US Airways: "Angry is One Of the Words We Look For"

[babylonsister]

http://consumerist.com/5094551/us-airways-angry-is-one-of-the-words-we-look-for

US Airways: "Angry is One Of the Words We Look For"
By Alex Jarvis, 1:02 PM on Thu Nov 20 2008, 18,419 views


If you are planning on flying US Airways, make sure you are either grumpy, perturbed, unhappy, or uncomfortable- anything but 'angry'. As reader James learned, 'angry' people get grounded on a No-Fly list.

James wanted to see if he could price match a ticket he bought earlier to the current, lower price. When he attempted to call customer service, he was informed that not only couldn't he match his tickets to the cheaper price, but that by describing himself as angry he would be considered a security issue. James paraphrased:

CS: "Did you say you were going to be angry on the flight?"
James: "I totally did. If I know that the guy sitting next to me spent $150 less for his seats than me, you better believe I'm not going to be happy."
CS: "Well, if you're telling me you're going to be angry I'm going to notify security."

James escalated his complaint, and the Executive Relations (ER) representative backed up this claim:

James: "You can't tell me you're going to put me on a no-fly list because I said I was going to be grumpy on a flight."
ER: "But you said you were going to be angry, and that's one of the words we look out for."

Sounds like at least one Airline is telling it's representatives to look for very vague keywords. These could apply to anyone - I'm sure many of us have had an experience at an airport that made us angry, but that doesn't mean we qualify for a watch-list. As for price matching the tickets, there is always US airways executive customer service.

[lady raven]

1. Yeah, cause those terrorists make sure to let the

world know they're pissed when they're about to carry out an attack. They like to stand out.

[amdezurik]

2. while the less then helpful customer rep

did twist the callers words to try to threaten them into shutting up, the customer probably bought a non-refundable non-transferable ticket. And i gotta say airlines have always been very resistant to dealing with attempts to change those. So in this case both parties are wrong...

[pitohui]

18. on OTHER airlines you get a voucher for the diff on "nonrefundable" tix, admittedly no refund

but it is standard practice that if there is a substantial drop in price, you can call customer service and if you are willing to pay the "change" fee, then you get -- not a refund -- but the difference in the form of an electronic voucher that you can use to buy another ticket later

this can be done on us air's partner airline united, so it isn't just skyteam that does this

the pax was not asking for anything unreasonable, he knew he was entitled to something, he just phrased it poorly, hardly a "No Fly" offense

"nonrefundable" does not usually mean all hope is lost even if your granny and your best friend died, it usually means that if you pay the fee that was disclosed when you purchased the ticket, then you can get the new price

the fee can make it not worth it (sometimes it's as much as $200) but that's another issue, sometimes it's as little as $25...it's in the T&C when you bought the ticket

[20score]

3. Why do some people have to be so mind- numbingly stupid? And why are they given any power?

Is it because so many confuse a stick up the ass with a brain?

[trollybob]

4. what complete idiots, no wonder they are one plane crash away

from going out of business. Oh, and by the way, there's no joking allowed, either.

[spoony]

5. Reason 54,877 I hate flying.

My next trip to England I seriously think I'll take a liner. It'll take days, but it may well be worth it to avoid the hassles and unpleasantries of air travel.

[wryter2000]

9. This is why I'm an Amtrak traveller n/t

n/t

[onethatcares]

12. I was gonna take the Amtrak to Rome a few years ago,

but the tracks weren't laid yet. Something about sinking.:toast: Peace and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Cassandra]

14. That's why they supply you with swim fins...

decorated with scenes from the Sistine chapel. Didn't you get yours?

[wryter2000]

15. LOL

It doesn't work too well for overseas, I'll admit.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

[mitchum]

6. Well, Kenneth Anger is really fucked, isn't he?

here is one of his many great films
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsCR4YEcYMk

[Ian David]

7. Is "Pissed-off" on the list? n/t

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. It's got to be an Onion spoof.

[SoCalDem]

10. One reason we now drive, when we need to go somewhere

except for the free trip to Tahiti:evilgrin:

[backscatter712]

11. Are we allowed to be sarcastic?

Sarcasm is just one of the free services I offer to people who annoy me...

[Patsy Stone]

13. This sounds like Seinfeld

when they wrote "difficult" on Elaine's medical chart.

I think if you don't get angry flying these days, they should give you a medal.

[CreekDog]

16. but I thought US Air's business model required making passngers angry

of course the other part of the business model is to have lots of empty seats.

:dilemma:

[pitohui]

19. i can tell creekdog is another satisfied us air customer!

you just never hear a us air flyer say anything happy

[CreekDog]

20. i liked how they merged with America West

:rofl:

though to be fair, that did improve America West! :rofl:

[pitohui]

22. america's worst had no further down to go! EOM

:-)

[CreekDog]

23. true

but then i thought of Northwest. :rofl:

[pitohui]

17. us airways has a very poor reputation, i'm just saying

everybody on their flights is angry, they just vent about it later on the internet blogs i guess

i get lots of travel stuff emailed to one of my addresses, and there's plenty incoming about the unhappy us airways frequent flyer

i avoid this airline but in airports and in most public places i try to follow tony robbins' old advice not to be angry -- "you are not angry, you are PEEVED" -- the day they put everybody who is "peeved" on the No Fly list is the day the airlines and airports close forever and not just in BKK and PHL

[percussivemadness]

21. why anyone would fly US Scareways is beyond me

[Danger Mouse]

24. Your average terrorists warns of impending attacks by calling customer service...

and ranting about how angry he is.
If we don't put these beasts on a watch list, who knows how many irate customers could blow up airplanes? Why do you hate America?