US Airways SUCKS!

July 24th 2009

Doug Parker, CEO
US Airways
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034                                                       


Dear Mr Parker,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the experience I had
with your airline on a recent vacation. This is not your typical story
of lost luggage or a delayed flight. You will want to read this.

On June 12th, 2009 my family (consisting of my wife Trang, mother in
law, 11 year old brother in law, and myself) arrived at Indianapolis
airport from San Diego via Phoenix to begin the first leg of our
vacation visiting family. My wife is Vietnamese. She married me and
moved to the US a year ago. Her English is pretty good but she isn't
used to dealing with unusual travel situations in the US. My mother in
law speaks no English whatsoever. My brother in law speaks just a few
words. The in-laws were both in the US for 6 weeks to visit Trang and
I in San Diego and we were all to fly together via US Airways to
Indiana and then San Antonio to visit my extended family.

On June 16th we were back at Indianapolis airport for our flight to
San Antonio via Charlotte for the second leg of our vacation to visit
the rest of our family in Texas.

We arrived at the boarding area in plenty of time and waited having
checked in at the front ticket counter and cleared security with no
problem. At boarding time we got settled on the airplane and
everything was fine until we were told by the cabin crew that there
was a problem with the brakes on the aircraft and that we would all
have to get off and they would arrange other flights for us. So we all
got off the aircraft. 

Back in the boarding area they announced that they would get the
aircraft repaired and the people going to Charlotte with no connecting
flights would wait for the repair to finish but since they did not
know exactly how long the repair would take the rest of us would be
booked onto other flights and that they would call our names once
arrangements had been made. A number of people had their names called
and went to catch their alternate flights but not us. Then after
around 30 minutes of waiting they announced the aircraft was repaired
and that everyone who remained in the boarding area would be going on
to Charlotte. So once again we all get loaded up and buckled into our
seats.

Then they announce that those of us with connecting flights to
Charlotte were not going to make our flights and that there were no
other flights out of Charlotte that night and they gave us the option
to get off the airplane. I decided that since Indianapolis is closer
to San Antonio and there may still be some remaining flights out of
Indianapolis that night that we would opt to get off the airplane
again.

We got off the airplane and went back out to wait in the boarding area
for the third time. We had not been in the boarding area but a minute
or two when my wife realized that in all the commotion and confusion
of getting on and off the airplane she had left her purse on board
under the seat in front of her. We were informed that the doors had
just been closed and that the purse was going to Charlotte without
her.

We were the only people who had a connecting flight that did not get
other arrangements made. At the podium in the boarding area they took
a quick look in the computer and then told us there was nothing they
could do for us and sent us back out through security to the ticket
counter to get rebooked on another flight. We went to the ticket
counter and were given the sad news that there would be no other
flights out that day and we would be spending the night in Indiana.

I fly quite frequently both internationally and domestic for business
and pleasure. I know these things happen. And so far I was
disappointed but found no fault with US Airways. But that was all
about to change.

They arranged another flight out for us in the morning and were about
to give us our boarding passes...all they needed was to see our
ID. And that is when things got silly. We all presented our IDs except
for Trang and we explained that her ID is in her purse which was on
the US Airways flight to Charlotte which had departed 30 minutes
earlier. This is where your employee who goes by the name "Don W" got
involved. He was apparently the ticket counter supervisor on duty that
night.

Don W explained that nobody gets a boarding pass without ID. I
explained that just a couple hours earlier we all had ID, checked in,
got boarding passes, cleared security, and got on a US Airways
aircraft. The computer would surely have a record. He said that was
not acceptable. He had to see the actual ID right there. I asked him
what we should do.

He said my wife could go get an Indiana driver's license.

Suffice it to say, this was not helpful. And he said it with a
completely straight face. I explained that getting an Indiana driver's
license was not a realistic option and that there had to be something
else that could be done. They must have some sort of procedure for
this. He said that we could call the police and have them verify my
wife's identity. We agreed to do this and Don W suggested Trang go
over to the information desk across the ticket counter hall and ask
them to call the police. She went over there, was treated quite rudely
by the information desk staff, was told they could not help with that,
and came back to the US Airways ticket counter. Don W ended up calling
the police for us.

We waited for about half an hour and the police finally showed
up. They took down her information and called back to their HQ where
she was looked up in the computer. The result came back that she was
who she said she was. Don W had a chat with the police, the police
went away, and we were expecting to be on our way soon also. But it
was not to be. Don W informed us that the little exercise we had all
just gone through with the police was not sufficient. Apparently he
was hoping to get some sort of paperwork or something from the police
that would function as ID. But they could not provide any such
paperwork. So that was a dead end.

By this time our airplane had landed in Charlotte and I had the lady
at the ticket counter call over to Charlotte and make sure they got
Trang's purse off the airplane. After some time we received word that
they did indeed have her purse.

The purse had her ID in it.

