usairways.com strikes again!

[phlus2]

Went to the website on Saturday afternoon to book an award ticket. Got all the way through the reservation and got an error message after clicking on "Purchase" that "this part of our website is currently unavailable". Go figure!

So, called the 800 number for web support. After being on hold for 10 minutes was told that they "were running a bunch of updates because of day light savings time" - and that I should try again tomorrow. Or, I could call reservations to book the ticket - but I would be charged a ticketing fee of $20 per ticket. Go figure - the web site is down and can't process my transaction - but I would still be charged for the transaction if I called - now that is what I call customer friendly!

Tried the reservation again on the web site on Sunday afternoon. Got all the way through the reservation - clicked on "Purchase" - and got "we are not currently able to process credit cards" - please try again later"!

If this wasn't such a comical disaster I would actually be mad about, but it is actually entertaining to see what can go wrong next when dealing with USAirways as a customer as it never ceases to amaze.

 

[Harry Callahan]

No one should ever have to go through this kind of non sense,

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> After being on hold for 10 minutes was told that they "were running a bunch of updates because of day light savings time" - and that I should try again tomorrow.

Arizona does not follow Daylight Savings Time, so why would anyone in Tempe be expected to know how the rest of the country does business.

They’re in their own little world.

 

[SS255]

I was flabbergasted on Saturday when I web-checked my parents in for a flight on Sunday exactly 24 hours in advance.....and it worked! I did not think that web check-in would recognize Daylight Savings time, and would make me wait another hour to check in.

 

[jimcfs]

Gee, this experience that the OP had sounds exactly like what I went through a week ago when I tried to book a ticket.

They used the same "updating the website" excuse too.

I sent numerous emails... couldn't use the online complaint form as it bombed too! Oh, Aunt DOT got a note too.

 

[ksb]

Maybe I should add "working web" to my new avatar...

 

[InternationalShannon]

I was flabbergasted on Saturday when I web-checked my parents in for a flight on Sunday exactly 24 hours in advance.....and it worked! I did not think that web check-in would recognize Daylight Savings time, and would make me wait another hour to check in.

I'm shocked that you're shocked. :huh:

 

[jimcfs]

Maybe I should add "working web" to my new avatar...

Yes you should... and I like it!

On a related note, the following article appeared in my inbox this afternoon... The 7 dirtiest jobs in ITSomebody's got to do them -- and hopefully that somebody isn't you. I thought one of them might be working in the US IT dept at Tempe, but the #1 job on the list is more about cleaning the lavs (you aren't going to believe it until you read it).

 

[signals]

Went to the website on Saturday afternoon to book an award ticket. Got all the way through the reservation and got an error message after clicking on "Purchase" that "this part of our website is currently unavailable". Go figure!

So, called the 800 number for web support. After being on hold for 10 minutes was told that they "were running a bunch of updates because of day light savings time" - and that I should try again tomorrow. Or, I could call reservations to book the ticket - but I would be charged a ticketing fee of $20 per ticket. Go figure - the web site is down and can't process my transaction - but I would still be charged for the transaction if I called - now that is what I call customer friendly!

Tried the reservation again on the web site on Sunday afternoon. Got all the way through the reservation - clicked on "Purchase" - and got "we are not currently able to process credit cards" - please try again later"!

If this wasn't such a comical disaster I would actually be mad about, but it is actually entertaining to see what can go wrong next when dealing with USAirways as a customer as it never ceases to amaze.

Good thing you didn't get one of those foreign customer services that can't speak English and are frustrating enough to make you give up. Seems that everything is going that route. US seems rather tame than talking to utilities and credit card companies. You were on hold for 10 minutes? That is frustrating but sometimes I have been on hold for 1/2 hour before I got the message that nobody is going to help me so I should hang up!

Believe it or not, you might be able to get a better deal from the old time travel agent. But that is just me.

 

[SolidCactus]

I was flabbergasted on Saturday when I web-checked my parents in for a flight on Sunday exactly 24 hours in advance.....and it worked! I did not think that web check-in would recognize Daylight Savings time, and would make me wait another hour to check in.

Is web check-in now reliable? The last time I did web check in, they checked two of us in for the same seat, and yes, removed me from the flight (a platinum at the time) saying that I was on the wrong flight - even though I had the right flight, AND they managed to also kick off another double booked person who checked in at the KIOSK! It was one of the most embarassing experiences I've ever had anywhere. I had to take my bags and get off the flight.

After the flight left, and they went through all the records, it appeared that someone (a mysterious ghost aparently) decided to bump me to the next flight in the system (nobody could tell who or why) - and they decided to not tell me. The woman who checked in at the kiosk, nobody was too interested in helping her (she had no status at all).

So needless to say, I've been afraid to do web check-in.

When I did send copies of all this to customer service, they did do a good job of apologizing and they gave me such a nice credit, when I actually used it, the phone agent was like, "wow - that's the largest credit I've ever seen - something really bad must have happened to you"...

 

[BoeingBoy]

Is web check-in now reliable?

When it comes to US and computer technology, reliable tends to be a relative term and not an absolute yes/no. Most times stuff works, but if you're unfortunate enough to get caught in the occasional "twilight zone" it can really be bad, as you've experienced.

Jim

 

[SolidCactus]

When it comes to US and computer technology, reliable tends to be a relative term and not an absolute yes/no. Most times stuff works, but if you're unfortunate enough to get caught in the occasional "twilight zone" it can really be bad, as you've experienced.

Jim

Thanks Jim, honestly, I've been much more lucky this year. I think the US Airways website has come a long way. I'm still a little freaked out about web check-in, but I do think that from a usability perspective, it isn't bad at all... )

 

[SS255]

Is web check-in now reliable?

Only when it works!

The last time I recall having a problem was in November, when I attempted to print my boarding passes and got an error message. When I tried to back-track and re-web-check myself in/print my boarding passes, I got a message stating that I was already checked in, and another error message stating that it could not print my boarding passes. I tried periodically throughout the day, and finally just gave up in frustration.