[JWolfe]

I attempted 8 (EIGHT) times to check in online, only to be caught in a loop of messages telling me to cal the 800 number. I made 6 (SIX) phone calls to the 800 number and not one person could check me in, verify my seats, or even ensure me that I'd be on the plane. Two calls were dropped after I was placed on hold for over ten minutes each. The three other times, the representatives told me they did not have the capacity to verify that I was checked in and could not confirm my flight or seats. I was transferred to "Tech Support" and was told that they could not understand why the US Airways computers were making a mess of my reservation. They admitted that it was a US Airways computer problem, but had no idea what it was, nor how to fix it. Complete incompetence. The problem was never resolved. I will ensure that every future conversation with friends, family, colleagues, and even passers-by that even remotely concerns travel of any nature includes a clear and poignant statement of how disappointing and frustrating the service and support has been with US Airways.

[aniruddhsetya]

NEVER AGAIN WILL I FLY US AIRWAYS!!
I had a flight from Cleveland to New York on January 19,2012 with a connection at Philadelphia. My Cleveland to Philadelphia flight was at 842pm and i was at the airport at 2 pm. I had just finished an interview with Cleveland clinic and had to be in New York the next morning at 7 am for another interview at another hospital. I requested to be put up on an earlier flight which had a seat available. I was asked to pay additional 50$ . My question is, I have paid a full price ticket and you rather have a flight go empty than to accommodate a student who happens to be your own customer? I decided to wait for my original flight. This flight 3621 was running late. It landed late in PHL. Me along with 10 more passengers on board including the air hostess were to board flight 1290 at 1055pm. We somehow managed to reach the gate at 1045 only to realize that the gates had been closed.
10 checked in passengers had a misconnection and the aircraft gates were not opened. The aircraft stood there for another half an hour atleast. It finally took off at 1120 if not later. There was only one ground staff member Ms Atlanta, who was as helpless as any of us. She had no authority to commit or give any information. We were left high and dry with no US airways official around.
1130pm the PHL airport is as dead as a graveyard. There were no distress coupons provided, no food leave aside any accommodation. The special services refused to help as they said that the airport had closed. It was beyond their working hours !
My questions and complains are only a few:
1) Agreed there is a policy, not to open the gates once they have been shut. Why could not the captain wait for 5 more minutes when he knew that there had been a misconncection by another US airways flight?
2. Why were the passengers left high and dry?
3. Why wasn’t any accommodation and transit provided?
4. Why wasn’t any food provided? Even the smallest of airports in developing nations provide food as the first compensation. Its 1130pm for crying out loud and the passengers are left to hunger till they reach their destination at 7 am the next morning?
5. Why wasn’t any assistance made available to us?
6. Why wasn’t there any ground staff who had some reasonable authority to take decisions?
US airways has a slogan- Lets fly together.. They need to rethink that. It’s more like let’s fly with your money alone. They charge for the most trivial of things (checked in bags, earlier flight) but leave the passenger stranded at an airport in the middle of the night.
I not only missed my interview next morning but i did not sleep the entire night, was without food, ended up having severe gastritis and vomiting. The PHL airport security staff was unpleasant, impolite and downright rude. They refused to do a security check on me at 1230 to allow me to my next morning flight's terminal where atleast I could hope to find a chair to sleep on or have a coffee shop open (long shot). I want answers. I will cc this to the New York Times, the PHL airport authorities and every possible forum i can do so.
This is harassment- mental and physical and financial!! I can get a testimony from the passengers who were left stranded with me to support my case if need be. In this turn of events however, I would like to congratulate air hostess Ms. Cleopatra on the Cleveland to PHL flight 3621 who was very kind and supportive and Ms. Atlanta the ground staff who tried her level best to calm the angered passengers. But above all I salute them to for putting up with the redundant policies of US airways and their lack of concern for a fellow human...Lets fly together..? You have got to be kidding me!!

[stonecold_1981]

Sounds like a horrible experience. I would suggest (for maximum impact) you limit your grievances to #2 to #6.

If you complain about #1, you will just get the standard response about when they shut the door and company policy etc.
If you complain about PHL security staff, the airlines will say thats not their concern and they are right about that. Its TSA that makes those decisions and although I see your point they will just call it a security issue or standard policy.
Good luck

[jimworcs]

I agree...
Airlines should be prepared where possible to hold the last flight of the day. There are some exceptions.... Sometimes the destination or departure airport has noise abatement restrictions and and the flight may not get landing permission after a certain time.

However, there most certainly should be a regulation which requires airlines to have staff available to provide support to stranded passengers. You ought to have been given a hotel and food vouchers.

Just one point. It doesn't strenghten your claim to allow yourself to starve and develop gastro problems. You should have been given vouchers but if you needed to eat, you should have bought food and claimed this. Courts expect you to behave reasonably and mitigate your damages. If you were without money, you may not find them sympathetic to someone travelling penniless, if all the restaurants were closed, the vouchers wouldnt have been much use anway.

I think you have a reasonable complaint that you were not treated fairly. When you write, try to avoid piling on every irritation....it can undermine your case.

[aniruddhsetya]

@stone cold: I just got the replies as what you said. TSA and policy! and said its not in their policy to provide food for delays which are not their own!

[aniruddhsetya]

@jimworcs: Thanks for the suggestion. Well, yeah the restaurants were closed and thus food vouchers would not have helped! About my gastric problems..that was just the part of my vent of frustration.
US airways has already given a reply saying its not their fault and not under their control!
I wasnt walking around penniless, I just wished there was atleast a restaurant open. But if its not, the airline should have made something available. And they should have some POLICY regarding the stranded passengers!!!

[AirlineSympathizer]

There are lots of reasons why flights don't wait, especially at the end of the day. Pilots and crew have a limited number of hours they can be "on the clock" each day - if they "time out" they are no longer allowed to fly by law. Very often, the last flight of the day, if it's delayed, can cause a crew to time out.

It might have been if they waited, they would not have been able to fly at all.

I'm not saying this happened here, but there are some reasons this sort of thing happens besides the airline plain being nasty.

[azstar]

I assume this was an "express" flight. In my experience it seems that the express carriers act as their own entity as if they are not contracted by a major carrier to fly. I've seen express flights delayed (at the originating station) because the crews show up 5 minutes before departure, or not at all. A couple weeks ago I sat on the plane for 20 minutes until the captain showed up. The flight attendant said he was at the hotel talking on his cell phone when the airport bus picked the others up. The majors dont seem to hold the express carriers accountable for their performance. And, since they don't have to deal with stranded or delayed passengers, they couldn't care less.