Family angry after it says Southwest lost aging mother
#32
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
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This has its upside too though - I've booked people last-flight-of-day MSP-DEN-ONT on direct flights and when MSP-DEN got delayed while everyone else connecting in DEN got hosed, the DEN-ONT direct flight just went late.
#33
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,691
I once did SJC-LAS-TPA-ISP with 2 kids and it was about 12 hours. Same flight number. I actually broke up the booking into 2 segments to save points. Only way to get home WN wise. Still don't know how I survived...
Last edited by joshua362; Aug 28, 2014 at 7:54 am
#34
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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For those who put more of the blame on the family here: I'd agree, if the family was comprised of Flyertalkers. We know better. @:-)
Flyertalkers know you can easily get a gate pass, but the TSA and airline have been pretty effective at making the general public think this is nearly impossible.
Flyertalkers are generally aware of which airport personnel are airline employees, which are contractors to the airline, and which are contractors to the airport. However, skycaps in particular have a vested interest in acting very much as if they are a counter agent. The ones positioned at the Southwest curbside will appear, to many travelers, to be wholly in support of Southwest Airlines. If one tells an inexperienced traveler "I'll take your mom to the gate and make sure she gets onboard", most people wouldn't think twice about that.
When something goes wrong with that, it's natural to be angry at the airline. Even if the airline says "The Skycap works for a contractor", it doesn't really change anything. (I hate that cop-out myself: "Blame our contractor, our subsidiary, our franchisee, etc." I don't do business with contractors: I'm doing business with the main brand, in this case that's whatever is painted on the side of the fuselage.)
What's done is done and there's probably nothing else the family can do. Southwest gave them $200 in vouchers for an 11 hour delay, which is effectively them stating "This totally wasn't our fault." But I also don't know how far they'll get complaining to the airport authority or the Skycap contractor either.
Flyertalkers know you can easily get a gate pass, but the TSA and airline have been pretty effective at making the general public think this is nearly impossible.
Flyertalkers are generally aware of which airport personnel are airline employees, which are contractors to the airline, and which are contractors to the airport. However, skycaps in particular have a vested interest in acting very much as if they are a counter agent. The ones positioned at the Southwest curbside will appear, to many travelers, to be wholly in support of Southwest Airlines. If one tells an inexperienced traveler "I'll take your mom to the gate and make sure she gets onboard", most people wouldn't think twice about that.
When something goes wrong with that, it's natural to be angry at the airline. Even if the airline says "The Skycap works for a contractor", it doesn't really change anything. (I hate that cop-out myself: "Blame our contractor, our subsidiary, our franchisee, etc." I don't do business with contractors: I'm doing business with the main brand, in this case that's whatever is painted on the side of the fuselage.)
What's done is done and there's probably nothing else the family can do. Southwest gave them $200 in vouchers for an 11 hour delay, which is effectively them stating "This totally wasn't our fault." But I also don't know how far they'll get complaining to the airport authority or the Skycap contractor either.
#35
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, AA Plat. Pro
Posts: 400
For those who put more of the blame on the family here: I'd agree, if the family was comprised of Flyertalkers. We know better. @:-)
Flyertalkers know you can easily get a gate pass, but the TSA and airline have been pretty effective at making the general public think this is nearly impossible.
Flyertalkers know you can easily get a gate pass, but the TSA and airline have been pretty effective at making the general public think this is nearly impossible.
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Long before I was on FT I knew that those folks weren't employees of the airlines in almost every city.
#37
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
Mom, with mental and physical health issues shouldn't be flying alone, period. And the airline isn't there to do health evaluations on everyone before a flight. The airline is also not in the business of adult day care. This family learned an important lesson and should look inward for answers, not to the airline for a big payday.
#38
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,362
Either Mom was self-sufficient mentally or not.
If she was, then the issue is comparable to an IROPS screwup, A modest "sorry" jesture is reasonable for a few hours delay. No more of a story than any other of the thousands delayed every day.
If she was not able to fly on her own, then family needs to spend time in the hall of shame.
If she was, then the issue is comparable to an IROPS screwup, A modest "sorry" jesture is reasonable for a few hours delay. No more of a story than any other of the thousands delayed every day.
If she was not able to fly on her own, then family needs to spend time in the hall of shame.