Copa closes flight early because tacos
Jul 6, 2022, 6:34 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 222
Copa closes flight early because tacos
TLDR: Copa closes flight 8 minutes before gate closure time because hungry for tacos. Tries to blame me. No word of apology. Unfriendly, unprofessional. Stalling, not solution orientated. Downgrades me from biz to eco for the next flight after trying to rebook to an evening flight. I arrive more than 4,5 hours late. Looking for advice on best path to escalate.
Hi everyone,
I was scheduled to fly MEX - PTY - SJO this morning on COPA. First leg was in Business.
Scheduled departure time was 5:58am. Gate closure time was 5:48am (stated on boarding pass).
I arrived at the gate at 5:40 am, 18 minutes before departure, 8 minutes before gate closure time.
Agent looked at me and said the flight was closed. I said how? You closed the flight early? He said yes. He radioed in but said it was gone, said that it was my fault since I had not been at the gate at the 'Be at gate time' - I immediately took a video and made him confirm that he not only closed the gate but also the flight well before the stated gate closure and flight departure times, and that I in fact was not late.
fly a lot, close to 100,000 miles a year, and I respect that if I arrive only 1 minute after gate closure time, it's my problem. I will not argue about that and hope airlines are kind enough to rebook etc. In this case this did not apply.
Gate agent tried ........ting his way out of it, no time to clear documents etc (no covid/vaccine requirements in place, no visa requirements etc), I was already fully checked in. I just said no, no, no, amigo. You know what YOU DID, now fix it.
He called in the supervisor and they tried to get me to call the support hotline. No word of apology, no nothing. Supervisor tried to blame me as well for being late which I disproved with video of gate agent admitting I was at gate several minutes before gate closure. Things in Mexico are different bla bla bla. Lengthy debate ensues, I said I am not leaving here until you correct this, either rebook me or call hotline for me. They say business is full on next flight, I say standby me in biz, confirm me in eco. They are now getting annoyed since I am showing them outgoing flights etc on my cell phone. They want to book me on an evening flight (10 hours later) which I cannot accept due to other commitments in Costa Rica. I ask to rebook me on direct flight with Aeromexico which they reject saying other Alliance and too expensive. After 30 minutes and bringing in additional help they downgrade me to eco and confirm me on next flight, slated to arrive 5 hours later in SJO than initially planned. Supervisor asks for my passport to clear my docs, looks at passport expiration and writes DOCS OK (30 seconds).
I understand that there are incentives and disincentives placed on the gate agents (and their supervisors/team leads) when it comes to closing flights, but how can you miss a checked in Business customer and be ballsy enough to close the flight early without even last call?
I know YOU might be wondering that too! Well, I happened to find out: The gate agent said to the supervisor (in Spanish) that he had closed the flight early because he was hungry and wanted to grab breakfast tacos.
Obviously I am furious. I carry no blame here in my book. Also they were completely unphased. This country really is a service nightmare. There wasn't even a final boarding call. I was close to the gate.
Ticket was booked through a 3rd party website in Mexico. Hold Star Alliance Silver with United.
What can I do to escalate this? Obviously I want my money back for the lost biz flight and some kind of compensation. Thanks.
Hi everyone,
I was scheduled to fly MEX - PTY - SJO this morning on COPA. First leg was in Business.
Scheduled departure time was 5:58am. Gate closure time was 5:48am (stated on boarding pass).
I arrived at the gate at 5:40 am, 18 minutes before departure, 8 minutes before gate closure time.
Agent looked at me and said the flight was closed. I said how? You closed the flight early? He said yes. He radioed in but said it was gone, said that it was my fault since I had not been at the gate at the 'Be at gate time' - I immediately took a video and made him confirm that he not only closed the gate but also the flight well before the stated gate closure and flight departure times, and that I in fact was not late.
fly a lot, close to 100,000 miles a year, and I respect that if I arrive only 1 minute after gate closure time, it's my problem. I will not argue about that and hope airlines are kind enough to rebook etc. In this case this did not apply.
Gate agent tried ........ting his way out of it, no time to clear documents etc (no covid/vaccine requirements in place, no visa requirements etc), I was already fully checked in. I just said no, no, no, amigo. You know what YOU DID, now fix it.
