A long wait at American Airlines, but quick redress

For three hours, I waited. And waited. As the American Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport overflowed with fuming travelers -- victims of massive flight cancellations -- one question kept running through my mind: When do I get in my car and drive to Las Vegas instead?

My flight had been scheduled to leave just before noon April 9. So I left my home in the San Fernando Valley at 9 a.m., allowing myself plenty of time to drive to LAX and get through security.

By 1 p.m., I’d be in Vegas -- enjoying a cold beverage and catching up with old friends in preparation for a wedding the next day.

Yes, I had heard about American Airlines grounding MD-80 jetliners for Federal Aviation Administration-mandated safety inspections. But surely the short hop to Vegas -- barely long enough for beverage service -- wouldn’t be affected, I thought.

Then the delay dance began.

After arriving at the airport, I checked the departure monitors and saw that my flight was still on time. The aircraft had just landed from Houston, so I assumed that the plane -- an MD-80 -- wouldn’t be affected by the safety inspections.

Then came the first announcement over the terminal’s public address system: The aircraft would need to be checked, like all the rest. But it would take just 15 minutes.

It could have been worse. While I waited, another announcement was made. The pilot for a Chicago flight introduced himself and informed his crew and passengers that they didn’t have a plane. But they were looking for one, he said.

Fifteen minutes came and went without a word. As noon approached, I began thinking about making my very first road trip to Las Vegas.

Twenty minutes later, I received an e-mail update from American Airlines on my BlackBerry: The new departure time would be 1:10 p.m.

As the delays mounted, the terminal began to resemble the memorable scene from “Gone With the Wind” -- all those people laid out on the streets of Atlanta. Travelers sat on the floor, waiting in lines that didn’t seem to go anywhere. The stalemate was broken just once: The pilot of the Chicago flight announced that he had a plane. The restless crowd roared with applause.

No such luck for me. At 1:30 p.m., the airline e-mailed me another update: The flight was canceled.

I girded myself for the drive to Vegas, trying to figure out what time I’d be checking into my hotel room. I couldn’t help but think that if I had only started the drive at 9 a.m., when I left for the airport, I’d be on the outskirts of town right now.

While heading out of the terminal, I stopped to ask an American Airlines employee about getting a refund. She pointed to an unstaffed counter and said someone would show up shortly to help stranded passengers.

An agent soon arrived and offered me two options: a standby spot for a 3:20 p.m. flight or a full refund. I took the refund, figuring the flight either would be canceled or wouldn’t have any open seats.

As I drove away from the airport, I called my wife, Sheri, and discussed my options. She found for me a 4:05 p.m. Southwest flight out of Burbank airport. The ticket cost $250 -- twice what I had paid for my original flight, but at least it would save me from driving.

Later that night, Sheri sent an e-mail to customer service at American Airlines explaining the situation. We didn’t expect a response, especially considering the number of canceled flights throughout the week. But we heard back. And soon.

Not only did American apologize, but it also sent a $250 voucher for a future flight.

We later learned that the airline had announced it would give vouchers to inconvenienced travelers. Even so, we were pleasantly surprised by how fast American Airlines had responded.

Stories about good customer service aren’t seen all that often. In my book, this was one of them.

derek.simmons@latimes.com

Simmons is a deputy design director for The Times.