Las Vegas Nightmare
Jan 26, 1999, 3:45 am
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Honolulu,HI, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3MM
Posts: 839
Las Vegas Nightmare
I had to fly to Las Vegas to do a site visit this weekend. It was the trip from h*ll.
The nightmare started on Friday evening in San Francisco. The airport was fogged in so flights were delayed for up to 10 hours. My original flight scheduled for 6:30 pm was delayed until 11:30 pm. Luckily, the Red Carpet Club person was able to book me on a confirmed seat on an earlier flight. Unluckily, when I boarded, someone was in my seat already. The flight attendant told me to wait right there (I was in the middle of the aisle and in the middle of the plane). It was terribly embarassing to have a completely full plane staring at me since I was holding up the flight. Then the gate agent came on the plane to tell one of the passengers that they would have to get off the flight. I don't know if this was because I had a confirmed seat or was a PremEx member. Of course, the other passenger didn't want to leave the flight and they began arguing. More embarassment. Finally, the gate agent found out that the passenger wouldn't get off the plane because her friend was also on the plane. The gate agent ended up taking them both off the flight and I got my seat. We finally make it into LAS 4 hours later than my original arrival time.
My flight back was delayed by an hour since the gate was occupied by the previous flight that was leaving late. The FA on this flight was very helpful and kept updating me on my connection in San Francisco. I ended up arriving at gate 68 and needing to get to gate 82 with an 18 minute connection time. I was thankful for my long legs as a hoofed it over to the gate. I'm happy to make it and find out that I was upgraded to Business. Unfortunately, I have a 5 year old seated next to me who decides that he needs to pretend to shoot everyone on the plane (loud sound effects and all). He does this for 2 whole hours of my flight back to HNL. His father sits there playing with his computer and does nothing. I wanted to muzzle the kid. On top of all this the flight attendant must have been having a very bad day since she is not very nice at all.
I'm glad to be home.
The nightmare started on Friday evening in San Francisco. The airport was fogged in so flights were delayed for up to 10 hours. My original flight scheduled for 6:30 pm was delayed until 11:30 pm. Luckily, the Red Carpet Club person was able to book me on a confirmed seat on an earlier flight. Unluckily, when I boarded, someone was in my seat already. The flight attendant told me to wait right there (I was in the middle of the aisle and in the middle of the plane). It was terribly embarassing to have a completely full plane staring at me since I was holding up the flight. Then the gate agent came on the plane to tell one of the passengers that they would have to get off the flight. I don't know if this was because I had a confirmed seat or was a PremEx member. Of course, the other passenger didn't want to leave the flight and they began arguing. More embarassment. Finally, the gate agent found out that the passenger wouldn't get off the plane because her friend was also on the plane. The gate agent ended up taking them both off the flight and I got my seat. We finally make it into LAS 4 hours later than my original arrival time.
My flight back was delayed by an hour since the gate was occupied by the previous flight that was leaving late. The FA on this flight was very helpful and kept updating me on my connection in San Francisco. I ended up arriving at gate 68 and needing to get to gate 82 with an 18 minute connection time. I was thankful for my long legs as a hoofed it over to the gate. I'm happy to make it and find out that I was upgraded to Business. Unfortunately, I have a 5 year old seated next to me who decides that he needs to pretend to shoot everyone on the plane (loud sound effects and all). He does this for 2 whole hours of my flight back to HNL. His father sits there playing with his computer and does nothing. I wanted to muzzle the kid. On top of all this the flight attendant must have been having a very bad day since she is not very nice at all.
I'm glad to be home.
Jan 26, 1999, 5:05 am
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: America Central
Programs: CO Gold, AA Gold, HH Diamond, IC Plat Ambassador
Posts: 936
The joys of SFO! And children. I always cringe when I see kids in first class because I just know they're going to act up. Often they don't but I've had too many flights where they kick the seats, play with the window shades, etc., etc.
I hope Rudi sees your post -- he had a problem with UA because they are discontinuing C service to HNL and they downgraded him (how dare they
) to cattlecar for the PIP...
I hope Rudi sees your post -- he had a problem with UA because they are discontinuing C service to HNL and they downgraded him (how dare they
) to cattlecar for the PIP...
Jan 26, 1999, 1:13 pm
#3
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
Somewhat OMNI, but something you said TropicalFLyer struck a cord with me!
I just learned (for everyone's knowledge) that my genius company booked us all in Coach to London "to keep us all together" in one section plus saved the company a lot of money by booking on a sale fare.
U=A says because since It's a sale fare I can't use my miles to upgrade. So it's seven hours with two co-workers I'm not that sociable with -- hoping that that there are no children behind me to shoot off guns or kick the seat or scream or whine! Or intoxicated businessmen who pass out and snore.
If U-A is wrong then advise (I don't think so.)
I think I will try out my Priority Pass and
start drinking early. CATMAN
I just learned (for everyone's knowledge) that my genius company booked us all in Coach to London "to keep us all together" in one section plus saved the company a lot of money by booking on a sale fare.
U=A says because since It's a sale fare I can't use my miles to upgrade. So it's seven hours with two co-workers I'm not that sociable with -- hoping that that there are no children behind me to shoot off guns or kick the seat or scream or whine! Or intoxicated businessmen who pass out and snore.
If U-A is wrong then advise (I don't think so.)
I think I will try out my Priority Pass and
start drinking early. CATMAN
Jan 26, 1999, 2:20 pm
#5
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: PDX
Programs: TSA Refusenik charter member
Posts: 15,978
Catman --
It's possible that UA is right, but I used miles to upgrade on a deeply discounted fare from HNL==>PDX. It cost me 15,000 miles but it was worth it.
Of course, you could always ask a different agent
It's possible that UA is right, but I used miles to upgrade on a deeply discounted fare from HNL==>PDX. It cost me 15,000 miles but it was worth it.
Of course, you could always ask a different agent
Jan 26, 1999, 3:18 pm
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
For international travel, miles cannot be used to upgrade any coach fares except the top 4, which I believe are Y, B, M, and H. You might look into paying the difference to make it an H fare and then upgrading from there.
Jan 27, 1999, 12:16 am
#9
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland
Programs: miles&more, MileagePlus
Posts: 27,041
(from Melbourne, sorry for little time on webflyer, Hingis keeps me busy watching her)
sorry CatMan, no upgrade internationally on those cheapest UA fares. (may be you can change the ticket to a upgradable fare by paying a reasonable difference? - but may be this could/would your business relationships?).
yes, UA gave up C/Class from Westcoast to Honolulu: but at least they allowed one-way upgrades, using 8'000 miles/passanger (I had to change for a later flight LAX/HNL on that nov-4 for this).
sorry CatMan, no upgrade internationally on those cheapest UA fares. (may be you can change the ticket to a upgradable fare by paying a reasonable difference? - but may be this could/would your business relationships?).
yes, UA gave up C/Class from Westcoast to Honolulu: but at least they allowed one-way upgrades, using 8'000 miles/passanger (I had to change for a later flight LAX/HNL on that nov-4 for this).