Beyond A "Bedbug Letter"

[DaveM]

I may have mentioned that this past week I went through an experience with American Airlines that seems to be becoming the norm for air travel these days. A flight canceled for no apparent reason (they claimed weather but the sun was shining and a flight from Continental left right on time from the same airfield), then a connecting flight which was stuck for at least four hours because the flight attendants couldn't be bothered to come to work that day....and it went on from there. The only relief in the entire long day came when a flight attendant came on the P.A. and proved to sound exactly like Julie Haggerty.

So I sent a note to Customer Service, telling them that if I were a customer of any other retail business and received a product or service of such poor quality, I would expect a refund and most likely get it (furthermore that in my own business I would provide such a refund without question if a customer got bad service). Here are some selections from American Airlines' response:

"We have reviewed your ticket, which show (sic) to have been used, so we must respectfully decline you (sic) request, as it is not our intent (sic) to provide free travel. Although we have high service standards, basically our product is transportation. While some elements of a particular flight may be unsatisfactory, we do not routinely provide a refund when transportation is provided.

"Unfortunately, the fact remains that our schedules are not guaranteed and are subject to change without notice. We have the authority and the responsibility to make changes to our schedules to resolve problems caused by weather, flight conditions, mechanical difficulties or other operational challenges. Accordingly, we cannot assume financial responsibility for our customers' personal time lost or for out-of-pocket expenses when extenuating circumstances prevent us from operating asplanned.

"I am sorry that we didn't do a better job of overcoming the challenges we faced that day in order to make your experience a little less trying."

In other words, you'll pay what we tell you to and we'll fly if and when we feel like it. And if you want to get uppity about it, well, what did you expect?

I am copying this fellow's letter to the president of customer service and the CEO of American Airlines. Not because I think it will accomplish anything, but because it'll feel good.

Conversely, American's "Contract Of Carriage" is available at the airline's website and other sources. Not sure what other carriers may specify, but under American's "contract", there are so many loopholes that they literally do not have to provide transportation in exchange for your purchase of a ticket and can deny it without compensation for essentially any reason as long as they make a "reasonable effort"--if you meet their lengthy criteria for being denied boarding (which can include being barefoot, "having an odor", or being dressed in a manner they regard as inappropriate), they don't even have to make the effort.

Apparently the only obligation they have is to collect fares. Anything else is "at their discretion".

I wonder if their pilots are asked to make a "reasonable effort"?

Can anyone else remember how wonderful the 21st Century was going to be?

[Amy in Vermont]

What ever happened to " the customer is always right, even when they are wrong"?

[hoops]

right on amy...sorry davem
peace
hoops

[DaveM]

My favorite line is: "I am sorry that we didn't do a better job of overcoming the challenges we faced that day in order to make your experience a little less trying". In other words, "we try to keep the process as painless as possible". I thought only dentists and surgeons said that.

[Beth]

I flew with some coworkers on NWA a few weeks ago to/from Kansas City. The flight back was horrible. There was NO air conditioning from the moment we boarded. I am not a fan of A/C, but on a flight, it's welcome. It musta been 120 in that tin box! Then, when we took off, we went up, then down, then up, then down, a little more up, more down. Never could reach altitude because they couln't get the cabin pressurized... So, more than halfway home, they turned around back to Kansas City. When we landed, the captain said, "Sorry folks, there's just too many things broken on this plane to be able to make it jive." No ****! I was so pissed off! And not because of the hassle, but because, ya know, I kinda like this life and I was really angry that the pilot/airline had such poor regard for those of us on their plane. I have to travel more in the months to come but will not be flying NWA.

[lucille]

Did I mention that I was threatened with Jail when I was in Atlanta just recently?:eek: "People in this state are put in prison when they blaspheme":mad: I was only pointing out that I had a contract with Transair to transport me from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, and was told that what I actually had was a boarding pass!

