Bad US air experience

[Disney Ella]

After our recent US Air experience, we will not be flying with them ever again. I booked our flight on March 4 for an October 29 flight, because I wanted to make sure that all four of us could get seats together. About a month before our flight, I noticed that our seat assignments had been taken away and replaced with a notation that read "check in at the gate." I e-mailed and called US Air asking to be reassigned seats and was told that the aircraft was changed and because our seats would be in the exit row in the new plane, they were taken away. They would not give me new seats, even though I explained my concern about being separated from my children, one of whom is a nervous flyer. The customer service rep told me not to worry, that we would be assigned seats together at the gate and even said "Children have to sit with their parents."

Well, that was a lie. The gate didn't care at all about our situation. The plane was oversold and we were just out of luck. Our seats were scattered all over the plane. One of my kids was in tears because she had to sit by herself with strangers and the other one was near tears. My husband was able to persuade one person to switch seats so that the kids could at least sit together, but it was not a good situation and we received no help from US Airways whatsoever. (I know someone will say that you are only guaranteed a seat on a plane, not a particular seat. There is no mention of this whatsoever on the US Air site or the boarding passes, and when you assign seats at the time of purchase, there is the expectation that you will actually get to sit in them.)

Fortunately, we still had our seats on the return trip, even though the original flight time had changed by four hours. When we landed in Philadelphia and got to baggage claim, we were informed that it would take 40 to 50 minutes to get our luggage due to "operational deficiencies". I had read a column in the Philadelphia Inquirer a few weeks earlier in which a woman complained after it was announced that her flight would have to wait up to 1 1/2 hours for their luggage because US Air employees received a 20% pay cut. Apparently they're not stupid enough to come right out and say that anymore but there was no other reason it should take that long to receive luggage. We touched down at 1:15 and didn't receive our luggage until 2:45.

While I have sympathy for US Air workers, behaving like this is only going to keep people with flying with their airline and result in the end of US Air. US Air lied to us, refused to correct a problem they caused and held our baggage hostage. We won't be flying with them ever again.

 

[DebbieB]

Sorry to hear about the problems you had.

Regarding the seat situation, they were kind of between a rock and a hard place. If the type of plane changed and you were now in an exit row (where children cannot be seated by law), they had to move you. If the plane was full, the only way they could keep you together would be to move other people. Then they would have problems with them. Kind of a no win situation. I think they depend on people being willing to move voluntarily to help you out.

 

[Disney Ella]

Debbie, I agree they had to move us from an exit row, however since we purchased our seats eight months in advance, the most equitable thing to do would be to give us seats and move the last people to purchase tickets.

 

[heatherj]

So sorry to hear about your problems too - that would have stressed me out also.

I must say (and this was a year ago - so things may have changed) but we had the same situtation where all of us were in different rows, seats, etc. They advised us as you were told that it shouldn't be a problem and we told the gate check in of the situation and they in turn started calling up passengers to see if they'd switch seats. We were able to get each of us (DH and myself) to at least sit beside one of our boys.

Of course - - - like already posted they had to rely on others to switch their seats.

We've flown several times since and luckily get at least the boys beside one of us. This upcoming trip concerns me though as there will be 5 of us.

 

[BonnieA]

I think they should have let you keep the exit row seating until you got on the plane. The flight attendents could have switched you then and many more people would be willing to switch if they can get an exit row.
That happened when I was flying one time. Those assigned to the exit row had a small child. I was approached and asked if I would switch (also the guy next to me). We jumped at the chance.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

In a case like this I'd rather be flying Southwest! At least there is a more level playing field as far as getting seats. It't not as if everyone else has seats and you have to get the leftovers, unless you have a B or especially a C boarding pass and/or there's a plane full of families with young children.

When we flew SW we had an A pass and about 1/3 of the plane preboarded. My DH and I got seats together and it appeared that the B people did, also. I'd guess that the C families didn't, but it looked like most of the C people were people traveling alone (not families).

Sorry for your experience! Not a good experience for your children for sure.

T&B

 

[safetymom]

Your problem could happen on any airline. Many people have reported the same problems on Delta, AA, etc. You should keep an eye on your flights every so often up to flight time.

 

[Mrs. Potts]

We had a similar situation with US Airways the last time we went to WDW. Our then 6 year old daughter was assigned a seat by hereself and no one would change with us. My husband and I were in different rows ahead of her and kept turning around as best we could to check on her. I complained to the agents at both the baggage check and the gate and they both said, "I'm sorry, most of these people are family's flying to Disney World. Uh, duh! Like we weren't?

It turned out fine. DD fell asleep and was very well behaved (that doesn't always happen by the way). But because of this, we will not fly US Airways again.

However, we may find ourselves in a similar situation for our return trip this time. We are flying Airtran. We were able to select our seats for our flight to Orlando (Nov. 20), but not for our return flight (Nov. 27).

