All:

A colleague of mine, who is Chairman's Preferred, was flying today from SAN-CLT-RDU on a discounted fare... with a sinus infection.

On the leg from SAN-CLT, he became ill. By the time he landed in CLT, he had fever, chills, and incredible ear and sinus pain. He left, did not even attempt to go to the gate for his RDU connection, and went to a hotel for the night, assuming he'd take a car or something to Raleigh tomorrow for his meeting.

He called his Chairman Preferred customer support. Call one, got "nasty girl" (his quote)who basically said hate it for you, we'll have to re-fare the ticket. He asks for supervisor, held ten minutes, got supervisor, cell phone cuts out. Called back again, got nasty girl again.

He's now medicated in a hotel room and will start again with Customer Support again tomorrow morning. His actual return isn't until next Tuesday. By then his sinus infection should be manageable.

Is there any way to prevent his being billed for the difference between his discounted fare and some other fare? And what fare would that be? Last minute walkup fares? This isn't some guy who rarely flies with US. He's CP for goodness sake! They're trying to make this a hidden city issue and it isn't remotely that!

What to do? Help?

Call from the hotel landline phone and try again during business hours.. I'm surprised he got the exact same person.... but third time's the charm.

Why doesn't he just fly the CLT-RDU section as planned just tomorrow? That way it'll be more plausible as an unexpected illness stopover rather than trying to circumvent hidden city rules.

I think he's going to try to see a doctor tomorrow - apparently he now has bleeding from his nose, so he's more than a little apprehensive about the flight to RDU - he'd rather go by land and get his sinuses cleared up..

If he's going to see a doctor that should clear things up. Get a doctor's note on letterhead and fax it over to USAirways. If they don't give a Chairman's Preferred some slack when a doctor says so I don't know if they ever will...

Agree entirely with dg1.

Made another call to US CP liason this AM.. he got a much more reasonable response.. no reclass...

Unfortunately for my colleague, his illness progresses... at a DR now to load up on drugs and will try to get home...

thanks for your help!

dicussion of the illness is okay, but bleeding from the nose is WAY T.M.I.!!!!

When the trip is over, send all the details with documents to one of the corporate officers in the link below (Customer service, marketing, etc.)

I've always found that a letter to a specific exec with supporting documentation is better than hoping you get someone nice on the phone.

The address is:
2345 Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22227
http://www.usairways.com/corporate/companyinfo/org.htm

The telephone is often not the best way to negotiate with an airline. If this happens to anyone in the future, just speak to a gate agent or customer service at the hub you arrive into. E.g. "I'm sick, going to stay over in hub, can you note my record with an auth for change," etc. Plus the odds are in your favor in a face to face negotiation. It is much harder for them to say no to you, than over the phone. Further, there are lots of agents/supervisors in the airport, especially a big hub like CLT, so if person 1 will not do it, person 2 probably will. I never try to make any "deals" over the phone......its futile about 99.99% of the time, and interestingly enough for your friend being CP didn't help much at least to begin with. I hope he/she is better soon...