US Airways gate closing policy
 

I have no idea what US is thinking, but I am tired on US Airways international gate closing policy.

I flew ZRH-MAN-PHL in 2005. When I reached MAN through BA, the US gate agent called the BA gate agent to tell us that the gate to PHL had been closed, even though it was 35 minutes before depature (there were several people got burned too). BA ended up routed us to LHR then took a BA flight back to PHL.

Today I was supposed to fly from NUE-MUC-PHL. The NUE-MUC flight was delayed for 1.5 hours. When my NUE-MUC flight arrived the gate, LH had already had a direct connection car at the gate waiting for me so that they can drive me to the US gate directly. However, when the car reached the gate, US gate agent denied me from boarding. They said the gate was closed (but at the meantime the ground was still loading luggages into the plane :mad: ) . The driver said usually LH will wait for "direct connection" passengers (apparently US does not). He ended up drove me back to the counter.

Thankfully I remembered there is a thing called EU passenger rights. I kindly reminded them about this policy and they finally gave me a hotel to stay.

I think it is now the time to switch from US to LH. Or, I should bring the Star Alliance timetable with me so that I can find the connection flight myself.

Anytime you can fly LH instead of US, do it.

I'm not sure if US and LH codeshare like they used to, but two years ago you could often fly on LH as a US codeshare (depending on the segment, of course.) I flew RT PHL-FRA-FCO (PHL-Frankfurt-Rome) by booking on US but flying on LH metal. It was less expensive than on booking directly through LH.

Perhaps the enforcement of the rule is a bit different sometimes. I was on a Star Alliance award flight from LHR-MAN-PHL-CLT back in April 2006, and my LHR-MAN flight was delayed and made it in to MAN where I'd get to the connection with less than 35 min. to go (I think). However, US and BMI were aware of my situation, and so they smoothed everything through for me. Could have helped that I was flying in Envoy - could have been they were just being nice. Did hear the announcement in the terminal US used paging me for boarding for immediate departure as I walked right up to the counter.

Unless you're in coach.