WalMart, etc

[7.5victim]

In the past I was loyal, but I've found that the Big 6 carriers are no longer willing to show any loyalty to me.

Just last week I needed to get home early from SEA to CLE because of a death in the family. The wife faxed the obit to me. Exact same IAH connection, just one day early. I had called my travel agent, who told me that seats were available in the exact same class I was booked in. I went directly to the counter to change the ticket. I already knew about no waivers or favors, but I hoped the obit and my CO plat card had some effect. The only thing that had any effect was my AMEX plat card, charging that $100. Guess what? That $100 was what pushed me over the top. I can fly WN for no more than $299 each way, connect once in MDW as opposed to out of the way IAH. If I needed to get home early, and a seat was available in the same class, I would've been changed without a fee. My platinum CO card will become silver next year, and I'll fly WN more, because they are trying to make flying easier, not harder!

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 10/15/2002 1:03:47 PM JI Guy wrote:
[P]Hey Im NOT a govt. worker and we NEVER got Columbus Day off...So, cut me a break! [/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]YOu should consider a career in banking then. You'll get Columbus day and more off. The pay stinks though. [/P]

 

[kkcwd]

I always seem to read about paxs having emergencys and needing to change their reservations to earlier flts.Eventhough it may sound cold hearted what other business gives a discount due to you if you have a personal crisis.You dont get a discount on a suit,you dont get a discount on hotels,the funeral home certinly doesnt give you a discount why should an airline.If you have to drop off a car at a different location because you need to attend a funeral do they waive a svc chg.How easy is it to get a doctors not to justify a medical emergency.Airlines had to draw a line in the sand and unfortunately the people with no morals or ethics have ruined it for the people who have a legitimate reason to ask for an exception

 

[kkcwd]

It costs nothing for an airline to chg your res but unfortunately its an aggreement entered into between a customer and a company.Just like any other contract is should be adhered to.As a consumer if I am made aware of the rules before I purchase than I should expect to pay any additional fees involved in changing that contract.It is riculous for an airline to hide behind administraive fees if thats their reasoning for a change fee.I have worked this from both angle in the airline business.The reservatioon part and the complaint resolution part and I cant begin to tell you how difficult it is to adhere to all fare rules if you have one bit of compassion.However for every one honest person there is one dishonest and to be fair to all we must remain consistant..

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 10/15/2002 329 PM kkcwd wrote:
[P]I always seem to read about paxs having emergencys and needing to change their reservations to earlier flts.Eventhough it may sound cold hearted what other business gives a discount due to you if you have a personal crisis.You dont get a discount on a suit,you dont get a discount on hotels,the funeral home certinly doesnt give you a discount why should an airline.If you have to drop off a car at a different location because you need to attend a funeral do they waive a svc chg.How easy is it to get a doctors not to justify a medical emergency.Airlines had to draw a line in the sand and unfortunately the people with no morals or ethics have ruined it for the people who have a legitimate reason to ask for an exception[/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]Nor should they. But my point about value is this - does it really cost an airline a hundred bucks to type a change into a reservations system because plans can and do change? I don't even mind paying up to whatever the available fare for the new flight is (within reason)...the $100 fees are nothing more than skyway robbery. And use it or lose it is the same, as long as the tickets remain non transferable. [/P]

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 10/15/2002 4:29:08 PM kkcwd wrote:
[P]It costs nothing for an airline to chg your res but unfortunately its an aggreement entered into between a customer and a company.Just like any other contract is should be adhered to.As a consumer if I am made aware of the rules before I purchase than I should expect to pay any additional fees involved in changing that contract.It is riculous for an airline to hide behind administraive fees if thats their reasoning for a change fee.I have worked this from both angle in the airline business.The reservatioon part and the complaint resolution part and I cant begin to tell you how difficult it is to adhere to all fare rules if you have one bit of compassion.However for every one honest person there is one dishonest and to be fair to all we must remain consistant..[/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]Eliminate the fees and use it or lose it rules and the problem is solved. There are already critical articles appearing about how business and leisure travellers are upset at being nickled and dimed by the airlines. Yes, the airline ticket is a contract, and there is a term in contract law: unconscionability, and I kind of feel that that's what these rules are. [/P]
[P]The Webster's defines it as this: 1: not guided or controlled by conscience: unscrupulous, 2a: excessive, exorbitant, b: lying outside the limits of what is reasonable or acceptable: shockingly unfair, harsh, or unjust: outrageous. The common law interpretation of the term unconscionable is a term that is oppressive or that gives the stronger party an [FONT style=BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff33]unfair advantage [/FONT]over the weaker party.[/P]
[P]Think about that for a minute. The ticket isn't transferable, if it isn't used, the value is lost, if a change is made, be it one day or three months before a travel date, a hundred dollar fee is assessed, plus any additional airfare is charged. It sure seems to me like the stronger parties have a definite unfair advantage over the weaker parties (the customer). [/P]

 

[oldiebutgoody]

I think that the fair solution to the $100 ticket change policy is this: all ticket changes SHOULD BE allowed; the customer then pays the difference between the fare available on the change day and the day the ticket was originally issued. This is only fair, since there is a premium charged as the travel date gets closer. This is generally true on ALL carriers, even the low fare ones. What is unfair, and the people who do it know, is purchasing tickets at highly discounted fares long before the travel date, then expecting to change it to what they really want as the travel day or time approaches. The key to this entire situation is the concept of what's fair for both sides. Just because some folks were allowed to lie, cheat and steal in the past does not make it right, and they know it. Also, the airlines should stop all of the weird pricing schemes which make playing these games profitable for the few who insist on playing them.

