US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Horrible US Airways PHL Experience

I flew from Rome, Italy to Boston on Friday July 15th connecting in PHL.

This was my first time traveling on US Airways internationally. I usually try to fly United or Lufthansa. United's product is fairly good (as we all know). Lufthansa's staff and food are excellent, but have poor IFE and slightly cramped coach seats. On this particular trip, it was cheaper to me to fly from BOS / FCO on Lufthansa via FRA and then back home to BOS via PHL on US Airways.

I was a bit concerned about flying US across the pond as I have read complaints about their generally poor international coach product. However, since the plane was a A330, I decided to give it a shot.

The flight itself wasn't too bad. The A330 IFE is excellent with on-demand programming. The food was absolutely miserable, as expected. Lufthansa actually has someone cook your meal before the flight which is then reheated in the air. United is about the same. US seems to use pre-packaged, pre-processed frozen food (think Lean Cuisine) and serves it to you in a cardboard box. Really miserable. Then you have the $5 headsets (luckily I use Bose Quiet Comfort 2 Headsets) and $5 fee for booze. Luckily, I planned ahead and brought along some crackers and water to supplement my hunger during the flight.

Even with the poor food / service, the flight was not bad primarly due to the IFE. The problems began when I arrived at PHL.

We landed on time and I received my baggage and cleared customs. I then placed my checked bag back onto the belt to continue its way to my BOS flight. My bag was re-checked about 45 minutes before the flight to BOS was scheduled to depart. Should be plenty of time in most airports.

All of the monitors in the airport showed my flight to BOS was on time and scheduled to board at 4 PM. I arrived at the gate at 3:55 and lo and behold there was no plane. We were obviously going to be delayed, yet none of the boards indicated so. 4 PM came and went, then 4:30 and still there were no updates from the gate agent other than "the ramp is closed due to lightening in the area." The lack of an update was really frustrating.

Finally the gate reopens and our plane arrives. We were about ready to board when they closed the ramp again for more lighting.

At last we boarded the plane. I had a window seat near the forward baggage compartment. I noticed that there were several baggage carts full of luggage waiting to be loaded onto the plane. However, when the ramp workers returned to the plane after the ramp re-opened, they drove the carts away instead of loading the baggage. I thought this was strage and said to myself "I bet my bag is on one of those carts."

We finally land in BOS 90 miniutes late. I proceed to baggage claim to get by luggage. Only a dozen or so bags come out on the conveyer. for what ever reason, no other bags were loaded onto the plane at PHL.

So, I when to baggage office and entered a claim. US Airways seems to have a poor tracking system and couldn't tell me where my bag was or when I could expect to receive it. This was frustrating as I didn't know if my bag would arrive in 1 hour or in 1 day. The woman at the baggage office said to me that she was not surprised my bag was delayed since I transferred from an international flight in PHL.

So, I took the claim information and drove home. The next morning I called the baggage center at 8 am and used the auto attendant. The computer informed me my bag was found and should be delivered in 4 to 6 hours.

4 to 6 hours came and went without an update. I called baggage services again and asked for an update. This time I decided to talk to a real person rather than the computer. After being on hold for 30 mintues I was told that I should have my bag "within the hour".

The hour came and went. I then called back, spend 40 minutes on hold, only to be told by the agent that the delivery service would phone me in 20 minutes with an update.

20 minutes came and went...still no update. It was now 8 PM. I called back again, spent 45 minutes on hold and then asked for a supervisor. Anouther 15 minutes on hold and finally I get a supervisor. I explained my frustration at the poor service and lack of updates., especially since I was a 1K on United. The manager appologized and told me they would find out what the problems were and call back.

About 30 minutes later (around 9 PM) I get a call from the baggage delivery service. They say I am next on the list for delivery.

My bag finally arrived at 10:40 PM.

Now, I really don't have an issue with the bag arriving so late. These things sometimes happen. My main complaint is the lack of honesty and accurate information from US Airways. First, they were not honest or up front regarding the delay in PHL. Then, when I arrived in BOS, there was no way for them to tell me where my bag was (apparently they are not scanned as they enter PHL) or when I could expect it. Finally, I had a miserable delivery experience with US. If they had told me at 8 am that my bag would arrive between 8 PM and 11 PM then I would not have an issue. Instead, they told me to expect delivery in "4 to 6 hours" (12 - 2 PM). This means I waited the entire day for delivery only to be frustrated with lack of information and poor service. I was also frustrated that my delivery was not given a priority since I am 1K / *G.

