Sunday night SO and I VDBd at IAD en route to NYC. The entire process was pretty awful -- so much so that I don't think I'd do it again. My question is whether our experience was par for the course or unusually bad.
We arrived at IAD with 2+ hours to spare before our connecting flight to NYC. Had a liesurely dinner at Vino Volo (^) before making our way to the Seventh Circle of Hell that is the UX A terminal. Flight was oversold and the two flights before ours -- and the one after -- had been cancelled. We volunteered several times and were told it wasn't necessary. Two hour delay. Finally we board, sit for a while, then GA comes on board -- the same one that said repeatedly that no volunteers were needed -- and announces that due to weight restrictions, they need to offload four pax and are there any volunteers?
SO and I jump up, grab our things, and leave the plane. There on the tarmac, I confirm that we get compensation plus hotel vouchers, transportation, meals, etc., and he says yes. Okay. So we go back to the gate.
The rest in a nutshell: It quickly becomes clear that this GA is a rookie and has no idea how to process us. (His supervisor was tied up dealing with all the other cancellations.) The GA works on our four VDBs for an hour and a half. He has problems with every step, from rebooking the flights, to printing the travel credits (^ thanks FT!), to getting the hotel/cab/food vouchers. After 90 minutes of this, at which point all he's done is rebook us and print the travel credits, he basically gives up, telling us to go to the Customer Service line to get the hotel vouchers, that he has other flights to work. We go, and of course there are about 100 people in line ahead of us. We wait there for about 15-20 minutes, during which time the line of course does not move. I call the 1K line and am told they can do nothing for me, it all has to be done at IAD.
Leaving my SO in line (nice to be able to divide and conquer in such situations!), I go back to the gate and basically tell the GA there's no way we're waiting more hours in the CS line for the hotel vouchers and that he has to process us at the gate. He relents...and takes another hour to get the hotel vouchers etc. By the time we get to the hotel, a few miles from IAD, it's 2am. That's over three hours from the moment we VDBd, over 5 hours from the time the flight was supposed to leave and about 6 hours from the time we first asked to be put on the VBD list.
Questions:
(1) Was our experience "normal" for an overnight VDB situation durring irrops, or was it particularly bad?
(2) Is it worth complaining to UA about our treatment?
Admittedly we got out of the airport much faster than the poor souls waiting in the CS line, and so I suppose I can't complain too much. On the other hand, we very likely would not have VDBd had we known what a mess it would be.
We arrived at IAD with 2+ hours to spare before our connecting flight to NYC. Had a liesurely dinner at Vino Volo (^) before making our way to the Seventh Circle of Hell that is the UX A terminal. Flight was oversold and the two flights before ours -- and the one after -- had been cancelled. We volunteered several times and were told it wasn't necessary. Two hour delay. Finally we board, sit for a while, then GA comes on board -- the same one that said repeatedly that no volunteers were needed -- and announces that due to weight restrictions, they need to offload four pax and are there any volunteers?
SO and I jump up, grab our things, and leave the plane. There on the tarmac, I confirm that we get compensation plus hotel vouchers, transportation, meals, etc., and he says yes. Okay. So we go back to the gate. The rest in a nutshell: It quickly becomes clear that this GA is a rookie and has no idea how to process us. (His supervisor was tied up dealing with all the other cancellations.) The GA works on our four VDBs for an hour and a half. He has problems with every step, from rebooking the flights, to printing the travel credits (^ thanks FT!), to getting the hotel/cab/food vouchers. After 90 minutes of this, at which point all he's done is rebook us and print the travel credits, he basically gives up, telling us to go to the Customer Service line to get the hotel vouchers, that he has other flights to work. We go, and of course there are about 100 people in line ahead of us. We wait there for about 15-20 minutes, during which time the line of course does not move. I call the 1K line and am told they can do nothing for me, it all has to be done at IAD.
Leaving my SO in line (nice to be able to divide and conquer in such situations!), I go back to the gate and basically tell the GA there's no way we're waiting more hours in the CS line for the hotel vouchers and that he has to process us at the gate. He relents...and takes another hour to get the hotel vouchers etc. By the time we get to the hotel, a few miles from IAD, it's 2am. That's over three hours from the moment we VDBd, over 5 hours from the time the flight was supposed to leave and about 6 hours from the time we first asked to be put on the VBD list.
Questions:
(1) Was our experience "normal" for an overnight VDB situation durring irrops, or was it particularly bad?
(2) Is it worth complaining to UA about our treatment?
Admittedly we got out of the airport much faster than the poor souls waiting in the CS line, and so I suppose I can't complain too much. On the other hand, we very likely would not have VDBd had we known what a mess it would be.
Last time I VDB'ed off a redeye flight it literally took the agent less than five minutes to rebook me, issue hotel credits, meal vouchers, and travel credits. I'd say what you experienced might not be that far from the norm for some UX employees, but I've had good experiences with UA.
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5 minutes I could live with. heck, even 15. Hours, though, no way.Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
Last time I VDB'ed off a redeye flight it literally took the agent less than five minutes to rebook me, issue hotel credits, meal vouchers, and travel credits. I'd say what you experienced might not be that far from the norm for some UX employees, but I've had good experiences with UA.
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You got travel credits from UX in the A bullpen of IAD? Yea, your experience was definitely not normal! Good job.Originally Posted by as219
to printing the travel credits (^ thanks FT!)
I've been VDB'ed 3x from UX there. I'm usually there late at night, and have the 'closers' on duty. They are very nice, but extremely slow. It usually takes them about an hour to get it all done. Sort of like the ICC..... in more ways than one.
Wow - you are MUCH more patient than I could ever be!
