irishguy28

"Complain" is a verb, Air Rarotonga - "complaint" is the noun.

GoPhils

Yeah I read it the first time. They used the word "delay" three times, twice specifically in reference to the flight. They only used the word cancelled once. Sure, that's not a good typo to make, but it happens. But go ahead and believe what you want to believe I guess.

EWRfflyer

Even if was a typo. The Captain came over the IC and stated the delay was for a cockpit light. I was in first class and watched the maintenance people come on board and leave about 15 minutes later. There was no crew change as the email stated or cancellation. According to flight aware the flight left 32 minutes late and arrived 14 late into CLT. Crews do not go illegal for 32 minutes. If they did almost no flight would get airborne

CDKing

Even if it was the issue, OP would not be eligible for IDB comp due to time of arrival at gate

Just becasue airline thinks its ok, Doesnt mean you should book it. Its the absolute minimum based on flight being on-time. Not that it changes the outcome.

Yes even 1 min can make the difference between being legal or not. Not that it matters in this case.

dtremit

Stop telling us that, and write back to US. I cannot overemphasize how incompetent their first-line email customer support is -- I would not be surprised in the least if they looked up the wrong flight.

Dadaluma83

The Customer Service response could have been worse, or more hilarious depending on your point of view.

They could have responded to the OP like that United response to another flyer awhile back.


We are so sorry (CUSTOMER NAME) that we did not meet the standards you expect from us, for your trouble enclosed is (SPECIFIC ITEM)

EWRfflyer

So I did file a DOT complaint. Now here is the latest response from US Airways.

Dear Mrs. EWRFFLYER

The Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division has forwarded your recent correspondence regarding the difficulties you and your daughter encountered on July 1, 2014 when Flight 1854 was delayed arriving into Charlotte causing you to miss your connection to Newark. We appreciate the opportunity to reply to your concerns.

I understand that you have gotten conflicting and confusing information regarding the reason for your delay and I sincerely apologize for this. I have reviewed several flight records and believe I can clear up the confusion.

Flight 1854 was documented as having been delayed 3 minutes due to a crew delay. The Customer Relations agent that responded to your email incorrectly interpreted this to mean the crew timed out. What actually happened was that one of the flight attendants arrived late for the flight causing the delay. When the aircraft arrived in Phoenix, a minor maintenance issue may have also been addressed and this would have been what the pilot was referring to. However, the flight departed the gate three minutes late at 2:53 PM and this is actually considered an on time departure.

After the aircraft left the gate, it was held on the tarmac by Air Traffic Control. Maintenance would not have been working on the aircraft after it had departed the gate and while the aircraft was waiting for takeoff instructions. After 31 minutes, flight 1854 got clearance to depart and took off at 3:24 PM. The pilot was able to make up time in the air and arrived in Charlotte with only a 13 minute delay at 10:08 PM.

Many times the airport agents will use Air Traffic and Weather interchangeably because most Air Traffic delays are caused by weather. Both weather and Air Traffic delays are not in the airlines control; therefore, hotel vouchers would not be provided.

The email response you received from Customer Relations did advise that the flight was delayed in three different areas of the correspondence and then the agent was closing with an apology for the cancellation. I do apologize for this error and have advised the agent of his typographical error.

Our office not only responds to the needs and comments from our customers, but also shares those comments with the appropriate management teams. This method has proven very successful; in fact, many of our current policies, procedures, and positive changes are a direct result of customer feedback. I apologize again that this incident had caused you to question the responses you had received. Please be assured that our agents are trained to provide the most updated information they have. I have forwarded your concerns to our Management at the Charlotte airport for review with the employees involved.

Mrs. EWRFFYLER, we value your business and are working hard to earn your continued patronage. We hope you will give us the opportunity to do so.

Sincerely,


B***** B*****
DOT Specialist, Customer Relations
US Airways Corporate Office

Case: US-14*********-I94O01-M2R

CDKing

Do you have any documentation to refute the time the aircraft pushed back from the gate? The information about wheels up at 3:24 matches Flightaware. None of the flight status places i checked go back as far as July 1

soccerpapi

Basically US Airways has now acknowledged in writing that your arrived in Charlotte 17 minutes before departure for your connecting flight to Newark.

This means the gate agent should have been fully aware that you were on your way to the Newark gate. She should have been waiting for you and your daughter before she closed out the flight.

I wonder if there wasn't something more going on that night where the gate agent gave your seats to non revenue passengers ( US Airways employees ). If the gate agent had the time to give away your seats, she definitely had time for you and your daughter to arrive at the gate.

I would write the president of US Airways by certified mail letting him know that you are not happy with US Airways response and the original gate agent's actions.

soccer

GoPhils

Writing a certified letter to the president of the company because a flight was 13 minutes late? LOL.

Seems like a pretty good response from customer service, but they didn't really acknowledge any possibility for compensation, other than getting the employees in trouble.

soccerpapi

Thanks for agreeing with me!

Since the flight was only 13 minutes late, of course the passengers should have been able to make their connection.

Especially since the agent knew that their flight landed and the flight to Newark was the last one of the day and the passengers would be stranded in Charlotte overnight.

soccer

GoPhils

Or maybe they could still have been able to get to the gate before the 10 minute requirement.

For one, OP said they got there "about" 8 minutes before departure, which IMO means it was probably more like 7.

OP also didn't answer my question about if they had bags that did make the connection.

But what gates was OP coming from and going to? There shouldn't be any E Terminals involved with PHX and EWR, right? Did OP or daughter use the restroom? I feel like coming from first class, 5-7 minutes should still be enough time to get there.

CDKing

Its irrelevant. OP was not at the gate for cut off and was booted. It doesn't matter who it was given to (if anyone). Seat was subject to forfeiture at t-10

iztok

My guess? PHX comes to B and EWR departs from C.

I usually see flights going up/down East coast in C and those heading West in B. Reduces taxi time to/from the runway.

serfty

The Event Timeline on Flightstats shows the actual gate arrival for this flight was 20 minutes later than scheduled (9:55pm):That entry was from the airline at 10:21pm that evening.

Given that, there was no way they were going to make an on-time US1782.

(Which shows as departing the gate at 10:23, 2 minutes early and eight minutes after US1854's gate arrival).