Real final. This was worth passing on -- US Airways and "diversion" - my experiences over the last 15 yrs.

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "N. Hanger & A. Phillips" <windhaven () sff net>
Date: August 4, 2004 6:32:07 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: US Airways and "diversion" - my experiences over the last 15 
yrs.

Dave, I know you've closed this discussion, but I have something 
personal to
add; don't worry about passing it to the list. Thought you might be 
interested.

I fly US Airways almost exclusively; have for about 15 years now.

I have been "stranded" by them for up to 2 days as recently as a year 
ago, only
to be told by them that I could "sleep in the plastic seats" -- my 
request for a
hotel was denied. I was told that mechanical delays were to blame, and 
that if I
didn't want to buy a membership in their flight club, I'd have to stay 
in the
seating area until they could get me on a plane that did have an open 
seat: 23
hours later was the earliest they could give me. (I note that only that 
year I'd
let my Club membership lapse; silly me.)

The kicker? I was wearing a full back brace, walking (with difficulty) 
with a
cane, and all my extra pain meds were in my baggage, which they 
couldn't get for
me. I'd broken my back and the spine was beginning to have mechanical
difficulties of its own.

Since then I was stranded in Charlotte, NC, on a bereavement fare, with 
my
father dying as I stood in the airport in tears, because my plane 
couldn't
leave, and the next plane -- the last plane of the day to go to my 
destination
-- was full -- I was told to my face, in front of shocked witnesses, 
that I was
"out of luck." I'd have to stay "in the seats" until they found a place 
for me
=the next day=. A very kind man gave me his seat in the plane and spent 
the
night in the airport himself, after he saw me sobbing. The airline never
apologized and instead a stewardess scolded me for "taking that man's 
seat from
him." I suggested they could make it up by giving him a hotel room. She 
said,
"We don't do that for stranded passengers."

I can cite at least 6 more times I was stranded by US Airways, all 
around the
country, for between 4-24 hours at a pop, with no offer of even a hotel 
room.
"We don't do that," is the chorus.

If only I'd known then that I could get a plane diverted for me.

Yeah, right.

--Nancy
who is disgusted that people believe the airline spokespeople couldn't 
possibly
be stretching the truth to cover their asses


(Dave -- I'm usually subscribed as nhanger () windhaven com, but am on my 
web
interface. Ignore this email address; it forwards to my domain anyway.)

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