[kcdist]

Hello...

I have been following up a complaint with US Airways for almost three weeks, and appear to have hit a roadblock.

The Customer Service Agent that I exchanged e-mails with, and the one that I spoke with, were both pleasant and sympathetic to my case. However, they were following a simple script: If A+B=C, then D. They did not appear to be empowered to look at a situation subjectively, and make a 'common sense' ruling. I believe my situation exceeds the situations imagined when the 'Terms and Conditions' for US Airlines ticketing were produced.

Therefore.....I am looking for an imaginative way to follow this up. I would prefer an impartial Ombudsman, or even a mediator that I would be willing to pay for. This is not a question of money for me - It is one of principal.

I am looking for two resolutions. The most important would be an admission from US Airways that they will review their policies for Emergency Situations similar to the one I've described. The second is a refund, or credit, for the additional amount that I was forced to pay.

I'm not one to argue a point and make a scene. My course of action has always been to state my case, and if it doesn't go my way, to back off and following up at a later time with a responsible decision maker. Usually it works, but not so this time.

Any advice on how to pursue this matter on a different level? My only other idea right now is to develop a web site to which I would post this complaint, complete with pictures. It is my belief that this matter would be immediately rectified once a senior manager is able to have a look at it....Although the e-mail below is addressed to the VP of Customer Relations, I strongly doubt he would actually read it...but it was worth a shot.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Latest version of complaint:

Dear Mr. Romantic,

I have attempted to deal with this situation through US Airways Customer Service Department. Although the response was quick and sympathetic, the agent was unable to offer corrective action. Further, she was unable to offer a route for appeal, such as an Ombudsman. As I want to first exhaust all possible avenues to rectify my issue at the company level, I am writing directly to you, using addresses I found on a travel forum.

A summary of my complaint:

• I purchased three tickets from SJD to PHX weeks prior to September 14th, for the purpose of chaperoning two minors, my daughter and a friend, to a concert in Phoenix. (Confirmation Code B2JDTK)
• In the hours prior to departure, I was closely following the route of Hurricane Odile, and determined it was heading directly to SJD.
• I confirmed the severity of the situation from the US Government website http://www.nhc.noaa.gov. At 0200hrs, the website provided the following warning: '...ODILE RAPIDLY STRENGTHENS INTO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE......PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY IN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION...' I subsequently convinced my wife to join us on the flight. The purpose was no longer to attend a concert, but to evacuate a region that that was facing a direct hit from a major, Category 4 hurricane.
• At 0500hrs, I arrived at the SJD terminal with my wife and the two minors. After all other passengers had booked in, I attempted to purchase a ticket for my wife, however, the flight was 100% full.
• I then requested, due to the impending life threatening, catastrophic emergency, that the agent change my ticket to allow my wife to travel in my stead.
• Despite my appeals, the manager not only denied my request, but also denied the severity of the situation, and suggested only slight rain and wind were on the way. To make his point, he explained that there was definitely not a pending emergency, as US Airways had not, at that time, issued a travel advisory. He further suggested I was simply attempting to get a 'freebie', using a 'minor' storm as an excuse.
• I was therefore forced to cancel my seat on the flight so that my wife could re-purchase my empty seat for over twice what I originally paid.

My argument is as follows:

• I fully understand, in normal operations, that US Airways employs terms and conditions on tickets that must be followed to ensure profitability for the airline. This situation, however, was not normal operations.
• The flight departed only 14 hours prior to the landfall of a catastrophic hurricane that not only killed and injured many, but caused a two-week power outage, and also severely damaged the SJD airport.
• Morally, US Airways should have been doing everything possible in order to mitigate the impeding situation for as many travellers as possible. My request was extremely simple: A no-cost-to-the-airline ticket adjustment that would have allowed my wife to fly in my stead. Instead, US Airways actually profited from my predicament, by forcing me to cancel my seat and purchase the same seat at over twice the cost.
My requested resolution:

• Although the on-duty manager at SJD did not believe my warnings, he also stated that, even if he believed Odile was an emergency situation, he did not have the authority to make a no cost ticket change, regardless of the situation. My belief is that managers should be empowered to make common sense, logical decisions in emergency situations.
• I request the amount I was forced to pay for the ticket for my wife be refunded.

This request is very much a point of principle for me. As a result of the Hurricane, thousands were left homeless. Many of the homeless are workers that make Los Cabos such a desirable vacation destination, and a profitable route for US Airways and others. My company has undertaken to rebuild homes for three families that were devastated by Odile. To that end, I pledge to donate the refunded ticket price to the relief efforts my company is currently working on.

Thank you for taking the time to read this complaint,

Regards,

Keith McIntosh