Gate agent confiscated my Biz class BP at MSP
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Left Coast
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM, HH Diamond, Marriott/SPG Gold (UA comp)
Posts: 1,352
Gate agent confiscated my Biz class BP at MSP
I was one of the last to board at MSP when my BP was taken by the GA and I was told "they" gave away my seat. No explanation given. In a rush, a BP for a middle seat in the rear of the plane was printed and I was told to just get on the plane. GA gave only his 1st name. When she heard this, a 2nd GA turned her ID badge backwards and refused to give me any identifying info at all. (I was upset but not one of those loud, angry complainers)
I later sent an email to DL and received a canned email response quoting rules of complimentary UG's, etc. I wrote back to clarify the correct situation: The RT upgrade was confirmed the day before the flight using 25K miles. The BP was in hand with a confirmed seat. The 2nd email reply said to call CS at the # "on the back of your card".
Called CS and (after 3 attempts to get an agent) was offered $100 e-cert.
Asked to escalate and was told "we do not escalate"; asked for something elase and they said "we do not do that"; asked for explanation of the irregular op at MSP and they said "we do not do that".
At least I did not get relegated to the "black phones"
I am only Silver, so maybe that is why the poor treatment/compensation? Over at UA, it is a very different story: IFE doesn't work? Here's $200. Trouble at the gate? Here's 20% off.
I later sent an email to DL and received a canned email response quoting rules of complimentary UG's, etc. I wrote back to clarify the correct situation: The RT upgrade was confirmed the day before the flight using 25K miles. The BP was in hand with a confirmed seat. The 2nd email reply said to call CS at the # "on the back of your card".
Called CS and (after 3 attempts to get an agent) was offered $100 e-cert.
Asked to escalate and was told "we do not escalate"; asked for something elase and they said "we do not do that"; asked for explanation of the irregular op at MSP and they said "we do not do that".
At least I did not get relegated to the "black phones"
I am only Silver, so maybe that is why the poor treatment/compensation? Over at UA, it is a very different story: IFE doesn't work? Here's $200. Trouble at the gate? Here's 20% off.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA ExecPlat, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
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#4
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
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#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
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BTW, where were you going and did you get your 12.5K miles back?
David
#8
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: MKE
Programs: DL-MM-Diamond HH-Diamond
Posts: 3,218
You say you were one of the last to board, when did you board? Was your BP printed out at least 15 minutes prior? Were you int he gate area at least 15 minutes prior?
If this is the case and you used your miles, this means you paid for the class of service. Call again, write an email again, call the Post Flight Resolution at Customer Care. They can't just do that on whim if it was not a comp upgrade. Your status should not matter here
If this is the case and you used your miles, this means you paid for the class of service. Call again, write an email again, call the Post Flight Resolution at Customer Care. They can't just do that on whim if it was not a comp upgrade. Your status should not matter here
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 229
THIS kind of blatant action would infuriate me and quickly turn me into "one of those loud, angry complainers" from my normal, composed self. Talk about proactive, purposeful action to ensure no accountability for one's actions. If you are going to enforce something, stand behind it with your name. Hiding the badge makes me smell shenanigans.
#10
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,777
Right, I should have rephrased that to be "When did you show up? If within 15 of the departure time the seat was lost."
IIRC regardless of the seat if not within 15 of departure you lose your confirmed seat and the GA probably gave it away to another PAX. As such, the paying PAX now has a choice take the flight and whatever seat is available or wait for the next flight with same class of service. If the former, then they should get their miles back (or if paid a refund).
IIRC regardless of the seat if not within 15 of departure you lose your confirmed seat and the GA probably gave it away to another PAX. As such, the paying PAX now has a choice take the flight and whatever seat is available or wait for the next flight with same class of service. If the former, then they should get their miles back (or if paid a refund).
#12
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, AMEX Business Platinum, AMEX Delta Reserve, DL SkyClub Member, Choice PM
Posts: 2,218
If you call the number.
Next time show up on time, and ensure you have the name and ID of the GA's or you should email all the details ...
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
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You say you were one of the last to board, when did you board? Was your BP printed out at least 15 minutes prior? Were you int he gate area at least 15 minutes prior?
If this is the case and you used your miles, this means you paid for the class of service. Call again, write an email again, call the Post Flight Resolution at Customer Care. They can't just do that on whim if it was not a comp upgrade. Your status should not matter here
If this is the case and you used your miles, this means you paid for the class of service. Call again, write an email again, call the Post Flight Resolution at Customer Care. They can't just do that on whim if it was not a comp upgrade. Your status should not matter here
If you arrived at the gate too late according to the rules of your flight (international?) or failed to leave the F/G SkyClub at MSP promptly when boarding for your long-haul international flight was announced, they can take the upgrade without compensation, although I would still hope/expect that they would offer you the option of waiting for an upgrade on a later flight that day. Involuntary downgrades (except for OPUPs and NRSAs) require compensation, but I don't think it's considered the same as IDB. If you were late because of a late connecting flight, they can take away the upgrade, but compensation is owed (and they should have given you the option of an upgrade on a later flight). The amount of compensation does seem to depend on the elite level in practice, but if you paid more for a fare that could be upgraded, this should be considered. As a rough guide, 10,000 bonus miles is considered to be about the equivalent of a $100 ecredit/voucher when a choice is offered.
This is an example where OLCI and the printing of multiple boarding passes can be an advantage, to have a duplicate one for your record.
DL should know and keep a record of which gate agents were assigned to work your flight. Thus, even though MSP is a large DL station, a physical description of the agents can allow them to figure out who said what to you.
My understanding is that DL and other airlines forbid customer-facing employees to cover (or not wear) name badges, although full first and last names are not required. I would report the badge turning to DL very specifically. To me, this indicates that something was not right. If they had followed official procedures, why would they object to your knowing their names?
I hope this doesn't mean that MSP employees are becoming infected with a tendency toward shenanigans. I've always had the impression that they play by the rules here almost all of the time and generally try to be "Minnesota nice" to passengers.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Sep 20, 2010 at 12:29 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: US
Programs: DL GE
Posts: 1,654
I wouldn't had boarded if I wasn't getting what I paid for. But then again, I make my travel plans in a way they are not time sensitive. I would had refused to take the new BP and asked for a supervisor.
If you where at the gate 15 min prior and everything else was up to snuff like already commented then finding out why this happened to me would be just as important as getting my miles/money back, maybe even more important.
If you where at the gate 15 min prior and everything else was up to snuff like already commented then finding out why this happened to me would be just as important as getting my miles/money back, maybe even more important.
#15
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