Let me start by saying a little bit about my experience in Customer Service so you know where my perspective is coming from. I worked in a large convention hotel for over 30 years where hospitality and customer service were the golden rule. Take care of your associates and they will take care of your customers, the customers will be happy & return to you. One of the customer service problem solving tools I was taught was the L.E.A.R.N. method - listen, empathize, apologize, react, notify. I travel quite a bit (as you know if you are a regular reader of my blog). When I am traveling I am keenly aware of the service that is provided to me by a hotel, restaurant, airline, car service, etc and I recognize and reward positive behaviors via surveys, comment cards and gratuities. Conversely I make note of less than average customer service and reward that behavior by no longer using that service, hotel, airline, restaurant.
This brings me to my most recent travel experience on Alaska Airlines. I had such a horrible experience - than I am still upset about it two weeks later!
I purchase a ticket on Alaska in March for an August trip to Maui. I haven't flown Alaska much in the past, maybe once or twice. The price was okay, $425, and it was a direct flight - SAN to OGG non-stop. Excellent!
The morning of my 7 am flight I woke at 4 am sick from what I now know was food poisoning. I continued to prepare for my flight in-between trips to the toilet. I got in the car and headed to the airport but realized I was not going to be allowed on the plan in this condition, and turned my car around and headed home.
I called Alaska right away - after a 20 minute wait I reached a live person -who promptly disconnected me. Another 20 minute phone wait later, I react a second agent, who I tell what happened and that I was sure I wasn't going to be able to make my flight. The agent proceeds to tell me that I should try and get to the airport so they can deny me access to the plane - that way I would only be charged a nominal fee to change tickets. He then says "well you purchased a Super Saver fare and you should know that you can not make any changes to this ticket - you will have to forfeit your ticket and purchase a new ticket". I asked him was there no leeway for a sick passenger -- he said no and again told me it was my problem that I bought the Super Saver ticket. I was then sold a ticket for $733 dollars for a later flight which include a $15 fee for them talking to me on the phone!
My new flight was now at 1:45 pm - no longer a direct, I now had to layover in Seattle before going on to Maui. When I got to the airport, bag checked, etc I approached the gate agent to request an aisle seat. I hadn't gotten sick in a couple of hours, but I thought it might be a good idea to be able to get up to use the bathroom quickly without disturbing other passengers. She looked at my boarding pass and said ' you have a super saver fare and you have no right to ask for anything!' I was a bit taken aback by this and said to her that I was having a really bad travel day, that I had been sick and missed my earlier flight, and I just wanted to make sure I could get to the bathroom quickly if needed. She replied " you're sick? You know I can have you removed from the plane?" I think I started to cry at that point - I felt physically awful and to have this agent give me a hard time for no reason that I could see just pushed me over the edge. My tears only made the situation worse and she turned to the agent next to her and said "that's it, remove her from the flight'. After literally begging them both not to do this, I demanded to see a supervisor. 10 minutes later a supervisor showed up - I told her what happened - she went over to the agents desk, came back and told me that the two agents denied they did anything and said that I had come to the desk and 'gone crazy on them'. She said she would get me on the flight but wanted me to 'understand' the agents position - "you bought a super saver fare and they are required to tell you that and deny your request'. I kept my mouth shut and accepted the boarding pass she had for me.
I waited for all other passengers to board the plane and was the last to get on. I tried to apologize to the gate agent and ask her name as I boarded - she said ' Oh right, I'll give you my name and I will fix you ! I have noted you in the system - so enjoy your fight' and walked away with a sneer on her face. I realize that I was feeling under the weather, but this threat really scared me. I had no I did what was in store for me. Having worked in the hotel industry for so long, I know that a vindictive front desk agent can cause a guest to have a less than hospitable stay - I think it is probably the same on the airlines.
During the first leg of the flight I was completely ignored by the flight attendants. Not even offered water when everyone else was. The lack of service was so obvious that the women in the seat next to me asked me what was going on - why was the staff behaving like this ? I told her the story and said I just wanted to keep quiet and make it to my destination without further problems. When I arrived in Seattle, the gate agent continued the harassment- I was called to the desk, told I was in the wrong seat - my boarding pass said 7A. She said “you don’t deserve this seat” and moved me to the back of the plane. I said nothing, kept quiet, afraid that if I said anything that I would get thrown off the plane.
I did eventually make it to my destination and had a nice time. Then night before I was due to fly home I got very anxious, not knowing what to expect. I got to the airport in plenty of time, checked in and did my best not to talk to any Alaska personal. I made it home without incident.
I did write to Alaska customer service about my experience. There reply "I'm very sorry to hear that due to having food poisoning, you were too sick to travel on your original flight to Maui. While we would not want a guest to travel while they are sick, I regret that you had purchased our Saver Fare
ticket. Which does not allow for changes for any reason" They also noted that it must have been frustrating to get disconnected but in the future I should be aware I can buy tickets on line and then I wouldn't have to worry about being disconnected.
