[jkk5us]

Let me tell you about my first flight with US Airways. After a near perfect 35th high school reunion in NJ, I arrived at Philadelphia Airport (PHL) on August 10, 2008 with 2 hours until my flight number 1559. There was a brief but heavy downpour so I was relieved to see the first departure screen read 1559 ON TIME. As I sat at the gate, I was not surprised to find out that our flight was delayed with a new boarding time of 10:15 PM. I figured I would still get to Denver by midnight and have no problem making my 8:45 AM meeting. Then the flight was reposted for some time after 11:00 PM. Now I was assured of not getting a full night’s sleep once I get to Denver, but at least I was not going to miss my meeting. Then the flight was again reposted with a 12:45 AM departure. So I began doing the math. A 1:00 AM departure (I was still optimistic) would put me in Denver at 3:00 AM and home by 5:00 AM. I could still get 1.5 hours of sleep and make my 8:45 AM meeting. They did begin start boarding at close to 12:45 AM, but we had some delays for reasons I do not remember. At about 1:45 AM, they announced that we would be deplaning and would have to book new flights. No one actually mentioned that our flight had been canceled, and no reason was given for the cancelation. I correctly guessed that it been and hours of service issue with the crew, but I did not find that out until the next day.

When I got off the plane everyone was in line to rebook flights. I managed to get through to a reservations agent who booked me on an American Airlines flight (1573) to a Denver with a stop at Dallas. I was willing to wait for a through flight but was told none was available. I asked if I had to remain in line to do anything with the gate agent, but was told that I could either get ticketed there and then, or do it in the morning. As the line was still at least an hour long, I elected to get it in the morning. I went to another gate to try for a distress rate at a nearby hotel, and was told, "There’s no hotel rooms within 30 miles." Of what use are customer service employees if they only provide false information? I managed to get a room at the Hilton at the airport, but told they had no distress rates and paid $215.46 for 8 hours in that room. I also managed to get ripped off to the tune of $29 for a two minute taxi ride that read $7.99 on the meter. By now I will leave it to your imagination to guess the sort of thoughts that rolling around in my head with regard to how I felt about US Airways and PHL.

I had a short but comfortable rest at the Hilton and then proceeded to check out of the Hilton. I asked the hotel clerk how I could get to the airport and she said that a shuttle was leaving in 3 minutes. I got on the shuttle only to be asked for my shuttle pass. You would think that a hotel clerk who had been asked about how to get to the airport would have given me the shuttle pass if she knew she had then, knew that I needed them and knew that I had just asked about how to get to the airport. I can only surmise that she was a former US Airways employee.

When I arrive at the US Airways ticket counter to get my American flight straightened out, what do you think happened. That's right, no record of me being booked on AA 1573. Fortunately I met the first competent US Airways in this otherwise nightmarish event. The ticket agent was able to book me to Denver through Charlotte North Caroline on 953/1529. Imagine my delight when I found out it was only going to take another 8 hours to get to Denver.

Now during this entire ordeal, I was never offered so much as a bag of pretzels. This in spite of the airline’s glowing promises outlined below from their web site. They should preface the following which I cut from your Customer Service Plan, with "Once upon a time....", because by my experience these words are no more real than any fairy tale. I feel like I won some sort of contest, like I was customer number 13,131,313 this year and all this was to solidify that unlucky number.

So please tell me, do you treat all your customers like this, or was just unlucky customer number 13,131,313?

The customer service rep in Charlotte verified that 1559 had been canceled due to crew hours of service issues.

My one saving grace is that I did not have this sort of experience with the rest of my family. Ours is a family of six, and we fly from Denver to NJ at least twice each year. Guess which airline is not going to be part of our future plans?

Wishing US Airways $20 per gallon jet fuel,


jkk5us


From your USA fairy tale, aka Customer Service Plan

Overnight amenities
When a US Airways flight on which the customer is being transported is canceled creating an overnight stay, customers will be provided one night's lodging. Exceptions to this are listed below. In addition, in cases where a customer has misconnected due to reasons other than those listed below, overnight accommodations will be provided.

Exceptions: Hotel accommodations will not be furnished:
To a customer whose trip is interrupted at a city which is his/her origin point, stopover point, or his/her permanent domicile.
When the destination designated on the customer's ticket, and the flight on which the customer is being transported, is diverted to another city or airport in the same metropolitan area due to weather.
US Airways will provide passengers a list of hotels/motels, which offer a distressed rate when flight(s) are canceled due to circumstances beyond our control.

