US AIR is trying to ruin my WDW Vacation!

[MAH4546]

You're not entitled to a refund if your flight goes from a N/S to a connecting flight.

An airline is not required to give you a refund, but 99.9% of the time, a refund will be given.

 

[Minnesota!]

You really need to sit down and read the Terms and Conditions of your contract that you "signed" when you bought your tickets. They can (and will...as will MOST every other carrier out there) change your flight around at least 1x...if not more.

Truly, this is you guys' fault, in the end, for taking the super early flight. You could have left later...with a connection (which really aren't that big of a deal). Suck it up as a lesson learned and enjoy your vacation anyway...you are in the Mouse's House! Can you change your tickets to 1 day less (granted, it's only about $8/person cheaper, but $8*12 people = $96 saved!).

And your blog is hard to read - it reallllllly hurts my eyes to have the miniscule white on black.

 

[Lewisc]

An airline is not required to give you a refund, but 99.9% of the time, a refund will be given.

You only quoted part of my post. I said the OP might have been able to get a refund if she booked directly with US Air. Booking through Orbitz means US Air is unable to give a refund directly to the OP. Any refund as to go through Orbitz and is not just subject to US Air's terms but also Orbitz.

 

[Tracy00]

Interesting to read some of the comments, emails and PM's I've received.

I've actually posted an update to my original blog post here... http://www.the3dstudio.com/blog_detail.aspx?id=718.

My original intention in posting was a combo between wanting to warn people that are thinking of flying US Air (never had a problem on any other airline over many, many flights) and more of an attention getter to the people who can help me.

Because it was meant to be an attention getter, I used a post title like the one you see here. Do I really think the powers that be at US Air are sitting around and trying to ruin my vacation? Get a grip, people. It's sarcasm and attention getting. See how well it worked here, although there are a few that had a little trouble with the sarcasm. And because of the attention my post has received, I fully expect this situation to be resolved to my satisfaction in the end. As I am a reasonable person, I usually get what I want.

I sure hope many of you have a Disney Vacation planned in the near future - it sounds like many of you are due for a healthy dose of Pixie Dust and Magic!

 

[kaytieeldr]

My original intention in posting was a combo between wanting to warn people that are thinking of flying US Air (never had a problem on any other airline over many, many flights) and more of an attention getter to the people who can help me.

As you should have seen from some of the posts, flight cancellations/changes are pretty common now. Pretty much EVERY airline has received similar attention just on this forum over the last few years. Simply because you haven't had a problem on any other airline - or on US Airways until now, apparently - should in no way be taken to mean it doesn't happen with relative frequency. Not a lot; not on every flight or every day by any means, but it happens.

As has been posted several times, YOU bear the ultimate responsibility for 'ruining' your vacation. You chose to change to a very early-AM flight when the airline's reassignment to a connecting itinerary wasn't convenient for you. It is surprising that a self-described planner and frequent traveler would not be aware of the economy's effect on air travel today. It's also surprising that, between last year's gas price spike and today's economy, travelers would not be aware in general that airlines are cutting flights and changing itineraries, or that the legacy carriers don't finalize their schedules until just a few months in advance.

Sure, they sell tickets eleven months in advance, but that doesn't mean conditions won't change.

 

[DebbieB]

Interesting to read some of the comments, emails and PM's I've received.

I've actually posted an update to my original blog post here... http://www.the3dstudio.com/blog_detail.aspx?id=718.

My original intention in posting was a combo between wanting to warn people that are thinking of flying US Air (never had a problem on any other airline over many, many flights) and more of an attention getter to the people who can help me.

Because it was meant to be an attention getter, I used a post title like the one you see here. Do I really think the powers that be at US Air are sitting around and trying to ruin my vacation? Get a grip, people. It's sarcasm and attention getting. See how well it worked here, although there are a few that had a little trouble with the sarcasm. And because of the attention my post has received, I fully expect this situation to be resolved to my satisfaction in the end. As I am a reasonable person, I usually get what I want.
I sure hope many of you have a Disney Vacation planned in the near future - it sounds like many of you are due for a healthy dose of Pixie Dust and Magic!

If you think posting this nasty blog is going to make them quiver, I think you are wasting your time. They don't care about the customer. They chased away alot of their most frequent fliers (I was a preferred gold for 2 years). All they care about is the bottom line.

 

[CharacterFan]

You're still several months from your trip, they can change your flights at anytime. I fly Airtran and they can change your flight up to 48 hours in advance with notice. I can't say I've every had this happen. As I don't book flights until 21-10 days in advance to keep my flights from getting changed.
The one time I did book 3 months + in advance my flight changed 3 times and then finally back to the original flight. I never complained once. It happens and it's just a part of the airline industry.

As a planning that something you should be aware of. Something as a planner I've been aware of for years.

 

[MAH4546]

And because of the attention my post has received, I fully expect this situation to be resolved to my satisfaction in the end. As I am a reasonable person, I usually get what I want.

It won't be resolved. You already resolved it. You had the option of getting a refund, but instead you accepeted the changes to an earlier flight. The situation is over, and your snotty attitude isn't going to make US Airways change it.

 

[Tracy00]

It won't be resolved. You already resolved it. You had the option of getting a refund, but instead you accepeted the changes to an earlier flight. The situation is over, and your snotty attitude isn't going to make US Airways change it.

See - right there is the attitude of just laying down and taking it that I'm talking about in my 2nd blog post. How does it get to that?

