Everything is a Fight These Days
Mar 29, 2007, 2:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 94
Everything is a Fight These Days
Here’s the deal. In January/February I flew from Philadelphia to Amsterdam and took part in the MasterCard Promotion that saved me 10% and offered me double frequent flyer miles. I received the 10% discount when I bought the ticket and to date I have received the bonus miles for the flight from Philadelphia to Amsterdam on January 31.
The problem is that I have not been credited with the bonus miles for my return flight from Amsterdam to Philadelphia on February 5th, although I was almost immediately credited with the regular Dividend Miles.
Since USAirways did not fly AMS to PHL on Monday 2/5, my flights home were on UAL and I had a connection in IAD. The Mastercard promotion even stated that “Part or all of the service may be provided by… United.” There’s nothing in the promotion stating any reason why I shouldn’t be given the double miles for the return flight.
I decided to start my quest for the missing miles by emailing the Dividend Miles Center. After a few days I received a response telling me the bonus was only valid on flights “to Amsterdam” but not on the flights returning home. This is a lie. My friend who returned home on Tuesday 2/6 on US received her bonus miles for both the outbound and the return. Furthermore my 10% discount was valid on both the outbound and return flight. Finally has anyone ever heard of a one way bonus miles promotion?
I responded to the email stating they are wrong and that nothing in the promotion indicates that the return flight is not valid for the miles.
US responded with an illiterate explanation that said and meant nothing. I’m not kidding. It was illiterate.
Time to give up on email and begin the phone calls. I called the Gold number and they transferred me to the Dividend Miles Service Center. I explain my situation to the representative and she tries to make up reasons why I shouldn’t get my bonus miles. First she tells me the offer isn’t valid on flights to IAD. The flight was to/from Amsterdam. My return flight was from AMS to PHL and only connected through IAD, but the offer clearly stated that “any” US city was valid as the starting point. Then she tried to tell me, and we argued for 10 minutes about this, that I paid for my flights with a VISA not a MasterCard. This too was a lie. I couldn’t believe she was arguing with me. I had my bank statement in my hand and obviously knew I bought my ticket with a MasterCard. She eventually gave up on this point too and I begged her to let me talk to a supervisor. No she still wanted to argue. Finally she relents and puts me on hold while I wait for a supervisor. The next women comes on the phone and I ask her if she is a supervisor. She says yes and I go through my whole explanation again. She goes out of her way explaining that IAD is not a valid airport for the promotion. ARGH! It doesn’t matter what the USA city was. The promotion WAS valid to Amsterdam. Besides IAD was only a connecting city although that didn’t matter. I explain that my friend got all of her bonus miles. I go on and on. She then says she’ll get me a supervisor. Wait a minute! She said she was a supervisor but now she says no she is at the “escalation” desk. I get placed on hold again and eventually a woman comes on the phone who basically swears she is a supervisor. After only a couple of minutes she completely agrees with me that I am entitled to the bonus miles. However she can’t just credit my account but she has to call a different office to get it done. She takes my number and promises to call me back “in an hour” after she has taken care of this matter. She gave me her name and said she was in the Margate, FL center. This was over a week ago and I still never got the miles nor did she call back. I’ve tried to reach her again but nobody will help me try to get to that center or find out who she is.
Yesterday I started again from scratch. I decided to try the Customer Relations number, but each time I called after listening to all the menu prompts and being put on hold, the call would drop. So then I try the Dividend Miles Service Center again and refuse to speak to the woman who first took the call and said I must have a supervisor. She puts me on hold for the longest time and then comes back and says she absolutely cant get me a supervisor unless I explain my problem to her first. So I give in. She tries the usual rebuttals and I refuse to take or accept her explanations. Eventually she agrees to get me a supervisor but she won’t put me on the phone with one. Instead she takes my number and promises one will call me within an hour. I tell her that’s what I heard last time but she swears I will get a call. I tell her I don’t believe her and I’m tired of playing these games. She assures me a supervisor will absolutely positively call me within an hour.
You guessed it. Nobody called.
I can’t even put into words how much I absolutely despise this airline since the merger. They make me fight for every little thing. I refuse to give in on this even though the crappy 4000 or so frequent flyer miles are virtually worthless. They owe me and they will pay.
The problem is that I have not been credited with the bonus miles for my return flight from Amsterdam to Philadelphia on February 5th, although I was almost immediately credited with the regular Dividend Miles.
