Originally Posted by
airplanegod
I say take it a step further and call for blood, the gate agent should be fired for refusing to do her job and never work in a customer service job again.
How can I do that?
Originally Posted by
LaserSailor
Experienced travelers who are trying to get somewhere don't show up at gate at T-25, they are earlier. Size of the airport doesn't really matter.
When there is weather or stress on the system, this will get you into trouble.
There was no weather or stress. I believe I am an experienced traveler and know UA's published cutoff points. I would rather spend my time with a family than sit for 30 mins extra on the loaded CRJ200.
Originally Posted by
docbert
I'm not going to say the GA was right here, but put yourself in their position...
It's 25 minutes before departure time. You're in an airport that (from what I can see) has a single digit number of flights all day (for all airlines, not just UA). Everyone has boarded except for 2 passengers - one that is waiting for a seat allocation, and one that has volunteered to be bumped.
You look around the airport. TSA is in the process of packing up for the day. If there are any shops airside they are closed. There isn't a single person in the airport other than TSA, the GA, and the two passengers. The one passenger that is missing checked in online hours ago - not at the airport.
Technically you need to wait another 10 minutes, but having seen this play out a hundred times before you know that the missing passenger isn't going to arrive, so you allocate their seat to the passenger without a seat, tell both passengers to board, and close the flight.
Having been airside at GJT at a time when there were literally 2 people in the entire airside terminal (and one of those was the lady busily closing her shop) I can see exactly how you'd make the decision to close the flight. It's not like a bigger airport where the missing passenger might be in the Club or at the bar - it's pretty easy to tell that they aren't in the airport.
Of course that doesn't explain why they wouldn't offer compensation, but...
A few weeks ago when I was being VDB'ed, one GA made it clear to the other GA that she should not "close" the flight (in the computer) as she was still processing my VDB - even as the flight was pushing back from the gate. I don't know how Shares works, but I'm wondering if it's not possible for them to do VDB or even IDB after the flight has closed? If the GA had closed the flight, and especially if the plane had already "departed", then perhaps they can't physically process DB's?
I totally understand where she was coming from but as you said that doesn't make it right. I budgeted my time well, did everything right, yet my trip was ruined, I missed an important meeting, I went through a lot of stress and humiliation. It's not the end of the world, but for closing the flight 10 mins early, is it really worth inflicting that on a loyal customer? Moreover, the flight took off only 1 min before scheduled takeoff time, even though it left the gate 10 mins early.
Originally Posted by
Kacee
This does indeed appear to be an IDB.
Note that the GA's motivation may not have been to avoid giving comp, but rather (a) to get the flight out early because that's how GAs get unscheduled breaks, and (b) avoid the hassle of the VDB/IDB process, which would have virtually guaranteed no unscheduled break.
Sometimes employee conduct which tends here to be ascribed to a broad UA conspiracy to screw its passengers can be explained at a more personal level
I am inclined to believe that the GA trying to close the flight quickly was the case, although one never knows. One of the most frustrating issues was that they never apologized, did not sympathize at all. Instead, while I was sitting and waiting for a resolution from TSA, they kept whispering to each other, looking at me and laughing. The male GA (who came later and was not at the gate when I arrived) kept telling me it was not possible that I was at the gate 20 mins before departure until the cop reviewed the TSA evidence and told the GA about it. But as many of you point out up-thread, I did not need the evidence from the TSA. The GA must have known pretty well from the time stamp that the female GA took my seat away at least 25 mins before departure time, yet he was adamant that I was in the wrong and they owed me nothing.
Anyway, I filed my complaint with UA and probably will file with the DOT as well. Thank you for all your advice.