Company information:
US Airways
United States
We booked tickets via Orbitz for 3 people to go from San Fransisco to Paris with a layover in Charlotte.
Our flight was scheduled to take off at around 7 30 am. In the early morning of our flight, we were contacted by Orbitz letting us know that the flight was going to be delayed by 2 and half hours. Delays happen, we weren't upset.
We arrive at SFO airport to check in, while waiting in the line, we can already hear several people complaining loudly to the check in agents.
Once it is finally our turn, the check in agent tells us that our flight was delayed due to mechanical problems and we hadn't been rebooked on the flight at the newer time. Despite having paid over 3000 US dollars for tickets months in advanced, and having a piece paper CONFIRMING our flight in the morning from SFO to Charlotte and Charlotte to Paris, we find out just hours before our flight that we have been simply pushed off our original flight and not put on the next available one.
The check in agent tells us that the only flight available is late that night at 10 pm, with a 12 HOUR layover in Philly, we would effectively lose over 24 hours of our planned trip.
The agent was very rude and did not care about the situation, he just seemed eager to get rid of us. After a lot of complaining, some seats "magically" appear on a different flight to Charlotte that was scheduled to depart in a few minutes. He takes forever to get us on the flight, but then he sees that there are actually 2 separate reservations because 2 of us were coming back to SFO from Paris at different date than the 3rd person. He then tells us that if we had done 1 reservation for 3 people instead of 2 reservations, he would have time to put us on the flight, but because we had 2 reservations it would take too long to change both reservations. Doing so would of taken only a few extra minutes and we would have left SFO on a morning flight as planned. Not only that, the check in agent sounded like he blamed us for missing the flight because we did 2 reservations, but we had no choice, not everyone was returning to SFO on the same date.
Naturally, we voiced our opinion on the situation, letting them know that what they were doing was absolutely disgusting and that US Airways would not be able to stay in business if it keeps operating this way. The check in agent actually leaned over to his buddy on his left and said that they might have to "call the cops on this lady if she doesn't stop this" as if I wasn't even there, EXTREMELY RUDE.
We had no choice but to take the 10pm flight with the 12 hour layover in Philly, people were waiting on us in Paris.
Before we left, we asked the check in agent for a customer service number to complain to and he REFUSED to give us one. He told us it was Orbitz fault that we didn't have seats and that we should call them. We had to find his supervisor and complain AGAIN to her just to get a number to call customer service.
So I call the number and let them know about my situation. The man on the line tells me that the flight we were originally supposed to be on was delayed or cancelled ( he didn't seem too sure). I told him that the arrangements that were made for me were RIDICULOUS. I understand that delays happen in the airline industry but having my arrival in Paris delayed over 24 HOURS even thought i paid months in advance and I have a piece of paper CONFIRMING my morning flight is simply ridiculous. I asked to compensated financially, no way in hell was going to pay up the wazoo for such horrible service. The man told me that I would have to send an email to them because there was number I could call in order to try to get compensated financially.
I then asked him if he could honestly tell me that he would ever fly US Airways and he responded that he didn't have a choice.
