US Airways had Hollings on perks list
Sep 12, 2002, 10:28 am
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US Airways had Hollings on perks list
Interesting article linked to _Charlotte Observer_ from usatoday.com:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlot...es/4047931.htm
Posted on Wed, Sep. 11, 2002
US Airways had Hollings on perks list
But senator, who had criticized high fares, says he never knew it
TED REED
Staff Writer
Until recently, US Airways had a special arrangement with Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina and his wife: If they complained about high fares, they could get a lower one.
But Hollings and his wife, Peatsy, didn't know about the arrangement and never used it, said spokesmen for the senator and the airline. The policy, in place for about a year, was eliminated last week.
"This was at the discretion of US Airways," said Hollings spokesman Andy Davis. "And how can you use it if you don't know it exists?"
Davis noted that Hollings, a Charleston Democrat, typically flies on government fares, which are negotiated fares that include a discount, although his wife purchases tickets through normal channels.
Most airlines maintain "profiles" of high-powered passengers in their booking records. US Airways has a special manager for "chairman's preferred liaisons," dealing exclusively with members of Congress and extremely frequent fliers.
The existence of Hollings' profile was first reported in an online newsletter for US Airways employees published by US Airways flight attendant John McCorkle.
According to McCorkle, Hollings' profile read, in part: "Quote rules as you would to anyone, then if they ask you to waive something, then waive it."
Waving advance purchase requirements could allow a passenger to buy an inexpensive 21-day advance fare with a Saturday night stay-over requirement, then use it the same day for an expensive "walk up" fare.
The profile, which applied to Hollings and his wife, also advised reservations agents to waive ticket change fees, typically $100, and to waive collection fees, which occur if a passenger trades in a lower-fare ticket for a higher-fare one, according to McCorkle, who lives in Wilmington.
He said the profile was entered in US Airways' reservations system last year by a now-retired airline executive after Hollings complained publicly about the high fares between Washington and Charleston.
US Airways spokesman Chris Chiames said he didn't know where the profile came from. "Probably some people took it upon themselves to put something in there to give a reservations agent something to deal with in case a difficult discussion about fares came up," he said.
Chiames said it was eliminated last week.
"We didn't know how it got in there, (and) the senator's office didn't ask for it," he said. "We felt no obligation to leave it in there because of some previous management decision."
Chiames declined to say whether other politicians have such profiles. But Daryl Jenkins, director of the aviation institute at George Washington University, said reservations profiles for high rollers are common in the airline industry.
"Your special passengers all get some type of consideration, and everybody's nice to them," Jenkins said. "Most airlines give their million-mile travelers their own private reservationists."
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlot...es/4047931.htm
Posted on Wed, Sep. 11, 2002
US Airways had Hollings on perks list
But senator, who had criticized high fares, says he never knew it
TED REED
Staff Writer
Until recently, US Airways had a special arrangement with Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina and his wife: If they complained about high fares, they could get a lower one.
But Hollings and his wife, Peatsy, didn't know about the arrangement and never used it, said spokesmen for the senator and the airline. The policy, in place for about a year, was eliminated last week.
"This was at the discretion of US Airways," said Hollings spokesman Andy Davis. "And how can you use it if you don't know it exists?"
Davis noted that Hollings, a Charleston Democrat, typically flies on government fares, which are negotiated fares that include a discount, although his wife purchases tickets through normal channels.
Most airlines maintain "profiles" of high-powered passengers in their booking records. US Airways has a special manager for "chairman's preferred liaisons," dealing exclusively with members of Congress and extremely frequent fliers.
The existence of Hollings' profile was first reported in an online newsletter for US Airways employees published by US Airways flight attendant John McCorkle.
According to McCorkle, Hollings' profile read, in part: "Quote rules as you would to anyone, then if they ask you to waive something, then waive it."
Waving advance purchase requirements could allow a passenger to buy an inexpensive 21-day advance fare with a Saturday night stay-over requirement, then use it the same day for an expensive "walk up" fare.
The profile, which applied to Hollings and his wife, also advised reservations agents to waive ticket change fees, typically $100, and to waive collection fees, which occur if a passenger trades in a lower-fare ticket for a higher-fare one, according to McCorkle, who lives in Wilmington.
He said the profile was entered in US Airways' reservations system last year by a now-retired airline executive after Hollings complained publicly about the high fares between Washington and Charleston.
US Airways spokesman Chris Chiames said he didn't know where the profile came from. "Probably some people took it upon themselves to put something in there to give a reservations agent something to deal with in case a difficult discussion about fares came up," he said.
Chiames said it was eliminated last week.
"We didn't know how it got in there, (and) the senator's office didn't ask for it," he said. "We felt no obligation to leave it in there because of some previous management decision."
Chiames declined to say whether other politicians have such profiles. But Daryl Jenkins, director of the aviation institute at George Washington University, said reservations profiles for high rollers are common in the airline industry.
"Your special passengers all get some type of consideration, and everybody's nice to them," Jenkins said. "Most airlines give their million-mile travelers their own private reservationists."
Sep 12, 2002, 11:23 am
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