>>>>This was the most unbelievable customer service experience I ever had. Down-the-rabbit-hole mind boggling.
>>>>
>>>>As I mentioned in another thread, I missed my return flight from New Orleans to Chicago last evening. (Helpful travel hint: don't try to get cute and cut it too close, not in Friday rush hour traffic into New Orleans). I called American Airlines, where I had a flight booked tomorrow, to let them know I would not be on that flight and want to make sure the return to Chicago next Friday stays alive.
>>>>
>>>>Whoops. Not so fast.
>>>>
>>>>The first aggravation was reaching an American agent to speak to. If the phone number is anywhere on their web site, I couldn't find it. I finally got it by googling. Then there was a new obstacle course to reach a person from the automated phone answering system. It tried about 10 different ways to steer me to automated options, including threats of additional fees to do it in person. Somehow I stumbled onto an option about three levels deep to speak to an agent about wheelchair needs or other unusual needs. I didn't think my needs were so unusual, missing a flight, but whatever works.
>>>>
>>>>The woman who took my call was a moron. I'm sorry but there is really no other way to put it. I kept giving her my name, spelling it out, and flight details. She kept insisting it wasn't in the system. The flight yesterday, the one tomorrow, the one last Sunday -- all vanished. Finally it emerged that she thought I was in Huntsville, Alabama. She finally found my reservation. And as it turned out, she had at least two unpleasant surprises for me.
>>>>
>>>>The first was that there would be no refund or credit for the flight I missed last night. None, zero. With all the empathy of a government worker with a month to go before retirement, she said if you do not cancel a non-refundable reservation prior to departure there is no refund. Have a nice life, thank you very much.
>>>>
>>>>The second was that it was not possible for her to cancel my flight tomorrow on American. This is an American agent, remember. She said since the return flight is on United, you have to talk to them. Have a nice life.
>>>>
>>>>So I called United, going through the same obstacle course to reach an agent. I got a guy with an impenetrably thick Irish accent, but at least he seemed to have a functioning brain. The news, unfortunately, was no better. I told him I just wanted to make sure my reservation from New Orleans to Chicago next Friday remains intact, even though I will not be on the originating flight tomorrow. He said no, it will be automatically cancelled when you miss the flight tomorrow. I said there must be some way you can keep the reservation. He said I'm sorry but I cannot. This is a United agent. Long story short, I had to pay a $115 change fee. So taking one flight instead of three winds up costing more. Unbelievable.
>>>>
>>>>He reminded me to be sure to have cash or a credit card if I planned to check any baggage. That's $15 per bag now.
>>>>
>>>>My advice: don't fly if at all possible.
>>>
>>>
>>>Sounds like Ryan Air.
>>>
>>>deep breath now Mike. Its all water under the bridge.
>>
>>I'm fine. One of the benefits of coming close to death is you learn to let the little things go. But a sense of justified irritation is all right. These are the two biggest U.S. airlines and they don't care about their customers. They think it's cost effective to avoid speaking to us and to save shekels by hiring monkeys for those annoying customers who get through. It's not smart.
>
>OTOH they have you over a barrel .. I guess you're going to be doing this commute quite a lot so now is the time to work on that thick skin and pragmatism.

I know. The aggravating thing is I had this kind of gig once before, in 1992 between Chicago and Denver. I flew United every week, same route every Monday morning and Friday afternoon, to the point of getting to know the flight crews. Same thing with the ladies at the Dollar Rent A Car desk at the Denver airport. (That business has changed, too, but no more rants today). It really was a different flying experience then.

Is it so much to ask for businesses to treat their customers like human beings?