 

[KCFlyer]

I have no problem with that oldie - I know I point to Southwest far too often, but that's exactly what they do. If you change, you may have to pay up to whatever fare is available, but you aren't penalized. Not a problem, and it keeps folks from doing what you describe. Prior to the $100 to stand by fee that was implemented, everyone pointed out that the big disadvantage to Southwest was that you had to upgrade to full fare to stand by. All they are doing is charging the applicable fare. But for those who can't fathom paying full fare to stand by, just call the reservations number and tell them you want on the earlier flight. Show up at the airport, pay the extra, then get in the first boarding group. The only thing the other majors need to do is to get some saner airfares. I've gone on ad nauseum about that, only to be told that they CAN'T until they get their costs under control. Still trying to figure that one out.

 

[hopethingswillbeok]

SOUTHWEST CAN HAVE ALL OF THESE CON MEN AND WOMEN.....I HAD A FAMILY, THAT CHANGED THEIR RESERVATION A DAY EARLIER, BECAUSE THE DAD SAID IT WAS MEDICAL AND WE NEEDED TO WAIVE THE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER TICKET.....TOTAL OF FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS.......BECAUSE THE BABY HAD DIAPER RASH......WELL ANYWAY REFUSED TO WATCH AND SAW THE FAMILY OF FOUR KISSING OTHER FAMILY MEMEBERS FLYING OUT ON THE SAME DAY DIFFERENT AIRLINE GOOD BYE......THEY ARE LETTING THIS BABY WITH THE RASH PLAY IN THE DIRTY PLAY AREA AT THE GATE, JUST SIT ON THE DIRTY FLOOR IN ONLY A DIAPER ON THE DIRTY PLAY AREA.....BUT THE DADDY CURSED ME FROM HEAD TO TOE FOR NOT WAIVING THE FEE.....SO LET THESE PEOPLE WITH ALL OF THEIR LIES FLY SOUTHWEST......JUST DON'T WANT TO FLY ON THEM, DON'T WANT TO BE ON AN AIRCRAFT WITH A BUNCH OF LIARS.....GOD COULD STRIKE BACK ANYDAY.......AND DON'T WANT TO BE ON THERE WITH THEM

 

[N628AU]

This is the perfect axample of why the airlines decided to play hardball. A diaper rash is hardly a medical emergency. Did they have any kind of documentation from a physician in the area about it? I doubt it. If you had a medical emergency with any of your children, would you hesitate to seek medical attention as quickly as humanly possible. I do not have children, but if I did I can tell you if I though I had a medical emergency with one of mine I would go wherever I had to go to, in order to have my kid thoroughly examined. This whole fare mess is a combination of convulted ticketing policies and those always trying to beat the system. The airlines have to step up and take their share of the blame, but morons like that Peter Greenberg guy on The Today Show need to be put in their place. This guy is making a career out of trying to screw an industry out of money for providing a service.

 

[KCFlyer]

[BR]Therein lies your problem. Liars and thieves only fly Southwest. Please justify this for me hope...CLT-MCI out on 10/18 banck on 10/22. The fare? $1,100. Want to save some money? Here's U's solution (courtesy of the U website) - CLT-GSO-BWI-MCI return MCI-PIT-GSO-CLT, 12 hours travel time each way and all for the bargain fare of $828...and THAT fare is subject to $100 change fees and use it or lose it rules. If my meeting runs long, I could spend all kinds of extra $$ so the airline could accomodate me on a $900 ticket. [BR][BR]You're losing freaking customers in CLT who will drive a couple of hours to RDU and pay no more than $375 ROUND TRIP...no fees, no extra charges...nothing. You're losing customers all around your system because you aren't providing one whit of value. You know, U could easily offer a $600 round trip nonstop from CLT to MCI, but they don't. They restrict the hell out of their fares, and then customers who need to change face abuse from agents. YOu don't want those passengers? Southwest, JetBlue and Airtran will take them. You folks don't realize that YOUR EMPLOYER makes these idotic rules that only ENCOURAGE people to abuse them. And you somehow think those change fees and restrictions should be applauded. Un-freaking-believable.

 

[jcrb]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 10/15/2002 329 PM kkcwd wrote:

Eventhough it may sound cold hearted what other business gives a discount due to you if you have a personal crisis.You dont get a discount on a suit
----------------
[/blockquote]

On a slightly more apt comparision, I had to buy a suit/coat/etc for a funeral a while back, and had to leave the next afternoon, they asked me if 10am tomorrow was too later for them to do the alterations. It was, so they said will 2 hours from now do?, They didn't even offer same day alterations as a service.

Did they charge me for rush service?
No.

Did they get all of my business until I moved to a different state?
Yes.

 

[jcrb]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 10/15/2002 8:33:06 PM hopethingswillbeok wrote:
JUST DON'T WANT TO FLY ON THEM, DON'T WANT TO BE ON AN AIRCRAFT WITH A BUNCH OF LIARS.....GOD COULD STRIKE BACK ANYDAY.......AND DON'T WANT TO BE ON THERE WITH THEM
----------------
[/blockquote]

you need professional help