US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Marketing Lesson from a Reservations Agent

After calling .com support at 800-245-4882 to complain that I could book an award PNS-CLT and CLT-LAX but not PNS-LAX I was transferred to a reservations agent with a marketing background.

She said that "marketing" has determined that award travel should not be available for the PNS-LAX market. When I explained that seats were available PNS-CLT and CLT-LAX she said that in order to get from PNS-LAX I needed to book 2 separate awards.

Anyone else receive this marketing lesson?

I eventually was able to book PNS-LAX on one award by talking to someone else.

I have learned (and this is not just with US) if that you talk to some one else you more than likely will get a different answer. It is amazing what some reservation agents, gate agents will allow by bending the rules and what others won't.

Many times if you don't get what you want via RES. Try calling back and talking to a different person. Amazingly sometimes it works! Being nice and respectful always helps too :)

I can understand US not wanting to do say DFW-CLT-LAX or something but PNS-LAX via. CLT is not out of the way (as far as modern aviation goes). It's about the same as SAN-SFO-PHL (a routing I did in July on a paid ticket) and not nearly as odd as PHL-ORD-CLE or PHL-ORD-MCO - both the cheapest options available.

The fact that you can talk to so many different people and get that many number of responses is a shame. I definitly say give agents a chance to bend the rules but that usually should apply more to GA's and Ticket Agent's making customer service exceptions. Reservation agents should have consistent policies.