[IP] more on US Air - the excitement continues...

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Colin Hill <hillct@scoophost.com>
Date: September 6, 2006 9:42:51 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on US Air - the excitement continues...

Dave,
   For IP if you wish. A quick follow-up on the discussion of
questionable customer service since the merger of US Airways and America
West -  I had purchased a ticket on USAirways.com for travel today and
had electronically checked in on the website at midnight. At 6am, it
became necessary to delay my travel due to a medical emergency. I called
the reservations number listed on the website and the  representative I
spoke with was able to cancel my reservation and I got the same story as
 Mike O'Dell with regard to the fee for re-scheduling my travel. I was
further informed that as of the merger with America West (last October)
waivers of that re-scheduling fee for medical emergencies were no longer
allowed. I of course asked where I could find documentation of this
policy change. The rep indicated it was on the America website. When I
told her "OK, I'm in front of a computer, please tell me where on the
site I should look for this information" she said it was on the intranet
website but she was unsure if it was available to customers. I asked to
speak to the rep's manager, was placed on hold, then disconnected.
   I did some cursory checking and came up with this story
http://www.seniorlivingstrategies.com/traveling.asp which indicates that
many airlines had been eliminating/making more stringent their penalty
waiver availability policies. Specifically regarding US Air/America  
West:

" US Airways and America West have most recently merged and are in the
process of integrating policy changes. There is a change fee for both
airlines, but Morgan Durrant, spokesman for the merged airlines said,
“While the policies were in place to provide structure, the airline
realizes that emergencies do happen and medical emergencies are reviewed
on a case-by-case basis.”

This is partially inconsistent with the information I was given but is
anyone honestly surprised by that?

Best Regards,
Colin Hill

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