Us Airways Refused To Take My $25

[JS]

I bought a ticket on flight 49 PHL-CLT and wanted to stand by for flight 2763. Flight 49 leaves at 3:30 PM and 2763 leaves at 1:55 PM. 2763 makes a stop in CHO and arrives CLT at the same time as 49.

I'm sure it is odd that someone would want to pay $25 to leave earlier only to arrive at the same time, but I was willing to pay the fee.

I went in to PHL terminal F, and the agent at the ticket counter said that she didn't think she could do that. She asked a supervisor, and he spent about two seconds thinking about it, and shook his head and said "NO".

I walked to terminal B and asked another person, and he said it would be no problem, but now it is just under 30 minutes before departure, and he can't put my checked luggage on the flight.

I asked if he could put my luggage on flight 49, since it arrives CLT at the same time (actually connecting there, with plenty of layover time), and he said no. WTF? I've had bags re-routed to be on a different plane before, and besides, PPBM is no longer necessary now that all bags are screened.

Sure, $25 won't save the company, but when US Airways refuses to accept $25 just to switch to another flight leaving 1.5 hours sooner, I have to wonder how many millions of dollars in total are being left on the table for various reasons.

I should also add that I had two other occasions over the last two weeks where I wanted to stand by and no fee was charged. In one case (also at PHL), the agent changed my flight and didn't charge me. I didn't ask for a waiver, and I was willing to pay $25 to leave two hours sooner. The second occasion was an Express station where they couldn't figure out how to charge the $25, but they were able to change the ticket.

In two weeks, that's $75 down the tubes!

 

[700UW]

TSA regulations, you have to be on the same flight as your baggage.

 

[JS]

TSA regulations, you have to be on the same flight as your baggage.

[post="198968"][/post]​

The week before, I had two tickets -- one to PHL and one from PHL with a 5 hour layover. At check-in, I asked if the bag could be checked all the way through to my destination, and they said yes. The computer spit out CLT-PHL,PHL-PIT, but when I picked up my bag at my destination, there was a handwritten sticker over that that said CLT-PIT. My bag did not go on the same flight as I did, and it wasn't because of a mis-connection. They purposely sent the bag straight to PIT, which makes sense and isn't dangerous because all bags are screened now.

 

[pitflyer]

The week before, I had two tickets -- one to PHL and one from PHL with a 5 hour layover. At check-in, I asked if the bag could be checked all the way through to my destination, and they said yes. The computer spit out CLT-PHL,PHL-PIT, but when I picked up my bag at my destination, there was a handwritten sticker over that that said CLT-PIT. My bag did not go on the same flight as I did, and it wasn't because of a mis-connection. They purposely sent the bag straight to PIT, which makes sense and isn't dangerous because all bags are screened now.

[post="198972"][/post]​

The rule is the AIRLINE can reroute your bag , but you can't purposely reroute yourself when you have checked bags without the airline moving your bags (and hence why most airlines won't let you reroute even if it makes perfect sense due to the extra work).

I was hit by this restriction on one flight before I understood, as were the folks in the Amazing Race 5, possibly causing their loss

 

[tadjr]

TSA regulations, you have to be on the same flight as your baggage.

[post="198968"][/post]​

Not exactly true for domestic flights anymore. It seems that these scenarios all depend on the agent. Even with people I've been working next to. Some will move people and VS the bags, others just say no.

 

[bobcat]

JS

Why do you think the agents didn't take your money?

To many it seems that a lot of money is not being collected like change fees, standby fees, difference in fare when tickets are changed and the $5.00 booking fee. Hmmmmm it seems like it all started at the end in October.

So, what do you think?

 

[JS]

JS

Why do you think the agents didn't take your money?

To many it seems that a lot of money is not being collected like change fees, standby fees, difference in fare when tickets are changed and the $5.00 booking fee. Hmmmmm it seems like it all started at the end in October.

So, what do you think?

[post="199026"][/post]​

I have no idea. All I know is that the people in Terminal F would not let me stand by, but the agent in Terminal B would (if it weren't for the checked bag).

 

[Trin03]

TSA regulations, you have to be on the same flight as your baggage.

[post="198968"][/post]​

That's BS! It happens all the time. A big problem with our agents/training is that the only consistancy is no consistancy.

What one agents is willing to do correctly, another is too lazy to do it or ask someone how to do it. I have worked next to agents who are like both types I mentioned above.

:down:

 

[CS AGENT]

Could have been a differant situation altogether...If the flight made a stop in CHO, I would look at the booking from CHO to CLT to see if it was overbooked, as the first agent and supervisor could have done. If it was I would say no, Instead of creating an oversale out of CHO. A Lot of agents don't do this that haven't worked the gate and had to deal with an oversale caused by this. Happens in CLT all the time from PHL. EX: PHL-CLT-MCO. The rules say if standby, must be able to clear them to the final stop. If that was the case, First agent and Sup were right, and the others didn't even look.

 

[28yrsnojob]

Most ticket agents dont care .To many entries to collect excess charges
they dont care,at least the ones i talked to.they just want to get the pas away from them as fast a possible. they have had it with the way the company has treated them.

 

[JS]

Could have been a differant situation altogether...If the flight made a stop in CHO, I would look at the booking from CHO to CLT to see if it was overbooked, as the first agent and supervisor could have done. If it was I would say no, Instead of creating an oversale out of CHO. A Lot of agents don't do this that haven't worked the gate and had to deal with an oversale caused by this. Happens in CLT all the time from PHL. EX: PHL-CLT-MCO. The rules say if standby, must be able to clear them to the final stop. If that was the case, First agent and Sup were right, and the others didn't even look.

[post="199197"][/post]​

I don't know if they looked at the loads, but if they did, it's not the reason for refusal. I checked availability the day before, and it was wide open (7's across the board in the seat inventory).