I’m writing this post a bit before 1 a.m. as I sit in the Philadelphia airport, awaiting a 6:45 a.m. flight home. I find myself in this predicament thanks to the horrid incompetence of U.S. Airways, which saw fit to cancel my connecting flight to LaGuardia after a five-hour delay. (The lackluster explanation given: “Maintenance.”) By the time the hammer finally came down, the airline claimed that it could not secure us hotel rooms, nor give us any meal vouchers. And so here I am, watching the custodial crew wax the floors and seething with white-hot rage. I’m sure Microkhan Jr. will be similarly peeved when he awakes, as I had promised to take him to school tomorrow. Hope he understands that the blame here does not belong with his pops, but rather with Doug Parker and his inexplicably rude employees.
Needless to say, I think U.S. Airways and the fictional Air Makambo from the clip above have more than a bit in common. If only Hewa Bora Airways had a PHI-to-LGA route, I’d be all over that.
Jordan // May 27, 2011 at 10:47 am
The price wars have definitely done a number on airlines’ capacity to absorb mistakes gracefully. And it seems tricky to claw our way back, because customers are going to notice higher prices more than they will things going wrong less often.
Brendan I. Koerner // May 27, 2011 at 12:57 pm
@Jordan: The funny thing is, it wouldn’t have been that expensive for them to keep my anger in check. Seriously, if they’d given me a $10 meal voucher, I probably wouldn’t have been anywhere near as ticked off. But it’s almost like they wanted to maximize their customers’ misery–an inexplicable five-hour delay, an 11 p.m. cancellation, no hotel, no food, incredibly hostile agents, etc.
Glad I finally made it back, but feel like today is shot–tough to operate after 90 minutes of fitful sleep in an airport. They owe us something more.
Mike // Feb 2, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Us airways has no customer service by phone.
Thats not acceptable. I hate us airways.
Brendan I. Koerner // Feb 3, 2012 at 10:24 pm
@Mike: Thank you. Always good to hear from a fellow citizen who has realized the dispiriting truth about U.S. Airways.
Nakizo // Jul 22, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Yes, US Air absolutely sucks. I will NEVER fly on them again after what they did to my daughter, flying by herself, today. NEVER!!!
Brendan I. Koerner // Jul 22, 2012 at 9:30 pm
@Nakizo: Sorry to hear that. It really is the worst airline around–best to avoid and encourage all of your friends/family to do likewise.