Need Info - Another new fee?

[Art at ISP]

I need to ask for some verification here -- one of our members just informed me that a new policy took effect midnight Feb 3 with regard to telephone charges during weather waivers....

This member is a Platinum DM member, and he called to change a flight in conjunction with a valid weather waiver. The phone agent told him that while the $150 change fee could be waived, the new policy as of Feb 3 is that there is a $25 phone fee for using an agent on the phone, and that it could not be waived for any elite members...

IF true, we will challenge this at the highest levels - can anyone please provide confirmation that this is in fact a new policy?

It's not fair to waive fees on one hand, just to introduce a new fee on the other. Free changes in times of distressed travel due to weather should be just that -- FREE......where will it end?

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

My BEST to you all...

 

[sonny]

I need to ask for some verification here -- one of our members just informed me that a new policy took effect midnight Feb 3 with regard to telephone charges during weather waivers....

This member is a Platinum DM member, and he called to change a flight in conjunction with a valid weather waiver. The phone agent told him that while the $150 change fee could be waived, the new policy as of Feb 3 is that there is a $25 phone fee for using an agent on the phone, and that it could not be waived for any elite members...

IF true, we will challenge this at the highest levels - can anyone please provide confirmation that this is in fact a new policy?

It's not fair to waive fees on one hand, just to introduce a new fee on the other. Free changes in times of distressed travel due to weather should be just that -- FREE......where will it end?

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

My BEST to you all...

 

[sonny]

Yes Art, They are at it again...Just think of what the frontline employee are doing to hear. If you did not paid the ticketing fee than any reissues at the airport or Res 35.oo ato 25.00 res God help us

 

[SS255]

Yes Art, They are at it again...Just think of what the frontline employee are doing to hear. If you did not paid the ticketing fee than any reissues at the airport or Res 35.oo ato 25.00 res God help us

Seriously? For weather waivers??? At the US Club, too??? I'm speechless! No customer (regardless of elite status) should ever have to pay $25 to call an airline to get re-booked due to severe weather impacting their flights, or to get re-booked at the airport when their flight gets cancelled or severely delayed to point that they will certainly mis-connect. The airlines are always stating that "weather" is not their fault, so they should not have to pay to take care of stranded customers. It's not the customer's fault either, so they should not have to pay the airline extra to not become a stranded customer!!!

In addition to the complete lack of customer service evidenced by this new policy, imagine how much longer it's going to take now to move people through the Special Services line. What's the first thing that customers are told when they are sitting at the gate and their flight gets cancelled due to weather? Go to Special Services. This policy is a disaster waiting to happen.

Has this policy been published in writing? Can somebody please post it? I am flying US this weekend in paid F, and now I'm really starting to regret my decision. The forecast as of now looks good, but we all know that forecasts 6 days out can change. I'd like to know what US's policy is in the event that my flights this weekend or my return in two weeks get affected by severe weather.

 

[PBI2FLL]

The 25.00/35.00 res/ato ticketing fee applies to VOLUNTARY reissues ONLY! NOT INVOLUNTARY REROUTES! Although I might not agree with this new res/ato reissue fee, please get your facts straight, people! Chairman's Preferred members are exempt from this extra fee and also the standard airport ticketing fee as well, if they choose to purchase/reissue their tickets at the airport.

 

[Art at ISP]

PBI2FLL,

This is what we needed to know- thank you for providing the information. While it is still just wrong, this does change things as far as our member's complaint-which appears to be a case of a poorly trained agent.

That said, if US is the only airline charging this fee, it will continue to cost much more than it brings in.

 

[tadjr]

They are wanting people to go online to us.com and change their flights there so they dont have to pay the fee (no agent involved to pay). If the fee was paid when the ticket was first done (ie- on the phone or at the airport), the ticketing fee does not apply again if a change is made. It is only supposed to be charged if a fee hasnt been done (ie- booked online either via us.com, another online agency or via a travel agent.) So, if you book via a travel agent and want a vol change, they want you to go back to the travel agent to change the ticket OR pay the ticketing fee for US changing a ticket voluntarily.
This also doesnt apply to moveups same day of dept since those tickets arent reissued, but are adjusted.

 

[Art at ISP]

Thanks Tad-but to confirm, they do NOT apply in the event of IRROPS correct?

