Fred Hollander
Cruise Ship Passenger Is Suing Airline For Missed Cruise
April 24, 2008
We have heard it all before. Passengers are missing their cruises because the airlines fail to provide timely services. This has frustrated cruise ship passengers for years, but has left them with few options if their insurance doesn't cover the lost cruise.
Fred Hollander, from Nashua, New Hampshire has decided to sue Delta Airlines for his missed cruise, saying that the delay was excessive and under their control. His suit was filed on March 20, 2008 claiming they violating the terms of their own contract and the state consumer protection law.
Hollander booked his RCCI cruise in September 2006, his suit states. He paid $1,164 for the five-day Royal Caribbean cruise, and $443.21 for plane tickets from Manchester, New Hampshire to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Hollander had booked an 0800 hours flight on Comair, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines scheduled to arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 1337 hours.
When he checked in at the Delta ticket counter in Manchester at 0615 hours, he was told that his flight had been delayed indefinitely because there was no crew available to fly the plane. Staff at the airport told Hollander that the flight crew wasn't available because their flight had been delayed the night before, he said.
Although there were at least two other direct flights leaving to Fort Lauderdale that morning, Delta booked him on a U.S. Air flight through Philadelphia. Hollander says that plane sat on the tarmac for two hours then returned to the gate. The Philadelphia airport was turning back flights due to weather conditions caused by Hurricane Ernesto, his suit states.
Hollander returned to the Delta ticket counter and was rescheduled on a direct flight from Boston, Massachusetts to Miami, Florida. That flight was delayed, arriving at approximately 1540 hours.
Royal Caribbean had a shuttle bus to bring passengers from the airport to the ship at Port Everglades, but the bus had already left when Hollander arrived, so he took a cab.
Hollander arrived at the port at 1658 hours, only to see the ship just pulling away from the dock.
Delta offered to reschedule Hollander's flight back to Boston, Massachusetts without additional charges, but refused to compensate him for the loss of his cruise or other travel expenses as a result of the bungled flights.
He seeks compensation under the state's consumer protection laws, for a total of $13,247, and $25,000 in general damages for emotional distress and mental anguish.
Hollander asked for a refund before filing his suit, both at the airport and later, in a letter to the company, he said. He was told that his airline tickets couldn't be refunded, because he had used them, flying to Florida and back.