I have read similar complaints about the PHL baggage service on this website and have now experienced it first hand. I have now made a decision never to fly through PHL with checked baggage. The other US Air hubs do not seem to have a big of a problem with bags. Why is PHL so bad?

should I complain to someone and if so, who? What type of compensation usally is given?

When there is lightening in the area, nothing moves on the tarmac. All the baggage service vehicles park and the ramp itself MUST be cleared of all people. It would appear that in light of the fact there was lightening, a decision was made not to bring your aircraft up to the gate, as the ground service persons who would have taxied the aircraft would not be able to leave the plane, the ramp could not have been brought to the door, and safety was given top priority. Now, it's clear that all these details were not communicated to you at the gate, and frankly, I don't think I'd expect them to get to this level of detail in their annoucements. They did tell you that the delay was due to lightening, and that's exactly what it was.

I do sympathize with the amazing hold times you had to endure, and I'm sure it was a frustrating experience. I don't think they owe you any compensation though - it was just one of those really bad experiences that happens every now and then.

You are lucky that your bag arrived at all. Count your blessings.

While I can empathize with the situation, it really belongs in the US forum. I'm going to move it over to there.

Zach

2 Things.

1. July 15 was a miserable day in Philly. With the lightning storms right on top of the airport, they shut down the airport 7 or 8 times in the span of a few hours. Most flights were delayed several hours, or totally cancelled. That's why the plane wasn't at your gate at 4. The board update speeds seem to really go down when essentially every arriving and departing flight is delayed. I was 90 miles away at BWI, and I could have driven round trip twice before my flight actually took off.

2. Unfortunately, it's common knowledge that baggage handling in PHL is just garbage. They even posted on their website that PHL now requires 45 minutes check for baggage to make your flight. I think this is the only airport in the country with this rule. The delays basically are because almost everything there is still manual, instead of the automated systems that most other modern airports have put into place. My assumption is that this is because of some union contract restrictions, but I don't know for sure.

Sorry you had such a bad experience in PHL. It's definitely not the best out there, but being your first experience, you got "lucky" having one of the worst delayed days in a long while.

Unfortunately, it's common knowledge that baggage handling in PHL is just garbage. They even posted on their website that PHL now requires 45 minutes check for baggage to make your flight. I think this is the only airport in the country with this rule. The delays basically are because almost everything there is still manual, instead of the automated systems that most other modern airports have put into place. My assumption is that this is because of some union contract restrictions, but I don't know for sure.

There are actually several major airports in the US that require baggage be checked 45 minutes prior to departure. This is especially that case at major hub airports. Part of the problem is that you can be at the mercy of the TSA who has to screen the bags first. I have been to many airports where the bags are piled up in front of the scanners.

While I can appreciate the original posters frustration with the inconveniences at PHL, the safety of the ground crews has to be paramount. Certainly, compensation is not in order. You got home and your bag got there...eventually. When bad weather occurs and delays kick in every airline goes into cardiac arrest. Try it at ORD...painful...horribly painful.

The best rule when traveling is do not check any item you will need upon deplaning or within the first 24 hours, in case the bags don't make it. I interline from US to HP in PHX at least once a month and my bags never make the connection. The baggage service office in SNA has me on speed dial. I've learned to carry toiletries and one day of clothes in my carry-on.

...... The baggage service office in SNA has me on speed dial.........

That line brought a chuckle :) A true road warrior you are! We all make our choices of airlines based mostly on schedules or price, and make the best of it. US is far from perfect, but with the tips learned here on FT, I've been able to avoid most problems, and bless those CP Desk angels for saving my skin numerous times when problems did occur.

Yes..I understand that safety is important and the ramp should be closed.

My issues are 1) why didn't they finish loading the bags onto the plane when the ramp opened. Again, I personally witnessed them driving two full carts labeled "Flight 23 Boston" away from the plane instead of loading them. And 2) The customer service provided regarding my baggage claim was miserable. Poor tracking, lack of information, and extremely long delays. Don't tell me 4 - 6 hours when it is really 12-14 for delivery.