Since USAirways did not fly AMS to PHL on Monday 2/5, my flights home were on UAL and I had a connection in IAD. The Mastercard promotion even stated that “Part or all of the service may be provided by… United.” There’s nothing in the promotion stating any reason why I shouldn’t be given the double miles for the return flight.
I decided to start my quest for the missing miles by emailing the Dividend Miles Center. After a few days I received a response telling me the bonus was only valid on flights “to Amsterdam” but not on the flights returning home. This is a lie. My friend who returned home on Tuesday 2/6 on US received her bonus miles for both the outbound and the return. Furthermore my 10% discount was valid on both the outbound and return flight. Finally has anyone ever heard of a one way bonus miles promotion?
I responded to the email stating they are wrong and that nothing in the promotion indicates that the return flight is not valid for the miles.
US responded with an illiterate explanation that said and meant nothing. I’m not kidding. It was illiterate.
Time to give up on email and begin the phone calls. I called the Gold number and they transferred me to the Dividend Miles Service Center. I explain my situation to the representative and she tries to make up reasons why I shouldn’t get my bonus miles. First she tells me the offer isn’t valid on flights to IAD. The flight was to/from Amsterdam. My return flight was from AMS to PHL and only connected through IAD, but the offer clearly stated that “any” US city was valid as the starting point. Then she tried to tell me, and we argued for 10 minutes about this, that I paid for my flights with a VISA not a MasterCard. This too was a lie. I couldn’t believe she was arguing with me. I had my bank statement in my hand and obviously knew I bought my ticket with a MasterCard. She eventually gave up on this point too and I begged her to let me talk to a supervisor. No she still wanted to argue. Finally she relents and puts me on hold while I wait for a supervisor. The next women comes on the phone and I ask her if she is a supervisor. She says yes and I go through my whole explanation again. She goes out of her way explaining that IAD is not a valid airport for the promotion. ARGH! It doesn’t matter what the USA city was. The promotion WAS valid to Amsterdam. Besides IAD was only a connecting city although that didn’t matter. I explain that my friend got all of her bonus miles. I go on and on. She then says she’ll get me a supervisor. Wait a minute! She said she was a supervisor but now she says no she is at the “escalation” desk. I get placed on hold again and eventually a woman comes on the phone who basically swears she is a supervisor. After only a couple of minutes she completely agrees with me that I am entitled to the bonus miles. However she can’t just credit my account but she has to call a different office to get it done. She takes my number and promises to call me back “in an hour” after she has taken care of this matter. She gave me her name and said she was in the Margate, FL center. This was over a week ago and I still never got the miles nor did she call back. I’ve tried to reach her again but nobody will help me try to get to that center or find out who she is.
Yesterday I started again from scratch. I decided to try the Customer Relations number, but each time I called after listening to all the menu prompts and being put on hold, the call would drop. So then I try the Dividend Miles Service Center again and refuse to speak to the woman who first took the call and said I must have a supervisor. She puts me on hold for the longest time and then comes back and says she absolutely cant get me a supervisor unless I explain my problem to her first. So I give in. She tries the usual rebuttals and I refuse to take or accept her explanations. Eventually she agrees to get me a supervisor but she won’t put me on the phone with one. Instead she takes my number and promises one will call me within an hour. I tell her that’s what I heard last time but she swears I will get a call. I tell her I don’t believe her and I’m tired of playing these games. She assures me a supervisor will absolutely positively call me within an hour.
You guessed it. Nobody called.
I can’t even put into words how much I absolutely despise this airline since the merger. They make me fight for every little thing. I refuse to give in on this even though the crappy 4000 or so frequent flyer miles are virtually worthless. They owe me and they will pay.
Mar 29, 2007, 3:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Same thing here. Last month, I was dealing with a problem with US. Everytime I get someone from CS on thephone who tries to be as helpful as possible, they ultimately tell me that I'll need to talk to a specific supervisor who will call me back. The calls never come. I was told this FOUR times by four different CS agents.
Mar 29, 2007, 7:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: AA-EXP, MR-LifetimeP, HH-G
Posts: 81
[QUOTE=liberty805;7492632]Here’s the deal. In January/February I flew from Philadelphia to Amsterdam and took part in the MasterCard Promotion that saved me 10% and offered me double frequent flyer miles. I received the 10% discount when I bought the ticket and to date I have received the bonus miles for the flight from Philadelphia to Amsterdam on January 31.
