US Airways Customer's Opinions and Comments

[longing4piedmont]

I realize that you have your response but Im still wondering .. ya know ...curiosity... I feel like I dont know who shot JR?

Would love to share it here, but it was a private request and I'm not sure that would be appropriate now that I have had a response. Sorry......

 

[rc11262000]

Newbie here: one who registered because he had to have a place to "vent" the latest episode.

First, some context: I'm a Charlotte resident, who's been a "gold" level participant in the US Airways Dividend Miles program for quite a few years in a row. I needed to fly from Atlanta to San Jose over a recent weekend.

The Critical Mistake: I had the audacity to book code-shared, America West flights via the US Airways website.

First Hint of Big Trouble: Almost immediately, when the website wouldn't let me make my seat selections.

Second Hint of Big Trouble: When I was assigned TWO locator codes; one for US Airways and the other for America West.

I now know that I never should have hit the "Purchase Ticket" button; but, I did...and, God knows, how I paid for it from then on.

I won't take you through all the gory details. Suffice to say that seat selection and attention to the upgrade cues was an absolute nightmare. Neither side's call center seemed capable of answering what would normally be the simplest questions, and customarily routine actions like online check-in were an impossibility.

The lone bright spots in the whole ordeal were the numerous, sympathetic people with whom I spoke in both airlines' call centers. They'd routinely try to help me; but, were generally stymied by the inadequacies of their separate, uncommunicative computer systems.

I use the plural for "airline" because it's painfully obvious that no merger has taken place here from the customer's perspective. It's a screwed up mess; and, if I didn't live in Charlotte and have to fly US Airways, I wouldn't.

So, at the very least, the moral to the story for someone like me is that I won't EVER book another code-shared flight off of either airline's website. If I'm led to the other carrier, I'll sign off of whichever one I'm on and perform the transaction on the site whose airline is directly involved.

Meanwhile, I'd ask management (as I already have via a message to America West's customer service department) to refrain from referring to the two airlines as "merged." Currently, that's a lie in any meaningful sense from the customer's perspective.

 

[Travels2mch]

Newbie here: one who registered because he had to have a place to "vent" the latest episode.

Welcome.....a friend/coworker of mine from CLT just had a huge problem trying to get home to CLT from the west coast last week.....don't remember all of the details, but it involved US rebooking her through PHL, but America West saying that was not true and sent her to PHX, and she ended up having to spend the whole day in PHX and taking the red eye home. She wasn't a happy camper!!

 

[rc11262000]

Thanks for the "welcomes."

Yes, I'd complain to the DOT. I sent my message to the customer service department last week; and, so far, no response. What's considered an appropriate period of time to give them, and what's the most expeditious way of filing my complaint?

Thanks very much.

 

[PhxMama]

Would love to share it here, but it was a private request and I'm not sure that would be appropriate now that I have had a response. Sorry......

L4p, I was only kidding. Im happy they finally responded and i hope the outcome was to your liking! Regards.

 

[PhxMama]

Thanks for the "welcomes."

Yes, I'd complain to the DOT. I sent my message to the customer service department last week; and, so far, no response. What's considered an appropriate period of time to give them, and what's the most expeditious way of filing my complaint?

Thanks very much.

Let me also welcome you aboard. I dont know the answer to your question, Ill leave that to someone with more knowlege. I will apologize on behalf of the company for your inexcusable grief. Many of us deal with this situation all day long as we answer fons and are as frustrated as you. We would love to be able to answer your questions, assign your seats and process your upgrade if we had the ability. Why they have tried to merge the calls when the computers have not been integrated is beyond me. Its unfair to our loyal pax to involve you in this painful process when it is not necessary. They should have left the calls seperate until they had it figured out. I wish your first posts on this board were due to exceptional customer service. If you have any questions that can be answered without relating directly to your PNR, please post as many of us would try to respond. I hope that your future trvl is smooth sailing. Let me tell you that you are more travel savy than most and at least understand the codeshare aspect of the airlines. Its always a pleasure to help one of our elites and again Im sorry for the agony.

 

[tadjr]

I understand how many of you feel, although I am lucky enough to have access to both Sabre and QIK so what cant be handled in one computer requires a walk of about 5 feet to the other computer system to attempt to correct. When that doesnt work as it should, we make it up! The interface between the systems is horrible. If it can be done between US and UA (who arent supposedly one carrier) I dont understand why it cant be done with US and HP who should be able to have complete access to each others systems. I hope its just a little computer problem, although I have been hearing NOV as a time frame for eticket problems to maybe come under control. Until then, I think the company needs to have more "We are one, only different" signs or something along those lines. You either have the people who think we are one company already and cant understand why they cant do what they want (online checkin, kiosk checkin, etc) or those who have no clue that we have merged at all (why does this say US?). They need to make it more clear that they are still WORKING on getting the two companies merged and there are going to be hiccups along the way. To pretend that we are already one company is not doing right to our customers or to the employees who, once again, are stuck trying to make things work with a broken system in place.

 

[MarkMyWords]

Not that it will make much of a difference to the Customers that have been wating a response from Customer Relations, but they have been trying to hire people for that department. The job posting has been in the COB (Career Opportunity Bulletines) for the last month. So they are trying to get people in place to take the calls, answer the e-mails, etc.

I can't speak to why people are not getting reponses back from the Executive level.

 

[FCYTravis]

Not that it will make much of a difference to the Customers that have been wating a response from Customer Relations, but they have been trying to hire people for that department.

Heh. I was just browsing the awa.com job boards... Tempe is hiring for a media relations/PR position, too. The qualifications and requirements are right up my alley.

Maybe I should apply

 

[Barbell]

Maybe I should apply

We, I mean they, would love to have you.

 

[PhxMama]

Heh. I was just browsing the awa.com job boards... Tempe is hiring for a media relations/PR position, too. The qualifications and requirements are right up my alley.

Maybe I should apply

Why dont you? I would leave my job(with the other company I work for) and come work for you! ...I can say "no comment", "we are looking into it", "its a transition time", "pardon our dust" "at this time no decision has been made", "we are looking into it" and "I'm sorry". Those are my qualifications. Im sure I would be quite an asset!

 

[US1YFARE]

The qualifications and requirements are right up my alley.

What are those? Don't do anything to promote new service? The ability not to follow-through and only think things 1/2 way out? The ability to alienate the airline's best customers?

 

[longing4piedmont]

Would love to share it here, but it was a private request and I'm not sure that would be appropriate now that I have had a response. Sorry......

Well there appears to be more to the story....

A fellow roach met Mr. Parker today and he happened to ask him about the request that was made of him. He was not aware of the request, so it appears the answer I received back from a senior member of management may have been bogus.......

I'm not going to pursue it, but it does put a bad taste back in my mouth.

 

[Barbell]

With all due respect, and I'm by no means defending him, but Doug Parker can't be tied down with all the minutia that comes his way. From what I can tell having been posted on here you received a response from Elise Eberwein, a Senior VP. Things such as that request would appropriately fall under the top executive of communications and culture integration. Isn't it good management to delegate out to the right people? Or is it only good management when it's someone else's request?

And while Ms. Thompson may have gotten a candle "or something, which is far less than what FFOCUS was offering" I'm sure she'll be able to console herself with the cool $25 million severance and lifetime positive-space F class travel for her and immediate family that were offered as part of the standard executive severance packages.

 

[FCYTravis]

$25 million severance? :blink:

Wasn't this airline just bankrupt?