Flying w/Frankie Valle, a double bump, and a middle seat! (Long)
Jul 9, 2004, 1:44 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 759
Flying w/Frankie Valle, a double bump, and a middle seat! (Long)
Couldn't wait to get out of LA for the weekend and head back down the shore with the family. Originally I had wanted to purchase a ticket traveling 7/1 and returning 7/5. Between the time I placed the ticket on 24 hour fare guarantee and the next night, my credit card numbers were swiped from the internet. US wouldn't hold the fare so I decided to use a F award and blow 50,000 miles. Flights were to be 18 on 7/1 and 7 on 7/5.
Get to LAX around 11am and try to use the kiosk. No go. Seems you cannot check in with a kiosk if you are using an award ticket. No big deal and Sharon checks me in. Security was nothing, although I was told the line was past T2 earlier! As usual Southworst has lines throughout the concourse and they are apparently filming that day too. I looked for the camera's but saw nothing. No Yolanda, Susie or Mike either.
Flight is oversold and they want volunteers. Offer is the standard free ticket and choice of red-eye or flight 64 on Friday. Flight 4 is way over, as are the afternoons via CLT & PIT. Finally we board and before they start, the agent sneaks a man down the jetway. Figured it was a marshall. Our 321 has a mixed DCA/PHL crew with 2 jumpseats taken and 1 cockpit jumpseat filled. For a while I actually thought they had returned to staffing the 321 with 6! The 2 jumpseating did have uniforms on and did work the full coch cabin, making it easier. Turns out the suspected marshall in 2D was none other than Frankie Valle headed for a weekend gig at the Trop! He asked the FA if people recognized him throughout the flight. We push back, and after a few tries with no sound, did a manual demo before departing off 24L. We vibrated like a full pre-9/11 level 1 catered F24 757 does during rotation. Loudest vibration on a 321 to date. Thought maybe the pilots were going to try to see if the 321 can do the U-turn departure after all.
Flight is good. Movie is Johnson Family Vacation. Mostly smooth flight. I have learned my lesson about transcon F lunch portions lately so I ordered a Kosher meal. Got a decent sized chicken breast with potatoes and mixed veggies, a roll and apple strudel. I also got a normal FC dessert cookie. BTW, the chicken salad and sandwich looked even smaller than those served in May!
We land in PHL at 8:20 and turn left. I almost knew that would happen. This time we sat for almost 35 minutes before our gate opened. No weather, no ground holds. This happens every time I am on this flight! Luggage only took 15 minutes.
After 4 fun filled sleep deprived glutonous eating days in Margate it's time to head back. We leave at 4:30 expecting heavy traffic on the ACE, but we are on the Walt Whitman Bridge in 55 minutes. After a quick stop at Super Fresh for Tastycakes, I check in and head for C30. This is where it gets interesting.
As I'm walking down the concourse, I notice Flight 11 is still at the gate with a 7:30 departure. A friend of mine is on it, who was on the outbound. Seems they're having mechanical problems and deplaned everyone and are about to make a go/no go decision. I head for my gate and ask about volunteers. They might need them. I told them come get me if they get desperate. Eventually Flight 11 goes at 7:30, but the agents working that flight didn't take the time to re-board a group of 7 UM's connecting in LA to a charter to Auckalnd at midnight! So they send them to our flight. They get 6 volunteers immediately, but I get on. I am so exhausted from playing 18 holes of golf earlier in Somers Pointe that I could barely stand. Everyone boards and we wait, we wait and wait. They still need 1 volunteer! At this point I really don't feel like flying so I volunteer. As it was, there were 4 kids under 5 in FC, and a lot of babies in the back. I understand that I only get a a free coach ticket. It doesn't matter at this point.
Overnight with the 6 others at the Sheraton 4 Points, $10 dinner voucher, $5 breakfast. Put on flight 17 on Tusday in 32D, no FC until Wednesday night. Flight 17 is also grossly oversold. While they are processing us, the concourse manager comes over and I speak with him about the penalty box and flight 18 and he says they are aware of it and for me to call consumer affairs, which I had done the day after I arrived.
Skip to next morning. 6:30 wake up call, at the gate B5 by 6:50. Told the agent I would volunteer. She seems grateful. Supervisor Rose from Hawaii now processes me. Choices are 19 in F at 4pm or AA in coach through ORD. I ask about UA's 2 morning flights from PHL-LAX. The 9:15, 95, has seats open. I told her about my bump the night before and she books me in F. I head to D7 with my 2nd free coach ticket in 10 hours!
Agent working UA 95 shows up at 8:30 and I am 10th in line. I show him my voucher and GP card with Star Alliance logo on it. He tells me that even though the ticket is booked in F and he has space, he won't give it to me. He wouldn't even guarantee me a seat in coach. Whatever. If it's over I'll volunteer again! I wait, an after veryone boards, and I mean EVERYONE, he finally calls me last and hands me 9E! The only saving grace was that it was economy plus.