Re: Compensation, if your bags did not physically arrive at your address within 24 hours of landing, you are entitled to a $25 voucher for future travel on US. Details here: http://www.usairways.com/customers/customer_commitment/appendix2.htm

And you can claim either through the baggage office or Consumer Affairs.

Yes..I understand that safety is important and the ramp should be closed.

My issues are 1) why didn't they finish loading the bags onto the plane when the ramp opened. Again, I personally witnessed them driving two full carts labeled "Flight 23 Boston" away from the plane instead of loading them. And 2) The customer service provided regarding my baggage claim was miserable. Poor tracking, lack of information, and extremely long delays. Don't tell me 4 - 6 hours when it is really 12-14 for delivery.

The short answer is -- they don't care.

I've given up on US Airways, flying someone else whenever there is a choice. For example, my next trip is BDL-PHL, and I will be on Southwest, an airline I used to avoid just because of the open seating.

Yes..I understand that safety is important and the ramp should be closed.

My issues are 1) why didn't they finish loading the bags onto the plane when the ramp opened. Again, I personally witnessed them driving two full carts labeled "Flight 23 Boston" away from the plane instead of loading them. And 2) The customer service provided regarding my baggage claim was miserable. Poor tracking, lack of information, and extremely long delays. Don't tell me 4 - 6 hours when it is really 12-14 for delivery.


I agree with you completely. It's not the fact that the bags were delayed--it's the fact that you were CONTINUALLY told inaccurate information about when to expect your bags. The last two times I flew through PHL my bags were lost--and I was flying First Class both times with Priority Handling labels on my one piece of checked luggage. Each time I went through exactly what you did. I was told one thing, then another, then waited on hold three times, etc. The first time it happened I was leaving for another trip the very next day and really needed my luggage. After flying from CA to NY, I only had 16 hours to get home, shower, repack and try and get some sleep before embarking on a 5 hour drive the next morning. Instead I spent the next 10 hours waiting for luggage that I was told three times would be "at my door within the next hour".

I can tell you that I wrote to Customer Service and ended up receiving a $125 voucher good on any future flight. While I didn't specifically ask for any form of compensation, I did state in my letter that my time is valuable and that if they'd just been honest with me about when my luggage would actually arrive, then I wouldn't have been so angry, but after being away for 2 weeks and having such a short time at home, I really had a TON of better things to do with my time than to spend hours either on "hold" on the phone, or on "hold" expecting someone at my door "within the next hour"!

I've often wondered what happens if luggage is "lost" prior to a customer going on a cruise. Usually people arrive at the airport and go directly to their cruise line. If their bag isn't found within 5-6 hours then is the airline going to fly the baggage in a helicopter out to the middle of the ocean to drop it off to me?
Anita

I've often wondered what happens if luggage is "lost" prior to a customer going on a cruise. Usually people arrive at the airport and go directly to their cruise line. If their bag isn't found within 5-6 hours then is the airline going to fly the baggage in a helicopter out to the middle of the ocean to drop it off to me?
Anita

It would go to your first port of call.

Baggage arrival or lack thereof on flights from PHL has been a problem for as long as I can remember. The only sure fire solution right now is to NEVER check bags if you are connecting through PHL.

It is more important to keep schedule than it is to load connecting bags. It's amazing to me how much money is wasted by deliberately misconnecting bags, but the operating geniuses at US would rather cut pretzels and in flight service than try to fix real problems.

I can't wait for Parker and company to take over...but even that may not fix PHL.

Bags were also delayed at PHL on Sunday 7/17 due to lightning. Our FRA-PHL flight arrrived around 2:20, and the pilot told us that there were no ramp workers available due to the weather restrictions. Ten minutes or so later we finally got the Jetway connected and all got off. We breezed through passport control, only to wait for over an hour at baggage claim because of the lightning ramp closure issue. There were a lot of very unhappy people.

It makes sense to close the ramp due to lightning, undoubtedly. The people that were complaining about the rule were essentially just ignorant. However, the main problem was the complete lack of communication on US Airways' part. Finally one of the customs agents got on a bullhorn and made a brief announcement. Then, after 45 minutes, a US Airways supervisor showed up and made 1-2 other announcements using the same bullhorn. (Don't they have a basic PA system in the baggage claim area? I can't believe they don't.) His announcements were overly terse, offered no hope ("I don't know when the ramp will reopen"), and no placating apologies; he easily could have said "I'm sorry for the delay, but because of lightning...."

