Quote:
Originally Posted by adm120
We came into Philadelphia from Detroit a little late, 8PM as opposed to 7:50. The pilot told us there was a plane at his gate and they were looking for another one, and that they knew there were people making connections on the plane. We waited until 8:15 to get to another gate. I ran to my gate and got there at 8:21 and was told the flight was gone. Next flight 11 PM. 
DUH – how is it that a flight with connecting passengers has no gate? Certainly it was no secret we were coming in.
The fools sold my seat while I was on the tarmac and let the plane go. I was livid.
This is not uncommon in Philadelphia – which is imo the worst Hub in the world. Total indifference and incompetence.
US Airways and their Express regional (Republic) are now telling us we have to be at the gate 20 minuets before departure or they sell your seat – apparently even if you are connecting with them.
I will never go through Phily again and will cut back on US Airways and “Express” flights. |
Seems like you've encountered this situation before? You posted the scheduled arrival time of your flight as 7:50 PM but didn't post the scheduled departure time of your connecting flight. Was it another US Air Express flight or US Air mainline? There are minimum "legal" connection times published and I'm wondering if a schedule change after you purchased your tickets shortened your time to under this limit. If so US Air should have contacted you prior to your departure date. I know the "legal" minimum connection time isn't much in PHL (I think it's just 20 or 25 minutes if both flights are US Express) but if I was purchasing the itinerary such a short connection would have given me pause to look for other options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jetliner
This can happen in any hub on any airline. Yes, they knew your flight was arriving. However the gate you were scheduled for may have had a flight on it that was running late leaving. Could have been mechanical or ATC delay. Now they have to wait for another gate to open up. And if the weather goes bad for a bank of flights that's even worse.
How do you know they gave your seat away? DUH - ALL of the flights to a hub will have connection passengers.
You are said that when you got to the gate, the plane was gone, not that you got there and they wouldn't let you on. Ultimately if it comes down to delaying that flight and holding up 40 or 50 people (regional jet from the sounds of it) for the sake of 2 or 3 people, the plane will go.
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The OP said the seats were "sold" to other passengers but it's my guess that there were probably stand-by passengers who may have gotten the seats when those connecting didn't show up on time.