dcpatti

I wanted to burn off my $99 Barclay's/Juniper vouchers--- need to close out some credit cards--- and decided to take the plung even with this impending computer systems migration because I'm home about 6 days in the next 6 weeks.

Yesterday I called to reserve the flight and spoke with a lovely CSR in Reno who was amazingly helpful, efficient and dreamy. I gave her lots of kudos. She said that I needed to bring the paper certificate to the airport by close of business (7:30pm here) today which was not a big deal. The airport is 10 minutes away and I was prepared for that anyway after seeing other posts here.

I stopped by the US ticket counter at DCA today with certificate, credit card, reservation number, and everything else in hand. The US agent said she couldn't help me because it was a HP flight and asked me to step to the HP counter. The HP agent found the reservation easily but was looking at the certificate like it was written in Braille maybe; she clearly had never seen one of those before and had no idea what to do with it.

So I explained how it worked-- pay for one full fare, get 2 co-travellers for $99, bring in the cert, give your credit card, blah blah. There is something wrong with the computer terminal she is using and she can't complete the transaction so we move to another terminal where she also can't complete the transaction.

Her supervisor comes over and also can't complete the transaction.

Another ticket agent comes over and asks if there is something wrong with the computer. All three of them begin ignoring me and having a heated discussion of which computer system they like least and who their least favorite helpdesk person is.

A US agent comes over and asks if anyone can help her with a mileage redemption for a PAX because she can't complete the transaction on the US system.

All the agents swap PAX information to see if anyone can complete anyone's transaction on any computer--- the HP computers don't like the HP reservations, the US computers don't like anything, and I'm getting antsy because airport parking is $5 for each 30 minutes.

The supervisor leaves to go check in other PAX. The HP agent calls Customer Service and checks in other PAX while on hold. The US agent is doing something creative with "last bag" stickers. Making a daisy, I think.

The HP agent, who has been on hold for Customer Service for at least 10 minutes by this time, hands the phone to the US agent and walks to the other end of the counter. The US agent starts explaining to another HP agent that "somebody" told her last week that the would not be able to ticket for "a while" but no one knows for sure. Customer Service comes on the phone which everyone finds confusing because they all thought they'd called the Helpdesk. Customer Service asks the agent to read them back my entire itinerary as well as PAX names, email addresses, etc because, well I don't know why, but the PNR I guess was not good enough for them!

And then the ticket agent reads my credit card and billing info to Customer Service over the phone... which I could just as easily have done from my couch when I called to make the reservation in the first pace... especially since the US agent and the HP agent both did not know what to do with the certificate that prompted the trip to the airport, and it ended up in a pile of loose papers. I doubt it will make it all the way to Tempe!

I'm annoyed and a little amused--- I saved a pile of money using the certificates so I'm not too upset but, jeez, the lack of knowledge and communication is amazing! And if this is just the pain of the pre-migration, I do NOT want to even think of the post-migration cleanup!

As much as I hate 'em, I'm actually glad my next 3 trips are on UA!