Airline problems....Again!

[bonniejoy03]

In summary, I called USAir to check our flights because there was an inconsistency on the reservation. Resolved. The next day, I looked at the flight again and the status said "Refund requested!" CRAZY!! Thank goodness I was transferred to a great supervisor in NC and she had no idea what and how this could have happened. (it is a non-refundable ticket.) She planned to call accounting Monday morning. She called Monday and they issued my refund already!! Even she couldn't believe the speed of this process. Now, she is in the process of recreating our reservation while I wait for the credit card to get credited before I give the card again to get our tickets back! Unbelievable. Does this just happen to me?????? Do you think (after it is resolved) that I should send a complaint to USAir?

[omegaet]

In summary, I called USAir to check our flights because there was an inconsistency on the reservation. Resolved. The next day, I looked at the flight again and the status said "Refund requested!" CRAZY!! Thank goodness I was transferred to a great supervisor in NC and she had no idea what and how this could have happened. (it is a non-refundable ticket.) She planned to call accounting Monday morning. She called Monday and they issued my refund already!! Even she couldn't believe the speed of this process. Now, she is in the process of recreating our reservation while I wait for the credit card to get credited before I give the card again to get our tickets back! Unbelievable. Does this just happen to me?????? Do you think (after it is resolved) that I should send a complaint to USAir?

bonniejoy03....of course, write the letter...it will make you feel better. However, don't expect USAir to respond or give you any satisfaction. We continue to experience sub par travel performances with USAir and only fly them when no other options are available.

[shygirl724]

Bonneyjoy03,

I don't usually fly US Air, but I would agree with Omegaet, write the letter. My hubby is a master at these types of letters and it is amazing the response he sometimes gets. (My favorite was a personal phone call he received from Michael Dell @ Dell Computers to discuss his complaint letter to the company - followed by some free new hardware.) Many companies may blow it off, but you just never know.

His formula is:
Always complain in writing - it provides a written document of the complaint.
Make a call and find out who to direct the letter to, whether an individual or department. Don't be afraid to cc the CEO and any 3rd party vendor involved (i.e. - American Express Travel if you booked the flight thru them).
Let them know your customer status - i.e. FF, long time loyal customer, or even a new customer concerned about doing further business with them. Don't fudge here - they can check the records. Exagerating here will lead them to think the rest of your complaint is not accurate.
Be polite and specific - rants get your complaint tossed in the trash.
Praise anyone who helped along the way to highlight the good and contrast with the bad - it helps them define and focus on the specific issue. (Just writing that they have crappy customer service won't go anywhere.)
Provide your contact information and offer to discuss the matter further if they wish to contact you.

Best of luck. Who knows, maybe you will get a discount on future flights.

Shy ~

[[email protected]]

I agree - write that letter to the highest up person you can find a name for - I always do and usually get pretty good results. Sunstnadard customer service, etc. is no longer acceptable and folks need to start filing complainst and get the point acrross that we will not take it anymore!
Good luck with the ticket problem

[jmbklj]

Yes, you should write a letter and I think that snail mail communications get more attention than emails.

I also normally avoid US Scare since I'm Platinum on Delta but - horror of horrors - just last night I had to book a flight on US Air. The fare difference was just too much to ignore. And I may have to book another one for a trip to Phoenix in April. I've been searching for weeks. The Delta fares are out of sight, and even Southwest fares are not so good as they used to be.

[thepiranha]

Definitely write a letter and don't be surprised if you get a credit for a future USAir flight.

[ShiningLight]

BonnieJoy,

To Mr Shygirl's excellent complaint letter suggestions, I would add the following:

At the end of the letter; give them two choices which would right the wrong, and/or keep you as a customer.

Try to keep it to one page. Write it, check it an hour or a day later, then rewrite it again.

I had a high school English teacher (Mr Clark!), who suggested whenever we wrote something, at the end, answer the question, "So What?!" This 'so what?' is not the cynical phrase it has become, but helps bring a topic to a conclusion. It works for a letter, an essay or a PhD thesis.

In this case, as I understand it from your post, you could praise the NC supervisor who is trying to dig you out of the problem, but then point out that if you hadn't checked, had gotten to the airport, and your flight had been denied, they would have a bigger mess on their hands.

You know if this happens again to you or others, not fixing this procedure, will cause more work as THEIR employees are tied up resolving such situations, not to mention additional unhappy customers. You can point out that YOUR time has been compromised, by having to deal with THEIR mistake, poor procedure.

That is the "so what," and why they should care.

Good luck!

[bonniejoy03]

Thank you all!!! I have been watching my cc for the refund (FULL REFUND ON A NON-REFUNDABLE TICKET!). The NC supervisor is due to call back on Monday to hopefully charge my cc again for the previous ticket. Hey, she was soo nice and said she would "give" me the same price as the previous ticket! Very nice of her. (I am being sarcastic). I am waiting until I have the new tickets, new price, and new seats before I send a note. I had planned to use their website and send my complaint through that area. I thought it might get more attention and then follow up with a letter to USAir....

[bonniejoy03]

Outcome: Got the cc credit and called USAir and tracked down our NC supervisor. She debited our cc to repurchase our tickets. Just for fun I asked for an upgrade or any bonus and she said she couldn't do this! She found out that my record said I was travelling through Puerto Vallerta on a different flight they cancelled. (I was travelling to St. Maarten!) So, it sounds like the original reservationist was planning to cancel someone else's reservation and not my info. I will be sending my letter to usair. I am fortunate to have found the supervisor from NC. She was absolutely fantastic and proactive. She complimented me on being on top of this problem and figuring it out before our flight in July. She said that would have been a mess.....(*do you think??!!!!!)

[kyshel]

That's a wee bit scary....not a routing I'd prefer, but I HAVE done a few odd standby flights to get to some places!!
Good luck with your letter.