Dear All,

As I am not as familiar with US Air policy, I called and ask what would happen if miss my US flight? The answer was rebooking the entire itinerary, paying the price difference, and associated reissuing fees. My reply was: "Can't I just standby for the next flight like I do for UNITED?" Answer was "No, we only have stand bys for earlier flights in which we charge $25..."

Any thoughts?

BKKboy

That may be the written policy but i know at my home airport (CHS), they just rebook you on the next flight if you miss your flight......they cut check-in off at 30 mins before the flight leaves and go from there......rarely have I seen them charge all the extra fees and increase in fare....they just want you out of their hair and to make the customer happy.

This happend to me in ATL last night...what a mess that place is for US...they need to fire every US employee there...but thats another thread.

edited to add: I have not had any positive experiences to write about on this board in a year. I know it must sound like I'm the world's most grouchy person...but thats really not the case. I always try and "catch flies with honey" and yesterday in particular I was in a GREAT mood...

I thought my flight was 4:30 and it was 4:03...I was running a bit late but would have made a 4:30...
When I went to the desk the woman didn't say hello, or anything...she looked at my iteneray and just shook her head and said "no...nope...nothing.."
I nearly smacked her right then, what kind of customer service is that?

I said "yeah, I guess I missed it...do we have any options?"
"nothing...not tonight"...and she hands my ID and paperwork back to me!

me: "is there anything you can think of to help a valued customer?"
her: "everything is booked...you can try standby but it probably won't happen"

I'm about to walk over to AirTran and buy a ticket but I try one more time
me: is there any way you'd put me on a DL flight?"
her: "no, you missed your flight, thats your problem now"
Again...resisted the urge to smack her accross her face
me: "miss, I fly over 100 flights a year, I'm bound to miss one or two, surely you understand that?"

she leaves and comes back with a manager who both lay in to me about being late and then agree to put me on a DL flight, but not with out more lecturing about how its not their policy at all and it will never happen again. She then makes a huge stink about "documenting this in my record for future reference" ...
WHAT THE HE__ ??? Did US air just punish me for missing a flight?

The flat tire rule should still be in effect. If you show up within 2 hours after scheduled departure time, you would be placed on standby.

I would make every effort to not miss your flight, if at all possible. The operation is so messed up these days that despite what US's published rules are, you will be at the mercy of whatever agent is helping you (and I use the word "helping" very loosely).

She then makes a huge stink about "documenting this in my record for future reference" ...

Wow. Talk about kicking you when you're down. What good is helping out a customer if you're going to make them feel bad in the process? The goodwill you would have earned is out the door.

This really showcases the difference between US and competitors with good service reputations (B6, WN, etc.). It doesn't cost much more to train and take care of your customer-facing workers, so they'll in turn take care of your customers.

Wow. Talk about kicking you when you're down. What good is helping out a customer if you're going to make them feel bad in the process? The goodwill you would have earned is out the door.

This really showcases the difference between US and competitors with good service reputations (B6, WN, etc.). It doesn't cost much more to train and take care of your customer-facing workers, so they'll in turn take care of your customers.

I am pretty fed up, as I've documented here several times...
Rather than give them grief, I took a different route, I gave both the TA and the manager some Above and Beyonds ... I thought "what the heck, maybe if I'm overly nice to them for doing the basic bare minimums of their job, they'll be nicer to the next customer and that customer will be nice back and it will have a cascade effect"

So if you fly through ATL this week and they are wonderful...it was my Above and Byond certs :D

She then makes a huge stink about "documenting this in my record for future reference" ...

Oh no, not on your permanent record! ;)

Seriously, I would have also thought that the flat tire rule would have applied. But, with the way USAir generally handles their elites anymore, I would have been surprised to hear that they said, "Certainly, SpaceBass - we'll get you on the next flight out." Instead, it seems that the standard USAir policy is to try to wrest every cent from their frequent flyers, before they migrate elsewhere.

I was under the impression that us is one of the few legacy carriers without a flat tire rule. Am I wrong? Does it show (where?) on the website or is it more informal than that (in which case how can I convince the employee that it exists).

Reason why is because I am taking an early morning flight from Canada which involves custom/immigration preclearance. I tend to get nervous with that, which leads the authorities to spend extra time with me, so that would be my flat tire - I imagine that that is considered a flat tire?

thanks

...which leads the authorities to spend extra time with me, so that would be my flat tire - I imagine that that is considered a flat tire?


Missing your flight because of lengthy delays at security/customs/immigration is one of the best "flat tire" reasons existing :)

Most front-line US agents know the informal "flat-tire" rule...show up within 2 hours of original flight time, and they'd take care of you on the next available flight. Any agent that gives you a hard time deserves to be sent back to customer training classes! Where the potential problem occurs, as SpaceBass writes, is the apparent unwillingness of US to endorse your tix over to another airline when you've missed your flight.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

That's an odd experience csr-wise, but I'm really not surprised at all. US doesn't usually rebook people on other airlines, ime.

Where the potential problem occurs, as SpaceBass writes, is the apparent unwillingness of US to endorse your tix over to another airline when you've missed your flight.

To be fair, the endorsement was a last resort and I knew that was way beyond normal for them to do that. The problem was that they wouldn't put me on any of their later flights...claimed they were full... and they were not willing to consider sending me somewhere else. I would have gladly gone ATL-DCA and driven to RIC...it was my mistake after all... but they weren't having any of that idea.

To be fair, the endorsement was a last resort and I knew that was way beyond normal for them to do that. The problem was that they wouldn't put me on any of their later flights...claimed they were full... and they were not willing to consider sending me somewhere else. I would have gladly gone ATL-DCA and driven to RIC...it was my mistake after all... but they weren't having any of that idea.


So rather than wedge you in on a different destination itinerary on LCC at effectively "0" net cost, they bought you over to DL at real cost, and managed to gratuitously insult you into the bargain?:confused::rolleyes: Makes no sense from my perspective. From theirs? Maybe it's a trifecta, inefficiency, incompetence and insulting what must be one of the few loyal LCC customers still around. :p
Did you notice the delta on Delta? The employees smile a lot (though some of this may be forced). IME, DL mainline employees are typically kind, helpful and considerate. Leo Mullin and his SGB are largely gone and/or forgotten, or, perhaps, have been reconstituted on LCC as simply bad business.

Did you notice the delta on Delta? The employees smile a lot (though some of this may be forced). IME, DL mainline employees are typically kind, helpful and considerate. Leo Mullin and his SGB are largely gone and/or forgotten, or, perhaps, have been reconstituted on LCC as simply bad business.

It really was a noticeable difference! The new ticketing area in ATL is awesome and efficient too.

So if you fly through ATL this week and they are wonderful...it was my Above and Byond certs :D

Doing that a couple times this week, maybe I'll get some of the good karma :-)