Travelers choosing wrong airport

DeltaFlot · 02-27-2003, 03:46 PM

Travelers choosing wrong airport
Thursday, February 27, 2003 Posted: 2:18 PM EST (1918 GMT)

LAFAYETTE, Indiana (AP) -- Booking flights online has led some travelers bound for Louisiana far afield of their intended destination -- about 761 miles astray.

About once a month, a passenger who had expected to step off the plane in Lafayette, Louisiana, shows up at Purdue University Airport in west-central Indiana.

"Most of the people speak very little or no English," said Chuck Burns, general manager of AmericanConnection, the commercial carrier at the Purdue airport.

"We try to accommodate them the best we can and get them down there. A lot of the people are pretty distraught."

The problem apparently lies with travelers who use the Internet to book flights and choose the wrong three-letter airport code, confusing West Lafayette's LAF code for Lafayette, Louisiana, which has LFT as its code.

The problem with misdirected fliers was more frequent when Northwest Airlink had operations at the Purdue airport, because the airline served both Lafayettes until it pulled out of Purdue in December.

Northwest even offered misdirected fliers a special fare to the other Lafayette, Purdue airport Director Betty Stansbury said.

Similar problems have occurred at airports in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as well as in Rochester, Minnesota, and Rochester, New York, and a host of other U.S. cities.

"You feel bad for the people," Burns said. "It's not their fault."

BobPackwood · 04-26-2003, 12:21 AM

About a week ago we had a guy come out of the Airport here in Lafayette, LA asking where he could get a taxi to Purdue. I laughed a bit and told him it would be difficult, then I realized that he was lost. He finally realized and it wasn't pretty.

surreal · 04-26-2003, 01:42 AM

The customer's have no one to blame but themselves.

B6Busdriver · 04-26-2003, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by surreal
The customer's have no one to blame but themselves.

Gee,such compassion.

tech77jp · 04-26-2003, 08:15 AM

Well, I do think the airlines should do their best to accomodate the passengers who go to the wrong airport. However, it's not like the airline flew to the wrong city. It is just that the FAA chose a nomenclature that misled people. If you were to put the blame on somebody, it is the passenger. Nobody kidnapped them. It's not like they did something bad, but they don't really have anybody to blame, either.

surreal · 04-26-2003, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by B6Busdriver
Gee,such compassion.

Yea I guess. . .

04-26-2003, 11:14 AM

I know of a story about 12 years ago at JFK, where a woman from Thailand had just come in from Bangkok & was connecting to an American Eagle flight to Providence, RI, but she somehow boarded an American flight to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic instead. Both flights were in the same gate area. By the time she realized something wasn't right, the flight was more than halfway there. She asked a flight attendant why such a short hop was taking so long. She ended up having to go to Puerto Plata & back before getting to PVD! What a long trip after you've come from Thailand!

Clip · 04-26-2003, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by surreal
The customer's have no one to blame but themselves.

April 29th cannot come soon enough...

justin · 04-26-2003, 08:40 PM

This is not as crazy as some may think, if you have never been to a place, don't speak the language and are not an airline nut who knows all the airline codes it's pretty easy to get confused about these things, or am I the only one who'll admit to sometimes struggling when arriving someplace new or organising a trip to a new country?

Justin

efingeret · 04-28-2003, 12:47 PM

When I was with Comair in CVG, we used to get people who were supposed to be going to Daytona Beach (DAB), not Dayton, Ohio, (DAY). It was quite funny.

One time on a serious note though, we had a fire fighter helicopter crew going down thereto fight the forest fires. They were from Seattle, (SEA), and were booke incorrectly. Their Helo was allready in DAB. OOPPPPPPSSSS!!!!

