Juiced

Let me tell of you about my recent trip to NY.

To NY:
Southwest Airlines on a Friday, from Chicago where we were expecting CRAZY storms. Plane is delayed bc of the weather in Long Island. Although all week long it said perfect weather out there. Confused by the announced statement, a few passengers made comments and a little while later a disgruntled Southwest Airlines employee decides to show his stress by announcing that he’s not a liar and an LCD screen shot of the weather over on the east coast. Fine, although that was really hard to believe. What about the weather in Chicago? Every other airport was cancelling/delaying flights bc of that.
Then he announces there’s no pilot yet. (meh?) (my trip to NJ two weeks before that got delayed bc of a missing flight attendant).

Well they decide to board us on the plane and the Southwest Airline attendants hurried us and announced us to quickly quickly take our seats since we were already late. Everyone finally boards, gets situated, seated up, belted…. And then its announced that there is still no pilot. We sat there on the plane irritated and confused for an hour while the Southwest Airline attendants giggled and laughed and played w/another pilot (unsure who he was). Coulda been worse.

To Chicago:

I had a late Sunday United Airlines flight and I knew the weather was ok in NY but weather in Chicago may be trouble again. I just happened to check my flight info via google text, just simply for the heck of it (4 hrs) before my flight. IT WAS CANCELLED! No calling, no information. Just a United Airlines rep on the phone when I CALLED THEM saying can you get to the airport now? You are protected for an EARLIER flight. What the heck? No one contacted me or told me. She said it was because I purchased from cheaptickets.com. They should have contacted me. (argh) So, drop the rest of my Sunday plans and rush to the airport to make the flight. (I’m a pain when I’m late, ask Sajan) He rushes me to my terminal, drops me off and I run in only to be told that I wasn’t even scheduled for the earlier flight. I was schedules for a flight the NEXT DAY w/the same flight number. I looked at the man and asked if he was kidding. He sure wasn’t. He decided to be ‘’nice’’ and give me a ticket to the already overbooked plane. Not a real ticket. I was told to go wait at the gate and see if they could get me on. WTHeck! You rushed me here, you told me I was protected on an earlier flight (key word earlier) and say oh no it’s a flight for tomorrow (which btw is LATER than my scheduled flight) and then say we’ll see if we can get you on the overbooked flight. Go wait.

Um….. hm….. la la la….can I be upset now? Oh yes I was upset. I asked for a manager 3x and the man told me I was being rude. I WAS BEING RUDE? He was an Indian man and he probably realized I was an Indian girl and decided to kinda dismiss me but that only pissed me off more. I know – real good attitude – I feel bad and I hope he can forgive me but CMOOOONNNN and I told him that if they’re running a business to run it like a real business. (this coming from a stupid girl to a big conglomerate like United Airlines, meep).
The man goes and gets a manager and 3 other ppl come out. They stand by a computer for awhile. 15 min pass and I hear the lady manager say to the Indian man, ‘’who’s the passenger’’. WHAT THE… I’m standing right in front of her. I spoke up and she asked me what it was that I WANTED TO DO. What I wanted to do. I told her if I booked a flight for today, then I’d like to leave today. If you couldn’t do that why didn’t your rep tell me that. I could have had a few hrs saved there and figured out how and where to stay, etc etc. Eventually she decides to OVERBOOK me on an already OVERBOOKED flight. Don’t even ask me how they do that kinda crud planning – I mean, she actually gave me a ticket w/a seat number. Crazy. I had to run to the plane and get on which btw was delayed for 2 hrs. So basically I left at the same time I was supposed to leave. I just had a nice 2 hr delay nap on the tarmac.

This week I read an article that airlines customer svc could get worse… and all I could remember was this LONG story of the stupidity that goes on w/the prices we’re paying, and they’re blaming it all on rising gas prices? Sigh.

I always said the line (not referring necessarily to airports) ‘’ if idiots had wings, this place would be a freakin airport’’…. And sure enough… :)

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