In U.S. winter storms, some passengers found rewards

(Reuters) - Among the hundreds of thousands of fliers on canceled flights this winter, there were actually a few happy customers. Well, maybe not exactly happy, but at least placated by apologies and freebies from the airlines.

Take Elizabeth Schirmer, whose destination wedding in Mexico got upended by bad weather in late February in Rochester, New York. She and her three flying companions, including her groom, endured a hassle-filled journey with multiple plane changes and long layovers.

After she returned home, Schirmer, 30, received a generic apology email from Delta Air Lines and an invitation to comment about her experience. She did, sparing no detail about how her carefully planned trip ended up as 24 straight hours in planes and airports including an anxiety-filled wait for her bags, which barely made it in time for the wedding.

The result: Delta ponied up 10,000 frequent flyer miles apiece, plus the choice of $150 gift cards from a variety of retailers. On top of that, Delta sent a pair of gift baskets to her and her new husband - bath products and herbal teas for her and artisan chocolates and snacks for him.

"It was nice that they acknowledged what we went through," Schirmer says.

Some 70,757 flights with at least one stop in the United States got canceled between Dec. 21 and March 21, according to data from FlightAware compiled for Reuters. Clearly, not all of the intended passengers on those flights will get something extra for their trouble. Industry experts say there is a hierarchy to who gets perks.

The No. 1 rule is that the spoils go to those who ask for them - nicely.

Unless you catch the right gate agent at the right time, it will be tough to get anything extra straight away unless your story is particularly compelling. If you're extremely dissatisfied, try the main customer service phone line and keep asking to speak to a supervisor. Be prepared to stay on hold, though.

You'll do better to wait until after your travels and write the airline's customer service department - the email and regular mail addresses are on airline websites. You could end up getting miles or a voucher.

LOYALTY HAS REWARDS

Frequent fliers appear to get the best service, according to Brian Kelly, who runs the frequent flyer site ThePointsGuy.com.

Ben Hause, 25, and his fiance, both Delta Gold Medallion flyers from Denver, got stranded in New York earlier this month. They went on and off the plane for hours, then faced a 12-hour overnight delay. Their request for a hotel room was rejected, so they booked a room on their own.

When the flight finally got going the next day, the couple got bumped to first class. They calmly told their tale of woe to a flight attendant, who, just before landing, presented them with a bottle of Chardonnay and a napkin folded into a bow-tie. It was pinned with replica Delta pilot wings and featured a personal note from the whole flight crew.

"It's the customized things like that make such a bigger impression than throwing miles or money at a customer," Hause says.

Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant says although rooms weren't provided to travelers stranded by weather, the airline on many occasions this winter made goodwill gestures like providing bagels, donuts and pizza for those stuck at airports. Wine and gift baskets are an extension of that.

WEATHER IS NO WINNER

The contract of carriage, the agreement between consumers and airlines, states clearly that weather problems are not airlines' responsibility. Airline officials say they will provide food and lodging if they determine the problem was their fault (like a mechanical problem or inability to get a crew), but not because of Mother Nature.

Consultant Adam Kotkin says he was flying to New York from his home in Miami earlier this month when his flight was canceled. The airline cited weather, but other planes were flying. Kotkin was re-booked on a flight a couple of days later with a seat in coach, even though he had a paid first-class ticket.

Kotkin worked the phone. After getting bumped up to the third supervisor, Kotkin says he focused on his frequent flyer status, how long he was kept waiting on the phone and his paid first-class ticket. He ended up on a flight the next day in first-class. Later he was given an additional 20,000 miles.

"You just have to keep trying and always go to the top," Kotkin says.

(Editing by Beth Pinsker, Lauren Young and Cynthia Osterman)