I have to hand it to you, you stuck at it much longer than I. I also did a PHL / AMS roundtrip and paid with a Mastercard. Never saw any bonus. Upon calling them I was told that it had to be a USAirways Mastercard, which mine wasn't. NOTHING in the promotion literature mentioned that it had to be a USAirways Mastercard. I had them put on a supervisor who repeated the same crap. After 2 more futile phone calls, I gave up. I found the same thing you did, complete and total indifference. The level of Customer Service coming out of Tempe is childlike. As with you, they actually lied to me.
The other really pathetic Customer Service issue that drives me up a wall, is the inconsistency of the $25 Standby charge. The difference between East and West is quite dramatic. I find most East people either charge it quite hesitantly or don't charge at all. Most West GA's tell me they HAVE to charge this. This is absolute crap. They NEVER have to charge you anything. They can put anybody on any flight whenever they want. They are the Gate Keepers. If the table is turned and they are trying to place people on a flight because a later flight has been cancelled, they don't charge, so the box that comes up on SHARES that tells them to charge the $25 can be over written. Today, I was told the charge from Canada back to PHL is $50 for a 1 hr flight on a RJ. Just how much nickel and diming do they need to do ? Thankfully, the GA, being from the East, did not charge me.
I have to hand it to you, you stuck at it much longer than I. I also did a PHL / AMS roundtrip and paid with a Mastercard. Never saw any bonus. Upon calling them I was told that it had to be a USAirways Mastercard, which mine wasn't. NOTHING in the promotion literature mentioned that it had to be a USAirways Mastercard. I had them put on a supervisor who repeated the same crap. After 2 more futile phone calls, I gave up. I found the same thing you did, complete and total indifference. The level of Customer Service coming out of Tempe is childlike. As with you, they actually lied to me.
The other really pathetic Customer Service issue that drives me up a wall, is the inconsistency of the $25 Standby charge. The difference between East and West is quite dramatic. I find most East people either charge it quite hesitantly or don't charge at all. Most West GA's tell me they HAVE to charge this. This is absolute crap. They NEVER have to charge you anything. They can put anybody on any flight whenever they want. They are the Gate Keepers. If the table is turned and they are trying to place people on a flight because a later flight has been cancelled, they don't charge, so the box that comes up on SHARES that tells them to charge the $25 can be over written. Today, I was told the charge from Canada back to PHL is $50 for a 1 hr flight on a RJ. Just how much nickel and diming do they need to do ? Thankfully, the GA, being from the East, did not charge me.
Mar 29, 2007, 10:42 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 86
Get that email address!
Hi -- WOW. Please obtain the email address for one of the executives (I think I've seen it somewhere among the posts maybe a month ago). (Someone, please provide that if you have it). You must paste your whole story (and the corraborating story), and send it that address, and make sure they know that there is a community out here seeing your appalling story, and waiting on the edge of our limited-recline seats to see what is done for you in return. Then, post your happy outcome story including the email address, so that the rest of us with (albeit not as frustrating as your experience maybe) difficulties getting things straightened out (like we should even have to, to begin with) can bombard the helpful person with stories. It seems that just about everyone posting...has something pretty crazy to relate. Whomever answers those emails "up there" might be wishing the employees were handling things better (maybe they'll institute a complaint-complaint prevention program). Since you've already put the work into writing the whole thing up, it would be a shame to not use it for the greater good. Good luck!!
Mar 29, 2007, 11:49 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA Plat, Starwood Gold, AX Plat, Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 1,381
I did use my US MC, notified DMSC, but never saw my bonus miles either. I couldn't stand the fight anymore, either.
Mar 30, 2007, 6:20 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: CoFounder and Chairman, FFOCUS (Frequent Flyers Organized and concerned about Unacceptable Service.
Posts: 1,341
Liberty,
Send me a PM and I will give you an email address where you can get some immediate assistance.
Send me a PM and I will give you an email address where you can get some immediate assistance.
Mar 30, 2007, 2:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8,142
Your story sounds like my FTD story which I finally got resolved. If you get nowhere emailing someone higher up, as a last resort, I'd send every piece of documentation with your request for the miles to the DM Center in Miami FL. Possibly you may get some resolution that way.
It really is frustrating.
Bobette
It really is frustrating.
Bobette
Mar 31, 2007, 9:24 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 94
ARGH!!!!
Today I came home and got another email from the Dividend Miles Service Center. This time they tell me the miles which I am inquiring about were posted to my account on 3/11/07.
No they weren't! These people are absolutely clueless morons. On 3/11 they credited me with the promo miles from my flight PHL-AMS on 1/31/07. That was never in question. I've been writing and calling and writing and calling and writing looking for the promo miles from the second half of that trip, my return flight home from AMS-PHL on 2/5/07. Those are the miles I am entitled to and to which I have still not yet been credited.