I would have politely suggested that the GA get a UA support person on the phone to walk him through the steps - rather than having him hunt and peck at the computer until he gives up...your time should be more valuable than having UX on the job train this GA.
Better luck next time...
I would have politely suggested that the GA get a UA support person on the phone to walk him through the steps - rather than having him hunt and peck at the computer until he gives up...your time should be more valuable than having UX on the job train this GA.
Better luck next time...
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I would have politely suggested that the GA get a UA support person on the phone to walk him through the steps
Ha, well in my case, that hour is WITH the support person on the phone!Originally Posted by kenhawk
Wow - you are MUCH more patient than I could ever be! I would have politely suggested that the GA get a UA support person on the phone to walk him through the steps
Quote:
Really? They didn't put up any fight at all on this one. Maybe because everything else was a fiasco...Originally Posted by hobo13
You got travel credits from UX in the A bullpen of IAD? Yea, your experience was definitely not normal! Good job.
Everytime I have been VBDed I get Travel Credits, vouchers, and rebooked within 5-10 minutes (unless I have to ask for a specific routing trying to get on an int'l 777 (domesticly) or another carrier).
Think of it as providing involuntary inservice for the GA. It's never taken more than 15 minutes for ours to be processed, and that usually includes the wait for the rest of the flight to board.
Let's see. How to phrase a request for compensation for a delayed VDB?
Let's see. How to phrase a request for compensation for a delayed VDB?
there is a great range of ability in UA gate agents. Some are able to crank it out in minutes, others is like pulling teeth.
I would have suggested asking for a supervisor to help in such a situation. Often the GA will want to dump you onto the service desk, but as you saw, you lose all priority and invested time there. I flagged down a passing SD once to get me on my way. You can tell them by the radio and clipboard...
I would have suggested asking for a supervisor to help in such a situation. Often the GA will want to dump you onto the service desk, but as you saw, you lose all priority and invested time there. I flagged down a passing SD once to get me on my way. You can tell them by the radio and clipboard...
Quote:
I would have suggested asking for a supervisor to help in such a situation. Often the GA will want to dump you onto the service desk, but as you saw, you lose all priority and invested time there. I flagged down a passing SD once to get me on my way. You can tell them by the radio and clipboard...
The problem in my case was that at least a dozen flights ex-IAD had been cancelled/delayed that night and the guy who appeared to be the SD was literally running from podium to podium putting out fires. Our situation did not merit his attention. Originally Posted by TA
there is a great range of ability in UA gate agents. Some are able to crank it out in minutes, others is like pulling teeth. I would have suggested asking for a supervisor to help in such a situation. Often the GA will want to dump you onto the service desk, but as you saw, you lose all priority and invested time there. I flagged down a passing SD once to get me on my way. You can tell them by the radio and clipboard...
The UX carriers pay and train their employees very little. It's wise to keep in mind that you far, far away from United Airlines.
My last time I volunteered at the gate. While watching the final ruckus, the GA came back with two people who had been deplaned. Inquiring, I learned that they were involuntarily forced to get off the plane.
The GA appeared to know how to process things, but acted as if he knew nothing whatsoever about involuntary vs voluntary denied boarding. I can't really say that he wasn't playing dumb. Despite my attempts to encourage the IDB'd passengers while were were standing there (I showed them United's Contract of Carriage and things like it on my laptop), they wanted to just get it over with.
My last time I volunteered at the gate. While watching the final ruckus, the GA came back with two people who had been deplaned. Inquiring, I learned that they were involuntarily forced to get off the plane.
The GA appeared to know how to process things, but acted as if he knew nothing whatsoever about involuntary vs voluntary denied boarding. I can't really say that he wasn't playing dumb. Despite my attempts to encourage the IDB'd passengers while were were standing there (I showed them United's Contract of Carriage and things like it on my laptop), they wanted to just get it over with.
Something similar happened to me something like 20 years ago.
Connecting in Dulles (IAD) for San Fran. evening flight. Regular VDB procedure except they said to go to the customer service line to get rebooked, etc. I wasn't experienced at finding the best agent to process the VDB quickly.
Long wait, finally got hotel voucher and meal voucher, but all the airport restaurants were closed. Arrived at hotel ca. 2 AM or something like 4 hours after the plane left.
Happened to get up really early and chose to stand by for early flight that got me into SFO in time for the first meeting of the convention while the booked replacement flight wouldn't arrive until after noon.
Back then the airline (I won't mention the name*) had an advertising slogan, something like "the mark of a great airline is not only how well it moves you in the air, it's how well it moves you on the ground" That night the airline didn't move me on the ground well.
After the fact I wondered, could a GA at a different gate do the rebooking etc.?
Travel tips: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm
*If I remember correctly the slogan was done to the tune of Rhapsody in Blue in the background.
Connecting in Dulles (IAD) for San Fran. evening flight. Regular VDB procedure except they said to go to the customer service line to get rebooked, etc. I wasn't experienced at finding the best agent to process the VDB quickly.
Long wait, finally got hotel voucher and meal voucher, but all the airport restaurants were closed. Arrived at hotel ca. 2 AM or something like 4 hours after the plane left.
Happened to get up really early and chose to stand by for early flight that got me into SFO in time for the first meeting of the convention while the booked replacement flight wouldn't arrive until after noon.
Back then the airline (I won't mention the name*) had an advertising slogan, something like "the mark of a great airline is not only how well it moves you in the air, it's how well it moves you on the ground" That night the airline didn't move me on the ground well.
After the fact I wondered, could a GA at a different gate do the rebooking etc.?
Travel tips: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm
*If I remember correctly the slogan was done to the tune of Rhapsody in Blue in the background.