PHL crew on this one with awesome channel 9 on. I love that. Economy plus legroom was awesome, plus seats had adjustable headrests. We got served breakfast of cheese omlette or fruit with apple strudel and juice. Movie was Hidalgo, which I had an ex-client in as Yousef (I used to be a talent agent). This was kind of neat. They showed NBC in air during breakfast, then about a 10 minute lav break before starting the movie. The 2nd and last beverage service came 3 hours out of LA! Some light to moderate chop from Indiana through Missouri and we went from 33 to 37 down to 28. Gotta love channel 9! Can't imagine how bad the fishtailing was on that 321 in 32D on flight 17!
Crew was very demeaning towards US in general. Said that UA demanded increased service levels. Said that their union is responsible for the merger not happening, as they didn't want US crew at all. Then they said that US has bought some UA 767-200's and was going to operate flights from MCO to Central/South America starting in September to conect with Ted! Whatever. Did I mention that on their 320's, one coach lav is in the galley with the jumpseat on the bulkhead in front of it and the other is behind the last row. What a stupid set-up.
Land in LAX at 11:45 and I head from T7 to T1 to get my bag. Shoot across the parking garage. Come to T1 to find that because I was a US2 and they know me, they sent my bag over to UA's T7 baggage office. How nice of them. Didn't know they would or could do that. SO back I go to T7. Get the bag, and after waiting 30 minutes for a shuttle, and then being 2nd to last dropped off, I get home to Brentwood at 1:55. My brain feels like swiss cheese.
After getting rid of the clothes I had worn since Monday 4pm, I try to call US consumer affairs. Just missed them. So I call Wednesday morning. Explain the situation of the UA agent, and they offer to give me either a FC upgrade or 1/2 my mileage back. I take the upgrade. They also tell me to call UA's consumer affairs which I do. Call them, explain the situation, and she can see that yes, I was booked in F but sat in a middle coach seat. She cannot understand why and says she'll forward a report to PHL station manager and HQ. I should expect a response shortly. I am also told I will get mileage for the flight, being my BP has a Y fare code on it.
Depending on what happens at UA, I am really tempted to ask US for 1/2 of the mileage back. Their staff handled everything beautifully as usual, but UA really dropped the ball.
Get to LAX around 11am and try to use the kiosk. No go. Seems you cannot check in with a kiosk if you are using an award ticket. No big deal and Sharon checks me in. Security was nothing, although I was told the line was past T2 earlier! As usual Southworst has lines throughout the concourse and they are apparently filming that day too. I looked for the camera's but saw nothing. No Yolanda, Susie or Mike either.
Flight is oversold and they want volunteers. Offer is the standard free ticket and choice of red-eye or flight 64 on Friday. Flight 4 is way over, as are the afternoons via CLT & PIT. Finally we board and before they start, the agent sneaks a man down the jetway. Figured it was a marshall. Our 321 has a mixed DCA/PHL crew with 2 jumpseats taken and 1 cockpit jumpseat filled. For a while I actually thought they had returned to staffing the 321 with 6! The 2 jumpseating did have uniforms on and did work the full coch cabin, making it easier. Turns out the suspected marshall in 2D was none other than Frankie Valle headed for a weekend gig at the Trop! He asked the FA if people recognized him throughout the flight. We push back, and after a few tries with no sound, did a manual demo before departing off 24L. We vibrated like a full pre-9/11 level 1 catered F24 757 does during rotation. Loudest vibration on a 321 to date. Thought maybe the pilots were going to try to see if the 321 can do the U-turn departure after all.
Flight is good. Movie is Johnson Family Vacation. Mostly smooth flight. I have learned my lesson about transcon F lunch portions lately so I ordered a Kosher meal. Got a decent sized chicken breast with potatoes and mixed veggies, a roll and apple strudel. I also got a normal FC dessert cookie. BTW, the chicken salad and sandwich looked even smaller than those served in May!
We land in PHL at 8:20 and turn left. I almost knew that would happen. This time we sat for almost 35 minutes before our gate opened. No weather, no ground holds. This happens every time I am on this flight! Luggage only took 15 minutes.
After 4 fun filled sleep deprived glutonous eating days in Margate it's time to head back. We leave at 4:30 expecting heavy traffic on the ACE, but we are on the Walt Whitman Bridge in 55 minutes. After a quick stop at Super Fresh for Tastycakes, I check in and head for C30. This is where it gets interesting.