02-27-2003, 03:46 PM	#1
DeltaFlot The Patriot Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Laurel, MD Age: 36 Posts: 3,228	Travelers choosing wrong airport Travelers choosing wrong airport Thursday, February 27, 2003 Posted: 2:18 PM EST (1918 GMT) LAFAYETTE, Indiana (AP) -- Booking flights online has led some travelers bound for Louisiana far afield of their intended destination -- about 761 miles astray. About once a month, a passenger who had expected to step off the plane in Lafayette, Louisiana, shows up at Purdue University Airport in west-central Indiana. "Most of the people speak very little or no English," said Chuck Burns, general manager of AmericanConnection, the commercial carrier at the Purdue airport. "We try to accommodate them the best we can and get them down there. A lot of the people are pretty distraught." The problem apparently lies with travelers who use the Internet to book flights and choose the wrong three-letter airport code, confusing West Lafayette's LAF code for Lafayette, Louisiana, which has LFT as its code. The problem with misdirected fliers was more frequent when Northwest Airlink had operations at the Purdue airport, because the airline served both Lafayettes until it pulled out of Purdue in December. Northwest even offered misdirected fliers a special fare to the other Lafayette, Purdue airport Director Betty Stansbury said. Similar problems have occurred at airports in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as well as in Rochester, Minnesota, and Rochester, New York, and a host of other U.S. cities. "You feel bad for the people," Burns said. "It's not their fault." __________________ Febuary 15, 1898 December 7, 1941 June 8, 1967 September 11, 2001 Never Forget, Never Forgive If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

04-26-2003, 12:21 AM	#2
BobPackwood Senior Collector Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Louisiana Age: 25 Posts: 194	About a week ago we had a guy come out of the Airport here in Lafayette, LA asking where he could get a taxi to Purdue. I laughed a bit and told him it would be difficult, then I realized that he was lost. He finally realized and it wasn't pretty. __________________ Its a great Day to work for TSA. WOULD LIKE AA MD82(CHROME), AA A300, AA BAE146, CO MD80, CO 767200, CO 767300, CO747(NC), CO A300 (NC)

04-26-2003, 08:15 AM	#5
tech77jp Senior Collector Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 435	Well, I do think the airlines should do their best to accomodate the passengers who go to the wrong airport. However, it's not like the airline flew to the wrong city. It is just that the FAA chose a nomenclature that misled people. If you were to put the blame on somebody, it is the passenger. Nobody kidnapped them. It's not like they did something bad, but they don't really have anybody to blame, either. __________________ "Everything good in life is either illegal, immoral, or fattening." - Murphy http://www.soaringcapture.tk/

04-28-2003, 12:47 PM	#10
efingeret Senior Collector Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Buffalo, NY Age: 36 Posts: 207	Daytona Beach or Dayton, OH When I was with Comair in CVG, we used to get people who were supposed to be going to Daytona Beach (DAB), not Dayton, Ohio, (DAY). It was quite funny. One time on a serious note though, we had a fire fighter helicopter crew going down thereto fight the forest fires. They were from Seattle, (SEA), and were booke incorrectly. Their Helo was allready in DAB. OOPPPPPPSSSS!!!!

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04-26-2003, 01:42 AM	#3
surreal WX guru Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Atlanta Age: 24 Posts: 846	The customer's have no one to blame but themselves.

04-26-2003, 11:14 AM	#7
NYCAAer Guest Posts: n/a	I know of a story about 12 years ago at JFK, where a woman from Thailand had just come in from Bangkok & was connecting to an American Eagle flight to Providence, RI, but she somehow boarded an American flight to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic instead. Both flights were in the same gate area. By the time she realized something wasn't right, the flight was more than halfway there. She asked a flight attendant why such a short hop was taking so long. She ended up having to go to Puerto Plata & back before getting to PVD! What a long trip after you've come from Thailand!

04-26-2003, 08:40 PM	#9
justin Insane Collector Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 2,005	This is not as crazy as some may think, if you have never been to a place, don't speak the language and are not an airline nut who knows all the airline codes it's pretty easy to get confused about these things, or am I the only one who'll admit to sometimes struggling when arriving someplace new or organising a trip to a new country? Justin