Just for the thrill of writing this down, because I know it's happened to us all...
First class PAID tickets...from HKY to BWI.
Trip from CLT to BWI delayed an hour.. no biggie. Return flight from BWI cancelled an hour before the flight..a "maintenance cancellation". They won't look for other airlines.. send me in a taxi to Regan w/ taxi driver complaining about how much money he loses on these shuttles..Get to Regan in time for flight (barely).. agent at BWI had booked me in coach because of 'no availability' in first.. First class seats became available.. agent gives them to Gold upgrade passenger.. I raise hell..reminded her I PAID for first class.. what was I getting for getting bumped to coach.. she said (VERY rudely) "you're getting to your destination.. that's our only obligation".. telling her this was not policy was worthless.. I get HIS seat in coach.. we pull off gate and go directly to the graveyard where we sit for an hour.. service in coach is suspended because of "upcoming turbulence" - which never happened until 20 minutes out...get to CLT an hour late and no gate.. sit for another half hour.. get to gate w/ five minutes to make connection.. ask gate agent to call connecting gate to tell them I'm running.. no will do.. would have to do it for 'everyone'.. running on people mover.. little girl steps out in front of me.. hurdle her and fall.. wreck both knees (those moving sidewalks have teeth!).. stumble up.. run to gate.. legs bleeding, just about to meltdown.. special services sends me to gate agent, gate agent sends me back to special services.. after finally melting down, getting 'supervisor' who talked in slow measured words (convinced, I'm sure that I was on my way to looney bin).. they will send me in a van to Hickory, where I had a presentation w/ 11 new clients.. van had to make a "couple of stops" (which turned out to be three downtown hotels - the opposite direction).. finally got to presentation an hour late and clients missed THEIR flight from Chicago!

Even for someone who flies only 150k/yr or so, this was a very bad day!

I called the corporate services office the next day regarding getting bumped to coach at Reagan... she confirmed that it should not have happened.. gave me rebate for difference between first and coach and two upgrades.. couldn't have been nicer but I still think I got screwed. Rebates matter not.. company pays for the tickets.. upgrades OK, but I think they should have given me significant points...

This week I have 9 legs in four days.. ugh!

svpii-

Did you maybe make some vindictive and powerful god mad at you? I would have been a blathering maniac.

MG

Bad day, especially for a paid first class (even more reason why even if I had the money I think I'd spend it on something else). USAirways offered me some money in the past when I had a bad trip, I turned it down and asked for something else. If you had said 'keep the money, give me some miles, or more upgrades' etc I think they might have gone for it. They did in my case.

It goes to show, status matters http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Some days are just worth forgetting! It´s getting tougher to get good service.

Whew! Sad. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif And I'd thought NWA had the "hell" market cornered! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

quote:
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send me in a taxi to Regan w/ taxi driver complaining about how much money he loses on these shuttles.
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I love it! I love it! I love! This must be basic standard procedure taught in Taxi Driving 101. I have even heard it from worlds wildest-looking drivers who spoke no other recognizable words of the nice English language.

And, as is my recent custom, I do not tip after hearing their unwarranted words of taxi economics, poverty and woe. Like you, I usually gotta enough problems and do not wish to hear his too.