I did not make it to Watertown today.

The Watertown Airport is presently closed to commercial flights. A contractor yesterday doing work at the airport dug up part of the ASOS (automated weather reporting system), knocking it out. Without that, and as there is no ATC at the airport, commercial ops had to cease. They didn't announce it wasn't fixed yet until 10 minutes before our departure from PIT when they said all ART passengers would have to fly to Ogdensburg where they would deplane and would be responsible, at the passenger's expense, for their own ground transport back to Watertown as "This isn't US Airways' fault." My group of three approached the podium and explained we were just going there and back, so that wasn't really an option for us. The agents there laughed and said they knew all about the $2 fares and wished they had bought some. Told us we'd be "trip in vain" sent back to our origin and rescheduled for another day, but Special Services has to do it. Of course due to staffing issues, the counter on the Express concourse is only open at peak times and wasn't scheduled to reopen for another 90 minutes. We were directed over to the mainline concourse (B at PIT) to an open special services counter.

Going there was a mistake. First of all, the agents blew up at us because "Express should stop sending us people.... they should fix their own messes" and then rudely repeated the same to the supervisor (the third employee to arrive at the counter). I calmly explained our situation, and what we were told by the gate agent. The male agent pulled up my PNR and saw the fare paid. He then went off on a rant about that, and how "at that price, you are at our mercy" and told us we had no choice but a full refund and to be sent back to Jacksonville. Protesting did no good, not even to the supervisor. It took them thirty minutes with three of them working and one on the telephone to trip in vain us back to JAX and process the refunds. The fare basis was what confused them as the computer didn't want to accept it and all of the taxes.

Even though we were all three Preferreds (two Gold and one Silver), the rude male agent told us "At this price, you deserve to stay in coach" and wouldn't even put in upgrade requests. We did clear on the flight to CLT after requesting at the gate, and only one of us did on the CLT-JAX leg. Oh, and where did our dear agent put us? Center seats in the last two rows of the A320. Also, we were told we would not be getting any mileage credit at all.

I went back up to the US Airways Club and asked the agent for the consumer affairs phone number. I called them (they called ART for me and asked what the exact reason was for the flight cancellation, and why it wasn't cancelled more than 10 minutes before departure) and explained the situation. They were apologetic but didn't seem empowered to do much of anything. I kept my calm through all of this, and my travel companions later complimented me on my professional demeanor despite the circumstances.

So, looks like my money is coming back, I'm getting no miles, and was offered none of the options that Trip in Vain entitled us to choose. While I understand that I cannot expect much (and I don't expect much, other than US to honor the tickets like they said publicly they would and to follow their own rules/procedures) for this fare paid, I still find it quite angering and disappointing.

Folks on complex itineraries.... be warned. If things go wrong, just hope it doesn't happen in Pittsburgh.