Have I mentioned how much I can't stand this airline?!!!???
Today I came home and got another email from the Dividend Miles Service Center. This time they tell me the miles which I am inquiring about were posted to my account on 3/11/07.
No they weren't! These people are absolutely clueless morons. On 3/11 they credited me with the promo miles from my flight PHL-AMS on 1/31/07. That was never in question. I've been writing and calling and writing and calling and writing looking for the promo miles from the second half of that trip, my return flight home from AMS-PHL on 2/5/07. Those are the miles I am entitled to and to which I have still not yet been credited.
Have I mentioned how much I can't stand this airline?!!!???
Mar 31, 2007, 9:34 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 522
ARGH!!!!
Today I came home and got another email from the Dividend Miles Service Center. This time they tell me the miles which I am inquiring about were posted to my account on 3/11/07.
No they weren't! These people are absolutely clueless morons. On 3/11 they credited me with the promo miles from my flight PHL-AMS on 1/31/07. That was never in question. I've been writing and calling and writing and calling and writing looking for the promo miles from the second half of that trip, my return flight home from AMS-PHL on 2/5/07. Those are the miles I am entitled to and to which I have still not yet been credited.
Have I mentioned how much I can't stand this airline?!!!???
Today I came home and got another email from the Dividend Miles Service Center. This time they tell me the miles which I am inquiring about were posted to my account on 3/11/07.
No they weren't! These people are absolutely clueless morons. On 3/11 they credited me with the promo miles from my flight PHL-AMS on 1/31/07. That was never in question. I've been writing and calling and writing and calling and writing looking for the promo miles from the second half of that trip, my return flight home from AMS-PHL on 2/5/07. Those are the miles I am entitled to and to which I have still not yet been credited.
Have I mentioned how much I can't stand this airline?!!!???
LOL
ALSO this reminds me both of one of my Delta experiences and several of my Best Buy experiences......I am sorry to laugh but it's a bit reassuring to see someone experience the same mess that I have experienced.
In 2003 I had an issue with Priority Club (Holiday Inn) whereby I gave them 3 opportinities in International Drive / Crowne Plaza to correct the fact that my room was 95 degrees. When I left after 3 maintenance attempts they took $75 from my credit card for 'early cancellation.' Priority Club has promised me my $75 back but I've never gotten in. Meanwhile I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars at Marriott and Hilton...anything Holiday Inn or Priority Club is at the very bottom of my list other than spending my points.
I suggest perserverance. Eventually you will encounter someone who 'has a clue' and who 'has a brain' who will do you 'right.'
By the way - the one thing that I will promise you is that this thread will not be corrupted by USair employees doing viral marketing (I dont think so at least). Any time I leave some sort of message about the Crowne Plaza on International Drive in Orlando, people show up with their first post ever on the forum saying how wonderful the Crowne Plaza on International Drive is and how full of crap I am. So be aware and watch carefully on any following posts. (and for the record, the Crowne Plaza on Universal Drive is fantastic.)
Apr 1, 2007, 1:40 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Hyatt Plat
Posts: 13
After about 12 calls and several exchanges of snail mail, I've still yet to receive a $250 "goodwill gesture" voucher promised last September. This was after US left me marooned overnight in LAS (fun times at the La Quinta in a room that featured only hot water, no cold, on my own dime). This was after the flight was significantly delayed by: the lack of a functioning printer at JFK, the fact that the JFK GAs sent half the flight passengers home due to "overbooking," and the resulting confusion when there were plenty of seats remaining on the plane when it was fully loaded. I ignored all instructions and made the flight. By the time we missed our takeoff slot, the pilot announced we were 45th in line to leave JFK. Connections that were said to be waiting for us were missed. Joy.
US failed to ever send the voucher and then only sent me a "letter of indemnity" that I had to have notarized (!!), which I did, and once I sent that in, nothing.
Also amusing is that there was also another flight full of passengers marooned from a BOS flight that night, and they were apparently eligible for hotel vouchers, while the JFK flight for some reason was not. The BOS passengers were put up at "Terrible's." Figures.
I would call in again but usually I cannot get through because half of CLT or PHL is on the phone with them, trying to check in for flights.
US failed to ever send the voucher and then only sent me a "letter of indemnity" that I had to have notarized (!!), which I did, and once I sent that in, nothing.
Also amusing is that there was also another flight full of passengers marooned from a BOS flight that night, and they were apparently eligible for hotel vouchers, while the JFK flight for some reason was not. The BOS passengers were put up at "Terrible's." Figures.
