zipadee

Glad you did though. I enjoyed reading your train wreck experience.

76toPHL

I had a similar experience last Thursday flying ORD-PHL-FLL.

I was booked on a 1:45pm departure connecting in PHL at 6:15pm. Stupid itinerary to book in the first place, but it was the only availability a week out under $400 in the middle of spring break.

Arrived at ORD at noon to find:
1) All but 2 kiosks were offline for check-in due to computer glitches.
2) About 80% of reservations couldn't even check in with the kiosks (error)
3) A canceled CLT flight from that morning had the customer service line about 80 people long to rebook.
4) A total of 4 agents behind the counter - 2 at the service desk and 2 processing check-ins and checked bags

As more and more people arrived to check in, everyone started following this process:
Step 1: Agent calls up first person in line whose flight was canceled and spends 30-40 minutes trying to rebook them.
Step 2: As line moves 4-5 people per hour, everyone who is arriving is missing their flights, meaning they have to be rebooked by an agent.
Step 3: Repeat step 1.

And the vicious cycle repeats, simply because the check-in agents were consistently taking 30-45 minutes (1 hr+ in some cases) to try to rebook passengers, clogging the check-in line, rather than sending those people to a separate customer service line.

The stupidity of this is mind-numbing. I was the 15th or so person in the check-in line when I arrived at noon and finally got my boarding pass at 2:30pm, in time to run to catch my 1:45 that finally departed at 3:15pm. Hundreds of others missed flights and I'm sure were stranded in ORD for who knows how long. Agents were telling people on Thursday afternoon the first availability out of ORD or MDW would be Saturday morning.

I don't blame the agents for this, it comes down to absolute incompetence from US management. I have had bad experiences with US before, but this experience was absolutely unbelievable to the point I have lost hope that they will ever get it together.

Too bad that Delta merger didn't go through - they're doing such a bang up job so far I'm sure that one would have been as equally painless.

NY-FLA

Was in DCA last Monday night waiting for a DCA-PHL which left out of the center pier rather than the more popular North Pier. As I arrived from the North pier on the slooooowww shuttle bus (only marginally better than a re-screening by the crack TSA security farce) the departure time for my flight came and went. I wasn't too concerned, as I knew the inbound flight making up the equipment for my DCA-PHL was late from MSY. Every monitor in the place though, just wiped my DCA-PHL and all other flights from their screens as their ETD's passed by. Additionally every podium display erased any mention of the flight departing from that gate, as the scheduled departure time passed, whether the flight had left, or, and this was more common, had not. GA's are now typically assigned to work at least 2 gates, so trying to get information from them is another challenge.
It was really kind of surreal, numerous flights still to depart, all from gates with no posted information available anywhere.

Oh, and the 800 number, which used to be perfect at providing accurate gate information now says "departing from gate ~' where ~ is a 1 msec pause with no gate information.
The reason for delay is no longer quoted on the automated system or on the web-site, either. Were people successfully using this info to defeat US's typical "It's weather, it's not our responsibility, it's all on your dime" gambit?

More Shares enhancements!!!

p.s. Many may know this; United, (and I know they're far from perfect, but looking better to me every day) provides hotel rooms at UA's expense to overnight stranded 1K level flyers, whether stranded due to weather or not.

SS255

I had a flight in January which was scheduled to depart at 4:20PM. It was "on time" (per the US Club agent, who checked the computer) until about 3:15PM, when it was switched to a 5:50PM departure. We were told the aircraft was delayed out of Seattle due to de-icing. You would think if the aircraft was coming from Seattle they would have known about the delay sooner and updated their computer. Long story short: The flight finally pulled up to the gate at 7:15PM, and we didn't depart until 8. There's a reason why all of the so-called "experts" tell you to fly earlier in the day to avoid delays. That rule applies double when PHL is involved.

BoeingBoy

Since this flight was operated by Republic, their pay rules would apply and I have no idea what they are. On East mainline, however, pay stops when the plane stops at the gate - the door opening only confirmations that the plane is indeed at the gate and not stopped between the runway and the gate.

Jim

BoeingBoy

I did something wrong and erased the first part of the above post.....

If you want to write anyone, send it straight to the top:

[email protected]
[email protected]

Jim

BamaVol

If it makes you feel any better, I have experienced most of what you did: late inbound flight still showing "on-time" 30 minutes after its ETA, outbound flight showing "on-time" 30 minutes after its ETD with no announcements, told that we could make up lost time in the air and then losing more, lied to when told connections would be held, no one to drive the jetway upon arrival, unmoving lines for rebooking, etc. on Delta and Delta Connection flights in the last 6 months.

Buddy, things are tough all over.

TT-Jones

US Airways - never again.

I flew 60.000 miles on United within the past 6 months, but this time I dared to try the US Airways services on the route ORD - CLT - MCO. All this happened on Sunday afternoon.

In ORD the checkin IT was not working properly, the self-checkin-terminals were out of order. The handling agents at Gate F8 (to which I was sent) were very impolite as well as overloaded and sent me to Gate E7 in a very rude way.

In CLT at Gate B10 an equipment change drama took place. The one handling agent was totally over-challenged, fighting with the IT system all the time. After 30% of passengers having been boarded the other handling agent realized that there must have been a aircraft change without prior notice, so that the whole seating structure broke down and they had to go for open seating. Then they realized that there were too many passengers being on board so that they had to ask for VDB within the cabin...

We ended up in lots of delay and dozens of annoyed passengers.

Finally it took US Airways ground staff at MCO more than 40 minutes to deliver the baggage to the baggage claim area.

As already mentioned: US Airways? Never ever again.

ClueByFour

Remember the good old days when US used sabre for the ops side and the front end? FLIFO actually worked......

martin33

out of sight, out of mind. if they show no delays, then folks have to believe there aren't any delays, right? right?

silverthief2

Good for you. And as a bonus, you had a great report to provide to FT.

karens

As bad of an airport as PHL is, I am so glad I live near here and never have to CONNECT through here. (I do have to wait for baggage claim here, though).

I can't tell you how many times I am arriving home and so glad PHL was my final destination. We always seem to be on a plane with lots of people anxious and worried about their connections. And then when we sit on the ground awhile waiting for a gate to open up....and these people know they are missing their connections WHILE THEY ARE AT THE AIRPORT, it is distressing.

SDQBound

PHX and LAS are more flexible when there are connecting passengers in a delayed flight, PHL seems to be indifferent about that. Back in January I was flying PHL-LAS-SLC. US749 PHL-LAS boarded on time but then was delayed 90 minutes, and the flight attendant said that "we were not going to be on time, and all connecting passengers were going to miss their connections. Surprisingly, when we arrived, they had carts waiting for connecting passengers and the GA had a list of flights/gates waiting for the connecting passengers, they actually waited for some connecting passengers.

Last week I wasn't lucky: PHX-PHL flight delayed, when we arrived PHL I was still on time to catch my flight, but we were sitting in the ground for about 20minutes, and missed the connectiong along with a lot of passengers.

formeraa

While I am sympathetic to all of your trials, there are OTHER airlines out there. If I were a very frequent flyer, I would not put up with US's current antics and general lack of service.

outoftown

Agree totallly. I have asked my Corporate TA to notate my record to avoid PHL on US. As a 2007 Platinum on 4 carriers, I have choices. My experience the last two weeks on US are worse than what anyone in this thread has mentioned. I was in the BUF luggage fiasco (if you think 45 minutes for rebooking is long, try 2 hours (1am to 3am) to fill out a lost luggage claim) among other issues.

outoftown