The fact remains still that if they are the ONLY airline to have this policy it will hurt them in the long run...

There is a point where they just become uncompetitive...and that point may be approaching.

If the member who first reported this was charged for the transaction during a weather waiver, he should be given a refund without question.

 

[USFlyer]

Thanks Tad-but to confirm, they do NOT apply in the event of IRROPS correct?

The fact remains still that if they are the ONLY airline to have this policy it will hurt them in the long run...

There is a point where they just become uncompetitive...and that point may be approaching.

If the member who first reported this was charged for the transaction during a weather waiver, he should be given a refund without question.

Sounds like there is a difference between IRROPS and a weather waiver. With a weather waiver one could opt to change one's flights before the scheduled departure for a $25 fee ... as a preemptive measure, if the passenger didn't feel like he/she could make it to the airport, etc. If the passenger chooses to retain his/her original itinerary and the flight ultimately cancels, then this is IRROPS and there would be no fee.

Seems like there is an easy way to avoid this. Use usairways.com or go back to your original place of issue. For most of us who travel for business, we're required to use our corporate travel agency for all reissues anyway.

 

[Art at ISP]

Sounds like there is a difference between IRROPS and a weather waiver. With a weather waiver one could opt to change one's flights before the scheduled departure for a $25 fee ... as a preemptive measure, if the passenger didn't feel like he/she could make it to the airport, etc. If the passenger chooses to retain his/her original itinerary and the flight ultimately cancels, then this is IRROPS and there would be no fee.

Seems like there is an easy way to avoid this. Use usairways.com or go back to your original place of issue. For most of us who travel for business, we're required to use our corporate travel agency for all reissues anyway.

I agree to a point, but a waiver is a waiver is a waiver-if it is before or during the travel... There should be NO cost at all to the customer in the event of a weather waiver. Why penalize someone for thinking ahead and who will already have their issue resolved before the crunch hits?

Again-we are trying to be fair and get the facts before we act, but if US remains alone in this policy it will cost them alot more in the long run than whatever revenue it generates-another case of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. This fee nonsense is approaching the tipping point for many people--for ALL airlines.

 

[SS255]

I agree that customers should use all online tools available to them, when and if possible. The fact remains, however, that it's not always as simple as that. When you are trying to re-arrange your plans to stay a step ahead of the weather, chances are, everybody else is, as well, which could lead to scenarios where you just need to pick up the phone and speak to a real person (even if that real person is in El Salvador). Anything other than a fairly simple switch will inevitably result in a phone call to US, and when you are in the middle of a trip, you do not always have internet access.

Airlines should not prey on their customers when they are at their most vulnerable.

 

[dash8roa]

Seems that US only makes money on fees,so to counteract higher fuel costs,they just add more fees.They still are the only carrier to add a so called processing fee when frequent flyers redeem their miles for tickets on line.This transaction does not involve a res agent,so US does not incur a labor cost.

The pool of frequent flyers must be dwindling as other carriers do not penalize their frequent flyers.

 

[john john]

please get your facts straight, people!

So if you fall in the waver dates and your flight has not cancel is it a VOLUNTARY reissues or INVOLUNTARY reissue.
What if change is a different destinations ?
What if you want a full refund?
What if you elect to go sooner or later out side of the waver dates?
What if you want to used the full price ticket amount at a later date ?
How nice to exempt the Chairman's Preferred in all of this ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Art at ISP]

If you fall inside the waiver dates, and act proactively, it is allowed under the waiver, and there should be NO cost to the customer....as it is elsewhere.
I mean really, you want to penalize someone for thinking ahead, and saying--hmm...rather than get stuck and have to deal with it then, I'll take action NOW, and be one less distressed customer the company has to deal with?

I am not sure about changing destinations, except if it will be a trip in vain.
No one said anything about refunds, again unless it becomes a trip in vain, in which case a voucher in the full amount would be appropriate ..
Again-if you act outside the waiver dates, you don't get the waiver.

Damn straight you exempt Chairmans Preferred -- who keep putting food on your plate..... Do you want the $150 now, and risk $15K or more during the rest of the year? I think not.

Yes it's a business...but a good business recognizes its most loyal customers....and I will add that I do not consider someone who tricks the system to get status loyal....I also think that Chairmans Preferred should be based on BUTT IN SEAT flying.