I got to the airport 1 hour and 15 minutes early and was told that the flight was delayed (no...that call to the cell phone speaking of delayed flights did not occur.) I was told I probably would not make my connection, and I was placed on standby for the direct flight (715) to Tampa leaving at 6:30 PM. I arrive in Philadelphia and I am placed in a crowded jetway of crazy sweaty people waiting for plane side checked luggage and another line waiting to see a woman with a stack of tickets in hand (yes this is all in the jetway). I am handed a ticket that takes me to Charlotte then Tampa and it departs in about 45 minutes from the terminal at the other end of the airport. The long journey from F to A takes place to a gate that is empty, and a flight attendant behind a counter with a back pack on his back, and one foot out of the desk area.
"The gate has been changed, and the flight is delayed till 8:30 PM. This means you will not make your final destination."
No additional advice was given. A blank stare meets me, and I chirp, "That's Ok, I was put on standby for another flight this morning."
"Nope, I don't see you on it." You will have to go to special services to change your flight."
45 minutes later...in the long line at special services....
"Are you able to look up flights on that phone," says another desperate looking woman.
"Yes, you going to Tampa, too," I said.
"Yes, do you know if there is anyway to get there?"
"Well, the flights are all showing full on all the airlines. Our last hope is flight 715 which is showing full. I was told by the counter that I was not on standby, but I called US Airways..and indeed..I am on standby. That is probably the best they can do."
"Oh, and time is getting close for boarding on that", said the other desperate woman.
"Yeah...I think I will head to the gate vs wait in the line. That way I can be sure to be in line for stand by."
The other desperate woman thanked me, and I shot under the stantion ropes and over the moving sidewalks back to "B" terminal.
There was no one at the gate for flight 715, so I waited. Once I saw a body there, I approached "the bench.".
"I am on standby for this flight", I said with smile and desperation, "I am just curious of my chances."
I am not sure if this guy was paying attention to me while he went about his clicking and paper shuffling...but I hoped. After a good 2-3 minutes, I just asked.
"I am not sure if you are working with me or not?"
"He looks up with this smile that was less kind, and more like he could care less about me, or even if the whole world caved in at that moment."
"What is your flight number, he asks?" Of course, this is totally confusing. I have an original flight, and the one handed to me as I walked off the plane from Ithaca (went to Charlotte) and the one that I was on stand by for. So I simply hand him all my tickets and hope.
"You are not on stand by for this flight." I look back at this smiling face and say, I just called US Airways and they confirmed that I was on standby. Much pleading ensued from me.
"Ok, you are on standby."
"Um...I am on standby because you just put me there, or because I was to begin with...because you have told me the flight is oversold, and I do not want to be at the end of the list."
He stared over me, talked a bit with some friends behind the counter before replying, "I looked you up using this number (pointing to one of the numbers on my tickets."
"Ok, thank you very much for you help," I said genuinely relieved and thankful.
I sat and waited and called my bosses to let them know of the issues and that I might not make it to work the next day. But, at this point I was still hopeful.
Before the plane boards, and announcement is made regarding the overbooking. If anyone would like to take the free ticket, please see the desk. There is no bum rush of the desk...so I am a little worried. Then I see a couple of takers....all right maybe I have a shot.
The plane fills, and there is no one left in the area except for a mother with two kids, a single woman holding a ticket, me, and a pilot. Then, the desperate woman from the special services line joins us. I imagine she is on standby, so I walk up to desk and say hi, and asked if she got on the flight. She says, "I think so."
I sit back down,and then notice she has a ticket in her hand. She is told to board, the woman with children is given seats to take (no tickets), and the woman with the ticket is told she can board. I do not panic yet, and approach the desk.
I stand there while a giddy conversation occurs between the two flight attendants, and I ask, "were you able to get me on this flight?"
I was looked a briefly for disturbing them, and then I was told, "this flight is done."
"Are you serious? The woman that was standing right here....I was in line with her at special services...she was not on standby for this flight. I gave her the flight number to inquire into, and then came over here to make sure I could get on the flight. I was told by you and US Airways on the phone that I could not be put on the flight, as it was full. I had to be on standby. Yet, somehow she ended up with a ticket? How is that possible?"
Literally, no response. Then, "she had a confirmed seat."
I stood at the desk and just stared. They continued their work, and I interrupted again to ask if they were going to help me.
"I have got things to do," I was told by the smiling man. If you need immediate help, go see customer service.
Another girl approached the desk, and was busy flirting with another guy, and looking at her nails. So I asked, "would you be able to help book me on a flight?"
She asked where I wanted to go, and I told her the only option I have now is to go home. Please book me on the flight to Ithaca that leaves at 9:10.
"I am sorry, you are going to have to go to customer service for that as it is called a flight in vane, and you must be issued a ticket voucher."
"Ok, I understand, thank you."
I walk down to Customer Service at the end of the B terminal. This must be the unhappiest place on earth. I wait in line for about 20 minutes. I have time to gauge my chances between the two reps I will encounter. One is sitting sideways with her head propped on her hand and appears to be almost asleep. The other is sitting solidly in a swivel chair--her arms amazingly short for the size of her body. Both faces lack any kind of emotion or life. I approach the short armed rep with new hope.
"I feel for you behind this counter. It must be rough dealing with all these problems all day. I have been unable to make my flight, and I need to be booked on what is called a "flight in vane," trip back to my home in Ithaca, NY. I was told to come here to do that."
clickity clickity clickity
"That flight is full. There are no other flights to Ithaca tonight."
