I want to share what is probably one of the most disappointing customer service experiences I have had with an airline. I spent over 5 hours on hold yesterday trying to speak to a US Airways representative. All I wanted to do was complete the payment on a booking I had on hold. Not only did I waste an enormous amount of time, the airline cancelled my booking before the deadline, despite my attempt with a live agent to complete the transaction!
Long story short, clearly US Airways did not have enough capacity to handle calls yesterday. Multiple times when I called the recording said to call back. OK, but after waiting an hour and a half for an agent, I was ready to give them my credit card and they put me on hold. I was trying, really trying to get this thing done. I had patiently waited for a very long time. First the agent told me it would be cheaper to book it online. I explained to him that that was not possible. He didn't even understand how the system worked. I also told him that the website did not work correctly even if I could have booked it online. Indeed later in the evening when I realized they had cancelled my booking, I tried to reserve it, as he had suggested, and it was pricing out at 530,000 miles rather than 190,000 miles. You have to call in, period. So after I told him I wanted to give him my credit card, that I really had not waited an hour and a half on hold to NOT book it, he said just a minute, and put me on hold. When he came back on I could hear him talking to the person next to him joking around about flowers or chocolates, clearly not paying attention. I was saying, hello, hello and then I hear CLICK. He hung up.
I spent the next 5 hours trying to get back through. I first checked online. My flight was still "Active". OK, just have to try again, I thought. I ended up calling the American Airlines Executive Platinum desk. They put me through to a line they said was faster for Chairman's Preferred members. After 3 hours and 45 minutes on hold with that line, I checked online just to be sure that my flight was still active. It was now "Cancelled". I have no idea how, and no idea why.
I have tried to call US Airways ever since. This morning I cannot even get put on hold. This is obviously a difficult travel time with the major blizzard in the Northeast. I really feel for anyone trying to get a flight changed, cancelled, rescheduled or who is stranded today. The airline needs to have a system in place that can accommodate for this kind of thing. And as for anyone just trying to pay for a ticket, it should not be that hard, ever.
Long story short, clearly US Airways did not have enough capacity to handle calls yesterday. Multiple times when I called the recording said to call back. OK, but after waiting an hour and a half for an agent, I was ready to give them my credit card and they put me on hold. I was trying, really trying to get this thing done. I had patiently waited for a very long time. First the agent told me it would be cheaper to book it online. I explained to him that that was not possible. He didn't even understand how the system worked. I also told him that the website did not work correctly even if I could have booked it online. Indeed later in the evening when I realized they had cancelled my booking, I tried to reserve it, as he had suggested, and it was pricing out at 530,000 miles rather than 190,000 miles. You have to call in, period. So after I told him I wanted to give him my credit card, that I really had not waited an hour and a half on hold to NOT book it, he said just a minute, and put me on hold. When he came back on I could hear him talking to the person next to him joking around about flowers or chocolates, clearly not paying attention. I was saying, hello, hello and then I hear CLICK. He hung up.
I spent the next 5 hours trying to get back through. I first checked online. My flight was still "Active". OK, just have to try again, I thought. I ended up calling the American Airlines Executive Platinum desk. They put me through to a line they said was faster for Chairman's Preferred members. After 3 hours and 45 minutes on hold with that line, I checked online just to be sure that my flight was still active. It was now "Cancelled". I have no idea how, and no idea why.
I have tried to call US Airways ever since. This morning I cannot even get put on hold. This is obviously a difficult travel time with the major blizzard in the Northeast. I really feel for anyone trying to get a flight changed, cancelled, rescheduled or who is stranded today. The airline needs to have a system in place that can accommodate for this kind of thing. And as for anyone just trying to pay for a ticket, it should not be that hard, ever.