I've never been so happy for the priority tag on my bag, as it was the third bag to come up from the bowels of the airport.

Unless PHL is a lightning magnet, there must be something else going on. After thunderstorms hit other major airports, it doesn't take them hours to finish what they were doing.

PHL is just barely functional on a warm, clear January Saturday. Anything else, and it goes downhill, and fast. US Airways blames the weather but refuses to accept blame for trying to run an airport into the ground. Bad weather just makes it 10 times worse.

If it will make you feel better complain. If they cared the situation wouldnt exist so I wouldnt expect much of a response from them however. If you think it would make you more upset if they blew you off when you complained, I wouldnt complain. Or just write the complaint and email it to someone who sent you spam. And if you fly US again internationally try to go through CLT or if through PHL allow 3 hours for connections (minimum) and dont check a bag.

I agree with you completely. It's not the fact that the bags were delayed--it's the fact that you were CONTINUALLY told inaccurate information about when to expect your bags. The last two times I flew through PHL my bags were lost--and I was flying First Class both times with Priority Handling labels on my one piece of checked luggage. Each time I went through exactly what you did. I was told one thing, then another, then waited on hold three times, etc. The first time it happened I was leaving for another trip the very next day and really needed my luggage. After flying from CA to NY, I only had 16 hours to get home, shower, repack and try and get some sleep before embarking on a 5 hour drive the next morning. Instead I spent the next 10 hours waiting for luggage that I was told three times would be "at my door within the next hour".

I can tell you that I wrote to Customer Service and ended up receiving a $125 voucher good on any future flight. While I didn't specifically ask for any form of compensation, I did state in my letter that my time is valuable and that if they'd just been honest with me about when my luggage would actually arrive, then I wouldn't have been so angry, but after being away for 2 weeks and having such a short time at home, I really had a TON of better things to do with my time than to spend hours either on "hold" on the phone, or on "hold" expecting someone at my door "within the next hour"!

I've often wondered what happens if luggage is "lost" prior to a customer going on a cruise. Usually people arrive at the airport and go directly to their cruise line. If their bag isn't found within 5-6 hours then is the airline going to fly the baggage in a helicopter out to the middle of the ocean to drop it off to me?
Anita

Anita,
Will you be kind enough to share the customer service address/ information for US Airways.

Thanks

I'm not Anita - but here's the info (cut and pasted from the online version of Attache):

COMMENTS
We welcome your comments concerning your travel experience on US Airways. Please include ticket receipts, boarding passes, flight and date information, and your telephone number.

Send your comments to:
Deborah Thompson, Managing Director
USAirways Corporate & Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 1501, Winston-Salem, NC 27102

Also, here's the phone and fax #s:
Consumer Affairs
Consumer Affairs (phone) 866-523-5333
Consumer Affairs (fax) 336-661-8031

last friday, 7/15, bags checked in at philly three hours before a (delayed) flight were still left behind. word on the street was that there is a "slow down" by baggage handlers there. wonder if anyone else has heard something similar?

week before, on friday the 8th, i watched as two baggage handlers appeared at ten minutes past our scheduled departure time to load all the bags for my flight to ATL. once again, most all flights were delayed due to bad weather all over the east coast, but i was wondering why the four other baggage handlers couldn't have come over to help? we ended up leaving about an hour late and the GA/FA/pilot frustration was clearly evident b/c of the baggage situation and lack of lavatory service until the last second.

I'm just trying to remember if in 25 years of off and on flying if I've ever heard even one good word about PHL. (The airport - I like the city)

Nope, can't come up with a one...

I'm just trying to remember if in 25 years of off and on flying if I've ever heard even one good word about PHL. (The airport - I like the city)

Nope, can't come up with a one...

It could be worse. For instance, I have not heard about packs of wild dogs in the F concourse yet. Neither to the best of my knowledge have their been attacks by pirates, cannibals nor Mad Max like gangs on the buses between F and the other terminals.

Sunday Jul17 was also a bad day in PHL with US, lightning and luggage. I landed from London, claimed my bag which arrived in a timely fashion, slogged through the re-checking line - leaving my bag 30 minutes before my plane was to take off - got a boarding pass and was told my flight (the 4:30) to Boston was on time, ran from terminal A to terminal C where, as a sweaty panting tired passenger, I find my flight has been cancelled. Much as I would like to blame the weather on US, I do not. I got in line and was rebooked as a standby for the 6:30 and confirmed on the 9:30. I was not happy - mostly because I am hot and tired and consider just getting a room at the Marriott and traveling the next morning. I decided to endure and wait for the 6:30.

I had no hope of getting on it because there had been two cancelled flights and all of us were booked as standbys. They started boarding about 6:50 and I actually got a seat. They packed the plane and we sat until about 8:45 when they off loaded the luggage from the flight before and - they said - loaded ours on. Flight finally departed after 10P and we got to Boston at 11:10P.

When I arrived my husband met me and said he was afraid we would have a long wait for luggage because people had arrived on an earlier flight and no luggage was being off-loaded. We walked over from one carousel to another, and I spot my suitcase sitting in the unclaimed luggage area. It had arrived before me. I do not know how that happened. If there had been an earlier flight leaving I would have seen it in Philadelphia. Wierd but I was happy.
That said, US is the worst international carrier I have ever used. I did get an upgrade on my return from London and I can safely say it is also the worst first class I have ever flown. And the attitude of the crew is stinky. They really should get into a different line of work if they can not be happy with their work.

I did get an upgrade on my return from London and I can safely say it is also the worst first class I have ever flown.

US does not have an international First class. The premium cabin is neither sold or priced as such.

My cousin had a similar experience in PHL on 7/15, his connection into ISP was delayed for hours (understandable given the weather) and then his luggage was also misplaced (not entirely understandable given that nobody could figure out where it was or went).

I called the CP line several times Saturday AM to try to get some idea of whether his luggage would ever show up, but they had no idea where it was. Finally around noon I asked for compensation and they authorized a $50 spend on clothing, so we ran to the store, grabbed a bathing suit and shirt and headed to the beach. His bags showed up about 24 hours later without any warning or explanation.

US does not have an international First class. The premium cabin is neither sold or priced as such.

Okay - I should have said it is the worst Business Class I have ever flown. That part was really beside the point.

Here's another good one.

A business colleague of mine flew from MUC to PVD via PHL yesterday.

He had close to 4 hours to connect. Guess what....his bags didn't make it to the connecting flight!!!!

He picked the bag up, cleared customs, and somehow US Airways lost his baggage in the bowels of PHL.

The funny thing is I warned this person about my bad experiences a week ago. And the same thing happened to him.

I don't understand how US can not fix this problem. It is costing them a ton to ship / deliver lost bags in both money and customer service complaints / loss of business.

Here's another good one.

A business colleague of mine flew from MUC to PVD via PHL yesterday.

He had close to 4 hours to connect........



......I don't understand how US can not fix this problem. It is costing them a ton to ship / deliver lost bags in both money and customer service complaints / loss of business.


One reason for the high number of bags that do not make a transfer from a international flights is that the bags have to TSA screened after clearing customs. With so many international flights arriving within a fairly short time frame, there is often a bottleneck for TSA bag screening. Not that it would explain the four hour example above.

As far as US addressing the overall baggage problem at PHL, there are a number of issues, from airport infrastructure to staffing and management problems. There have been several threads on the subject over at US Aviation. (Yes, there is actually good information there, but the "noise level"
is sometimes quite high indeed. Bring some earplugs along! :p

Here's another good one.

A business colleague of mine flew from MUC to PVD via PHL yesterday.

He had close to 4 hours to connect. Guess what....his bags didn't make it to the connecting flight!!!!

He picked the bag up, cleared customs, and somehow US Airways lost his baggage in the bowels of PHL.

The funny thing is I warned this person about my bad experiences a week ago. And the same thing happened to him.

I don't understand how US can not fix this problem. It is costing them a ton to ship / deliver lost bags in both money and customer service complaints / loss of business.

