Playing "Guess the Fare" at usairways.com
Mar 29, 2005, 8:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 270
Playing "Guess the Fare" at usairways.com
I'll be the first to admit that I am not a very frequent flyer on US, and thus the loss of my business will hardly make or break the airline.
Last night, I tried booking a reservation online for DCA-ATL. I first tried searching by price, to which I was informed that US Airways does not provide service between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. Now this has happened to me a few times before so I just took it in stride and attempted to search by schedule.
After I selected my flights, the purchase screen appeared showing the fare as $0.00. At this point, I tried calling USAirways Web support, but it was closed. So I decided to take my chances and book the reservation. A few hours later, I received e-mail confirmation from US informing me that my credit card was billed $168.40.
First, I tried to contact US via the Web site, but the advertised response time was five business days. Most companies these days seem to promise two business days and many respond in 24 hours.
Next, I tried calling USAirways Web support. The recording said they were very busy and to e-mail my troubles. So I tried that approach, attaching screen shots of the fare error, and received an e-mail back a few hours later asking me to call US Airways Web support. I replied to the e-mail and a few hours later, I got a canned response instructing me on how to cancel a reservation (which didn't address my e-mail at all).
Back where I started, I called again and after 15 minutes, a person who spoke very broken English told me I was confused and that the price displayed did not include taxes and fees. So according to him, the fare was $0.00, but there was $168.40 in taxes and fees. I asked to speak with someone else and waited 15 additional minutes. This person asked me to fax the screenshots to him and then call back 30 minutes later.
After trying to send the fax three times and not getting through, I tried calling the fax number he gave me. The line just rang and rang.
Frustrated, I browsed the FT US forum and found a phone number for customer service. Five attempts yielded the same automated message: Call back later, we can't help you now.
So finally, I called the executive office looking for answers. The third person I was transferred to explained to me that sometimes, the Web site won't display the fare until after you've purchased it. I finally gave up at this point.
Now I did not expect them to honor a $0.00 fare nor are they obligated to. I did expect them to at least own up to the mistake.
I don't want to turn this into a US vs. WN, but perhaps my expectations are too high becuase of the good experiences I've had with WN. Is my experience par these days?
Last night, I tried booking a reservation online for DCA-ATL. I first tried searching by price, to which I was informed that US Airways does not provide service between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. Now this has happened to me a few times before so I just took it in stride and attempted to search by schedule.
After I selected my flights, the purchase screen appeared showing the fare as $0.00. At this point, I tried calling USAirways Web support, but it was closed. So I decided to take my chances and book the reservation. A few hours later, I received e-mail confirmation from US informing me that my credit card was billed $168.40.
First, I tried to contact US via the Web site, but the advertised response time was five business days. Most companies these days seem to promise two business days and many respond in 24 hours.
Next, I tried calling USAirways Web support. The recording said they were very busy and to e-mail my troubles. So I tried that approach, attaching screen shots of the fare error, and received an e-mail back a few hours later asking me to call US Airways Web support. I replied to the e-mail and a few hours later, I got a canned response instructing me on how to cancel a reservation (which didn't address my e-mail at all).
Back where I started, I called again and after 15 minutes, a person who spoke very broken English told me I was confused and that the price displayed did not include taxes and fees. So according to him, the fare was $0.00, but there was $168.40 in taxes and fees. I asked to speak with someone else and waited 15 additional minutes. This person asked me to fax the screenshots to him and then call back 30 minutes later.
After trying to send the fax three times and not getting through, I tried calling the fax number he gave me. The line just rang and rang.
Frustrated, I browsed the FT US forum and found a phone number for customer service. Five attempts yielded the same automated message: Call back later, we can't help you now.
So finally, I called the executive office looking for answers. The third person I was transferred to explained to me that sometimes, the Web site won't display the fare until after you've purchased it. I finally gave up at this point.
Now I did not expect them to honor a $0.00 fare nor are they obligated to. I did expect them to at least own up to the mistake.
I don't want to turn this into a US vs. WN, but perhaps my expectations are too high becuase of the good experiences I've had with WN. Is my experience par these days?
Mar 29, 2005, 9:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: mystic island, nj, USA
Posts: 2,377
Go back to the website and e-mail this to US Airways office of Consumer affairs.
http://www.usairways.com/customers/c...meraffairs.htm
You WILL get a response. Stay on them on this.
http://www.usairways.com/customers/c...meraffairs.htm
You WILL get a response. Stay on them on this.
Mar 29, 2005, 9:43 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 270
I really thought the executive office would offer some assistance. I had called US headquarters in Arlington, Va., and typed Lakefield into the phone directory. You would think if anyone would get to the bottom of it, it would be the executive office staff. The initial woman who answered the phone didn't even give me a minute to explain. She just quickly tried to find the first person who would take the call off her hands.
Mar 29, 2005, 9:53 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: mystic island, nj, USA
Posts: 2,377
Unless you know a specific person in CCY you will become a modern day Maxwell Smart surrounded by the "Cone of Silence"
If you decide to call Consumer Affair do NOT follow the prompts. PM me and I'll tell you how to bypass the system if you like.
If you decide to call Consumer Affair do NOT follow the prompts. PM me and I'll tell you how to bypass the system if you like.
Mar 30, 2005, 7:22 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: HH Diamond, UA 2P, US Dirt (Yay!)
Posts: 339
If it's not too late, and you do want to cancel the fare, you can cancel on the website if you're within 24 hours of booking.
i've never see the $0 fare, but I've run into other website issues and had a heck of a time trying to get them resolved. I usually just give up and call reservations if I run into problems.
i've never see the $0 fare, but I've run into other website issues and had a heck of a time trying to get them resolved. I usually just give up and call reservations if I run into problems.
Mar 30, 2005, 8:56 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 270
Here's an update: I called US Consumer Affairs - fifth try was a charm. I was immediately transferred to reservations because travel had not yet been completed.
Luckily, I was transferred to a reservations supervisor who could not have been any nicer. The agent confirmed that no, US does not operate its Web site like Priceline and that I definitely experienced a Web site problem. The agent also added that the reservation agents are just as frustrated with the outsourcing as we are.
The agent encouraged me to write a letter to corporate because based on his/her experience, little is done when the customer feedback is filed by reservations.
Since US plans to close its Pittsburgh call center by the end of the 3rd qtr., the agent told me a number of employees have interviewed with WN rather than uproot their families and more to NC.
Over the past few days, I have spoken with 9 US employees (including all the transfers). Something is terribly wrong when the only honest and helpful person out of the 9 is being let go, but I'm sure that's not news to anyone here.
(I don't know how many supervisors there are in PIT, but I don't want to get this person in trouble, which is why I haven't identified gender.)
Luckily, I was transferred to a reservations supervisor who could not have been any nicer. The agent confirmed that no, US does not operate its Web site like Priceline and that I definitely experienced a Web site problem. The agent also added that the reservation agents are just as frustrated with the outsourcing as we are.
The agent encouraged me to write a letter to corporate because based on his/her experience, little is done when the customer feedback is filed by reservations.
Since US plans to close its Pittsburgh call center by the end of the 3rd qtr., the agent told me a number of employees have interviewed with WN rather than uproot their families and more to NC.
Over the past few days, I have spoken with 9 US employees (including all the transfers). Something is terribly wrong when the only honest and helpful person out of the 9 is being let go, but I'm sure that's not news to anyone here.
(I don't know how many supervisors there are in PIT, but I don't want to get this person in trouble, which is why I haven't identified gender.)