American Airlines Sent Delayed Passengers To A Hyatt With Ceilings Torn Open—This Is An ‘Approved Hotel’

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has told employees not to spend a dollar more than necessary. While the airline is now investing broadly in its product, that hasn’t seem to trickle down to the hotels they put displaced passengers up in. You almost never want the free hotel room an airline is willing to give you. One passenger shares her experience after her delayed Dublin – Philadelphia flight caused her to miss a connection to Phoenix. American provided a hotel for the night. It was literally a construction site. When we were checking in an object fell from the ceiling on the reception desk. Her photos show large portions of the dropped ceiling missing across the lobby and other public areas, with wiring, pipes and mechanical equipment exposed. One corridor was partly stripped to its studs. She said an object falling at reception caused the clerk to jump backward. While the guest room itself was fine, she had to reach it through what looked like a construction zone with pieces reportedly falling from above. The property was Hyatt Select Philadelphia Airport. Hyatt launched Select as a “conversion-friendly” upper-midscale brand meant to provide reliability, comfort and thoughtful design. This is an ex-Holiday Inn Express, and the conversion was apparently still quite literally in progress. A March review said the property was “under renovation in parts.” A guest in April said it was under construction, while another April review reported receiving a renovated room while the hotel remained under renovation. That renovation… continued. American Promises A Hotel, But Not A Good One American’s Customer Service Plan says that when a delay or cancellation is caused by the airline, passengers stranded away from home overnight can request: A voucher for an “approved hotel with available rooms” Transportation between the airport and hotel A food and beverage credit after a delay of at least three hours If American can’t provide an approved hotel, it says it will reimburse reasonable hotel costs. Its Conditions of Carriage, however, warn that reimbursement is not guaranteed when a passenger books directly without written authorization. The Department of Transportation dashboard lists American as committed to providing hotel accommodations and ground transportation during controllable overnight disruptions. But there is no quality standard. Neither American nor the government defines cleanliness, security, star rating, guest reviews, working door locks or whether the ceiling is attached. There is no general federal regulation requiring every airline to provide a hotel whenever a passenger is stranded. American has made a specific, enforceable commitment to do so when the disruption is within its control, such as maintenance or crew problems. (Many airlines made these commitments legally enforceable under pressure from the Biden administration.) This itinerary began in Dublin, though, and that adds European passenger protections. Assuming Philadelphia–Phoenix was on the same reservation, EU261 applies to the journey because it departed from the European Union. European rules require hotel accommodation and transportation when next-day rerouting makes an overnight necessary. That duty of care is not limited to airline-controlled delays. Depending on the reason for the disruption and how late the passenger ultimately reached Phoenix, the passenger is likely owed €600 and doesn’t even know it. What You Should Do Instead Airlines generally use third-party distressed-passenger booking platforms. Hotels load available inventory at contracted rates, and the airline or its vendor assigns those rooms. During a major disruption, the better nearby hotels may sell out quickly or refuse deeply discounted airline business. A property that can accept dozens of rooms with little notice at 1 a.m. may be available for a reason. The airline measures success by whether each passenger received a voucher. The platform found inventory, the passenger received a bed and the obligation was checked off. I’ve consistently advised travelers not to wait for the airline when they can reasonably take care of themselves. Reserve a room before the voucher line forms. Once an overnight becomes likely, look for a cancellable room on your phone. During a broad disruption, every passenger getting off every affected flight will be searching the same inventory. Use credit-card trip-delay coverage. If the card used for the ticket provides applicable coverage, book your own room and retain the delay documentation and itemized receipts for the hotel, transportation and meals. Covered causes differ by card. I haven’t seen a properly documented claim denied merely because a traveler declined accommodations that were plainly unacceptable. Ask American for another hotel or authorization to book your own. Show the agent the reviews or construction photos and request a different property. If none is available, ask American to authorize a reasonable self-booked room (though good luck getting that in writing). Use points or request a distressed passenger rate. A few thousand hotel points or a free night certificate that might otherwise expire can buy a much better night. Hotels may also offer reduced distressed-passenger rates directly. Call the hotel before leaving the airport. Confirm that it actually has the reservation and an available room, when the shuttle runs, whether food is available and whether major construction is underway. Spending 20 minutes traveling to a better hotel can be faster than waiting an hour for a voucher, another half-hour for a shuttle and then discovering that the assigned hotel is overbooked, filthy or partly dismantled. Topics on this page