go4bal

On Tuesday, June 17, I booked and flew on US Airways (flight #548 LAX – DFW). It was my first I booked on US since the merger. Since I booked my flights only two days in advance, US had the best fare from LAX – DFW. When purchasing the tickets, I added my AA frequent flyer #. The day prior to travel, I checked in and printed out my boarding pass. I had an assigned seat in 10A. I did see US now allowed AA elite passengers to standby for an upgrade to first class (I am AA Gold).

On the day of travel upon arrival at the gate area approximately 45 minutes prior to the flight, I stopped by the gate agent and inquired if there was a standby list for upgrades. I showed the gate agent my boarding pass. The gate agent stated that all first class passengers had already checked in. I told the gate agent thank you and went to wait for the flight to board.

My boarding pass was Group 1 on the flight. When Group 1 was called to board I got in line and saw the agent was scanning boarding passes down a hall close to the walkway to the plane. Upon my boarding pass being scanned, it lit up red and stated “no longer checked in”. The agent stated that I needed to return to the gate agent at the counter. I then returned to the gate counter and saw a line of about six people waiting for the gate agent. The same gate agent, who was there by herself, was on the phone and working a computer. She did seem a bit overwhelmed. Behind me a flight attendant from AA and a pilot from Virgin America got in line for the counter. The flight attendant, who was traveling home to Phoenix (flight was a direct LAX – DFW flight that had a stop in PHX) asked to see my boarding card. I explained to the flight attendant in line that it stated that I was no longer checked in. She stated that US may have given away my seat to someone else and that I should immediately approach the counter in front of the others. As I approached the counter, the gate attendant was still on the phone and I heard my name spoken into the phone. I stated to the gate attendant that that was my name. She stated that she will be with me shortly. I stepped back a few steps away from the counter. After about another 3 minutes, the gate attendant got off the phone looked at me, handed me two boarding cards and stated that this “whole delay was because of you.” I was shocked to hear those comments from the US gate agent. Apparently she had to spend a great amount of time dealing with my ticketing issue. I didn’t know what I had done. I then then turned around to the flight attendant and pilot and observed their surprised faces due to the comment of the gate agent.

Frustrated and just wanting to board the plane to get on with my travel, I took my new board passes waited in line to board and entered onto the plane. Fortunately the new boarding passes were first class (one for LAX – PHX and a different seat from PHX – DFW). Luckily I found overhead bin space for my luggage and began to my travel.

Even a week later I remain frustrated over the quality of service I received from the gate agent. Unfortunately I did not obtain the name of the gate agent.

I did complete a complaint form with US Airways.

David

linglingfool

This is always the correct response.

Blumie

I'll take a rude gate agent so long as it comes with an unexpected upgrade any day of the week.

pinniped

Wait...what?


Some sort of system glitch and a (mildly) cranky GA...but LAX-PHX-DFW upgraded all the way as an AA Gold? @:-)



And you were so offended that you wrote a COMPLAINT LETTER?!?

BigBopper

I guess I'm a bit of a jerk because my response would have been to take the boarding pass, smile and tell her the "the entire complaint to customer relations was because of you".

AZ Travels the World

These people are so overworked and underpaid it's ridiculous -- especially in transitions like they're going through, where there is something new every day. I really feel for them.

I do my best to let this stuff roll off my back. Her venting really had nothing to do with you.

Had I been in your situation I would have exchanged my annoyance with the treatment by the agent for my jubilation at the double-upgrade.

At the end of the day, it was a good day for you. Choose that memory.

formeraa

I know it's hard but choose the good memory (UPGRADES). ^

In this situation, I would not have contacted Customer Relations. Don't use your "capital" for such a minor slight in the grand theme of life.

ellinj

And you got two boarding cards, so I bet you get miles for two flights and two segments rather then the direct lax-dfw mileage and 1 segment.

Bonus

FWAAA

I would have smiled/laughed, and thanked the agent profusely for the first class boarding passes. Disarm rude behaviour with humour if possible. It's not as though the gate agent was an out of control flight attendant who was in a position to do you real harm.

I_Can_Fly_US_Airways

Kinda thought THE same thing!!!

mcgahat

I don't see anything that the op did to deserve rude treatment and the fact that that their upgrade cleared is not important. Sorry the agent had a bad go of it but take it out on somebody else....a customer no less?

Michael El

So was the flight delayed?

McSam18

What was the GA's tone when she said this? Could this have been her attempt at humor that was received poorly?

Bootman4U

Yes, they are "overworked and underpaid" and somehow, some crazy way, the vast majority of them are NOT RUDE and they do not BLAME a supposed "whole delay" on a passenger. And just what delay was that anyway? Was it the one that was caused because the company you work for decided that only one person needed to man the gate?

I, too, would have written a complaint letter simply because this "blame" crap is totally inappropriate, accomplishes absolutely nothing in terms of efficiency of operation, and what it does cause is customer ill-will.

Yeah, sure, some people will do or say anything to "get an upgrade."

pinniped

Actually, the fact that the upgrade cleared IS the important bit. It's the only material thing that happened here. I'm going to guess that LAX-PHX actually wasn't significantly delayed. The extremely minor snark on the part of the GA is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

What does this even mean? It implies that the OP schemed somehow for his upgrade...that doesn't appear to be the case.