Great, now US Airways has my wife's ID and they can actually look at
it. Perhaps we can get our boarding passes now? I asked Don W about
this. The answer was no. They actually needed it right there at the
ticket counter. I explained that this could not possibly be right and
there must be something else that could be done. Don W had made
several trips to the back-office during the course of these events and
presumably made phone calls while we waited. To whom, I do not
know. He once again went away, we waited, he came back, and said no.

Don W told us that he was out of options and that there was nothing
more we could do. We were all free to get our boarding passes except
Trang who had to remain in Indiana. US Airways was simply going to
leave her stranded there. Apparently, she was to become a Hoosier.

I asked who he had been talking to. He wouldn't tell me. I asked if I
could talk to them. No. I asked if I could talk to his supervisor. No.

We went around and around with my explaining how ludicrous it was that
my wife could not get on a US Airways flight because US Airways had
her ID.

Don W suggested that we have her ID Fedex'd to Indiana. That should
only take an extra day or two. I explained that this was not a
realistic solution either. If we spent an extra day or two in Indiana
it would hardly be worth going to San Antonio where we were to already
have precious little time even if all went according to plan. At that
point it would be better to just go back home to San Diego.

Hours had passed. It was late. We were all very tired and frustrated
and unable to believe what we were being put through.

I started to get creative. I proposed that maybe if a US Airways
employee in Charlotte held the ID and looked at it and got Don W on
the phone and Don W looked at Trang they could put two and two
together and call it good. I really had a strong feeling that there
was nothing technically preventing her from getting a boarding
pass. Someone simply had to exercise some judgment and common sense.
Don W once again went away to make a phone call and the answer was
no. Nobody was going to budge, nobody was going to make an exception
to the rule, and nobody was going to say that the proposed arrangement
was good enough.

Then I suggested that if on the very first flight in from Charlotte
the next morning they arrange to bring back her purse she could have
her ID in her possession sometime that day and could then catch a
flight out. US Airways and all the other airlines routinely ferry
misdirected baggage around and get it to the final destination. The
answer was no. I was told that US Airways accepted responsibility for
checked bags but lost carry on was not their problem. They would,
however, be willing to Fedex it. But I would have to pay for the Fedex
shipping. This way Fedex was liable for getting it to us and not US
Airways.

I proposed all kinds of arrangements and none of them were good
enough. Finally I suggested that the people in Charlotte fax over a
copy of the ID. Perhaps that would be good enough? By now it was very
late. Whoever Don W had supposedly been talking to had gone home for
the night. There was nobody left who could make any such
decisions. Don W told me that he had arranged with the lost and found
people in Charlotte for the ID to be faxed over but nobody would be
able to make a decision on it until morning and that we were to come
back then. Surprisingly, Don W said that he would be there when the
ticket counter opened to speak with us again.

We had a flight booked for all four of us to leave around 6am or so
the next day but Trang could not get a boarding pass to get on the
plane until the ID situation was resolved. Don W arranged
transportation and lodging vouchers and at around 11pm we all left the
airport extremely disappointed. Don W had told us that our luggage had
been pulled off the plane in time and was waiting for us in the US Air
baggage claim office. We got down there and there was someone else's
luggage waiting for us. They had pulled the wrong luggage. Now we had
no clothes or toiletries for the night and neither did some other poor
family when they arrived in San Antonio.

We arrived back at the airport after just a few hours sleep at 4am
right as the ticket counters were opening. We knew we were in for a
hard fight to get US Airways to see reason and would need as much time
as possible. Don W was there. And the answer was no. At this point he
seemed eager to be rid of us. He suggested that we try another airline
such as Southwest which did not require ID for check-in. I was
flabbergasted. Other airlines do not require ID yet US Airways is
putting us through this torment? It turns out that it is not any sort
of FAA or TSA regulation or anything.

I explained to Don W how incredibly put out I would be if I had to
spend a lot of money on a last minute ticket with another airline just
because US Airways could not get their act together. I asked if maybe
US Airways could exchange our ticket with another airline who did not
require ID. He said no. He also made it clear that there would be no
refund of our unused ticket.

A few times throughout the ordeal the night before and that morning
Don W said it was our fault that this happened because it was my wife
who had lost her ID and that US Airways had done nothing wrong. It is
true that it was her fault that she had lost her ID but the musical
chairs with the airplane due to the maintenance issue the night before
didn't help and to simply leave a passenger stranded when another more
competent airline could have gotten her to her destination is to
completely and utterly fail at being an airline.

It was clearly time to admit defeat. US Airways had completely failed
the customer: They left us stranded far from home.

We decided that three of us would get our boarding passes (and show
our ID!) and then we would go scout for another ticket for Trang and
hope for the best. During the process of getting our boarding passes
and showing our 3 IDs I was handed a boarding pass with my wife's name
on it!  Eureka! Someone was finally being reasonable and we're just
going to pretend she has her ID and this would just slip by! But then
I counted...1..2...3...only three boarding passes. I told the lady at
the ticket counter we were one short. We didn't have one for my mother
in law. She asked for the boarding passes back and to see IDs
again. Then she gave us 3 boarding passes: one for everyone but my
wife.