Thats it. Full stop. No further suggestions. No signs of emotion or remorse for the situation. I crack a little.
"Are you serious? Let me tell you what has happened to me."
I relay the story of the day to the blank face with short arms. I conclude with, "how is that possible?"
A small spark of emotion can be seen in the eye of the rep. "You do not know what you are talking about. You pretend like you know what you are talking about when you don't. US Airways personnel are "cleaning flights" constantly. If a flight seat opens up, and the rep is able to sell it, they will. Do you even know what cleaning a flight is?"
"I imagine it is finding where the available seats are to sell."
"No, its not. See, you DON'T know what you are talking about. You are not seated on this side of the counter, so you do not know."
"And YOU, are not on this side, so YOU don't know. This does not make any kind of rational sense."
All that occurs after that is silence. Again, I am not sure why I am standing there. I simply say, "Can you please put me on standby for the Ithaca flight?"
"Oh, sure."
For the next 10 minutes I watch the rep move at the slowest possible rate in processing this request. She opens a crumb filled messy drawer of papers, and flops out about 5 different receipt/carbon books. She cleans up some of her other paper work from other customers...enters some stuff in the computer...then places my tickets in front of her slowly. She takes her pen and hand-writes out my flight in vane voucher. I am not sure if it is humanly possible to write this slow. But, may be it is the short arms.
She places not one, but seven staples to hold the two documents together, and places it on the counter without a word to me, and turns to talk to her sleepy friend.
I am defeated. I look up at her and say, "ya know, I am sorry if I was rude to you, you are right...I do not know your business. All I know is I just do not understand how this has happened."
She responded, "It happens to people everyday. Sometimes you are lucky, and sometimes you aren't."
I left, and began my incredibly embarrassing crying episode. I ended up in a bathroom stall, trying to compose myself. I called my boss, who must have been completely confused, hung up and waited till I was composed..then left the stall. I had not eaten all day...this had to have something to do with it. So, I made my way to chick filet where I knew I could just find a little spot in the food court to hide out for a moment.
The food court was packed, and the only seat was at a table with another person. I took it...ate my sandwich (ok sandwiches) and left.
A quick look at the monitor reveals that the flight to Ithaca is delayed an hour. I have some choices. I can either wait for this delayed flight and hope that it both arrives, and that I can get a seat on it. Or, I can go back to my friends in customer service and ask for a flight cancellation...bag retrieval, and get a rental car to drive 3.5 hours home. Neither option sounded too great.
Then, as I am talking to my family about canceling the trip down, I hear over the speakers that the flight to Syracuse had a gate change. Of course! Why didn't I think of this before? Syracuse is about an hour from my house....I call US Airways, and ask if I can get on the flight. She is prepared to sell me the ticket...but I of course, do not want to buy it.
The new gate happens to be across from Customer Service, so I approach a new, similar rep, but with longer arms. (our sleepy friend is still lounging nearby).
"Could you see if I can get on the flight to Syracuse." She looks up the flight, and the proceeds to comment on the ridiculous amount of staples in my ticket. She looks around for something to remove the staples as if moving in slow motion..and then pries each on out by hand and seems to search each time for the trash can with each new staple removed. She puts the holy slip on the counter and says, "take this to the gate and ask them to put you on the flight." Could it be this simple? I repeat, "take this, and ask them to put me on the flight."
"Yes"
I walk over to the counter and approach the two girls with the slip. I told them exactly what customer service said. The rep on the left looked at me, and said, "why did they send you over here?" Then, picked up the phone and called customer service. "You need to take this back over to customer service."
"Um, are you able to put me on standby for this flight?"
"No, you are too late. Go back to customer service."
I walk across the hall to the rep, and she barely looked at me, and said, "well, back to ithaca, then?"
I inquire into why she cannot put me on the flight. And, I am told that there are seats available, but that it is THAT reps flight, and she couldn't do anything about it. She has a right to not take me as a passenger because I am late.
I stood there for an awkward amount of time. I wondered out loud why I was still standing there. Then said, "Ok, please put me back on flight for Ithaca."
She proceeded to put me back on the flight, and remarked that my short armed friend had put me REALLY on standby...whatever that meant...it was not good.
"Have you been to terminal "F" ?, " she inquires. "Because that flight says it is delayed, but it could very well leave at any moment."
I take my ticket and proceed to the F Terminal which is a bus ride away.
I get to the desk, and encounter a chipper, yet still distracted rep. I tell her that I am on stand by for the flight. She remarks, "You should be fine," and smacks her gum. I look at her and apologize, "I am sorry, but I have to ask, is there anyway you can just put me on this flight now?"
She looks at me, and swings her body back behind the counter.
"Ah, I see what you are saying. Yeah, I am feelin' nice today. Pastore, right? Here ya go."
She hands me a ticket with a seat on it, and I tell her that I love her. I love her not because my getting a flight or not should depend on whether someone wants to be mean, or nice...but simply because I have a ticket home.
I sit and write this account, and still doubt if I will actually board the flight....
Here is hopin!
(There was one last catch. As I tried to board the plane with my ticket, I was asked if I had a paper ticket to go with it. I had no idea what she was talking about, and was asked to step aside. I stood in disbelief shuffling through my papers. She looked over and gave me an annoyed look. "THIS, is what I need," and took the hand written, staple-mutilated slip from me.
"Have a nice flight."
Signed ...
A Frequent Flyer Member of USAIRWAYS WHO FLIES AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH BUT NEVER AGAIN THROUGH PHL
