America West FlightFund (Discontinued Program) - HP: Great Job of Alienating a New Platinum

HP did a grand job today of demonstrating why I should never fly them again.

I fly a lot. I'm a current 100,000 miles flyer on United (1K) and a Lufthansa Senator (100,000 miles). HP recently comped me to Platinum status and one of my associates to Gold (he is a United Premier Executive). The comp was appealing to me for certain domestic routes I regularly fly.

My associate and I booked flights about three weeks ago for a flight departing yesterday out of JFK. The fares were the same (discounted coach so not eligible for immediate confirmation in first class), but were on separate records. The tickets were electronic and our frequent flier numbers, and status, were in our records.

Within the three day window, I pull up my reservation and see that I have not been upgraded. I pull up the flight, however, and see that first class is full, so I understand why I did not get an upgrade.

We check in together at JFK and were told by the agent, "Sorry. Only one of the upgrades cleared." Ok. It happens.

I look at the boarding passes when she handed them to me and she was right--only one of was upgraded...my associate!

The agent confirms that both our frequent flier numbers were in our records and that my status showed as Platinum and his as Gold. She can't explain why he was upgraded and I was not, nor did she seem to care much. I am told that first is full, but that she can place me on the standby list.

I go down to the gate and start looking for an America West employee to corner. No luck. None to be found.

About 45 minutes before the flight, a couple of agents appear at the counter. When I explain to them what happened, they proceed to tell me that, if an upgrade does not clear in advance, if there is an empty seat at check-in, the first person who requests it, be it silver, gold, or platinum, will get the seat. A higher level flyer who checks in later will be out of luck.

I tell them this doesn't sound right to me since I should have been first in line for an upgrade in front of any gold or silver. If a seat opened up, I should have been put in it.

Nope, I am told, first come first serve. The gold must have checked in first (even though we checked in together) and scored the upgrade seat. To say there was a lack of concern was an understatement.

I asked to speak to a supervisor as this was obviously going nowhere. Busy, I was told. Just wait.

Fifteen minutes later, the flight is cancelled because of a mechanical and I am endorsed over to United. I call the 1K reservations numbers while waiting for a paper ticket from HP and am confirmed for an upgrade on United's next flight.

The upgrade system at HP appears fatally flawed. The agents were worthless and the customer service non-existent. Add to that a flight cancellation and I have to ask, why would I want to give my money to America West? Based on this experience, I don't.

What a sad story, I'll bet your associate didn't want to give you the seat that you so obviously deserved too. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Whoa, hold on a minute. First, as to the serious issue: cancellation due to the mechanical. IMHO, cancellations are on the top of the list of annoyance. CAL consistently has the fewest, about 1 in 200. AWA was close to that number earlier in the year, but has now slipped to about 1 in 98 or 99 -- which is average or slightly above. In other words, if you REALLY don't want to have a cancellation, fly CAL. If you're willing to take a reasonable chance, AWA is as good as anyone else.

As far as the upgrade goes, what is with some of you travellers? If you REALLY must fly first, pay the money and buy the darn FC ticket. If you're willing to take a chance at an upgrade, accept the fact that life is a little random, and that things will not always be "fair." I'm sorry, but the world (including airlines) have better things to do than make sure every upgrade is handled 100% perfectly. To say you won't fly an airline again because your colleague got an upgrade one time and you didn't is idiotic.

For many years, the OnePass program gave day of departure upgrades to elite travellers based on check-in times. Last I heard that still plays a role in the process -- a platinum paying $99 who checks in before a platinum paying $500 still gets the higher priority). In this case, it's very likely that there was one empty seat in the FC cabin and your colleague's res was pulled up first. He got the seat under AWA's formal or informal policy.

If this is the worst thing that happens in you're life, consider yourself a lucky man.

From what others have said in other threads, what happened to you with regard to your upgrade was an anomaly. HP's upgrade process seems to be less questionable than that of CO or NW.

As for the rude customer service you received, well, there are bad apples at every airline. If you fly 100,000 miles a year, you no doubt have run into your share.

And cancellations happen at every airline, though less so at CO, as iahphx said. And HP is doing a little better than average in that department.