I just happened to have a paper ticket which stated on the back that I did indeed hold a contract, so when I said "Jesus Christ, what do you call this?" security was called. I shoulda just burnt the terminal down.

[Bat]

Stay outta the deep South, Wendy. I like the arson idea.

[Mary6906]

Flame on, Wendy, Flame on!!! :mad: :cool:

Just for the record... I was making a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.... opps.... I dang burnt it to a crisp!!! I think someone's rubbing off on me. :rolleyes:

[Dee]

Apparently the only obligation they have is to collect fares. Anything else is "at their discretion".

They sound exactly like my landlords, Dave. Believe it or not, I have never flown and I don't ever plan to.

[DaveM]

Don't fly Northwest. Don't EVER fly Northwest. They control more than 90% of the flights out of Minnesota, but the carriers who manage to run the other 10% carry more than 30% of the passengers out of the state! Guess why?

Beth, your experience is typical for NWA. And if you contact customer service, heaven help you. If you do so and are told to contact "Ellie Hayes", by the way, don't. "Ellie Hayes" is the trash can.

I am sending the bedbug letter I got to the CEO of American Airlines and copying the Department of Transportation and my Congressman, who just happens to chair the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I don't expect any great results, mind, but the stress release is worth the cost of the stamps.

[coffeegyrl]

What's a bedbug letter?

[DaveM]

Legend has it that a rail traveler of some years ago found a bedbug in his Pullman car berth. Enraged, he wrote to the president of the Pullman Car Company. In return, he received an elaborate apology stating that nothing of the sort had ever happened before, that every car on the rails was being fumigated, etc. etc. Accidentally attached to it was his original letter, on which the President of the Pullman Car Company had written: "Send this S.O.B. the bedbug letter".

It's a "supposedly true" story--I believe snopes.com mentions several versions. But it fits the modern concept of customer service so well....if it ain't true, it oughta be.

[hoops]

beth, did i understand that you were more thanhalf way to your destination when the pilot decided to turn back? and the pilot actually said "there are too many things wrong with this plane" while you were thousands of miles in the air? it's not bad enough the plane could have fallen out of the sky, or that you had to go back and start all over again, but you had a stupid idiot flying the thing! Baaaaaaaaaaaaah! i MUst get my pilots license and straighten this crap out!
peace
hoops

[Beth]

No, he said that after we had landed back in Kansas City. There is more to the story. My coworker sitting next to me was so scared, and the guy across the aisle from me was talking about how he just saw his mom after thirteen years and how she runs a funeral home and how the deaths always come in threes but they only had two this week. And my coworker is begging him to be quiet...and the hostess is trying to comfort her by saying what would happen on the plane if we were going to crash...OMG, it coulda been a movie!

[DaveM]

I was on a Northwest flight c. 1986 (before I learned better) where the pilot pulled the nose of the 727 up too far on takeoff and dragged the tail on the runway before we got off the ground. We all sat up very straight in our seats and waited for the tail to fall off. After about five minutes, the pilot came on the P.A. and acknowledged the obvious, but assured us that "there is no damage to the aircraft (how did they know?) and we'll be proceeding to Kansas City (perhaps it's something about Kansas City?) as scheduled".

We all sat up mighty straight for that entire flight, but got to Kansas City on time. Mind, on the return flight I looked at the number on the aircraft and was very relieved to discover that it wasn't the same plane.

Have been saying for more than 20 years that Northwest's slogan should be: "You got there, didn't you?"

[aabram]

Is it any wonder I don't fly very much? Perhaps they really ARE trying to "Fly Too High" (Don't all groan at once) :D

Annabel

[RedjackRyan]

I got on a little puddle jumper going from Miami to the Bahamas. we took off in a storm that rapidly grew much more severe. Now this was a little plane, wing under the fuselage, twin props.. As we're flying i can see the wings flexing up and down in the turbulence. The pilot makes several approaches but there must have been a nasty crosswind as he had to abort several times.. On about the 10th go-round, he finally nosed the thing over and dove toward the runway.. Pulling out at the last moment and bunny hopped that little plane down the runway. I was never so glad to be on solid ground in my life.. and i stopped flying on puddle jumpers.

