Your post is chock full of inaccuracies. As PHX is my home airport I can assure you there are plenty of US Airways personnel available throughout the terminal both before and after security. PHX, after all, is US Airways western hub and the corporate offices are located nearby in Tempe.
Where did you enter the terminal? Terminal 4has 3 levels. The lower level is all baggage claim. The middle level is where the ticket counters and checkin areas are. US Airways and Southwest are the two biggest airlines at PHX and they have literally dozens of counters which are staffed at all times. The upper level is where you queue up for TSA screening and access the gates. There are also US Airways checkin kiosks located just outside of security for those that don't need to check bags so they can get their boarding passes and proceed to the gate.
Once through security US Airways has gates on four concourses all on the north side of the terminal. In each one of these concourses there is a customer service counter which is staffed at all times while the airport is open.
Agents arrive at a gate to start working the flight approximately one hour before scheduled departure time. I think it's about 45 minutes for the express flights on the smaller regional aircraft. If you were really there 30 minutes before departure and there were no agents staffing the gate then perhaps you were at the wrong gate or were there at the wrong time. Had you set your watches properly? Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time so during the summer months we are on the same time as California and the west coast. Next week when the rest of the country sets their clocks back an hour we wiull again be on the same time as Denver and the Mountain Time Zone. Our time officially remains Mountain Standard Time year-round.
I think you need to take some personal responsibility for this. You knew it was close to boarding time yet you chose top go into a nearby restaurant. What could you possibly order and consume in a restaurant in 15 minutes? Furthermore the PA announcements for the gates cannot be heard in the restaurants. Boarding announcements in a large hub like Phoenix are only made in the boarding area. If every flight's boarding were announced everywhere it would be a non-stop cacophony of information that doesn't apply to most people hearing it.
What I find most hard to believe is your claim that there were no employees to be found that could give you any information. I just don't buy it. If this was a small outstation, perhaps, but we're talking about a huge hub airport here. If you really didn't see anyone at your gate why didn't you go to a nearby gate and ask an employee there? Perhaps the agent working your flight had to escort the crew down the jetway and was momentarily away from the desk. Also late in your post you mention going to the customer service center for re-booking. Did you not see that same customer service center as you walked to your gate? There is also signage for each customer service center on each concourse. You mentioned you were traveling with your son and one other person and I don't know the ages but were you completely distracted by him and just lost track of time and were unaware of your surroundings? It can happen to anyone. The airline is such an easy target for blame.
|