When the cancellation is due to circumstances within our control, US Airways will pay for:
• Hotel room (US Airways will not cover: room service, alcohol, or movies)
• Meal(s) (vouchers will be provided for meals based on the time of day)
• Ground transportation (if not provided by the hotel)
Customers without baggage: $25.00 per night for miscellaneous incidentals and toiletries will be reimbursed upon presentation of receipts

[jkk5us]

Just look at the advantages of flying first class.

[Leatherboy2006]

Exceptions: Hotel accommodations will not be furnished:
To a customer whose trip is interrupted at a city which is his/her origin point, stopover point, or his/her permanent domicile.
When the destination designated on the customer's ticket, and the flight on which the customer is being transported, is diverted to another city or airport in the same metropolitan area due to weather.
US Airways will provide passengers a list of hotels/motels, which offer a distressed rate when flight(s) are canceled due to circumstances beyond our control.

Actually they got a loop hole in this policy, if Philly was the place you started you flight at that day and not your connection point then the policy you posted from their web site states, that hotel's will not be provided for at your point of origin. which would be Philly in this case. Also be careful of wording direct is a flight that could make several stops, non-stop would have gone from Philly to Denver non stop. Southworse got me that way once with a direct flight San Diego to Chicago stopping in 5 cities between with the same flight number and plane

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Southworse got me that way once with a direct flight San Diego to Chicago stopping in 5 cities between with the same flight number and plane

OK, it probably took, say, 12+ hours? But you did not have to go through the aggravation of making a 1 to 2 mile mad dash in an airport for a connecting flight. Nor did you have the aggravation of MISSING a connecting flight. I wish the legacy carriers would find a way to increase the number of direct flights. At least, then, I'd have greater confidence I would reach my destination WITHIN a 24-hour period, rather than beyond! Hey, bring some Connie Francis CDs, and you can make believe you're on a DC-7!

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by Leatherboy2006

Exceptions: Hotel accommodations will not be furnished:
To a customer whose trip is interrupted at a city which is his/her origin point, stopover point, or his/her permanent domicile.
When the destination designated on the customer's ticket, and the flight on which the customer is being transported, is diverted to another city or airport in the same metropolitan area due to weather.
US Airways will provide passengers a list of hotels/motels, which offer a distressed rate when flight(s) are canceled due to circumstances beyond our control.

Actually they got a loop hole in this policy, if Philly was the place you started you flight at that day and not your connection point then the policy you posted from their web site states, that hotel's will not be provided for at your point of origin. which would be Philly in this case. Also be careful of wording direct is a flight that could make several stops, non-stop would have gone from Philly to Denver non stop. Southworse got me that way once with a direct flight San Diego to Chicago stopping in 5 cities between with the same flight number and plane

If it was the return portion of a round-trip itinerary then it wouldn't be considered point of origin when it comes to providing hotel accomodations. Point of origin would be the first departure airport on your itinerary. It doesn't necessarily have to be your domicile, but often one's domicile is in or close to the point of origin.

It's my guess that the rolling delay was due to weather and that was the "loophole" that got US out of providing hotel accomodations. I was in NY at that time (Aug 8 was my parent's anniversary) and there were some very severe thunderstorms in the northeast. It's not uncommon in the summer for Washington DC, Philly and the New York area airports to become a total cluster@#$! with the thunderstorms. It's not safe to fly in them and when lightning strikes near any airport it shuts down the ramp so the baggage handlers and aircraft maintenece people can take cover.

Those rolling delays just compound as inbound traffic gets backed up and often crew timeout is the result. The northeast is bad in the winter AND the summer.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

It's not uncommon in the summer for Washington DC, Philly and the New York area airports to become a total cluster@#$! with the thunderstorms. It's not safe to fly in them and when lightning strikes near any airport it shuts down the ramp so the baggage handlers and aircraft maintenece people can take cover.

Those rolling delays just compound as inbound traffic gets backed up and often crew timeout is the result. The northeast is bad in the winter AND the summer.

Just to add to my post...it seems jkk5us is from there (he flies to PHL and EWR from DEN for family gatherings and school reunions) so the facts emboldened above shouldn't be a surprise to him!