Latest US Airways encounters!

This was the exchange concerning my US Airways problems on March 8-16.  Watch out–they will some how make it your fault! Please read from the bottom up!

Dear Beth,

I apologize for the delay in a response in not addressing your issues as presented in your initial email. I have completed the research in locating the reasoning in your return flights having cancelled out of the system. When you were accommodated on Flight 1624 in First Class from Charlotte to LaGuardia on March 8, our system reissued a ticket as a confirmed flight. Unfortunately, the system does not permit agents to list passengers on flights prior to the confirmed flight to be placed on a standby basis if seats are not available. However, there is a standby list that is separate from your confirmed reservation that is available at the airport for each individual flight. As you were placed by request on the first possible flight, when you aren’t boarded on that flight the agent rolls you to the next flight as you experienced on March 8. When they had a seat available and boarded you on Flight 1202 and scanned your boarding pass the system checked you in on that flight in your record; however, the system was still holding the seat for you on Flight 1624 and when you didn’t board on that flight because you were already checked in the system automatically cancelled out the return flights due to a no show status.

Due to these types of occurrences, flight operation changes, and unforeseen system glitches, we advise passengers to call to confirm their travel arrangements prior to their departure. I am pleased to hear that you did contact the website and were able to avoid the excess time on your departure date to have your flights reinstated. The reason for such a long wait for having the ticket reinstated is due to the process used to show the original ticket for reinstatement being returned to an unused status. The rule governing the ticket if the passenger does not cancel their reservation prior to departure or no shows a flight the ticket becomes null and void. I apologize for the time it took for the agent to assist you in reinstating your ticket.

I can assure you these problems did not occur due to traveling on award tickets. We do not handle our passengers by the ticket they purchase.

Beth, as a Platinum Elite Member, we appreciate your loyalty and value your business. Your input as a Platinum Elite is uniquely important to us and we look forward to welcoming you aboard another US Airways flight in the near future.

Sincerely,

Executive Liaison

Office of the Chairman

US Airways

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From: Beth
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:06 AM
To: Executive Office
Subject: Re: Platinum Preferred Card and Itinerary E0WXJG – WT2422197A

March 18, 2008

Dear Ms. xxxxxx,

Thank you for your prompt reply, but I am afraid I am confused. I specifically stated that the adverse weather and flight cancellation was understandable. My issues were with the agents who were either unwilling or unable to help when the original flight canceled and the limitations of QIK/Shares when it comes to the rebooking and standby processes.

More importantly, you have not explained to me why the remainder of my ticket for return travel on March 16 was canceled and why the online agent had to experience such long wait times to reinstate my ticket.

I would appreciate it if you could address these issues.

Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Beth

—– Original Message —-
From: Executive Office <executive.office@usairways.com>
To: Beth
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:33:14 AM
Subject: RE: Platinum Preferred Card and Itinerary E0WXJG – WT2422197A

Dear Beth,

Thank you for contacting the Executive Office of Customer Relations at US Airways regarding your travel experience this past week.

The cards for our Elite members have been submitted and should arrive at the address registered on your Dividend Miles account between March 15 and 31. We have an outside company that processes those cards and once we submit the request, which is automatic when the update of the accounts process on March 1. Please accept our apology for the confusion caused when you contacted the Preferred Desk regarding your Platinum Preferred Elite card.

I apologize for the inconvenience you experienced when our flight was delayed getting to the gate in Charlotte you’re your connecting flight to La Guardia cancelled due to zero visibility in New York. You have every right to expect our flights to operate as scheduled although sometimes maintenance issues with the aircraft simply mean we must cancel a flight. We don’t make these decisions lightly because they disrupt our customers’ schedules and lives. We apologize that this happened in your situation. It is particularly disappointing to know our employees failed to provide the level of service you expected. This matter will be reviewed with the Station Manager in Charlotte.

Beth, as a Platinum Preferred Elite member your feedback is appreciated and provides us with an opportunity to make positive changes. The intent here is to use your feedback as a training tool and to make positive changes for the future.

We appreciate your loyalty and value your business. We look forward to welcoming you on board another US Airways flight in the near future.

