One of Those Bad Days (2) - Wrong Flight

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Whole time during the day, Uncle CN was in Mike's mind.   Talking to Roger that evening, Mike learnt that Uncle CN had passed away that morning.   Mike love and respect Uncle CN for his kindness when Mike was a young boy.   We talked about driving the 21 hours or flying there for Uncle CN's funeral.

Monday, 2 June 2014

It was after 5 pm that the funeral was confirmed for 10 am on Wednesday in Okemah Oklahoma.   Mike accepted my views to fly to the funeral himself.   We could not afford the cost of airfares for both of us.   And I did not feel up to the drive, due to gastric attacks since Friday.    He bought his air ticket from the US Airways reservation agent, via the phone.    I saw the fare in the bank account.   An hour passed and Mike had not received the itinerary.   I called the airlines and found that the email address was incorrect!  I had heard Mike reading the email address over the phone but I did not hear the reservation clerk reading it back to ensure it is accurate.

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

The flight that Mike thought he had booked was Tampa/Charlotte/Fayetteville AR but the flights that he got on was Tampa/Charlotte/Fayetteville NC (10:20/12:05-14:37/15:30).    

6:24 pm, Mike messaged that he was in the wrong airport!     I checked the itinerary email.  It read Tampa FL to Fayetteteville NC!   It was partly my fault for not noticing the error in the name of the State!   Mike carried a hard copy of the itinerary and didn't realise the mistake as well.  Mike didn't realised he had boarded the "wrong" flight (right flight according to the confirmation email) nor did he realised the mistake inside the plane (with the announcements) or at landing that it is NC and not AR that the flight has taken him! 

Mike's cousin had waited at Fayetteville AR, called and asked him where he was. Mike said he was already there and then he saw a sign that said Fayetteville NC! We are thankful that the US Airways humbly recognised that there was a mistake on the part of the booking clerk.   Mike was put up at the Holiday Inn hotel (910-323-1600, room 1061) for the night.   US Airways arranged for him to fly tomorrow by Delta Airlines: Fayetteville NC/Atlanta/Tulsa (6:00/7:19-8:35/9:35)(ref. 5084Y).    His return flight, on Saturday, was also amended to Fayetteville AR/Charlotte/Tampa (7:05/10:20-11:35/13:12) by US Airways.

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Mike arrived at the Delta counter as directed.  A young lady confirmed his name was on the their list, however the US Airways had not booked it properly.  5 mins to 6 am flight, Mike was handed a ticket and told to go the departure gate.  The boarding pass was not done properly and Mike was denied boarding.

Long story short, Mike missed his Uncle's funeral.   He was very unhappy with the way US Airways handled the situation.   He asked that US Airways would just fly him back to Tampa FL.   They said they have to charge for the change in date!   Mike was no angry that he bought a ticket with the Delta Airlines and flew back this day.

This whole situation and mistake cost us $819.32 (inclusive of $523.50 wrong return ticket by US Airways, $211.50 one way ticket with Delta Airlines, and other expenses).   It is as if that amount has been thrown away.   It is very upsetting when you are already living on a budget.

Personally, both US Airways and we (the customers) are to share the mistake.   US Airways should have accommodated Mike's wish to just fly back to Tamps on the 4th June without any charge for the change of date.   Also Mike should have realised the mistake, through the announcements, etc.

As of date, the US Airways gave Mike till the 1 June 2015 to use the remaining of his ticket with no charge in the change of original date.