As I'm walking down the concourse, I notice Flight 11 is still at the gate with a 7:30 departure. A friend of mine is on it, who was on the outbound. Seems they're having mechanical problems and deplaned everyone and are about to make a go/no go decision. I head for my gate and ask about volunteers. They might need them. I told them come get me if they get desperate. Eventually Flight 11 goes at 7:30, but the agents working that flight didn't take the time to re-board a group of 7 UM's connecting in LA to a charter to Auckalnd at midnight! So they send them to our flight. They get 6 volunteers immediately, but I get on. I am so exhausted from playing 18 holes of golf earlier in Somers Pointe that I could barely stand. Everyone boards and we wait, we wait and wait. They still need 1 volunteer! At this point I really don't feel like flying so I volunteer. As it was, there were 4 kids under 5 in FC, and a lot of babies in the back. I understand that I only get a a free coach ticket. It doesn't matter at this point.
Overnight with the 6 others at the Sheraton 4 Points, $10 dinner voucher, $5 breakfast. Put on flight 17 on Tusday in 32D, no FC until Wednesday night. Flight 17 is also grossly oversold. While they are processing us, the concourse manager comes over and I speak with him about the penalty box and flight 18 and he says they are aware of it and for me to call consumer affairs, which I had done the day after I arrived.
Skip to next morning. 6:30 wake up call, at the gate B5 by 6:50. Told the agent I would volunteer. She seems grateful. Supervisor Rose from Hawaii now processes me. Choices are 19 in F at 4pm or AA in coach through ORD. I ask about UA's 2 morning flights from PHL-LAX. The 9:15, 95, has seats open. I told her about my bump the night before and she books me in F. I head to D7 with my 2nd free coach ticket in 10 hours!
Agent working UA 95 shows up at 8:30 and I am 10th in line. I show him my voucher and GP card with Star Alliance logo on it. He tells me that even though the ticket is booked in F and he has space, he won't give it to me. He wouldn't even guarantee me a seat in coach. Whatever. If it's over I'll volunteer again! I wait, an after veryone boards, and I mean EVERYONE, he finally calls me last and hands me 9E! The only saving grace was that it was economy plus.
PHL crew on this one with awesome channel 9 on. I love that. Economy plus legroom was awesome, plus seats had adjustable headrests. We got served breakfast of cheese omlette or fruit with apple strudel and juice. Movie was Hidalgo, which I had an ex-client in as Yousef (I used to be a talent agent). This was kind of neat. They showed NBC in air during breakfast, then about a 10 minute lav break before starting the movie. The 2nd and last beverage service came 3 hours out of LA! Some light to moderate chop from Indiana through Missouri and we went from 33 to 37 down to 28. Gotta love channel 9! Can't imagine how bad the fishtailing was on that 321 in 32D on flight 17!
Crew was very demeaning towards US in general. Said that UA demanded increased service levels. Said that their union is responsible for the merger not happening, as they didn't want US crew at all. Then they said that US has bought some UA 767-200's and was going to operate flights from MCO to Central/South America starting in September to conect with Ted! Whatever. Did I mention that on their 320's, one coach lav is in the galley with the jumpseat on the bulkhead in front of it and the other is behind the last row. What a stupid set-up.
Land in LAX at 11:45 and I head from T7 to T1 to get my bag. Shoot across the parking garage. Come to T1 to find that because I was a US2 and they know me, they sent my bag over to UA's T7 baggage office. How nice of them. Didn't know they would or could do that. SO back I go to T7. Get the bag, and after waiting 30 minutes for a shuttle, and then being 2nd to last dropped off, I get home to Brentwood at 1:55. My brain feels like swiss cheese.
After getting rid of the clothes I had worn since Monday 4pm, I try to call US consumer affairs. Just missed them. So I call Wednesday morning. Explain the situation of the UA agent, and they offer to give me either a FC upgrade or 1/2 my mileage back. I take the upgrade. They also tell me to call UA's consumer affairs which I do. Call them, explain the situation, and she can see that yes, I was booked in F but sat in a middle coach seat. She cannot understand why and says she'll forward a report to PHL station manager and HQ. I should expect a response shortly. I am also told I will get mileage for the flight, being my BP has a Y fare code on it.
Depending on what happens at UA, I am really tempted to ask US for 1/2 of the mileage back. Their staff handled everything beautifully as usual, but UA really dropped the ball.
Jul 9, 2004, 2:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BRS
Programs: BA GLD
Posts: 1,927
What a crazy return flight! I'm surprised that US even offered to protect you offline on a UA flight. I would assume that if you're traveling on an award ticket, that they will only allow you to travel on a US flight.
Jul 9, 2004, 10:43 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS MVPG, Hyatt Discoverist, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,399
What a trip! Sure doesn't take much to send a trip into a tailspin.
I'm not sure I was able to digest it all, as my head was spinning by the time I got to the end of the story.
I'm not sure I was able to digest it all, as my head was spinning by the time I got to the end of the story.