Sincerely,

Executive Liaison

Office of the Chairman

US Airways

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From: Beth
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 4:30 PM
Subject: Platinum Preferred Card and Itinerary E0WXJG

March 16, 2008

Dear Customer Relations and Executive Offices of US Airways,

I will start this e-mail with a thank you for a positive experience today, March 16, 2008, on US Airways and Piedmont, flights US 1247 and US 4359. The operations and in-flight service on both flights were great. This is the way it should be every day on US Airways.

However, preceding negative experiences unfortunately clouded this rare positive experience. These are the experiences I would like to address, because these instances are preventing me from booking future travel on US Airways.

The first issue is that I have never received my Platinum Preferred card. I contacted the Platinum Preferred desk on February 27,2008, and the card was to be reissued to arrive in two or three weeks, but it has not yet arrived. I realize this may appear insignificant, but Star Alliance Gold status confirmation is provided on this card and one must have this to be able to access other Star Alliance lounges when traveling internationally. A boarding pass indicating status is not sufficient proof.

My other problem has to do with itinerary E0WXJG. Before an agent chastises me in a form letter reply for complaining about the weather in the Northeast on March 8, 2008, please know that my experiences do not have to do with weather, but with operations under normal conditions as well as an inept reservations system and agents either unwilling or unable to properly assist passengers.

I was also flying on an award ticket. Although my trip was “free,” I expect to be treated as well as any other customer, as I paid for quite a few tickets to earn this one.

On Saturday, March 8, I was scheduled to fly US 4570 from TRI-CLT and US 938 from CLT-LGA. UA 4570 was a quick, 30-minute flight that went without a hitch–until we arrived CLT and were stuck on the taxiway for another 47 minutes due to an operational “traffic jam” and the unavailability of an alternate gate at which to park the aircraft. The weather in CLT was not a factor in this deplaning delay.

I finally arrived the gate around 10:35 a.m. From this arrival until 2:30 p.m., I awaited the departure of US 938, which was delayed due to ground stops in LGA and subsequently canceled. I found out about the cancellation from my fiancé and flightstats.com, before the gate agents. Once the announcement was finally made, the gate agents advised the crowd of passengers to go back through security to the ticket counter to be rebooked. I was shocked–why not advise them to call the 800 number or see Special Services? Most of the crowd left for the ticket counter and I felt badly for the poor advice they had received. And why were the gate agents themselves unable or unwilling to assist some of the passengers?

Being a frequent flyer, I called the Platinum Preferred line and an agent confirmed me on the 8:00 p.m. departure, US 1624. I asked if I could stand by for any other flights to LGA and she said yes, but she was unable to do that on her end. Therefore, I was forced to find an agent who was not busy and willing to assist me. I did find someone who put me on standby for the 4:10 p.m. departure, US 802, but could not standby list me on all of the LGA flights before 8:00 p.m.

I did not get on the first flight, but was told that the list rolls over to the next flight, US 1202 scheduled to depart at 6:15 p.m., so I went to that gate to check on my standby status. When I arrived, there was no standby list, as the gate agents of the earlier flight had not closed out the flight, which triggered the rollover. I waited another 15-20 minutes and inquired again, and was told again that the list had not been rolled over. The flight began to board. Somehow toward the end of the boarding process, I was called to board as well. Although we took an ATC delay, we did finally depart CLT after nearly two hours of sitting on the plane in CLT.

On March 14, 2008, I decided to check on my return scheduled for today, March 16, 2008, and discovered that the rest of my reservation had been canceled! I was in Bermuda and could not call, but I used online chat to find out what happened and to attempt to get my reservation reinstated. I was online for 45 minutes with the agent. She was unable to tell me why my reservation was canceled. Furthermore, she had to wait 16 minutes on hold with another department for approval to reinstate my LGA-CLT leg because it was an award ticket. After she received approval, it was another 15 minutes until she could reissue the ticket and e-mail me the confirmation, again because it was an award ticket. I did not realize that holding an award ticket could cause so many challenges for the agent assisting me.

I hope that you will take the time to carefully consider my comments and concerns, because my current impression of US Airways remains disappointing. If this is the way that you treat your loyal customers, I shudder to think how the infrequent traveler feels after similar experiences.

Sincerely,
Beth