How to file a complaint with Airlines?

[mep319]

Anyone have a suggestions or experiences in filing complaints with USAIR?

We had a flight from MCO on Thrusday to Philly. Flight was delayed b/c of thunderstorms...no problem..understand. Then at 6:30 they cancel the flight b/c the flight crew "expired" and they just turn us loose. And I mean turn us loose!! With out going into all the horrible details service was terrible. Stranded, no help. Rude staff...it was a nightmare.

I understand that with weather related cancellations they will not pay for hotel...but was this really a weather related cancellation? Do I have any recourse? Anyone have a website or anything they can suggest? Anyone in a similar situation and what was the outcome?? Thanks for any and all help!

 

[CarolA]

When they say the crew "expired" they are saying that they had been on the job too long to continue flying under FAA regulations. And I think this could be considered weather related (unfortunately)

I would start with the airline. I would call the 800 number and ask for a customer service contact.

The part you may have a valid complaint on is "turning you loose". Did they re-book? I think we do need more details.

 

[Eeyore1954]

I like this website's guidelines ... http://www.airsafe.com/complain/complain.htm

I've had this experience several times (flight crew "expires") and it is frustrating, but there's little the airline can do. They cannot force the crew to fly and unless they have other crew certified for that aircraft available, they cannot proceed with the flight. This has happened to me on AA, United and USAir ...

In each case, I had a long wait at the airport which resulted in switching to another flight or the airline locating another crew that could complete the original flight. It's often meant getting home many hours later than planned, but it hasn't happened that often. I try to look at it as the adventure part of air travel. And it makes for a good story to share with friends after the fact.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

You could also use the (free) letter-writing tool at http://www.planetfeedback.com/consumer

 

[mep319]

They did rebook...or I should say I did called the 800# on my cell to rebook. I understand that a crew can only fly for so long but I have a hard time believing they couldn't locate another crew...but that is a different issue.

At 6:30 they announced our flight would be cancelled and we could use the phones (there were about 8 for 150 people) or call on our cell. That was it, they only help they really provided. Many were standing in line for the counter which apparently could also help. The USAir reps then annoucne that you could go to any open USAir counter in the airport after another flight was arranged to get your bags. Which I did b/c I certainly didn't want to wait 2 hrs while all the hotels were grabbed up...there were many flights cancelled that day. I get to another counter and that person refuses to help us b/c he is "working another flight." We (other folks from my flight were in line w/ me) told this guy were told we could go to any other open line. He stated not a "line working another flight" and told us we had to go elsewhere to a non working flight line...well none of those to be found since they usually only open a counter about 30. mins before a flight boards! I knew I had a flight the next day at this point & a crying 7 yr old on my hands so I just wanted to make arrangements for a hotal, figured I'd worry about my luggage later, I was worried about finding a hotel! I ask the guy at the counter if he could at least help with accomadations or recommend a close hotel and he told me there was a phone book by the pay phones!!! A guy in line from Orlando told me there was a Hyatt in the airport (thank god for that guy!) So we run to the Hyatt, concerned it would quickly book and the guy in front of me gets the last room!
But the person at the desk was very helpful and called the Marriott and made arrangements for a room and a shuttle to pick us up........Great customer service there! I'd definately stay at the Hyatt.........Now down stairs to baggage claim to try to figure out how to get our luggage. Which we finally do but it was just a disaster.... My 7r old was a mess and I told her not to worry it was an "adventure" and boy was it an adventure. I really think they could have handled the situation much better...hey I'm from Philly...deal with rude folks all the time...but I have to say those folks from Orlando take the cake! REally bad customer service!

 

[mep319]

Originally posted by SyracuseWolvrine
You could also use the (free) letter-writing tool at http://www.planetfeedback.com/consumer

Thanks to Eeyore1954 & SyracuseWovrine for the websites! They are great! Can't hurt to write a letter...

 

[Chicago526]

Actually, the best thing to do when your flight is canceled is to call the 800 reservations for that airline anyway. The agents on the phone can re-book you while the 100 people ahead of you in line have to wait. By the time you get through the line, all the flights are gone and you're really stuck.