So what lessons have I learned? Never fly Alaska Air because they truly do not give a damn about their customers. Any business that creates and supports a culture of rude behavior of their associates doesn't deserve my business.
To my readers -- should you have no other choice but Alaska - stay away from those Super Saver fares - they give Alaska associates a license to be mean & nasty to customers.
This brings me to my most recent travel experience on Alaska Airlines. I had such a horrible experience - than I am still upset about it two weeks later!
I purchase a ticket on Alaska in March for an August trip to Maui. I haven't flown Alaska much in the past, maybe once or twice. The price was okay, $425, and it was a direct flight - SAN to OGG non-stop. Excellent!
The morning of my 7 am flight I woke at 4 am sick from what I now know was food poisoning. I continued to prepare for my flight in-between trips to the toilet. I got in the car and headed to the airport but realized I was not going to be allowed on the plan in this condition, and turned my car around and headed home.
I called Alaska right away - after a 20 minute wait I reached a live person -who promptly disconnected me. Another 20 minute phone wait later, I react a second agent, who I tell what happened and that I was sure I wasn't going to be able to make my flight. The agent proceeds to tell me that I should try and get to the airport so they can deny me access to the plane - that way I would only be charged a nominal fee to change tickets. He then says "well you purchased a Super Saver fare and you should know that you can not make any changes to this ticket - you will have to forfeit your ticket and purchase a new ticket". I asked him was there no leeway for a sick passenger -- he said no and again told me it was my problem that I bought the Super Saver ticket. I was then sold a ticket for $733 dollars for a later flight which include a $15 fee for them talking to me on the phone!
My new flight was now at 1:45 pm - no longer a direct, I now had to layover in Seattle before going on to Maui. When I got to the airport, bag checked, etc I approached the gate agent to request an aisle seat. I hadn't gotten sick in a couple of hours, but I thought it might be a good idea to be able to get up to use the bathroom quickly without disturbing other passengers. She looked at my boarding pass and said ' you have a super saver fare and you have no right to ask for anything!' I was a bit taken aback by this and said to her that I was having a really bad travel day, that I had been sick and missed my earlier flight, and I just wanted to make sure I could get to the bathroom quickly if needed. She replied " you're sick? You know I can have you removed from the plane?" I think I started to cry at that point - I felt physically awful and to have this agent give me a hard time for no reason that I could see just pushed me over the edge. My tears only made the situation worse and she turned to the agent next to her and said "that's it, remove her from the flight'. After literally begging them both not to do this, I demanded to see a supervisor. 10 minutes later a supervisor showed up - I told her what happened - she went over to the agents desk, came back and told me that the two agents denied they did anything and said that I had come to the desk and 'gone crazy on them'. She said she would get me on the flight but wanted me to 'understand' the agents position - "you bought a super saver fare and they are required to tell you that and deny your request'. I kept my mouth shut and accepted the boarding pass she had for me.
I waited for all other passengers to board the plane and was the last to get on. I tried to apologize to the gate agent and ask her name as I boarded - she said ' Oh right, I'll give you my name and I will fix you ! I have noted you in the system - so enjoy your fight' and walked away with a sneer on her face. I realize that I was feeling under the weather, but this threat really scared me. I had no I did what was in store for me. Having worked in the hotel industry for so long, I know that a vindictive front desk agent can cause a guest to have a less than hospitable stay - I think it is probably the same on the airlines.
During the first leg of the flight I was completely ignored by the flight attendants. Not even offered water when everyone else was. The lack of service was so obvious that the women in the seat next to me asked me what was going on - why was the staff behaving like this ? I told her the story and said I just wanted to keep quiet and make it to my destination without further problems. When I arrived in Seattle, the gate agent continued the harassment- I was called to the desk, told I was in the wrong seat - my boarding pass said 7A. She said “you don’t deserve this seat” and moved me to the back of the plane. I said nothing, kept quiet, afraid that if I said anything that I would get thrown off the plane.
I did eventually make it to my destination and had a nice time. Then night before I was due to fly home I got very anxious, not knowing what to expect. I got to the airport in plenty of time, checked in and did my best not to talk to any Alaska personal. I made it home without incident.
I did write to Alaska customer service about my experience. There reply "I'm very sorry to hear that due to having food poisoning, you were too sick to travel on your original flight to Maui. While we would not want a guest to travel while they are sick, I regret that you had purchased our Saver Fare
ticket. Which does not allow for changes for any reason" They also noted that it must have been frustrating to get disconnected but in the future I should be aware I can buy tickets on line and then I wouldn't have to worry about being disconnected.
So what lessons have I learned? Never fly Alaska Air because they truly do not give a damn about their customers. Any business that creates and supports a culture of rude behavior of their associates doesn't deserve my business.
To my readers -- should you have no other choice but Alaska - stay away from those Super Saver fares - they give Alaska associates a license to be mean & nasty to customers.
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| the not so friendly skies of Alaska |
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