 

[pouncingpluto]

For our engagement trip (which I didn't know at the time was our engagement trip ), we had something similar happen on American... we weren't able to select our seats at the time they were bought (3 months out). When we got there, it turned out it was overbooked by 30 people, and they wouldn't give us boarding passes. They gave us some sort of pass to get through security, but no actual seat on the plane. We were pretty upset by this, and, for obvious reasons, my fiance was VERY upset, because he wanted everything to go perfectly.

They had boarded about half the plane, and we were thinking we weren't going to get on. Then they called us up to the podium
and gave us first class seats! A happy ending to a maddening experience.

From overheard conversations, it seemed to me that they did this with two other adult couples on our flight. I guess we were easy to move without bringing up kids who might disturb the people who actually paid for first class.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by Disney Ella
(I know someone will say that you are only guaranteed a seat on a plane, not a particular seat. There is no mention of this whatsoever on the US Air site or the boarding passes, and when you assign seats at the time of purchase, there is the expectation that you will actually get to sit in them.)

Since you know some will say you're only guaranteed a seat then you already know that this sitution does occur and that is SOP. Of course it's mentioned in the US Air site:

http://www.usair.com/customers/travel_policies/terms/terms.htm#Pre-Assigned Seats

 

[Disney Ella]

Thanks, Lewisc, I did not find that section when I searched the website. If that's the case, why assign seats at all?

I thought our situation might be unusual and it's disappointing to hear that that is just the way airlines operate and that they get away with it. I can't imagine separating a six-year-old from her family! I think we would have had to get off the plane if that had happened when my kids were six.

Thanks for listening to my vent. Next time, I think we are trying Southwest. At least you know what you get with them.

 

[mom23guys2]

I heard on the news last night that some people had to wait up to four hours for their luggage at Philly yesterday.That was awful. I understand that the workers have had to take a pay cut to keep the airline flying but they are really cutting their own throats. If the slow down continues, many will stop flying USAir altogether which will surely affect their ability to come out of bankruptcy. A pay cut is tough to take but a completely loss of their jobs(and everyone elses that works for USAir) would probavly be devastating. If their unhappy with their pay look for another job, but I doubt they are that easy to find. If their are no jobs available then they better start working to ensure they have one left in February.

I feel sorry for all those who had to have such a miserable end to their vacations.

 

[VWLMember]

Two words to fix this problem = JET BLUE!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Wish we here in Pittsburgh had Jet Blue or Southwest for choices. Our only alternate non-stop is Air Tran, which I'm using next month. A friend flew them yesterday,she said they got luggage in 5 minutes. I have a business trip to Orlando on USAir next week, good thing I'm only taking carry-on (1 night). I don't think I have to worry about my seat assignment on the way home - I got 13E which was the last open seat on the chart. The seat no one wants - row 13 and middle! I'm going to do online check-in, hopefully an aisle seat will open up.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

My family has had the same problem with pretty much every airline we've flown. Ironically, the only airline we've always sat together on was Southwest.

 

[hellooothere]

After reading this post.....
I had done the same thing - purchased my tickets way back in February to ensure that we were sitting together. Not being a frequent flyer I did not realise that the plane info. would change frequently before our actual flight.

We are flying Continental - 2 adults and 4 children. I went on line to check out my reservation and found that my seats had been changed from what I had been given from the travel agent. Actually 1 of my 3 year old twins was sitting about 4 rows away from me and 2 seats over. Two of the children were sitting 5 aisles up and together and my husband and I were together with one of the twins.
Well......I just got off the line with Continental and he found a row where we could all sit together.
So....Makes you wonder why - when the tickets were bought together they don't keep them together when they move them.

Hopefully everything will work out. If not I am sure the person sitting beside my 3 year old will have a great flight!!!

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Originally posted by hellooothere
If not I am sure the person sitting beside my 3 year old will have a great flight!!!

I was thinking the same thing. I've left my DD's with just my husband so a parent could sit next to their child.

What kind of ding-dong would WANT to sit next to an unaccompanied 6 yrold?

 

[safetymom]

If you are asking a frequent flyer to take a middle seat or a seat in the back of the plane you may have a hard time finding someone to switch seats with you.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I can understand someone not wanting to take a middle seat, but to refuse to sit in the back seems a bit selfish. As to sitting next to a 6yo, I can't imagine that would be a big deal since a child that age is considered old enough to fly according to most airlines. It's hard for me to believe now, but my daughter flew across the country by herself when she was 6 1/2. I can't believe I let her do that. Her brother, on the other hand, is 11yo and goes into a panic thinking about not sitting next to me when we fly together in Jan, and that's only a 2 hour flight. What a difference a sibling makes!

T&B

 

[CarolA]

I think they should have let you keep the exit row seating until you got on the plane

I think this might get them in trouble with the FAA.