Always carry the 800 number of the airline that you are flying along with your confirmation number (also known as a record locator). If you don't have a cell, find the nearest pay phone and do it from there. I'm a travel agent and I've had clients call me from the airport, and many times I've gotten them the last seat on the plane for the next flight out, while the poor people in front of them in line are told "Sorry, it's all sold out for today!"

I'm sorry for your experiance at the airport, and you should write a letter. But I wouldn't expect any kind of responce except for a form letter. If you're lucky, you may get a coupon for $25 off your next flight, but I doubt you'll get that much.

 

[CarolA]

Well... you aren't going to like this, but... they did what they had to do.

I do believe them that they could not get another crew. If you had been in one of their hub cities they probably could have pulled it off, but in MCO if they take crew A to your flight then Flight A is disrupted and it has a snowball effect that can take days to correct.

Generally the either try to rebook you at the gate or send you to the counter. Either would be a disaster. you did the right thing by calling.

Service was lacking, but unfortunately that is the airline industry in a nutshell today. We want $200 tickets and sometimes we get what we pay for. (Of course I am flying on $600 last minute tickets for business and get the same service LOL!)

 

[Ms. Belle]

I had a similar experience with USAir and that is why I don't fly them anymore. My flight was cancelled due to weather and almost the same thing happened to me - rude employees at the counter, no help whatsoever, their attitude was "oh, well." I wrote to the FAA and USAir, and no response from either. There are enough carriers that fly from Hartford so I don't have to use USAir.

 

[robinb]

The USAir reps then annoucne that you could go to any open USAir counter in the airport after another flight was arranged to get your bags. Which I did b/c I certainly didn't want to wait 2 hrs while all the hotels were grabbed up...there were many flights cancelled that day. I get to another counter and that person refuses to help us b/c he is "working another flight." We (other folks from my flight were in line w/ me) told this guy were told we could go to any other open line. He stated not a "line working another flight" and told us we had to go elsewhere to a non working flight line...well none of those to be found since they usually only open a counter about 30. mins before a flight boards![/B]

Hmmm ... did you go to a "counter" or a "gate"? It sure sounds like a "gate" to me where agents staff the computers 45 minutes before flight time in front of where the plane loads. The "counter" is where you check your bags and get your boarding pass. I think sometimes people are confused by airline lingo. Unfortunately, the gate agent needed to get his people on the flight in a very short period of time and he really didn't have time to help you. Every time I have had a flight canceled I have had to return to the ticket counter. Also, if you had gone to the counter as instructed you probably would have received a phone number to call for hotel accomodations at reduced prices instead of chasing around looking for a hotel room yourself.

 

[mep319]

Originally posted by robinb
Hmmm ... did you go to a "counter" or a "gate"? It sure sounds like a "gate" to me where agents staff the computers 45 minutes before flight time in front of where the plane loads. The "counter" is where you check your bags and get your boarding pass. I think sometimes people are confused by airline lingo. Unfortunately, the gate agent needed to get his people on the flight in a very short period of time and he really didn't have time to help you. Every time I have had a flight canceled I have had to return to the ticket counter. Also, if you had gone to the counter as instructed you probably would have received a phone number to call for hotel accomodations at reduced prices instead of chasing around looking for a hotel room yourself.

Well no one was real clear on that...and if the person at the counter had directed us as such I'm sure most would have went to the counter as you stated. The person who made the announcement was standing in the midst of us in line and pointed directly across the way to the counter/gate and about half us went directly were he pointed...I couldn't say what he said at that moment but I can tell you where he pointed and that is were I went. Regardless the customer service was incredibilty poor and directions should have been much clearer, there is absolutely no excuse for that.

 

[sgtdisney]

Don't know much about the letter writing but I can confirm for you the difficulty in getting an additional flight crew to operate the aircraft if the original crew "expired", as another person mentioned.

