Evil airline stories

[captainv]

(I'm not picking on United -- I ruin people's lives on a daily basis out of JFK -- but to ruin a trip so thoroughly prior to departure? Wow.)

Even for evil airline stories, this one may shock you. How about:

• Holding $5,000 in tickets from a family for six months, then telling them the day before that the flight has been canceled;
• When confronted with the fact that the flight hasn't been canceled, telling the family that the reservation has been lost;
• Finally admitting that they've bumped the family from the flight and were lying about the cancelation and the lost reservation;
• Offering replacement seats on multiple planes and days, splitting the family up on different flights and depositing them at different islands;
• Offering to get them there 5 days into a 7 day vacation, part of which was scheduled to spend time with a family member who was dying in a hospice in Hawaii;
• Refusing to write a letter on the family's behalf so that they can collect their insurance payment on the house they rented but never used.

With one act of disregard, United destroyed the vacation, cost the family over $10,000 in house rental fees that they can't get back, and forced them to cancel the trip. The dying family member they didn't get to see passed away in early June.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/braun/20080813-9999-1m13braun.html

 

[saabservant]

They don't treat their employees any better, especially those that are recently hired or returned from furlough, leaving good jobs behind....

Shameful conduct by any measure. Guess these MBA's are a proud sort. Where do they find such "talent"?

 

[Hamburger]

Exactly why I use a credit card. One phone call, all of my money is back and dealing with whomever has screwed me is VISA's problem.

 

[D-Bo]

(I'm not picking on United -- I ruin people's lives on a daily basis out of JFK -- but to ruin a trip so thoroughly prior to departure? Wow.)

Even for evil airline stories, this one may shock you. How about:

• Holding $5,000 in tickets from a family for six months, then telling them the day before that the flight has been canceled;
• When confronted with the fact that the flight hasn't been canceled, telling the family that the reservation has been lost;
• Finally admitting that they've bumped the family from the flight and were lying about the cancelation and the lost reservation;
• Offering replacement seats on multiple planes and days, splitting the family up on different flights and depositing them at different islands;
• Offering to get them there 5 days into a 7 day vacation, part of which was scheduled to spend time with a family member who was dying in a hospice in Hawaii;
• Refusing to write a letter on the family's behalf so that they can collect their insurance payment on the house they rented but never used.

With one act of disregard, United destroyed the vacation, cost the family over $10,000 in house rental fees that they can't get back, and forced them to cancel the trip. The dying family member they didn't get to see passed away in early June.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/braun/20080813-9999-1m13braun.html

PLEASE put your story here:

www.GlennTilton.com

 

[Gillegan]

I went the expat route a number of years ago but recently, I have been shocked at the deterioration of airline service in this country. You can bet that neither my family nor I will be availing ourselves of JetBlue's services anymore. (I'll save you the details but suffice to say that while not as egregious as the above example, my experience was bad enough that I will make sure they get no more of my money.) I truly think that if, 12 years ago, you had gotten government, management and unions together and told them that their job was to screw things up beyond recognition, that they really could not have done a better job than they have.

The short of it is that here is an industry that cannot sustain itself financially, cannot provide competitive customer service in an increasingly global environment and is more and more unable to fulfil it's role as an important engine of the U.S. economy. I'm not sure where this is all going to go and I certainly think that there is plenty of blame to go around but it seems to me that things are ripe for some radical changes in the U.S. airline industry if for no other reason, than the present system seems unsustainable.

 

[Bigoober]

Absolutely pitiful.

 

[vtwo]

They don't treat their employees any better, especially those that are recently hired or returned from furlough, leaving good jobs behind....

Shameful conduct by any measure. Guess these MBA's are a proud sort. Where do they find such "talent"?

"Guess these MBA's are a proud sort."
John Tague. Has No degree let alone an MBA
but he has a left a legacy of failed airlines.
Midway airlines, ATA, Air South, Vangard,

Might be more but Who knows?

 

[ironspud]

Cabotage. That's the answer.

 

[av8tor4239]

A big reason I left 121 and will never never return even if it means I have to find employment outside of aviation....

Pathetic

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Holy crap. That's such an awful story.