[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by chrisal

Not sure why my email has told me that I've got a message from this website. Presume it is because I made posts in this link in the past.

However thought I'd take a quick look, and it does appear that PHX is letting his enormous mouth go again upsetting people along the way. I'm all for free speech, but when all certain individuals want to do is antagonize, inflame, and poke fun at people who are after some advise and help, I think it is about time the moderators did something about it. How many more chances can these wind-up merchants get? Give an inch and they take a mile. If you let them stay it will only continue.
My advise is ; chuck him overboard and forget about the lifevest!
There you go, now you've got a forum without any sick little knife twisters!

Who asked you anyway? And perhaps you didn't take a look at this thread.

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

I'm not sure why a hotel wasn't arranged for them. I found this on the US Airways website:[/list]Note this policy only applies to "young adults" ages 15-17 who have been designated as unaccompanied minors and the UM fee has been paid. (Ages 15-17 can travel without UM status and are treated like any other passenger even when cancellations/re-bookings are concerned.) There is no mention of hotel accommodations for UMs aged 5-14 years old. This may be why US Airways opted for them to remain at the airport as their UM policies for ages 5-14 only applies to non-stop flights. It may be that UMs on connecting flights are booked "at your own risk."

I'm not sure which hotels US Airways uses in Phoenix for displaced passengers but most hotels near the airport are decent and safe. There are only two or three which come to mind (a Best Western, Comfort Inn and EconoLodge) which I've never stayed in (I live in Phoenix) but look a bit "sketchy" from the outside and are not in the best neighborhood. Knowing how cheap US Airways is the would most likely have wound up in pedestrian accommodations to say the least but I would still write a letter or e-mail to customer service and demand an explanation of why the only option was for them to "camp out" in an office at the airport all night.

As for your concerns about the equipment malfunctions believe it or not cracked windshields happen more often than you'd think. It's not a huge deal and the only reason they had to declare an emergency is because it's FAA mandated. They were never in any danger.

As for your description of "The WHEEL BROKE upon take off" are you sure the wheel actually came off? My guess is that it was most likely just an issue with a tire. This is another fairly common occurrence and again your kids were in no danger.

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

I can understand, to an extent, their position on liability. We live in a litigious society and you can't really blame them for "covering their *****" especially when minors are concerned. Something could happen which is completely out of their control but they would still be sued handsomely for it. Suppose the hotel shuttle van taking them to/from the hotel is involved in an accident or there's a fire in the hotel during the night.

If US Airways does, as a matter of policy, keep stranded unaccompanied minors at the airport they should, at the very least, have more comfortable bedding. An AeroBed inflatable mattress is about $75 at Costco and real linens and pillows aren't very expensive either. To have several on hand wouldn't cost the airline very much and would make things much more comfortable for the kids.



If US Airways does, as a matter of policy, keep stranded unaccompanied minors at the airport they should, at the very least, have more comfortable bedding. An AeroBed inflatable mattress is about $75 at Costco and real linens and pillows aren't very expensive either. To have several on hand wouldn't cost the airline very much and would make things much more comfortable for the kids.



Were the certificates in an amount that would cover a future round-trip to the same destination? If so then that's probably all you should expect. If not I would try for more but would focus more on the lack of proper sleeping accommodations than the mechanical issues that stranded them. It may indeed be that the hotels that US Airways contracts with do not allow minors to stay by themselves (another liability issue) but they should have a better contingency plan for unaccompanied minors when things go wrong.

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

If I may make a suggestion Continental serves both Ontario and Austin with a connection in Houston. Checking some random dates over the next few months their fares were almost always less than US Airways by as much as $60 per person for a round-trip ticket. I believe the unaccompanied minor fee is the same. Continental has a dedicated lounge for unaccompanied minors where they escort the kids during layovers or long delays. There's TV, games, books, refreshments and their own restroom and it's only for minors traveling alone. There is always an escort available who will take them to buy snacks or meals at an airport concession. If your kids don't travel with a cellphone they also allow phone calls and will give you the direct number to the UM lounge to contact with any questions or concerns.

I also know for a fact that Continental will put them up in a hotel, supervised at all times, if their connecting flight(s) are cancelled even due to weather. The last time I was stranded at IAH there were UMs who missed the same flight as I did. They took us to the same hotel where they house employees who are in Houston for training. (Continental may even own that hotel but I'm not 100% sure on that fact.)

When someone has a LEGITIMATE complaint where they were truly wronged by the airline and should be reasonably compensated then I am 100% supportive and have nothing but constructive advice. When someone who through their own inaction and failure to do the simplest of fact-checking finds themselves in a situation as a result of that inaction it must be pointed out that they could have taken steps to ensure a smoother travel experience.

Your "cheeky" remarks and, once again, personal attack have been reported. We'll see if the moderator of this forum has the intestinal fortitude to actually do something about it this time and hopefully more than a "slap on the wrist" warning which carries no consequences!