Warning: Vent Ahead -- I hate USAir !!!

[calypso*a*go-go]

I am so frustrated right now!!! Back in Feb. DH got bumped from a flight and was given an e-voucher for a r/t ticket within the Cont. US. I have been trying for months to use this voucher to no avail. We did not realize at the time that the voucher was basically the equivalent of a frequent flyer award in the lowest catagory (the customer service reps did not mention this when trying to free up seats). The e-voucher expires in a little over a month so I tried to call USAir customer service to see about extending it. Oops, sorry that would customer relations, not customer service. So, another call is placed...sorry, wrong number! Twice they gave me the incorrect number for customer relations. Finally got thru and they are closed on the weekends. I feel like we have gotten such a run-around over this that I would like to file a complaint...but with who? FAA? I'm not sure who actually handles consumer complaints like this. Can someone help me, please.

 

[safetymom]

You can file a complaint with the DOT. If you visit www.flyertalk.com , then go to the US Airways forum , and you can get the address there or ask for the address.

It's up to the consumer to find the details when receiving a voucher. You don't think US Airways is going to tell you all that when they are trying to get volunteers.

 

[safetymom]

Here is the link to the DOT online form:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/escomplaint/es.cfm

 

[1000th happy haunt]

I you do manage to use your voucher, be prepared to drive to the airport to exchange it for a ticket. DH and I got bumped from a flight once, and when I booked using the voucher I was told that I had three days to show up at a US Airways counter to exchange it. I canceled the ticket and we made plans to exchange it at a time when we were actually going to the airport (it's an hour drive to Philly airport from where we live).

 

[snowbunny]

These days I would not volunteer for anything less than cold cash....

 

[DebbieB]

They also advertise on flights that getting the USAirways Mastercard includes 25,000 bonus miles, enough for a free ticket! Again, it's a base frequent flyer ticket that can be very hard to use, you usually need 50,000 miles.

I was surprised to get a 25,000 mile ticket about a month before PIT/MCO for early December. So sometimes closer to the date they open up if there are empty seats.

I think most airlines are like this, it's hard to get a 25,000 mile award. I was looking on Delta/Northwest for late June, they had nothing less than 45,000 miles.

 

[ducklite]

We've always been able to use our freebies, whether we got them through a voluntary bump or FF miles. The key is being flwxible and using them to go to off-the-wall places that no one really wants to go to--like Seattle in February, Detroit in January, Winnipeg in December, Las Vegas in January, San Francisco in February, Orlando in late August, etc.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Thanks everyone -- I feel better now.

Believe me, DH learned a lesson about giving up his seat (and won't be doing it again anytime soon).

I know these problems aren't limited to USAir as we've got some frequent flyer miles we're trying to use on Delta and haven't had any luck with those either. Really what upset me was that the e-voucher came on ticket stock and nowhere in the terms did it specify any letter designation of what class of service it had to be. Oh well, live and learn, right?

I'm just glad I quit using a credit card that earned FF miles.

 

[seashoreCM]

Seasoned flyers abhor free trip vouchers for the reason you describe, favoring dollars off (dollar value) vouchers instead. If you simply volunteer you have to accept what the airline offered. But you can counteroffer for dollars off vouchers. The gate agent will put you on the bottom of the volunteer list and if they need you anyway they will do the counteroffer.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[ducklite]

Seasoned flyers abhor free trip vouchers for the reason you describe, favoring dollars off (dollar value) vouchers instead. If you simply volunteer you have to accept what the airline offered. But you can counteroffer for dollars off vouchers. The gate agent will put you on the bottom of the volunteer list and if they need you anyway they will do the counteroffer.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Not always. Because DH and I tend to use the vouchers for expensive but not so popular routes, having a voucher without a pre-set amount often is the better option for us. The last vouchers we had we used to go to Winnipeg, MB, a flight that would have cost us $1000 per ticket. Had the vouchers had a value of $400 attached to each, we still would have had to ante up $600 per ticket. Instead we paid less than $100 per ticket in taxes and other governmental fees. Like with everything in life, it comes down to being a savvy consumer.