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| - I tried to be the bigger person but I ended up feeling dirty after dealing with a ticketing agent and the 1-800 for US Airways in Charlotte! Depending on US Airways' response to my claim with them, I will most likely file an official complaint with the OFFICE OF AVIATION ENFORCMENT AND PROCEEDINGS (CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION) at: http://airconsumer.dot.gov/.
I was in the CLT airport from 4pm until 11:30pm due to repeated delays which finally resulted in complete cancellation. We were told where to collect our baggage and then go to ticketing to set up our flight for tomorrow. The baggage claim that they sent us to was under construction so we had to go around construction barriers and CAUTION tape to get our bags.
I had already called the 1-800 number to try to set up my next flight rather than playing roulette based on where my bags put me in the ticketing line. Instead of being rude or irate, I calmly explained my situation and requested the next available flight to 2 alternate airports--but spent 30 mins on hold before the call "dropped". I could've found several flights with my iPhone in half that time. If they're working for the company and manning the 1-800 line, what takes them so long?? I can only guess that senior management at the airline allow the "customer service" to function as 'problem buffering'. If people in queue on the phone or in line drop like flies rather than actually getting help, it's better for the airline; rather than actually providing help, compensation, or actual customer service.
Once I got through the cattle call to a ticketing agent, his behavior was way too laid back and he even smirked a couple of times. I was in town to handle some estate matters and clear out the home of a deceased relative, so I was already rattled and did not want to end the sad week by seeming like a jerk who was flying off the handle at someone who was not responsible for the flight cancellation.
Well, now I know I should have been a complete jerk! He did schedule a flight for me (for the next day), but when I asked for a voucher for a hotel, I was only given a lame repeatedly photocopied printout saying that I may be "entitle to reimbursement up to $75". I asked if that was all they could help me with and he gave me a "coupon" that supposedly would give me a "discount" to a hotel if I called the same 1-800 # that had me on hold for 30 mins earlier!!!!!! Well, I was trying to be calm, but I was not smiling because I was just so tired and in disbelief that the airline had jerked us all around the way they had. Somehow the ticketing agent then mentioned to me that he flies to the Bahamas twice a month. I then asked if he could get me tickets to the Bahamas commenting that it would make me feel better about the flight cancellation, especially because I could stand to relax on the beach after all of my Executor work.
Instead of being professional and telling me that he couldn't do that or offering me some other compensation such as a voucher for food, etc; he said that I could go to the Bahamas with him but my husband probably wouldn't be happy about that!!!!!!!!!!!. I was so caught off guard by his off-the-wall and unprofessional response that I didn't know what to say or do, so the only thing I could think to say was, "Well, I don't know about that" (meaning: I have no desire to go to the Bahamas with you nor have you earned even a shred of respect in this lackadaisical "customer service" exchange!). He replied, "Oh, he could use the rest?" I don't even want to try to imagine what he was thinking at that point!!!!!!!!!!! He then said, "You can come with me to the Bahamas anytime, 408-blah-blah-blah-blah" and recited several times what I can only assume was his phone number!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeew!!! WHAT THE HECK????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I then felt so dirty on top of how sad, spent, tired, and jerked around that I already felt, so I just walked off. I felt like I was in some 3rd world country where women are exploited at every opportunity especially when they are vulnerable--and yet their name is "US AIRWAYS"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know that airlines have become BUSES WITH WINGS, but I didn't realize how true that was until that moment! I wish I had told him off, but the other ticketing agents were shamelessly and callously turning off the lights (despite there still being multiple folks in line), anouncing that they were closed, and seemed to share the same "we don't give a darn about any of you" attitude. I had seen and heard enough and knew that I simply should not give US Airways my business again.
Of course there were no hotels with availability, so I took a midnight cab 20 miles back to my deceased relative's house to sleep for a few hours and paid $105 for a R/T cab--which will probably take forever or never to receive a too-little-too-late $75 reimbursement if any response at all... and I'll never get those 18 hours of my life back!!
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