Terrible and bad experience I ever met in my life with US AIrways

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Viewing 11 posts - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)

  • LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Jirawat, your return flight experience sounds awful and there is nothing worse than being downgraded and then scattered over the cabin, especially with young ones. I can really sympathise.

    Clearly they must compensate you for the difference between F and Coach, but I wonder how much that will be? The one way portion is +-$2,550 but coach could be had i guess for as little as $200 pp or $800 total. Turning up and buying an OTC ticket could be more than the F tickets bought in advance. I’m curious as to how they calculate the refund.

    As for the hair, I’d forget it as it happens so often. I was in a 2* restaurant recently and found a hair in my mash (or smashed baby potatoes as they called them). Fact is, and though it shouldn’t happen, it does and is a big problem in the catering industry. Take some comfort from the fact it was baked at about 180c and is totally sterile. I just pull them out and carry on eating, I can’t be bothered to complain about that any more.

    Now a fingernail, or worse, a finger in the food, that is worth complaining about, and from a US airline should be worth megabucks 😉


    JohnPhelanAustralia
    Participant

    I don’t think bringing lawyers into the picture will acually achieve much (apart from making the lawyers richer!). Nor does there seem any real avenue for legal recourse, anyway.

    If, as appears, the US Airways brand is soon to disappear, then let us hope the bigger American Airlines will better address such issues.

    There is no way that the OP’s treatment would have been related to his nationality. There is something a bit strange about the “smaller plane” story that I think is missing some details.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Agree John and I meant to mention it as well. I’m sure they would not downgrade on the basis of nationality, but more likely status. I don’t know if Jirawat had a Gold card with AA/US or not but that is more likely to be the reason.

    If there was no F on that flight then it was down to bad luck and nothing more I’d say, though they are at fault for not seating young children with their parents and I think that is the much more series matter.


    Simon01
    Participant

    Yes I too have had indifferent service from US Air.
    What I would have suggested with the “hair” issue is that
    it should have been mentioned to the Purser or senior crew
    member as their flight reports are always checked with a
    complaint.
    You are fortunate to come from from a country with one of the
    best airlines in the world.Always a delight flying Thai Aiirways


    npchuaMY
    Participant

    Khun Jirawat,

    You are not the only one being ill treated by an American airline.

    Many years ago, before the use of e-tickets, one of my Thai customers, who is the major owner of a public listed company in Thailand (probably Khun Jirawat also familiar with his name) traveled to the US with his family members, all together 12 of them including his parents, all in first class. Sorry, I forget which airline.

    The group was traveling from Orlando to the west coast, he went to the airline’s first class counter to check-in his group. Before he reached the first class counter, he was ordered to go to the Y counter by an airline staff. My customer protest and showed the guy all the 12 first class tickets, then only he was allow to get close to the first class counter. The check-in clerk suspected the tickets were fake! She took the tickets to the airline’s office for “examination”. After 15 minutes my customer and his group only allowed to check-in.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    If floating hair really is an issue I think as an H&S issue all passengers and crew should be asked to wear hair nets.

    On most American airlines, the prevailing attitude is you are doing them a favour by travelling.


    Papillion53
    Participant

    I am reading this again this morning and I’m afraid Jirawat, some things simply don’t add up. For example, did your 4.5 year old sit in a seat all by himself – I wouldn’t have thought that would be allowed – or did the airline sort out your seats on board so at least one parent sat with one child.

    I think saying that your children did not get fed for hours and blaming the airline for this is totally unreasonable. Surely ether you or your wife would have carried some snacks for them for the journey as I’m sure most parents do, or bought something on the way – there are always options for food before you get on the aircraft.

    Also I find it quite uncomfortable when the race card is played.

    If as you say you were downgraded, then yes you have reason to be very unhappy with the airline.

    Just my thoughts.

    Morning LP – how are you? :-). I agree with you re the hair. I recently found a 4cm piece of bent metal in a prepared potato product from the supermarket which thankfully was embedded deep in a chunk of tattle otherwise could have been an expensive dentist visit. Did I tell them, of course as it looked like a piece off the factory machine. They immediately took all the remaining similar products off the shelf and sent the offending piece off for analysis. Do I expect compensation, or want it? No, Not really, no harm done, but just wanted them to know so the problem could be fixed. They did say I would get feedback, so we will see.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    All well thanks Papillion, hope you and yours are as well?

    Mrs. LP now refuses to buy any processed products and is now taking courses on Raw Food (not necessarily uncooked) which with a bit of vegetarianism is being force fed to me – a confirmed carnivore!!! I have to grudgingly admit that it’s not too bad and I like to think it’s keeping me healthy. Having said that I now no longer buy anything in tins, except for Heinz Tomato Soup that is, and unless driving only drink water from the tap or glass bottles!

    Back to topic I also found it incredible they would separate the children but I also think once on board they would have been re-seated together.


    rferguson
    Participant

    I’m with JohnPhelan and LP on this one.

    Whilst I don’t disagree the return flight sounds horrific, there seems some detail missing which could paint a clearer picture.

    The first thing is, were you originally booked on a US codeshared UA flight for IAD-LAX? Its just on usairways.com it shows all flights from Dulles to LAX being operated by UA for US.

    When things go wrong with tickets like this it’s often a nightmare to sort out as the operating carrier will refer you to the ticketing carrier and vice versa. Some airlines are fantastic in a ‘codeshare relationship’ others not so good. But rightly so, responsibility always remains with the airline that ‘owns the ticket’ ie US.

    The luggage situation also sounds not only a huge inconvenience but also a big worry! Bags should not be travelling without the owners of the bags on the same flight – for obvious security reasons.