Of course it will be resolved. I have no doubt about that. It's already starting to happen as I type this. You should really see more value in yourself as a powerful consumer than you apparently do.

Just because changes were accepted, does not mean more changes can be made. You're just playing into their hands with thinking like that! Stand up for yourself! It's the only way anything is ever going to change for the better!

 

[MAH4546]

See - right there is the attitude of just laying down and taking it that I'm talking about in my 2nd blog post. How does it get to that?

Of course it will be resolved. I have no doubt about that. It's already starting to happen as I type this. You should really see more value in yourself as a powerful consumer than you apparently do.

Just because changes were accepted, does not mean more changes can be made. You're just playing into their hands with thinking like that! Stand up for yourself! It's the only way anything is ever going to change for the better!

Stand up for myself?!? Why? I'm an educated consumer. I know the terms of an airline ticket, and accept them. If I don't like them, I spend additional money on a premium ticket with terms that are more favorable to the consumer. That's a choice you have to make when purchasing.

US Airways did what they did. You accepted the changes and its over. You are owed zilch.

As a frequent flyer, I'm annoyed by people like you who think you are owed all these perks and make flying more expensive for the rest of us by thinking that the rules don't apply to you. Because when airlines do play nice and make changes for you, the cost is passed on to everybody else.

You're not standing up for your right as the consumer, you're trying to rip off US Airways by getting them to bend the rules for you, sort of how you are trying to steal from Disney by having a "forbidden" wedding at the Poly.

 

[Lewisc]

You didn't stand up for yourself. Although you're not contractually entitled to a refund you probably would have gotten one if you stood up. You didn't ask for a better flight then the one you were assigned to, instead you accepted a flight with a bad time. You didn't really have to accept anything, that would have given you an opportunity to complain later. You are now a "satisfied" customer who was given the flight of your choice.

You made a request that US Air cancel other passengers reservation to accommodate your wishes. That won't happen. Should there be available seats on a flight that better suits your needs US Air might accommodate you or they might just say you were already accommodated.

You're a very bad planner. Booking that early is bound to result in changed flights. Waiting and booking SW is best way to reduce the chance of a schedule change.

US Air has it easy. They don't have to talk to you, they can make you deal with Orbitz. A person who wants to stand up for herself made a big mistake booking through a TA. The airline doesn't have to deal with you.

You "negotiated" a bad deal and you're mad you didn't stand up for yourself. You might have been able to move some your group to the "better" flight and hope to move the rest later. You're living in another world if you think you'll be able to get 12 cancellations available at the same time.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

As someone who is probably too familiar with the inner workings of airlines... there is no such thing as 'starting to happen' with regard to having an issue resolved. It either is or it isn't.

There are no customer service fairies working behind the scenes who magically erase your choices with a feather over the course of several days. A customer service representative will assist you on the phone, in real-time, if he or she is able to do so based on the restrictions you agreed to when purchasing a particular fare bucket/flight and actively accepting changes.

As far as your blog is concerned... I couldn't make it through the blather to get to the real complaint. At the risk of channeling Emperor Joseph II... too many notes. I couldn't see why you were so upset... but I can certainly see why you're divorced. I thought blogging was supposed to be cathartic.

 

[Tracy00]

Yeah, keep telling yourself whatever you need to while you take it. Whatever makes it easier for you.

The wedding's been taken care of, but good to see you have the time on your hands to research my posts!

Just sort of strange how personally you take it that I'm getting it all worked out!

 

[Tracy00]

ExPirateShopGirl - Actually I was working with someone a little higher up on the food chain than "customer service rep". I realize a person in that position doesn't have any power to help me. Other's apparently do.

If the blog is too hard for you to undrestand, feel free to move right along to something that is easier for you to understand. No hard feelings!

 

[dburg30]

You'll post the 'outcome' that you want people to see no matter what really happens IMO. And if you get the outcome you wanted, I can pretty much promise it had nothing to do with your blogging or postings on forums like this.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Still not understanding everything in the OP's complaint.

There's a claim about poor treatment after paying full price for tickets, yet in another spot it's revealed that twelve round-trip tickets from PHX to MCO cost something like $2,735 and change - which averages out to about $233 per person r/t. That's CHEAP, especially considering the distance.

Full price would have been a refundable fare - much, much higher but there'd have been no problem getting all the money back following the undesirable options provided.

It's surprising an experienced traveler would think an airline is profitable at that rate; in addition, the airlines are not part of or involved in the infamous bail-outs over the last year or so. Anyway, because passengers are reluctant to pay enough for airfare to cover the airlines' costs, they have been forced to institute additional fees.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You'll post the 'outcome' that you want people to see no matter what really happens IMO. And if you get the outcome you wanted, I can pretty much promise it had nothing to do with your blogging or postings on forums like this.

Ah, you're such a cynic... not that there's anything wrong with that; you're not the only one in this thread

 

[GEB@okw]

The OP complaining in this thread is terrible. If you did not like the rules of your ticket, why did you buy it?

 

[crashbb]

Not worth my time.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Strange how the op went from near-tears, almost-frantic, "oh my vacation is ruined!" to sounding like a spoiled child saying she always gets her way.

If you're getting your way, why bother to post the whole thing in the first place? Really, you'd have to be living in a cave to not know airlines are desperately struggling to stay in business and schedule changes are part of the risk you take booking so far in advance. What you call "planning" (booking far in advance) here we'd call that crazy (thinking it won't change for 10 mos.)

I feel sad for the other 11 members of the OP's family relying on her for making their travel plans.