If you want to let one bad experience keep you from flying HP, then that's your call. I'd give it one more chance. If you hit two in a row, then it's not meant to be. More than likely, you'll go many flights without running into a tangle like this.

My purely ancedotal experience with upgrades is totally unlike yours. On the few occasions that my upgrade has not cleared at the 72 hour window, upon checkin as a PLT, I am either upgraded right away or told I will have to wait till the 15 minute window. When I have to wait - I can see everyone else get pushed down the waitlist that is not PLT.

I got hit with the triple whammy here right out of the gate: horrible customer service, upgrade problems, and a cancelled flight. Not a good start to a relationship. I had heard horror stories about HP, and experiencing this made me want to run away.

I still have the return flight, so they'll get another shot at me, but I'll write and complain first so will have the opportunity to see how they respond.

As to the poster who branded me, "idiotic," which of the HP agents at the podium at JFK were you?

But let's say Jan that the FC cabin seats 8. At time of check in, it's only booked to seven (they didn't release the last seat in advance for upgrades). In that circumstance, the first elite who shows up gets the seat (and that's what "Always Flyin was told). Everyone else is then put on the waitlist.

So in this case, the guy hands his ticket and his buddy's to the agent. She check's in the buddy first, he gets the one FC seat. Then "Mr.Platinum" gets checked in. No seats left so he gets nothing.

We'll never know, but that sounds like the most likely scenario here. The "computer" did exactly what it's supposed to do. Now maybe "Always Flyin" doesn't like that system -- and, hey, as a platinum myself I can understand why -- but it's hardly beyond the pale. And, as I say, people get too worked up about getting something for nothin'.

im sorry but you have no right to complain....Your were comped HP plat and you act like you received your plat through flying HP. If I was HP I would tell you to take a hike nicely. You did not buy a F ticket and you certainly did not buy a Y or any of the other fares that would have upgraded you at time of purcahse. You sound like a very small man who needs to feel important by the poor souls who work the front lines of the airlines. Please don't give us the line that if you had a good experiance you would move your business over to HP. If you write a letter I hope they do not fall for that excrement. Keep on flying those other airlines and give them the business. I hope they upgrade you on every flight.
P.S. i am sure you are a very big man and work for a very big company and spend lots of $$$$$.
FYI: i do not work for HP/AWA

iahphx

The explanation that has been given to me ( and I have been earned HP PLT for 3 yrs), is that if the cabin is booked to 7, and a PLT shows up they will get the upgrade, But everyone else would get waitlisted. Who knows, I think its great I get these for free, so I dont stress about it very much http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<<I get these for free, so I dont stress about it very much >>

AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Centurion:
im sorry but you have no right to complain....Your were comped HP plat and you act like you received your plat through flying HP. If I was HP I would tell you to take a hike nicely. You did not buy a F ticket and you certainly did not buy a Y or any of the other fares that would have upgraded you at time of purcahse. You sound like a very small man who needs to feel important by the poor souls who work the front lines of the airlines. Please don't give us the line that if you had a good experiance you would move your business over to HP. If you write a letter I hope they do not fall for that excrement. Keep on flying those other airlines and give them the business. I hope they upgrade you on every flight.
P.S. i am sure you are a very big man and work for a very big company and spend lots of $$$$$.
FYI: i do not work for HP/AWA</font>

How very nice of you to categorize me without even knowing me. But no, I am not a "very big man"; I am 5'10", 165#.

Why is it that I get the impression that you are more upset that I was comped to Platinum than anything else? Don't blame me--HP comped me. I was obviously giving them some of my business since I was on their flight. I was polite with the agents. In return, I received rude and abrasive treatment; failure to provide the services they claim to offer; and a cancelled flight.

How did this turn into a personal attack against me?

I'm starting to sense that posters on this forum are right at home with the surly personnel I encountered at HP at JFK. Such a pleasure to post on this board. Ciao.

I really don't see the "bad service."

Upgrade seats are given out first come first serve - regardless of status. Looks like the ticket agent punched in your friend's reservation first - and he got the last seat. At that point, it was probably booked 12/12 (or 14/14 if you were on a '57)

The waitlist (for no shows) is by status. A Plat trumps a Gold, etc...