    Also, you mentioned that you were in a mad rush and didn’t question the push over to UA from US and the VERY unfair charging of your 8 pieces of luggage as you didn’t want to miss your TG flight. Yet the daily TG flight does not depart until the following afternoon and you mention that you arrived at a hotel in LA that evening.

    Why would you accept such treatment and seat allocations? It seems you would have had ample time in IAD to sort out an alternative instead of a downgrade to Y with scattered seats throughout the cabin. UA/US has no fewer than 8 daily flights IAD-LAX. Surely they could have got you seats together in F on ONE of those flights? Or perhaps even negotiated HOTAC in IAD that night and confirmed seats on one of the morning flights to LAX the next day to meet your connecting flight?

    I just find it difficult to understand why anyone would accept an arrangement like this when so many alternatives should have been available. There were five flights later in the day that perhaps could have had you all sat in F – or at the very least together? And given you time to get the kids some lunch at IAD before flying.

    Whilst I can’t imagine the airline discriminating against your family based of your origins it is possible that behavior within certain cultures can effect the outcome in situations like this. I’m being very careful not to generalise but an example would be the Japanese. Unlike us westerners when we are unhappy about a customer service outcome we will raise our voices, demand something be done immediately, this is unacceptable etc etc etc, the Japanese will generally not engage in confrontation. In fact they will rarely even show that they are disappointed. However, when they get home they will send a very strong letter of complaint to the service provider and generally will never use the same provider again.


    ConstantFlyer1
    Participant

    I am very lucky in that I run a business that can operate just about anywhere. As such, I am able to choose where to deploy my resources in the world. Naturally, the first consideration is where I am going to make the most profit. In the ‘old’ days, the US economy was so strong that people would seek to do business there; now the world has a range of mixed economies that are growing, contracting or not moving. A good profit might be made in one part of Brazil, but not another; or in Vietnam, but not Laos.

    My point is that I have taken a conscious decision to focus (for now) on C&E Europe, Russia and Central Asia. That decision was informed by a preference to exclude the USA, which has become less and less business-friendly while other parts of the world have done the opposite. As such, instead of US Airways, I frequent UT Air; instead of Delta, I fly Air Astana; and foregoing United, I ride Armavia or Transaero. Russian immigration is not great, but it is often swifter and friendlier than the USA’s; Uzbekistan’s concept of queueing is as absent as the US’s concept of chewing (gum) is ubiquitous; but I find doing business has plenty of positive challenges, instead of the national negativity and self-centered insularity of today’s America. Sad, but my experience.

    To answer all questions you doubt

    1. I originally purchased first class ticket from US Airways. Routing was IAD-CLT then CLT-LAX. Not the direct flight from United that operated IAD-LAX. Things went wrong as they cancelled our seated and pushed us to United with coach class.

    2. My original flight would leave IAD @ 1.15 PM and arrived LAX @ 7 PM.
    I arrived at the airport around 10 AM. They asked us to move all baggages to United, they did not informed us anything about seat cancelled, downgrade and separated seats. I found it myself when I was at United counter. United said that they did not have any first class for us. If I wanted to go, I had to accept their flight. If I did not, I had to go back to contact US Airways representative.

    3. I went back to US Airways to find out what’s happened. By that time, I just knew that our seats were cancelled. They said they did their best by pushing us to fly with United at IAD. Or I had another options to took a taxi to Baltimore airport to get on Delta.

    4. I don’t know how far Baltimore airport far from IAD. I did not want any risk because if I miss the flight. I will absolutely have no way to catch on Thai Airways to back home. My plan was we would spend one night in LA and next morning to went home on Thai AIrways.

    5. Thus why I had to accept United flight at 4 PM and arriving LAX at 7.30 PM. United said I could have another flight but most flights were full. The 4 PM flight would be perfect for all of us to travel together. There was another option they offered but it would arrive LAX at 11pm. It’s too late for my kids.

    I thought out another possible option to stay over night in IAD and catch a morning flight to LAX. At that time, it was too risky as I travelled with kids. We had to leave IAD very early morning to make sure that we could get connect to Thai Airways. If there is a delay, we will miss our flight back home.

    6. Luggages: US Airways tried to avoid this expense but checked in all baggages at their counter. They said their ground staffs would re-tagged our baggages to our United flight. My point to them was
    6.1 They informed me that all baggages would come together with United flight.
    6.2 When arrived LAX, I waited for all baggages at United terminal 7. We waited until 8.30 pm when the last baggage coming out and realized that there was 2 missing baggages for us.
    6.3 I went to United officer to check where were those baggages. United officer checked on their system. First, they said they could not track anything about these two. They might not checked in. She tried to call US Airways several times and finally found out that those 2 baggages came separately at Terminal 1 without any notification to me.
    6.4 It was almost 9.30 pm when we went to pick up those 2 and headed to Marriotte LAX.

    7. Dinner: If things go smoothly, we expected to arrive the hotel by 8 pm. Before boarding, I brought chicken nuggets, chips, and water for my kids. But we did not expect for such a terrible baggages arrangement by US Airways.

    8. Seats: of course, things did not went against us. I could find some nice guys who willing to change seats. I could sit with my daughter while my wife could sit with my son.

    What I posted here is I don’t understand US Airways and their responsibility.
    1. I sent an email to their customer service complained this, up till now, I haven’t received any email back from them at all.
    2.If you are travel with your kids, you might want to do whatever you could to best comfort them as much as you could; especially, when you travel to different country and culture. That’s why I purchased first class tickets for all of us but as you know what we experienced.
    3. I asked US Airways representative that if we could get on the flight from IAD to CLT with coach, we are OK for these. So that we could get on our first class from CLT to IAD again as planned. They did not allow us to do that.

    Again, thank you all for your share idea.

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