Totally Random Airline Fees

You know when you are about to say something sensitive and you disclaim, “Some of my BEST FRIENDS are…”  Well, I write this knowing that some of my best friends are USAirways employees.  Just not the ones I am about to mention!

Recently, I traveled via US Airways to South Carolina and back to Pittsburgh.  And for once, I  thought I only had one complaint.. the STANDARD ONE about their Commodore 64, 5 1/4″ Floppy Disk, Tape Modem computerized luggage retrieval system that gets your bags to you well within an hour of you getting to the Pittsburgh Airport’s Landside terminal.  Nice an convenient!!

But… they have NOT FAILED to UN-astonish once again.

So someone gives me a lift to the Charleston, SC airport.  I arrive 3 hours early for my US Airways flight back to Pittsburgh.  When I asked if there was an earlier flight home, the front desk confirms that there is and it is just about to board.  They book me on it.  I swiftly walk to the gate.

I then realize that they did not note a gate # so I return to the front podium.  At that point, the attendant tells me she forgot to charge me the extra $75 for changing to the earlier flight.   Fine… credit card swiped… $75 worth of convenience and I am off to the gate where the plane is now boarding.

Within 10-minutes of me getting to the gate, the gate attendant announces that, “If anyone in the area that is on the 6pm flight would like to board this earlier flight, please come to desk.”  As I am waiting to board, I ask, “Is there any extra fee for those that want to fly earlier?”  The gate attendant replies, “No, it’s just a courtesy since the flight is not full.”

WAIT.. WHAT?????????????????  10-minutes ago I just paid $75 to do what you just offered to others for FREE???????

I think I deserve a REFUND!

Cutting to the chase..once I got home,  I tweeted to @USAirways.  They provided me an email address to which I could send my details.  I did so.. I wrote mainly the same information as above but was NICE!

The, no-name-attached-no-real-person-to-talk-to email reply said they reviewed my case and do not believe I deserve a refund.

I emailed again stating that I don’t think they REALLY read the details of this issue and, once again, no-name-attached-no-real-person-to-talk-to email reply that I do not deserve a refund.

So US Airways, it had been over 4 years since I last flew on your silly little transit system that you call an airline. And now, over $75, it will be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time before I step on to another one of your planes…. even if I have to go through Chicago, Milwaukee over to Portland and thru Austin just to get to Columbus, Ohio!!

Hope you are finally making a profit due to random fees…. I will keep tabs on the additional ways you could chose to make money like: arm rest fees, no fees to recline your chair but $18 to put it back in it’s upright position, etc. etc.

Here’s ONE way to make money.. charge a licensing fee to everyone that posts the name US Airways in a complaint on the internet!  You’ll be multiple BILLIONAIRES, Ya Jagoffs!!