[Dee]

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/deemark/Emoticons/boggled.jpg

Nope, you'll never ever get me to board a plane.

[Wildflower Fever]

Did I mention that I was threatened with Jail when I was in Atlanta just recently?:eek: "People in this state are put in prison when they blaspheme":mad: I was only pointing out that I had a contract with Transair to transport me from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, and was told that what I actually had was a boarding pass!

I just happened to have a paper ticket which stated on the back that I did indeed hold a contract, so when I said "Jesus Christ, what do you call this?" security was called. I shoulda just burnt the terminal down.

I hate to quote a cartoon character, but Family Guy's Peter Griffin said it best: "Hey, ain't America Great? Except for The South...":D
I took a sales job down South years ago and one day came across a trucker at one of my accounts. I recognized his company was HQ'd in St. Cloud, MN, and I mentioned this to him. He said he'd never been there, but he said he could tell I was from there, because I talked funny "like I was from Canada, or something." Now, I'm not bragging, nor do I claim that at times my "O" sounds are a little off, but other than that I speak clearly in nearly a flat accent. This guy was wearing overalls with no shirt, had a hillbilly beard and looked like he was wearing a dead raccoon on his head. Oh yes, and he didn't "speak too good", if you know what I mean.:rolleyes: The biggest thing I took from my year down there was that people were always noticing I was an outsider, sometimes resentfully. Yet, in my neighborhood there are transplants from all over the U.S. (including the South), and we rarely take umbrage to this. Why is that? I might offend some folks here from the vicinity, but I think it was for the birds, man.

[Dee]

He said he'd never been there, but he said he could tell I was from there, because I talked funny "like I was from Canada, or something."

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/deemark/Emoticons/chuckling.gif Considering he was a hillbilly yokel, I guess I can overlook that one eh?

[Wildflower Fever]

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/deemark/Emoticons/chuckling.gif Considering he was a hillbilly yokel, I guess I can overlook that one eh?

Yeah. And it wasn't like I was wearing a denim shirt and pants while flinging Kraft Dinner and Tim Hortons at him, eh? ;) I should have said, "hey BOODY, what is it ABOOT me you find Canadian?" :D

[hoops]

ah, the south. i believe every southern state has it's Public south and the south you only see if you get lost, or have lived there a while. there is also the south and then there is Texas. i wonder if it's the heat. I can remember mannnnnnnnnnnny times "Yer from New Yawrk ain't ya" heh heh, how'd ya guess.
I knew this woman, born in the town i was born in, lived there all her life. the kind of person who had never been south of exit 18 on the NYS thruway, yet she had a southern accent...how??? what???why???
bedbugs...i was reading today that many college dorms ar being over run by them. dang that has to suck
peace
hoops

[Wildflower Fever]

ah, the south. i believe every southern state has it's Public south and the south you only see if you get lost, or have lived there a while. there is also the south and then there is Texas. i wonder if it's the heat. I can remember mannnnnnnnnnnny times "Yer from New Yawrk ain't ya" heh heh, how'd ya guess.
I knew this woman, born in the town i was born in, lived there all her life. the kind of person who had never been south of exit 18 on the NYS thruway, yet she had a southern accent...how??? what???why???
bedbugs...i was reading today that many college dorms ar being over run by them. dang that has to suck
peace
hoops

Hoops, in my travels I've found that if you go from the interior western states clear to the east coast and south of say, Chicago, it's the south. For example:
Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana/Ohio (sorry Rudies!:o ), or whatever, you'll find more western wear and pseudo/southern accents. Heck, the last two electoral maps almost corroborate this. :rolleyes: