mgarland
Sep 25, 05, 11:26 am
Consider this a public thank you, on the hopes that someone from Independence Air reads this...
On Friday, 9/23, at 1pm, I was in Dulles trying to get to NYC for an appointment I had to keep at 4pm. I was on a Continental flight to EWR, leaving at 1:40pm, which was listed on-time.
Well, at 1pm, the gate agent makes an announcement -- turns out that the aircraft was still at EWR awaiting it's trip down to IAD (to become my flight) -- apparently they had no crew. I went to the Terminal B departure screens to see that the flight was still listed as ontime.
Anyway, I saw that there was a 1:15pm Independence flight to HPN (Westchester County, NY). I made the mad dash to Terminal A, from Mid-terminal B, and got to the gate right as they had boarded the last passenger and closed the gate. It was about 1:05pm.
The gate agents on-site, while surprised that I was there without a purchased ticket, did everything they could to get me on that flight. Neither agent was used to selling tickets (why should they be, since everyone that gets there should already have a ticket) -- but they figured out a way to convince the pilot to let me on, sell me a ticket, and get me and my carryons on-board, all before 1:15pm. The minute I got on, they closed the doors and started the push-back process.
Short story -- I landed around 2:30 at HPN (which is near where I live, so I know the airport and location well), rented a car at Avis (no hassles there either), drove down to Manhattan, parked, and made my appointment with time to spare.
This is fantastic customer service. It was my first flight with Independence, but I already have another ticket heading back to IAD Monday morning from HPN and will continue to fly them if it is convienent -- thanks to the extra effort put in by everyone at the gate on Friday.
(By the way, during the car ride down the Hutch, I called Continental flight status -- my original flight STILL had not left IAD, and was scheduled to arrive EWR sometime after 4pm.)
Best,
Matt Garland
Deloitte Consulting LLP
On Friday, 9/23, at 1pm, I was in Dulles trying to get to NYC for an appointment I had to keep at 4pm. I was on a Continental flight to EWR, leaving at 1:40pm, which was listed on-time.
Well, at 1pm, the gate agent makes an announcement -- turns out that the aircraft was still at EWR awaiting it's trip down to IAD (to become my flight) -- apparently they had no crew. I went to the Terminal B departure screens to see that the flight was still listed as ontime.
Anyway, I saw that there was a 1:15pm Independence flight to HPN (Westchester County, NY). I made the mad dash to Terminal A, from Mid-terminal B, and got to the gate right as they had boarded the last passenger and closed the gate. It was about 1:05pm.
The gate agents on-site, while surprised that I was there without a purchased ticket, did everything they could to get me on that flight. Neither agent was used to selling tickets (why should they be, since everyone that gets there should already have a ticket) -- but they figured out a way to convince the pilot to let me on, sell me a ticket, and get me and my carryons on-board, all before 1:15pm. The minute I got on, they closed the doors and started the push-back process.
Short story -- I landed around 2:30 at HPN (which is near where I live, so I know the airport and location well), rented a car at Avis (no hassles there either), drove down to Manhattan, parked, and made my appointment with time to spare.
This is fantastic customer service. It was my first flight with Independence, but I already have another ticket heading back to IAD Monday morning from HPN and will continue to fly them if it is convienent -- thanks to the extra effort put in by everyone at the gate on Friday.
(By the way, during the car ride down the Hutch, I called Continental flight status -- my original flight STILL had not left IAD, and was scheduled to arrive EWR sometime after 4pm.)
Best,
Matt Garland
Deloitte Consulting LLP