bdschobel

As an accompaniment to this thread, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611917 , I thought I'd relate my recent experience at DCA:

On October 11, I'm ticketed on a 3:45 flight to ORD. I clear security at about 1:45 and head for the RCC, where I ask to be put on the standby list for the 2:45 flight. After that's accomplished, I look at the departure board and notice that the 1:45 flight is scheduled to leave at 2:30. I ask about that one, and the RCC woman says that I have to go to the gate. OK, fair enough. I head to gate 29.

When I get there, a nice United employee is working the desk. I ask if I can be put on the standby list for the 1:45 flight, which isn't even boarding yet. It's about 1:55. He says that the waitlist is closed. I explain that I'm a 1K member and might clear, if he would just put me on the list. He seems unsure and starts fiddling with his computer. About that time, a white-haired, older woman who is working nearby comes over and takes charge. She orders the helpful guy to go do something else (I can't recall exactly what) and tells me that she will not put me on the waitlist, no matter what! She states this quite forcefully. I try to explain that I might clear, and she interrupts me: "He already told you the list is closed. I won't open it for you." She then grinned evilly (really!). So, suspecting that I was dealing with a chronically nasty employee, of which United has a few, I politely asked her, "Am I bothering you in some way?" She replied, "Yes, you are."

I then stepped away and listened to another passenger complaining about this same employee on her cellphone: "She's a cross between a rottweiler and a pit bull. I've never been treated so rudely....blah, blah, blah." So I retreated to the RCC, where I sought a Service Director. The woman at the RCC asked me what was the problem. I said that I wanted to report a very rude employee. The RCC woman asked, "A white-haired woman?" Yes, indeed!!!

The Service Director on duty was outside at the ticket counter, but she asked a supervisor, Vincent, to meet me at the gate. I went back there and waited. While I waited, the gate staff kept paging people to board the 1:45 flight. At the very end, they practically had to shanghai two people to fill the remaining empty seats, while I stood watching from a distance.

Eventually, Vincent arrived, just as the 1:45 was pushing back, around 2:30. I told him my story, and he nodded as if he had heard it many times before. He promised to have a conversation with the white-haired woman, which he did, out of my earshot. I eventually got on the 2:45 flight and was off to Chicago.

Bruce

UA_Flyer

Thanks for the warning. I will keep my eyes open next time I fly out of DCA.

Sorry you have to go through a bad experience with a unhelpful employee. I am glad you talked to the supervisor.

GJCrawford

At least you did the right thing by following up with a supervisor. It's quite telling that they all knew who you were talking about.

heffa

I think I have seen that "white haired lady" in action last month...

I will definitely pay more attention next time at DCA ~ Thanks for the warning!!!

TMAYER

Maybe they should make all DCA employees work at IAD 1 day a month. I think it would make them a little happier on the other 29 days

BenjaminNYC

Looks like I'll be heading to DCA...

exerda

I've fortunately never encountered that particular employee at DCA. The GA I always seem to get is a 45-ish man who handles the flights pretty well.

Maybe this woman usually works the check-in and ticketing counters? Because THOSE employees grade out around a D- IME. They don't seem to care and don't want to help, and can't do their jobs to boot.

coachron1

I was also ticketed on the 3:45 flight on the 11. When I checked-in at about 1:50, Mr. Easy told me a tale of ATC delays and confirmed me on the 1:45 flight. Incidentally, at this time, I had my choice of about 15 seats. When I chose an E- aisle, the middle was still open, though I knew that wasn't likely to last. At the gate about 5 minutes later, I found it strange that the standby list was closed. I realize my story is unlikely to make you feel better about your experience, but it does further illustrate this GA's incompetence.

ivyspice

Classic. Isn't it remarkable that everyone from the RCC on down knew this woman is a problem, but somehow firing her just isn't an option on the table?

GUWonder

I've had some UA check-in staff at DCA who certainly didn't care. One time UA check-in guy couldnt' find my Australian ETA and told me to go home and get it done first (despite my nothing that I had a valid ETA); fortunately, American Airlines check-in desk helped to save the day and could see that I had an Australian ETA. If it weren't for AA's help, I wouldn't have been flying UA that day.

Uniter

I agree. If you were a UA employee working at DCA, wouldn't you do everything you possibly could to make sure you stay there instead of going to IAD - or worse - BWI?

To be honest, though, the idea of closing the waiting list has come up a number of times on FT. Basically, some agents don't like the idea of a 1K coming in at the last moment and bumping someone who'd been waiting there for hours.

I can't remember the exact codes, but as I recall, someone who had been bumped from another flight would still get priority over a 1K. So really, the only reason for an agent to do this is a) they don't understand how the system works (which is entirely possible) or b) they enjoy the power-trip of "overriding" the system.

In either case, they should be forced into mouse-catching duty at the IAD RCCs.

PhlyingRPh

What is it with agents being unable to validate Aussie ETA's? Same thing happened to Mrs. PhlyingRPH at LAX last summer.

GUWonder

When the agents run a check based on name data in the PNR instead of on the name and/or number (i.e., I don't know about it from the airline-query side, know more about it from the government-query side) applicable when the ETA was issued, some of the agents lose their bearings. It seems like UA has more issue with this than AA, but I don't know if there's something fundamentally different on each airline's end or if it's just coincidence.

kcvt750

Please leave Grandma Tilton alone.

mymiles2go

I generally don't have too many issues with the DCA GA's but I find the ticket agents to be horribly useless and generally downright incompetant.

I realize of course that sometimes the TA's do GA work, but apparently they get more useful when they are graced with TSA precense on the way to the gate.