ATA limits customer inquiries and complaints to 1000 characters, including spaces. After posting this:
We couldn't check-in for our flight because we were told the cut-off time had been reached and the last bag sent. I offered to fly without luggage. My sister could pick up our bags in minutes. We were told we wouldn't make it down the jetway because everything closes at 2:05PM. My watch read 2:04PM. The ATA rep said theirs read 2:07PM. Note this is after we spent time in discussion.
A couple arrived after us with tickets on our flight, and after their pleadings, they were issued boarding passes for our 2:35PM flight to SFO! When I inquired about the disparity in treatment, I was curtly informed that I had arrived late and would need to pay a fee and buy a new ticket, amounting to $339 per person.
I flew a different carrier home out of frustration with the:
-DISCRIMINATION with which we were treated
-PRICE-GOUGING (other airlines allow passengers to fly stand by without purchasing a new ticket or paying a penalty)
Please contact me to resolve this matter. I'm out of characters on this form.
We each received a $100 travel voucher, and I got a generic letter. After realizing today that the travel voucher is basically worthless because they don't let you apply it to online purchases, so you can't get any online rates, I submitted this:
After being denied boarding due to our "late" arrival (32 minutes to departure), while another couple who arrived LATER than we did were allowed to board that specific flight (we asked ATA why the disparity in treatment and never received a direct answer), I have been attempting to use my ATA credit. I had been told I could use it to purchase ANY travel on ATA, including rescheduling the second leg of my original trip. Yet, I have just learned that I can’t apply it toward webfares and a HNL - SFO leg is priced as a one-way fare, not the continuation of a round trip. I was misinformed of my options, and your non-web / one-way prices are outrageously expensive. In addition, your customer service personnel can't even tell me my remaining balance!
Based on the discrimination, price-gouging, and mis-information I've experienced, at this point, the minimum remedy that will not leave me feeling victimized by ATA would be for you to credit my VISA with the $633.80 I paid for the tickets.
ATA sucks. Don't use them. This is but one of the first steps I will take to inform the world of their suckyness.
By the way, I still hate Express as well. Yes. It has been years. Loyal readers may remember. Perhaps my sending them bad karma is paying off. That division has been sucking wind, according to our retail analyst. I like to think I've contributed.
Posted by christina at November 22, 2005 02:50 PM