relaxing before the baby was born. After a few days in the tropics, it was time for the couple to return to their homes.

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Smith was notified of a two-hour flight delay. It was annoying but not a big problem.

Trouble was on the way.

Surprise! You're in the Bahamas 

The pilot announced they'd be landing in Florida after the two-hour delay. During the flight, that changed as well.

The pilot said that bad weather was causing them to be diverted to West Palm Beach. We didn't know we weren't in the US when we landed.

The plane was diverted to Nassau to refuel. The crew told the passengers that the plane was ready to leave after a refuel. The jet was ready to fly again, but the pilot wasn't.

Smith says they thought they would be on their way after waiting for the refueling to be completed. The pilot had timed out. He was not going to bring us home.

Smith said the pilot stepped out of the cockpit.

Things got a bit messy. Smith and his wife were not approved for travel to the Bahamas because of the Pandemic-related entry requirements.

An unplanned overnight stay

The airport was mostly shut down when the passengers were off loaded. There was almost no American Airlines staff at customs.

There we were, stranded in the Bahamas. After hours in customs, it was another hour to collect our bags. Then we stood in line for another hour to receive a hotel and transportation voucher from an American Airlines employee. We looked up the hotel (Breezes), and the reviews said it had mold and was dirty. I didn’t want to take my pregnant, asthmatic wife there.

Smith decided that the Breezes website was not for them. He saw the announcement that the hotel welcomed groups of spring breakers and confirmed the dates of those students. Potential guests were advised to plan their trip outside of the normal spring break and graduation season in order to avoid the crowds.

A student travelers alert

If you aren't into a spring break vibe, June 1 is not a good date. Smith and his pregnant wife needed a few hours of rest and quiet. The description from the hotel sounded different than what they were expecting.

The couple booked a room at the Atlantis Royal Towers because they were tired after a long day of travel. The price for the last-minute reservation was $657.

The couple's choice to avoid Breezes likely saved them from a worse travel experience.

Smith says they talked to other passengers when they returned to the airport at 6 a.m. Breezes was similar to a low-budget spring break hotel according to everyone.

The missing crew 

The frustrated travelers reassembled, but the American Airlines crew didn't come back.

Four hours later, Smith, his wife and the other passengers were still standing. The group was told to go to another terminal at 10 a.m.

The American Airlines crew arrived at 11:30 a.m. We boarded the plane and were on our way to the airport.

The passengers were not sure if the plane would land in Miami.

The final, expensive stretch

Travelers were relieved to get to their destination within an hour. It took Smith and his wife another 12 hours to get through the situation.

They were offered a flight to San Antonio after seven hours in Miami because there were no flights from Miami to Austin. They took a ride back to their car from there.

The couple walked through the front door of their house exhausted after 40 hours.

Now, who is going to pay?

Smith wrote a compensation request. He was shocked by the costs of the 40-hour delay when he gathered all the receipts for everything.

Smith misses a day of work because of that. I wanted American Airlines to reimburse me for everything.

That turned out to be a big mistake.

What do federal rules say?

According to American Airlines' contract of carriage, Smith was not owed anything for the delay.

In the event of an extended delay or cancellation, the DOT says the airline must only do one thing for its passengers.

• Either put the passenger on the next available flight on its own fleet. This substitution can be hours or even days later. The DOT doesn't define a required time frame.
• Or, provide a refund to the passenger so that the traveler can find their own transportation onward.

In the United States, there is no requirement for airlines to compensate passengers for missed events.

Smith was unwilling to accept the resolution offered by American Airlines after they declined his request for compensation.

He sent a request for help to the team, and it arrived on my desk.

How your travel credit card can protect you

Over the course of my many years as a consumer advocate, I've received hundreds of pleas for help from passengers who expect airlines to pay up when a delay or cancellation is inconvenient to them. Many travelers are surprised to learn that airlines won't reimburse them for missed days of work, non-refundable hotel nights and other expenses.

Smith's request to American Airlines probably wasn't worth much. I was happy to see that there was a bright spot in his story.

Most of the expenses he was requesting from American Airlines would have been covered by Smith's lack of travel insurance. The couple paid for their airline tickets with Smith's Chase Sapphire Reserve.

The couple had a quasi- travel insurance policy because of the card.

Up to $500 per ticket is provided for reasonable expenses incurred during an airline delay.

Make sure your delay qualifies for coverage by keeping the following in mind

1. The airline ticket(s) must be paid for with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
2. Coverage kicks in after a six-hour delay or when an overnight stay is necessary.
3. Trip delay protection is secondary to any other travel insurance coverage.
4. The policy will cover reasonable expenses such as hotel, food, ground transportation and essential toiletries.

It is not an automatic amount. It is important to remember the word reasonable when budgeting your hotel and meal plan. If you see the policy as an opportunity to try out the local five-star restaurant or lavish accommodations at the nearest luxury hotel, you will not get the full bill.