Sigh. Too many people have stories like this. When we flew last year PHL to Ft. Myers, 2/3 of the baggage didn't get on the plane. There were no weather issues that day. No one in Ft. Myers was surprised - at least two different people knew exactly what happened. They told us that a whole cart of bags just didn't get loaded onto the plane and that it happens in PHL all the time. Our bag was placed on the next flight - but the automated phone line did not know this! We took a chance and went back to the airport when the next PHL plane was due in, and we were informed our bags were on this flight.

We just flew PHL to SFO and found taking the whole air train thing to the rental car confusing and a pain with all our luggage. When I was trying to figure out just who in the world designed it, I realized that from when we landed, got our luggage, went through the maze to get the air train, rode the air train, and got our rental car, the whole process took one hour. We're lucky to get our bags in PHL in one hour!

Not checking luggage is not a solution - we live outside PHL and on family vacations there is no way all 4 of us could stuff everything we need into 8 carry-ons.

Sigh.

On July 19, I flew MCO-ELM via PHL, and it was miserable. I had what seemed like a 5 hr delay that was actually 3hrs. Second I was used for ballast and was told to sit in the very last row. Finally I was treated rude by the F/A on my PHL-ELM flight. I think she judged me as a obese person(i'm 5'9 and weigh in at 190) so she moved me for ballast. The aircraft was a DH3 with a 26% load. (24/50 seats)

On July 22, I flew ELM-MCO via PHL and got treated like I was royality. On flight 185, the F/A addressed me by first name. I was in coach and told her of my rough expierence on the 19th and she told me to contact them via E-Mail. I did and still haven't gotten a reply yet.

your not the only person who's having trouble.

Baggage arrival or lack thereof on flights from PHL has been a problem for as long as I can remember. The only sure fire solution right now is to NEVER check bags if you are connecting through PHL.


Or better yet, never check bags at all. I regularly pack several days' worth of clothing in a carry-on size rollaboard; put my work, reading material, and laptop in my computer bag (i.e. "personal item"); and am good to go without having to wait around forever for luggage, if it shows up at all.

I'm amazed at the number of small bags I always see when I walk by a baggage carousel. It's just so much easier and faster to go carry-on only, especially through PHL. :)

I do sympathize with the amazing hold times you had to endure, and I'm sure it was a frustrating experience. I don't think they owe you any compensation though - it was just one of those really bad experiences that happens every now and then.
I strongly believe they do, I think it is an insult to have your flight delay for 90 minutes, and thee you se the bags driven away. They sould have loaded them, no excuse, if they can board the plane then the groundstaff can work. I assume it is some f**ked up labor contract thing,and one guy had to finish his shift exactly at 8:24'35 and not a second later, but the negy would not start until 9. So yes, this is US Airways problem, not weather, not mechanical, not connectin time. Don't give up, fight back

I'm just trying to remember if in 25 years of off and on flying if I've ever heard even one good word about PHL. (The airport - I like the city)


Amen to that...even though I wouldn't be too disappointed if the city fell off the map as well. Maybe it's my luck, but I've never experienced horror at ORD, LAX, EWR like I've had at PHL. This airport has been like this for years. The manual baggage handling has been a nightmare for years...BUT HEY...there's a new international terminal!! Another well run city. The only part I find unfortunate is that US is tied to this failure.

I walked in the night of 7/17 and my flight was delayed 3 hours. I figured I would just go get in line and have them rebook me for the next morning. The line was out of control, people fighting over the direction of it, no barriers, 2 agents working the counter, and the preferred line was way the he11 on the other side with nobody working there.

This place needs a good housecleaning...starting at the upper levels that run the airport. The whole "Sick Out" mess at Christmas did it for me when it comes to this place. There are major "people issues" at this place for anybody to do that.

CD773 - you have to bear in mind that the lighter the load
(tho' check your math) the more important balance issues
loom. Don't feel too bad about that - I've been moved for
w&b, and I'm lighter than you are (and am US1).

There is no need to run from the A gates to the C or F gates anymore. They have a bus now that picks people up at A1.

There is no need to run from the A gates to the C or F gates anymore. They have a bus now that picks people up at A1.
I had some time to kill after missing a flight 2 weekends ago so I tried it out. The bus takes a route on the outside of the apron rather than on the inside (along the terminal) - gets you an upclose view of the action and also as FAN said it drops you off right at A1.

-JC