US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - What sort of compensation (if any) would you seek due to LGW staff behavior?

I'm sort of soliciting opinions from US FTers based on an experience my Dad (and some of my family) had with US staff at LGW. This is a little long, so please bear with me.

They'd gone to LGW on the Friday before the big storm on the East Coast and were to return on Tues., Feb. 18. Because of the weather, their flight was canceled and had to spend a couple more days in London.

My mom, a travel agent, was with him on the trip and had contacted US Airways' European reservations office and had arranged for flights on AA to BOS and then connecting to PHL. Everything was fine at this point, though there must have been a lot of communication between her and the reservations office because their phone bill was almost $100.

Anyway, they got to LGW and hoped to collect their seats for the trip to BOS on AA. However, US Airways LGW staff refused to honor this reservation, claiming something like they "couldn't pay for the extra airfare and deal with the revenue loss." It was something like that- I'd have to ask my dad about what was said specifically.

They got upset, now knowing they wouldn't be able to fly back that day. They had to contact the European reservations office again (from a new hotel) and were able to get the flight reservations changed again. My dad instead came back to PHL on Thurs. (Feb. 20) on US Airways, while my mom and younger brother returned on Fri. (Feb. 21), also on US Airways.

This morning he e-mailed me asking what would be appropriate compensation when writing to US Airways. He wanted miles, but what would be fair?

I explained to him that the company will point out that weather was part of the problem (beyond their control) and they did get him home, albeit a couple of days late. By the way, he's a US2 and probably has some flights booked for later in the year.

Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Sorry, i do not have any good advice for you, but i can verify the problems there. i was booked to return 2/17 and when that cancelled, was rebooked 2/18. when that cancelled, i too was told by eur res line that i was rebooked on AA same day. went to US counter, was given [documentation] and sent to AA counter. AA said they told US several times they are NOT accepting people unless US essentially comes up with cash to buy a ticket (same as anyone else). US eventually put me on NW (to PIT via DTW) on 12/18. i heard others were denied this flight, but there were at least a dozen empty seats...

What a joke... If the god**** reservations office rebooks you on another carrier then they should deal with the consequences. Couldn't LGW staff handle the rebooking at the airport when they were there? Did they offer to pay for the hotel? If not, its so unacceptable to tell people to go back and figure it out for themselves.

I'm surprised that this happened at LGW of all the European stations-- they've always seemed to be slightly better. I can't wait to hear from people who were stuck in Paris over that weekend and to deal with the US staff at CDG (wait, what US staff? bunch of idiot contractors...)

A320EOW -- I think your parents are entitled to a goodwill gesture in terms of a customer service voucher, CS0007s, or mileage. I'd call Consumer Affairs, and explain that that they'd made plans based on what reservations and were given the run-around at the airports.

For a voucher, I'd say a couple of hundred dollars each, or a pair of CS0007s each...

Be aware though, Consumer Affairs has been much less forthcoming about this sort of compensation of late, and you'll have to fight for it. I'd definitely call them yourself as a US1 and make it clear that your entire family does a LOT of business with USAirways.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kv99:
A320EOW -- I think your parents are entitled to a goodwill gesture in terms of a customer service voucher, CS0007s, or mileage. I'd call Consumer Affairs, and explain that that they'd made plans based on what reservations and were given the run-around at the airports.

For a voucher, I'd say a couple of hundred dollars each, or a pair of CS0007s each...
</font>

kv99- Thanks for the advice. My dad was just seeking miles, but I agree that travel vouchers or CS0007s would be much better. I'm sure he wasn't the only passenger inconvenienced by US and AA.

I was in MAD that weekend and had similar problems with the return. The agents there were a little better at the airport, though I, too, contacted Europe reservations and ended up going on LH (our future SA partner) to FRA before returning to PHL. I have no complaints about the way they handled my reservation.

A small note: I believe that AA has a policy of not taking rule 240s or any other type of re-route from carriers in Chapter 11 without "cash in hand."

That said, if the US reservations office made the arrangements, I feel that the staff in London are bound to execute those arrangements, or arrange something similar.

I am also suprised that this occurred in LGW--I expect this type of crap from the ADP contractors at CDG, but not at LGW.

------------------
Saving the world, one clue at a time.

I haven't any advice for you, but I certainly agree that something substantial is due. For those of you just reading through this thread, place yourself in the position that's described:

You're overseas and after flight cancellations, you play by the rules and the carrier places you on another airline. You show up as directed and the counter staff stare at you as if you have three heads. I would've been BEYOND FURIOUS!!!!

This is the worst sort of thing that can happen to any traveller. It is my hope that US comes clean with your parents and makes a generous offer of some kind.