How to file a trip delay claim

Smith was told to gather his receipts and file a trip delay claim through eclaims.

It is easy to claim.

1. Call the benefits administrator – eClaims — at 888-675-1461 (In the U.S.) or 804-281-5772 (collect, outside of the U.S.) or visit www.eclaimsline.com to open a claim (or check on an existing one).
2. Upload all the necessary documents to process your trip delay claim: receipts for all expenses, proof of delay and proof of ticket purchase. The benefits administrator may ask for additional information.
3. Wait (most claims are processed within 30 days).

Smith did what I said he would do. During the Pandemic and a summer of travel chaos, the processing time has been longer.

After a few weeks without an update, I sent a reminder to the executive contact at the company. I wanted to make sure that Smith submitted all the required documentation.

The trip delay coverage provided by Smith's Chase Reserve card would cover a lot of the expenses the couple incurred.

Hi Michelle,

I'm sorry for any inconvenience Mr. Smith may have experienced with his claim.

I checked with our Claims team, and they have approved Mr. Smith's claim in the amount of $860.01. He should receive his payment shortly.

We're glad we could provide this coverage for Mr. Smith and wish him well in his future travels.

(Allianz/insurance underwriter/Chase Sapphire travel insurance coverage)

American Airlines' gesture of goodwill

Smith was not completely satisfied with the approval of his credit card trip delay claim. He had incurred a lot of expenses when American Airlines delayed and diverted their flight.

When alternative accommodations are available, the best travel insurance policy won't usually cover a luxury hotel.

Smith thought the hotel in the Bahamas was the right choice since his wife was pregnant and had asthma. Smith said an American Airlines employee gave him the go-ahead to go to that alternative hotel.

An airline representative implied in an email to Smith that if the couple submitted all their expenses, they could be reimbursed. He didn't hear anything further from American Airlines.

I wanted to inform the American Airlines executive contact of Smith's successful trip delay claim through his Chase card and to find out if the airline would give any further goodwill gesture to the couple. The travel nightmare cost them more than they agreed to reimburse.

American Airlines had good news for Smith. The trip delay policy didn't cover the gap in the airline's goodwill gesture. The couple was given $800 in future travel credits by American Airlines.

Smith and his wife are happy with the result. They can put this nightmare behind them and look forward to their next adventure, a baby.

Minimize the financial hit

Flight delays and canceled flights are a possibility when we travel. Many passengers don't plan for these situations, instead waiting for the best as they travel. This is not a good idea.

It's easy to minimize the financial repercussions of a flight delay or cancellation if you plan ahead. Things to keep in mind before you go.

Know your passenger rights

Airline passengers in the US don't have a lot of protections when operations go wrong.

Our passenger rights are not as good as Europe, Canada or Israel. If you understand your basic rights, you can protect yourself from a monetary loss during a flight delay or cancellation. The Department of transportation has a stance. You are owed a small amount of money.

The DOT won't hold the airline responsible for any expenses incurred during a delay or cancellation, so you need to plan accordingly. If you are on a European airline, your rights are not the same as those on other airlines. Canada added passenger protection for a variety of flight accidents.

Use a credit card that provides trip delay and cancellation coverage

Some credit cards are better than others when it comes to travel protection. It's important that you understand all of the benefits of your specific cards so that you can take care of yourself.

Smith contacted tips@thepointsguy.com the same week that Karren did. She used her Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® to book her flights and that card dropped its travel protections back in 2019.

If you don't want to buy a separate trip insurance policy, you should use a credit card that provides flight delay and cancellation coverage.

Purchase travel insurance

Travelers think trip insurance is only appropriate for expensive international adventures. Travelers should consider trip insurance because of the limitations of passenger rights in the United States.

The airline won't reimburse you for any losses if your flight is delayed. It is possible to get a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

You can compare and contrast different insurance policies on a website called InsureMyTrip. You have about 14 days to thoroughly review a policy after you purchase it. Don't be deterred by the policy's length. During that time, read the entire document. If you decide that it doesn't provide the coverage you need, you can either cancel or purchase a different one.

Use a professional travel advisor

A travel advisor can be your best friend when hundreds of people are storming the airline's customer service counter. They will be able to find you local accommodations if you need them. Take a seat and let your travel agent do their job. Just like credit cards aren't created equal, neither are all travel agents and some can help you more than others, so use a site like Travel Sense to find a professional travel advisor.

Bottom line

Unexpected financial disasters can happen when travel delays and cancellation occur. Don't allow that to happen to you. Smith shows that you can use a credit card to protect yourself from unexpected expenses.

Get to know your card's membership benefits, read the guide your issuer provides, and decide if its coverage suits your needs. It is possible that you have coverage you didn't know you had. Smith didn't know about the travel delay perks of the Chase card. He couldn't be happier with the outcome after contacting the company.

I will be happy to investigate if you have a problem with an airline, hotel, cruise line, car rental agency or credit card company that you can't fix on your own.

Thank you for traveling!