Denied companion upgrade POP-EWR despite FC not being full
#16
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Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
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The problem in this case is that the agents have no clue that they can and should process the upgrade. If you get past that part you will find they have no idea how to actually do it, and no desire to learn.
#17
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NYC and SFO
Programs: UA 1MM (former 1K, Delta Platinum))
Posts: 1,244
Of course, in the grand scheme of things this is a minor annoyance. I'm two degrees of separation from several dead in the Buffalo crash. To learn that Continental paints its name on those planes, but doesn't consider itself responsible legally or to us for the level of pilot training, now that's horrifying. If I could fix one thing, I wouldn't waste it on anyone's upgrades.
#18
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If you want to be a real pr!ck, forget the dispute and the DOT complaint, and sue them for the fare difference between what he paid and the F fare.
#19
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Bloomfield, NJ
Programs: UA Gold, Million Miler, Marriott platinum, lifetime platinum
Posts: 974
I L O V E the idea of disputing the charge with your credit card. The credit card company i'm sure will accept the dispute, at least initially.
You have a case - they have an agreement, they failed it. Simple. The facts can be verified. Yes, the upgrade is complimentary, but it is a term of agreement with CO, if it's available, it's yours, and they failed.
Do it.
I read somebody else asking would this have happened in the Bethune Era - it would NOT have, and if it did, compensatation would have been flowing.
You have a case - they have an agreement, they failed it. Simple. The facts can be verified. Yes, the upgrade is complimentary, but it is a term of agreement with CO, if it's available, it's yours, and they failed.
Do it.
I read somebody else asking would this have happened in the Bethune Era - it would NOT have, and if it did, compensatation would have been flowing.
#20
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Frozen in Carbonite
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I L O V E the idea of disputing the charge with your credit card. The credit card company i'm sure will accept the dispute, at least initially.
You have a case - they have an agreement, they failed it. Simple. The facts can be verified. Yes, the upgrade is complimentary, but it is a term of agreement with CO, if it's available, it's yours, and they failed.
Do it.
You have a case - they have an agreement, they failed it. Simple. The facts can be verified. Yes, the upgrade is complimentary, but it is a term of agreement with CO, if it's available, it's yours, and they failed.
Do it.
LOL....yeah, I'd say that would qualify as being a pr!ck! Just the time their in-house counsel would waste on responding to the suit would more than cover the fare difference. This is definitely the nuclear option!
Last edited by TommyC80; May 13, 2009 at 10:56 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 107
That was me -- and that's what I thought.
I'd say let COInsider take a crack at it before going down this road.
LOL....yeah, I'd say that would qualify as being a pr!ck! Just the time their in-house counsel would waste on responding to the suit would more than cover the fare difference. This is definitely the nuclear option!
I'd say let COInsider take a crack at it before going down this road.
LOL....yeah, I'd say that would qualify as being a pr!ck! Just the time their in-house counsel would waste on responding to the suit would more than cover the fare difference. This is definitely the nuclear option!
#22
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Cleveland, OH
Programs: UA-GS 1MM), Hertz Pres Circle, Starriott Titanium)
Posts: 1,966
Something this simple shouldn't require you to have to even talk to an agent. There is no reason they could not allow you to log into the mobile site, and enter one PNR as your companion. Bam done. Problem solved.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
#23
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W
With the TPA call center closing, because customers are more web-savvy, having an option to by-pass agents, because they make mistakes, might be the best way to signal a problem to employees.
Something this simple shouldn't require you to have to even talk to an agent. There is no reason they could not allow you to log into the mobile site, and enter one PNR as your companion. Bam done. Problem solved.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
#24
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Cleveland, OH
Programs: UA Priemier Gold
Posts: 61,138
Something this simple shouldn't require you to have to even talk to an agent. There is no reason they could not allow you to log into the mobile site, and enter one PNR as your companion. Bam done. Problem solved.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
Imagine how much time this would save gate agents system wide.
+1
This is the knid of thing that makes me cranky too, even though n othing happened to me. I don't like the notion that a person has to eternally vigilant in an effort to get what should rightfully be given....and I like even less that even with such vigilance CO reps are unwilling/unable to accomodate.
I say go ahead and dispute the charge. If CO comes back with a satisdfactory response you can always reverse the dispute and just pay up then.
#25
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Location: Bay Area, CA
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While this is 500 jobs lost in TPA, it's also 500 fewer agents CO has to train. From a beancounter perspective, this is a double win.
#26
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Cypress, TX
Programs: CO Plat, Priority Club Plat
Posts: 641
The elite benefits are already diluted enough this year... so losing yet another benefit from lazy (in my case) or untrained agents (in this case) is not a nice comforting feeling to us... but is more of a slap in the face...
In this day and age, customer service should be the number one concern for all at CO and other airlines, as unhappy customers take their business elsewhere in a hurry...
In this day and age, customer service should be the number one concern for all at CO and other airlines, as unhappy customers take their business elsewhere in a hurry...
#28
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYC / random hotel in YYZ
Programs: Back of the bus
Posts: 922
Your problem here is Puerto Plata. The agents don't care. They print the boarding pass as the flights get punched out, and don't make changes.
Believe me, I've been on flights from puerto plata where 10 families who normally would be seated all together all got split up because the computer randomly punched names out and the lazy agents didn't want to change them.
Keep in mind it's not a hub city, and the low paid agents don't give a rats ... about you anyway.
Believe me, I've been on flights from puerto plata where 10 families who normally would be seated all together all got split up because the computer randomly punched names out and the lazy agents didn't want to change them.
Keep in mind it's not a hub city, and the low paid agents don't give a rats ... about you anyway.
#29
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
Posts: 7,437
Does anyone know if this station uses a CO computer or do they work this flight as a pseudo flight?
A pseudo flight is when CO faxes the names to the station, the station then manually inputs the seating information into their computer system and works from that.
You can make seat changes in a pseudo flight mode. Changing the class of service (upgrades) is something different and might not be possible using their own system to get that information.
A pseudo flight is when CO faxes the names to the station, the station then manually inputs the seating information into their computer system and works from that.
You can make seat changes in a pseudo flight mode. Changing the class of service (upgrades) is something different and might not be possible using their own system to get that information.
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: CO Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8
Your problem here is Puerto Plata. The agents don't care. They print the boarding pass as the flights get punched out, and don't make changes.
Believe me, I've been on flights from puerto plata where 10 families who normally would be seated all together all got split up because the computer randomly punched names out and the lazy agents didn't want to change them.
Believe me, I've been on flights from puerto plata where 10 families who normally would be seated all together all got split up because the computer randomly punched names out and the lazy agents didn't want to change them.
CO Insider has contacted me and told me he would be looking into the situation. I appreciate the help on this board in pointing me in the right direction.