The flight crew was probably from out of state. I don't think that USAir has a flight crew base out of Orlando. The crew that was originally supposed to pilot your aircraft had probably come in on another flight and had already logged some flight time for that day. Since the flight was delayed as long as it sounds they had run out of clock time and taken off line. Airlines do have pilots on reserve. My dad (who used to be a pilot) used to have to do that once in a while. Reserve pilots aren't scheduled to fly, but had to be ready to fly on an hour or two notice. However the problem is in your case the crew would have to 'dead-head' or fly in on another flight from wherever their home base is before they could fly the flight back this could take 10 or more hours in this case not counting bad weather.

I know this doesn't solve your issue with the airline, but hopefully kind of explains why a crew is taken off line. Definately USAir should have been more accomodating, but as was mentioned such is the state of the airline industry as of late.

 

[kylara]

Funny, I had a problem with USAir flying Philly to MCO. We were delayed for mechanical problems and the people there at the gate were just plain rude. They wouldn't give any information, you only got a food voucher if you knew to ask, etc. When I got home, I logged onto USAir and found their customer service area on the website to write and complain, not so much about the delay, but about the staff. I know I am not the only one who complained from that flight. Anyway, the contact information for their customer service is below...direct from the website. (oh, and I did get a voucher for $50 off my next travel with them).


We Commit:

To respond promptly to written complaints within 30 days, or sooner.
To promote the Office of Consumer Affairs as a resource for customers. The Office of Consumer Affairs can be reached in the following ways:
By e-mail through usairways.com
By telephone between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.(Eastern Time) Monday through Friday at 1-866-523-5333
By US Mail:
Ms. Deborah Thompson
Managing Director, Corporate and Consumer Affairs
US Airways
P.O. Box 1501
Winston Salem, NC 27102-1501
By Fax at 1-336-661-8031

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Ms. Belle
I had a similar experience with USAir and that is why I don't fly them anymore. My flight was cancelled due to weather and almost the same thing happened to me - rude employees at the counter, no help whatsoever, their attitude was "oh, well." I wrote to the FAA and USAir, and no response from either. There are enough carriers that fly from Hartford so I don't have to use USAir.

Not that this is an excuse for poor service, but part of the problem at USAir (and probably other airlines) is their employees keep getting hit with decreased pay and decreased benefits, along with layoffs. They are again asking for more concessions with the treat of bankrupcy if the unions don't agree. Meanwhile, their former CEO just walked away with a multi-million dollar severance package. Doesn't make a happy group.

You're lucky if you have the choice of other carriers. Here in Pittsburgh, there aren't many other choices. Now they are going to declassify PIT as a hub, resulting in many lost jobs and flight cuts. Hopefully other airlines will come in. The only other PIT/MCO non-stop is one flight each way daily on AirTran. The non-stop return is 9:00am. No Southwest flights at all.

 

[CarolA]

AA used that employee layoff excuse on me one time. HUH? Let's see if we make the customers mad and drive them to other airlines that will help us how?

 

[mep319]

Originally posted by DebbieB
Not that this is an excuse for poor service, but part of the problem at USAir (and probably other airlines) is their employees keep getting hit with decreased pay and decreased benefits, along with layoffs. They are again asking for more concessions with the treat of bankrupcy if the unions don't agree. Meanwhile, their former CEO just walked away with a multi-million dollar severance package. Doesn't make a happy group.

You're lucky if you have the choice of other carriers. Here in Pittsburgh, there aren't many other choices. Now they are going to declassify PIT as a hub, resulting in many lost jobs and flight cuts. Hopefully other airlines will come in. The only other PIT/MCO non-stop is one flight each way daily on AirTran. The non-stop return is 9:00am. No Southwest flights at all.

Not in the way of options here either. Phila is actually USAirs largest hub. We do now have SW but they run 3 flights a day..which is nothing in comparision and I don't particularily like their times...same goes with Airtran. And while I do now finally have 2 other options they aren't very good ones. In fact in 2/05 we are flying to Miami. SW doesn't fly to Miami. NW has only multi-leg flights. Air tran offers only one non stop...so who do you think I'm left with!!!!??