Push back against Tempe again
Mike,
Sorry to hear about your baggage experience. In my book, 56 minutes is unacceptable baggage service and you are correct in calling Tempe to task.
We ourselves have had good baggage experiences in PHL as of late. In two recent trips, our bags have hit the belt in 15 and 18 minutes respectively ( my own measure is bags hitting the belt 15 to 20 minutes after gate arrival is "good" service, 21 to 30 minutes is "adequate", 31 to 40 "poor" and anything beyond that is unacceptable ). I'm also a proactive flyer who looks at the arrival boards and walks around the baggage area to gage how things are or are not moving. Things have actually looked pretty organized in PHL to me, but your experience indicates that there remains room for improvement.
I'm a little surprised at CR's response to you. I would not expect them to refund your baggage fee, but if Tempe cares about their pax, they could have offered you a small voucher or a US Club day pass for your next trip. I'd suggest firing back another letter to Tempe telling them their response is inadequate. Afterall, we in the PHL market can also fly Southwest or Spirit to Florida.
Barry