Firstly, any obligation incurred by a bankrupt entity, after it has declared bankruptcy, goes ahead of any other creditor (with the exception of monies owed the IRS). AA was never in danger of not being paid, and having hired their own bankruptcy lawyers (just in case) they are hardly in a position to refuse another carrier's passengers over an issue like this. USAirways' Gatwick staff is better than most of its counterparts in other European countries. In fact, many of those others are contract handlers, and can be particularly unhelpful. It has been my experience in Europe that when USAir has a problem, there is usually a shortage of managmeent tpes (like, none around). The situation described reaks of just such behavior.If I'm the station manager (or district guy) in London, and I have 2 days of widebodies having been delayed, then I have to know there are upwards of 500 people dislocated, and stuck at my terminal. Those managers should have lived out there until the last passenger was taken care of. My guess is they weren't around, and that, once again, is a management flaw. Good luck in getting anything in the way of compensation, especially if your mom used any kind of agent discount.

We need alittle more information please.
I think your mom, being a travel agent, should have all the more cleared up whether or not USAir would endorse their tickets over to American prior to the new date of travel and should have backed themselves up on USAir as well. Did all this rebooking with USAir take place after the refusal to endorse over to American? Also were they on any "industry discount" tickets ? There's something you're not telling us here.

I agree that a little more information would be helpful since cross ticketing arrangements only exist for certain fare classes.

Secondly, at London Gatwick, following the cutbacks the only US Airways staff are those found at the US Airways' ticket desk near the exit from the Railway Station. The checkin staff found in zone J are all contract employees from Aviance or ServiceAir, I think. Was the problem with them or with the US Airways ticket counter?


Finally, annoying as it is, it is worth mentioning that under US Airways' conditions of carriage they are not liable for delays or cancellations caused by bad weather, hence the reason why it is good to have travel insurance that covers this type of eventuality.

I bet they were free tickets, z class, which does change the rules

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by doodoo:
I bet they were free tickets, z class, which does change the rules</font>

No, these were discounted coach tickets- either K or V.

woody1173 would have a better idea of the circumstances that took place at LGW, as he pretty much went through the same mess with US and AA. I don't know if I'll be able to explain it any better.

As for my mom knowing about these flight restrictions (US sending passengers to AA, then AA saying that they won't accept passengers unless US "buys" a ticket), that's probably something that any travel agent might not know about. Perhaps it's something shared between airlines only- I don't know. I had no idea this would happen, as I was dealt with differently in MAD. It's just as bad that the European res. agents aren't familiar with the rules, which shouldn't happen.

The point is that the rep. European reservations told them they'd put them on AA to BOS with a connection to PHL, but that they'd have to go to LGW to pick up their BPs and seat assignments. Everything was "supposedly" fine, the US ticketing people send them to AA and passengers would be on their way. However, AA said we won't fly you unless US purchases a seat for you, and you're now out of luck- not our problem.

I can add to the story that upon returning to the US ticketing counter, my dad was told that they could put him on a US flight returning on Thurs. morning, while my mom and younger brother would be put on a US flight returning on Sun. My dad came back on that Thurs. flight, while the other two were able to change their flights to a Fri. return. He said that his flight back was mostly empty, so he didn't understand why they weren't also put on the same flight as him. In the meantime, they had to pay for another night at a hotel.

I will agree that in terms of compensation, the whole storm in the East Coast will surely factor into any decisions made by US for their flights and impact the type/amount of compensation my dad might receive, if any.

[This message has been edited by A320 EOW (edited 03-07-2003).]

In many years of traveling, I have learned that management at the airport are the only ones that can fix things in this kind of mess. In a collegial industry, the local airport managers all know each other, and with a quick call to their opposite number, if seats are available, they can usually get you out, free ticket or not. I am really curious to know if there was any USAir management at the field during this series of cancellations. If not, there is your real beef. As indicated in my earlier post, in the best of times, these local maagers do not seem to have been very well supervised themselves, by the company. Maybe it's the time difference.

Thanks for the input, deelmakur.

Management doesn't look like it was behind the desk, nor behind a closed door in this case. I hope my dad brings up something about this, too.

Since it was brought up above, I want to just clarify that 'industry discounted tickets' (eg for employees, travel agents, etc) are often in the 10-15% of full fare price category (plus relevant taxes). Thus transatlantics are still in the $200+ range after all taxes. At that price, theres little reason to not just buy a discounted coach fare (eg the K or V mentioned above). Anyway, didnt want someone to think it was unbelievable/unlikely that a travel agent would buy a real ticket.

Did I miss something here????
These people were CUSTOMERS. What they paid for their ticket is not the point.
US AIRWAYS may THINK they are goint to come out of Chapter 11 but if they treat their
CUSTOMERS like this they might just as well pack it in now.
This woman worked in the travel industry.
HELLO, WAKE UP if she is a travel agent do you honestly think she would book one of her CUSTOMERS on an airline that treats their CUSOMERS like this ? I sure would not.

At this time US AIRWAY should be kissing everyones backside to keep them as CUSTOMERS
because if they don't they will all be out of jobs. Then the absentee managers at LGW
will be able to have plenty of time off.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by billhar:
Did I miss something here????
These people were CUSTOMERS...</font>

To the traditional carriers we are not customers. We are PAX. The distinction is lost on them and that is why they are failing.