I would call in again but usually I cannot get through because half of CLT or PHL is on the phone with them, trying to check in for flights.
Apr 4, 2007, 3:09 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 94
Today's Update.
I had some time to kill so I figured what better way than to spend it on the phone with the lovely folks at the Divdidend Miles Service Center.
I am now able to get through directly to the center. There's usually a significant amount of time on hold, but I now know which buttons to push to get me through to the center, get "Alex" out of the way, and in the queue to speak to an agent. When the agent comes on the phone I immediately ask to speak to the Supervisor who awhile ago agreed with me that I am entitled to the promotional bonus miles (although she assured me I would be credited and promised to call me back--neither happened.)
Yesterday when I tried this I was told (after about 15 minutes of waiting) that this supervisor comes in at 2PM.
Today I tried at 4PM and surprisingly the agent who first took my call didn't require that I explain the whole story in three part harmony before attempting to transfer me to my Supervisor. However she came back on the line with the unfortunate news that my Supervisor wasn't answering her extension but she could tranfer me and I'd get her voice mail. OK. It can't hurt to leave her a message. So she agrees to transfer me. I'm on hold about 9 minutes realizing that something has probably gone wrong, but what else have I got to do? I still have some time to kill. The agent comes back on the line, says the transfer didn't go through and she'll try again. This time she only leaves me on hold for about 3 minutes before coming back on the line again telling me the transfer didn't go through and she'll try again. This time the call just disconnects--she probably figured it was easier to just hang up on me. Oh well. There's about 25 minutes wasted total on today's episode.
Not terribly exciting, but the saga continues. I WILL not succomb to defeat. I will get these miles. Stay tuned...
I had some time to kill so I figured what better way than to spend it on the phone with the lovely folks at the Divdidend Miles Service Center.
I am now able to get through directly to the center. There's usually a significant amount of time on hold, but I now know which buttons to push to get me through to the center, get "Alex" out of the way, and in the queue to speak to an agent. When the agent comes on the phone I immediately ask to speak to the Supervisor who awhile ago agreed with me that I am entitled to the promotional bonus miles (although she assured me I would be credited and promised to call me back--neither happened.)
Yesterday when I tried this I was told (after about 15 minutes of waiting) that this supervisor comes in at 2PM.
Today I tried at 4PM and surprisingly the agent who first took my call didn't require that I explain the whole story in three part harmony before attempting to transfer me to my Supervisor. However she came back on the line with the unfortunate news that my Supervisor wasn't answering her extension but she could tranfer me and I'd get her voice mail. OK. It can't hurt to leave her a message. So she agrees to transfer me. I'm on hold about 9 minutes realizing that something has probably gone wrong, but what else have I got to do? I still have some time to kill. The agent comes back on the line, says the transfer didn't go through and she'll try again. This time she only leaves me on hold for about 3 minutes before coming back on the line again telling me the transfer didn't go through and she'll try again. This time the call just disconnects--she probably figured it was easier to just hang up on me. Oh well. There's about 25 minutes wasted total on today's episode.
Not terribly exciting, but the saga continues. I WILL not succomb to defeat. I will get these miles. Stay tuned...
Apr 4, 2007, 5:16 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: LYH
Programs: US-CP 11+yrs now just Silver as a Million Mile FlyerHH-Diamond, PC-Plat, Choice-Gold, Marriott- Plat
Posts: 95
May the force be with you, Obe Wan
Apr 4, 2007, 5:50 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
I can't go there anymore. My time's not worth much, but it's worth too much for this kind of insanity.
Best of luck to the OP. It's my guess that as long as folks like me keep sitting on the sidelines, it only encourages the "system" to continue to offer worse and worse service. Shame on me.
Apr 5, 2007, 6:00 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: US, AA
Posts: 180
Given all these horror stories, and seeing how airlines are just getting away with all this, I am wondering if it is time for some congressional legislation to set some standards with regards to service. Across the Atlantic, I saw that the EU was going to take some action on European airlines regarding compensation on delayed or cancelled flights.
Apr 5, 2007, 6:52 am
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: UA, AA
Posts: 1,821
Given all these horror stories, and seeing how airlines are just getting away with all this, I am wondering if it is time for some congressional legislation to set some standards with regards to service. Across the Atlantic, I saw that the EU was going to take some action on European airlines regarding compensation on delayed or cancelled flights.
I'm always afraid that regulation would be an example of "be careful what you ask for"
6 years ago everyone said the federal government had to get into the business of airport security, now look what we have.