He called in the supervisor and they tried to get me to call the support hotline. No word of apology, no nothing. Supervisor tried to blame me as well for being late which I disproved with video of gate agent admitting I was at gate several minutes before gate closure. Things in Mexico are different bla bla bla. Lengthy debate ensues, I said I am not leaving here until you correct this, either rebook me or call hotline for me. They say business is full on next flight, I say standby me in biz, confirm me in eco. They are now getting annoyed since I am showing them outgoing flights etc on my cell phone. They want to book me on an evening flight (10 hours later) which I cannot accept due to other commitments in Costa Rica. I ask to rebook me on direct flight with Aeromexico which they reject saying other Alliance and too expensive. After 30 minutes and bringing in additional help they downgrade me to eco and confirm me on next flight, slated to arrive 5 hours later in SJO than initially planned. Supervisor asks for my passport to clear my docs, looks at passport expiration and writes DOCS OK (30 seconds).
I understand that there are incentives and disincentives placed on the gate agents (and their supervisors/team leads) when it comes to closing flights, but how can you miss a checked in Business customer and be ballsy enough to close the flight early without even last call?
I know YOU might be wondering that too! Well, I happened to find out: The gate agent said to the supervisor (in Spanish) that he had closed the flight early because he was hungry and wanted to grab breakfast tacos.
Obviously I am furious. I carry no blame here in my book. Also they were completely unphased. This country really is a service nightmare. There wasn't even a final boarding call. I was close to the gate.
Ticket was booked through a 3rd party website in Mexico. Hold Star Alliance Silver with United.
What can I do to escalate this? Obviously I want my money back for the lost biz flight and some kind of compensation. Thanks.
Last edited by FTDDD; Jul 6, 2022 at 9:01 am Reason: spelling
Mar 5, 2023, 3:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Posting this here just to vent...seemed like most applicable thread.
today CM357 was delayed due to ATC out of IAD. Ok, I get it...we land at PTY, I resigned to missing my connection to MVD, but then wait...we are pulling into gate 209 & MVD leaves from 211. Oh man...just maybe. I had paid extra for a front econ seat bcuz already was going to be a tight connection.
Run over to the gate and 2 guys standing there- they had both been in biz. The clock reads 3:04 for a 3:13 departure...and the gate is closed. One guy says the 2 of them were there at 3:02.
Eventually the 2 gate agents come up the jet bridge... no idea why both needed to be down there? Also 2 more pax show...now 5 of us. And they just shrug and say flight closed.
I just don't get it...they knew we were coming into the gate so close. Why do airlines do this??...its gotta cost them more overall to have to rebook us, right?
I went to lounge and agent said they rebooked me for 24 hrs later.. i said there is 9 pm right?? I ended up with last seat on the 9 pm.
today CM357 was delayed due to ATC out of IAD. Ok, I get it...we land at PTY, I resigned to missing my connection to MVD, but then wait...we are pulling into gate 209 & MVD leaves from 211. Oh man...just maybe. I had paid extra for a front econ seat bcuz already was going to be a tight connection.
Run over to the gate and 2 guys standing there- they had both been in biz. The clock reads 3:04 for a 3:13 departure...and the gate is closed. One guy says the 2 of them were there at 3:02.
Eventually the 2 gate agents come up the jet bridge... no idea why both needed to be down there? Also 2 more pax show...now 5 of us. And they just shrug and say flight closed.
I just don't get it...they knew we were coming into the gate so close. Why do airlines do this??...its gotta cost them more overall to have to rebook us, right?
I went to lounge and agent said they rebooked me for 24 hrs later.. i said there is 9 pm right?? I ended up with last seat on the 9 pm.
Mar 6, 2023, 8:27 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SEA
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Posts: 2,879
It sucks but all sorts of reasons to close at the scheduled time. Just because the door is closed the aircraft might not be ready to depart (pax still finding seats, etc.), time slot for departure, on board pax needing to make connections, tying up a gate for inbound aircraft. It’s costly to delay departure and rarely should they hold aircraft.
To the OP - you chose tacos over being there to board? If you fly that much then you know sometimes they close early. Hope they were good.
To the OP - you chose tacos over being there to board? If you fly that much then you know sometimes they close early. Hope they were good.
Mar 7, 2023, 12:33 am
#4
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No; that's not what the OP wrote last July 
Mar 7, 2023, 2:22 am
#5
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