The people on the East coast never seem to know exactly what the rules are. I've been told the same think about the waitlist in EWR. Luckily, the computer will print the list out in the correct order, and that's what the gate agents use to U/G people into the no-show seats.

The staff out East is not typical of America West. It seems that they go out of their way to find the surliest (and in one particular case, the meanest) people they can out there. Of course, it may just be an East coast thing.

Just a point from a US Air Chairman's Preferred on America West. I am CP with US and Silver with CO, Over half the flights to get to silver were on America West. On balance based on my personal experience, their gate agent, ticket counter staff are amonst the best out there. One in fact saved my company from a $1,500 mistake made by a travel agent! I keep hoping that US and America West negotiate a code share deal. On the Airlines I have flown I would rate gate agent/ticket counter performance as follows
1. ATA - Only discounter worth flying IMHO
2. US Air - Couple bad apples, they lose #1 for that!
3. America West - Nuff said
4. Continental - not much to say, had one major dust up in 3 years
5. Northwest - Rudest in DTW, Nicest out of MEM, a real Jekyl/Hyde experience. NW wins the prize for the absolute rudest ticket agent ever out of 300 plus segments.
6. Delta - Abrupt and unfriendly at all times including phone contact.
7. United - Rude, Uncaring and IMHO could't organize a one car funeral! dreading the upcoming code share deal with those morons. Think about it, UAL is an employee owned company and the people couldn't care less about us, the guys who ultimately pay their salaries. I think they call us "Customers"

[This message has been edited by PineyBob (edited 09-19-2002).]

I had a somewhat similar experience with DL a few years ago.

Partner and I were flying on an F SR/DL award ticket ZRH-BOS-CVG-LAX. I was gold, he had no status. The CVG flight arrived after the LAX flight left.

DL did a great job. There was a table set out with ticket jackets including hotel and meal vouchers and reaccomodations on the next day's flight. A true class act.

Problem was, however, that my partner was confirmed in F the next morning. I was in C. I called reservations, who explained that there were no more F seats. I asked, "But how as a Gold did I not get F while my partner as a non-elite is in F?"

I understood that there were many in the pecking order ahead of me,... paid seats, etc. But this didn't make sense. But DL honestly explained that in their rush to reaccomodate, some things just went out of order.

They threw some miles my way, and it really, in the whole sheme of things, was not all that bad.

It can be upsetting at the time, however.

AWA/HP has made great strides during the last year.
Remember you were flying out of JFK -- New York and from my experience with HP the JFK counter agents are NOT the swiftest --- I tend to feel that they are "contracted" for the most part.
I think you would feel great for your travel buddy -- he got 1st class --
Why the sour grapes?

Your experience is nothing different than what can happen with CO or NW, which offer the best upgrades in the business. It just happens! Live with it. Flying HP sure is a lot easier to upgrade than on UA.


I remember a few months back when CO's upgrade policy was messed up, it probbaly still is but I havnt flown CO in a few months. As a low silver (Someone who only flys 25K miles in a year) I would arrive at the airport 4 hours ahead of anyone else so I could get my first class pass. I remember seeing Platinums at check in 4 hours later like you say why the hell this is possibly. It is ll about computers, and If you are so worried about a first class seat, check in 5 hours early and then go home and come back, or buy a **** $2500 ticket. Grow up a little.

HP is really loosey-goosey about upgrades, and that can work in your favor. I haven't experienced any rude customer service from HP, and in fact think most of their LAX agents are among the friendliest in town.

Sorry your flight was canceled.

My experience with HP upgrades has been near perfect. No complaints at all. As a plus, customer service on the phone and at the airport has been stellar.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Always Flyin:
Nope, I am told, first come first serve. The gold must have checked in first (even though we checked in together) and scored the upgrade seat. </font>

You were on separate records so regardless of whether you walked up to the counter together, one would have to have been processed before the other. Sounds like she just picked one to do first and it happened to be your associate.

The customer service you received doesn't sound bad to me at all. Was anyone blatantly rude? Seems to me they did all they could.



[This message has been edited by tazi (edited 09-27-2002).]