Clearly, there was no technical reason why this whole ordeal had to
happen at all. They could even print her a boarding pass by
mistake. Unbelievable.

So off we went to find my wife another ticket from a reasonable
airline. The Southwest ticket counter which Don W had suggested was
closed. But there were people at the United ticket counter. So we
stopped by there and asked if we could get a ticket for one person to
San Antonio leaving ASAP. They asked how it was that three of us were
going on US Airways and one of us needed to buy a ticket. I had to
give them a quick rundown on the past 12 hours. They were aghast.

First they insisted that I call the US Airways customer service phone
number. I hadn't called it yet because I thought if the people there
at the US Air ticket counter couldn't help me nobody could. Turns out
I was right. The customer service person who answered the phone was
amazed by what had happened to us but also told us there was nothing
they could do. They also said there was nobody else there I could talk
to. Another brick wall from US Airways.

That is when United Airlines employee Kealani Labrie got involved. I
cannot thank Kealani enough for her actions or dedication to problem
solving in this situation.

First she tried to somehow switch the ticket from US Airways to
United. I forget the terminology or name used for this procedure. But
the ticket was already closed or something like that so they could not
get it. Then she tried to find my wife a seat on a United
flight. Unfortunately there were absolutely no United flights with
availability that same day. There was a flight available the next day
but it would cost $1,800.

At this point, our flight (those of us with IDs) was going to be
boarding shortly and we still had to get through security. US Airways
forced me to make a terrible decision:

All three of us could stay with my wife who had just emigrated to the
US and is not generally well equipped to deal with this situation. My
non-English speaking in-laws could not go by themselves nor would they
be of any use with my wife in Indianapolis. But given their track
record thus far US Airways would simply say we chose not to take our
flight and we would lose our tickets and each end up buying a $1,800
ticket for a total of $7,200 or be permanently stranded in Indiana!
Not at all an attractive option.

Or I could leave my wife behind to fend for herself and hope she got
something worked out. It felt like a bad thing to do but I had a
feeling that Kealani would come up with something or at the very worst
Trang could spend the night again and buy herself the $1,800 ticket to
leave the next day with the cash we would leave her with.

Kealani knew there was likely a better solution out there for us and
had taken a personal interest in seeing the issue get resolved. First,
she took Trang to talk to the TSA to ensure that if my wife got a
ticket she could get through security without ID. Kealani explained
the situation and the TSA supervisor made some phone calls and came up
with the proper procedure. They asked my wife some questions to verify
her identity, had her sign something, and she was cleared to go.

Kealani then actually took my wife around the ticket counter lobby
checking with the various airlines ultimately ending up at American
Airlines. They had a flight available the same day at 2:05pm with a
transfer in Dallas for $908.20 including fees. Trang paid with the
cash we left her with and had a boarding pass in hand. It was a simple
and easy transaction and required no ID. Kealani then walked Trang
over to security and said goodbye having ensured that Trang had a
boarding pass in hand and would get through security to her gate.

Trang ended up spending from 4am to 2pm in the Indianapolis airport
instead of enjoying her vacation, courtesy of US Airways. She then
made her flight and joined us in San Antonio. My mother in law,
brother in law, and I made it to San Antonio without further delay
although we were on standby the whole way. Through very good luck and
US Airways buying other passengers off for us revenue standby
passengers all three of us ended up on the same flight so I didn't
have to send the non-English speaking mother and brother in law on
their own.

I want to commend Kealani Labrie of United for going far above what
was expected of her in helping my wife Trang. She really saved the
day. We have written a letter to United praising them for their
excellent service and will fly United in the future.

I also want to express my profound disappointment in US Airways. They
have made a very unhappy customer out of me. Their inflexibility and
blind rules-following caused my family a great deal of inconvenience,
expense, and frustration. Nobody in the organization is empowered to
use some common sense and do what is right for the customer in an
unusual situation. There is no FAA or other federal requirement that
ID be shown to get a boarding pass. If there were then American
Airlines could not have flown us either. US Airways deliberately chose
this course of action to my great detriment.

Perhaps worst of all we lost a whole day of our vacation to this
fiasco. That is irreplaceable. This has motivated me to go to great
lengths to tell my story to as many people as possible. The flying
public deserve better.

I request that US Airways make reparations for this fiasco by repaying
us the $908.20 that we had to pay American Airlines to do US Airways'
job.

Again, US Airways completely failed the customer: They left us
stranded far from home.

Sincerely,

Tracy R Reed
treed@tracyreed.org

CC: 

Doug Parker
CEO, US Airways
US Airways
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Doug Parker
CEO, US Airways
111 W. Rio Salado Pkwy
Tempe, AZ 85281

Glenn F.  Tilton
Chairman, President and CEO, UAL Corporation and United Airlines
C/O Customer Relations
WHQPW
United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666 

Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20590

Don W
US Airways Ticket Counter
2498 S High School Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46241

Kealani Labrie
United Airlines