.....Kansas City to Denver. Denver to Pasco. Not complicated. No weather issues. No mechanicial issues. What is an issue is flying a smaller plane that is dead heading into a smaller town.
We leave KC a few minutes late. We only have a 34 minute connection to begin with so we wondered if we would make it. Denver airport is spread out from heck to breakfast. We make up time in the air. We have 30 minutes. Plenty of time. We run to a gate to find that our plan is delayed an hour. Then we spend the next few hours running from gate to gate to gate to gate to gate to gate. Yes, SEVEN gate changes. Each time they are "waiting for a plane". Each time our plane is given to someone else. By the time we reach our last gate change we knew that we were getting bumped. It was obvious what was going on. They said "waiting for a flight crew" but that was total crap. They gave up our flight crew for a flight that had a connection and we were the casualty. We were the flight that had no where else to go with the least number of people. It was a business decision on United's part pure and simple.
By this time the natives were restless. One women on the flight we were to be on yelled at Davis. Yes, he was a little crazy but YES she was a huge bitch. I told her to quit talking to my kid. I thought I was going to punch this woman, but she shut up. The first customer service lady (Raelynn) was a total meanie too. Basically everyone on the flight was told the best they could do was Monday. They spent the entire time complaining that it was past their shift time and everyone had gone home. They said "go talk to someone else". They were no help and didn't give a shit. Again, wanted to punch someone. My kids were melting down.
FOUR HOURS LATER we finally get through to someone in customer service with a brain, mind you this is four reps later and we worked out a deal to get two of us to Seattle in the morning and three of us in the late afternoon and then all of us to Pasco by end of day the next day. Fine, we will do it but someone should compensate us. Keith talks to the man who obviously can't do anything and says he will be back in the morning.
So we take the nearly hour long shuttle ride to the airport. On our way we follow many emergency vehicles...where are they going, to our hotel of course. It was complete chaos in there. Sadly a boy, young under 18, was taken out with his family. He looked like he ODed. Felt terrible for him and for complaining about my day.
Just before two Harper and I take a short nap because we have a 5:30 shuttle to catch back in the morning. We go back to the airport and get on the plane at 8 only to find there are 141 seats on the plane and 132 of them are full. SERIOUSLY??? This was Alaskan Air, they were great...but really...WHY ARE YOU ALL SO MESSED UP? It doesn't take a business degree to figure this out.
So we get to Seattle, I find a duty free shop and borrow free make-up so I don't look like an albino approaching death, find a bath and body shop and lotion up since no one sells deoderant anywhere and then Harper and I hang out for a few hours. I run into the most annoying girl who talks non-stop and then when we board the plane I thank God she didn't sit by me. The poor man next to her looked like he wanted to jump. Of course this plane was not full either. Horizon this time, great people...but not full...hello. We could have all been together or all of those people on my original flight to Pasco could have been flying too. When we got off in Pasco the crazy girl (Mary) comes up to me and talks again...then says I didn't catch your name? Uh, no you didn't...you never let me say anything....I told her my made up name and prayed we didn't cross paths again.
Then we arrive in Pasco. No luggage. Luckily the lady had stored it for us. It came the day before from Denver on another flight...obviously not the one we didn't get to go on. SERIOUSLY.
In the end (which is not the end) United gave us each $150, so $750 in air vouchers to fly the airline from hell. This story will not end. I may be launching a blog for United customers to share their experiences. In my opinion, had it been weather--OK. Or mechanical--OK. I get it, but this was a business decision and deserves a business outcome. What prices do you put on the chaos, the being lied to, and our time? Anyone on any other flight asked to give up their seat gets a free ticket anywhere Delta flies, I think each of us aboard that plane gave up our seat and deserves the same courtsey. While they didn't ask us, they just gave it away. So United, you are not done hearing from us just yet....
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