[brenda0526]

Below is a copy of my complaint to US Airways. Awaiting response.....

On May 19, 2009 I purchased my daughter's ticket and upgraded her to first class using miles. Because she was traveling one-way, with a pet and unaccompanied I had to make the purchase over the phone. I was then charged the 100.00 for unaccompanied as well as the ticket price of 333.10 and an additional 25.00 booking fee; despite the fact I could not book her on-line.

On June 5, 2009, we arrived at the airport at 11:55 p.m., and waited in the first class line for 40 minutes before being assisted (an employee with a wheelchair passenger finally asked staff to have someone work the 1st class counter) An older female, short in stature with blonde hair started the process. She asked if I needed to upgrade using my miles? No, I did that at the time of booking. She then took my credit card for 100.00 for the cabin-pet. She then walked away and charged my card another 100.00 for a third bag. When I made the reservation I told the agent there would be a third bag. She said there would be no charge...I could have mailed this bag three weeks previous for 20.00 max. Never mind the fact that if bag one is 15.00 and bag two is 25.00 and those were waived why did I have to pay a third bag charge of 100.00 – I feel if I was to be charged at all it should have been 15.00.

The check-in counter employee never explained why and how much she was running my card for. I then asked about my daughter's unaccompanied minor paperwork. She huffed and puffed and said she needed to do something else and handed the boarding pass, my credit card and baggage claim tickets to another employee who was assisting other customers.

10 minutes later this second employee, a taller blonde woman handed me the original receipts, boarding pass and my credit card. I again asked about the unaccompanied minor paperwork and didn’t they want to see the health certificate for the dog. She looked like she was getting ready to cry and said she would get the first employee back to help. 15 minutes went by and no assistance. I finally asked another woman named Anneille if there was a supervisor I could speak to. She said she needed to log out of Delta and onto US Airways and would help. 10 minutes later we went through the process again. The floor manager on duty at 1:15 a.m., on June 6, 2009 claimed the extra 100.00 charge was valid. By this time the aircraft was boarding. After Annielle had me complete the unaccompanied minor paperwork with all the information I had provided at the time of the reservation and then told me that the supervisor was very particular about how data was entered into the system and she needed her approval. Again, we wait….Fianlly, with the data approved Annielle handed us our paperwork…but, wait, there’s more. Now she had to enter me into a different system for my security pass to “escort” my own child (which I believed I already paid 100.00 for) to the gate. At 1:30 a.m., we reached the gate just as the “floor supervisor” arrived out of breath and said she would escort Mikayla onto the plane.

While on the aircraft, my daughter’s seat was changed, she received no beverage or attention from the flight attendants. No one checked to see how she was doing or if she needed anything or if the animal required water etc.

My sister arrived at Sky Harbor an hour before Mikayla’s flight landed. She proceeded to ask three employees while on the phone with me where she was to pick up an unaccompanied minor. Not a single person could answer her question. Finally, the 4th employee told her she needed to wait in the check-in line for departing flights to speak with a ticketing agent. When asked why no one had told her that 45 minutes ago she was told that those employees were retired or temporary and didn’t know those answers. How is any person not associated with US Airways supposed to know the Policies and Procedures when their own employees do not????

With Mikayla’s flight now preparing to land in 15 minutes my sister became frustrated and again asked who could help her. She was told she needed to wait in the ticketing line and they would hold the child until she could get to the gate. While in line the escort did call my sister’s cell phone (thank-you!). My sister eventually made it through security and to the gate counter – No Mikayla. When my sister explained what hoops she had to jump through to the gate employee she was simply told “It’s been a busy day”. They finally connected my sister and my daughter.

It appears to my daughter, my sister and me that there are some seriously disgruntled employees at US Airways or lack of sufficient and complete training. Customer Service is a distant memory when it comes to your company. Moral is obviously at an all time low, you have micro management to the point of suffocating your front line staff, which obviously is undermining their abilities to complete a simple task and has them questioning everything they do. They are frustrated, which in turn has the customers frustrated. Your employees are have become robotic, unsympathetic and dysfunctional. Not a smile amongst them

Here are my Customer Service (oxymoron I know) questions:

- Why did we have to wait so long to be served at the Anchorage check-in. Not only for Coach passengers but for First Class?
- Why 100.00 for a bag that I was told there would be no charge for and if there was why not 15.00.
- Unaccompanied Minor fee? For what? You are not escorting her from one gate to another, assisting her on the aircraft, or even physically escorting her to pick-up contact? She is more than capable of walking onto the plane and walking off and I don’t have to pay her to do that….
- Why was an unaccompanied Minor (that I paid 100.00 for her to be in your care on top of her airfare) not checked on by flight attendants at any time over the course of the 5 ½ hour flight? Never mind her dog who needed water?
- Why did I pay 100.00 for an animal on top of the 108.00 at the vet to secure a health certificate, and 100.00 for an Airline Approved pet carrier to be on the aircraft when not a single person asked for the information and would never have known the dog was getting on the aircraft? TSA couldn’t have cared less despite the US Airways staff saying they would ask for the paperwork?
- Why does the pick up person have to stand in line with departing passengers to receive a security pass and if this is not policy why does the front line staff not have the accurate information to relay?
- Why is the staff on both ends and the middle of this trip completely and totally clueless?

I am appalled and embarrassed for US Airways. My daughter is far from a first time flyer. I thought our move back to Arizona would be best suited for US Airways due to the direct flight; however, I believe traveling via Alaska Airlines would have been our better bet. Alaska Airlines has always treated my child and me with kindness, care and with special attention (and their unaccompanied fee is cheaper despite having connecting flights).

I understand cut-backs and the economy blah, blah, blah, but I paid far more than what this flight was worth plus mileage for the worst travel experience in her short life. I paid 100.00 and entrusted you with my daughter to get her to my sister, 100.00 for her pet and 100.00 for her luggage and 311.10 for her fare and 25.00 to book the ticket – so what does 736.10 get you nowadays? A whole lot of nothing and the “CUSTOMER” does all the work??

As an FYI my daughter and I traveled to Arizona from Anchorage for the Thanksgiving Holiday. One of the busiest travel times I understand. We actually gave up our seats for some pro athletes on our return to Alaska and received free tickets for our sacrifice. I chose not to use these tickets for our return to Arizona; and paid full fare for my daughter – obviously a mistake.

I am interested to see your response to ALL of these concerns addressed herein.