"Lie Flat" seats .... what could go wrong?

Today I just spent 7 hours in a coach middle seat getting to work on a SCHEDULED, company approved flight.

Background:
VTO line for Dec. Trip that left today (30 Nov) was an initial DH to ANC. I typically deviate, but after researching fares and realizing that it was one of the busiest travel days of the year, 1st Class options were virtually nil. I chose to stick with the scheduled pairing flights.

I then discovered that scheduling had failed to ticket me after the VTO release. Hence, a last minute emergency booking on a busy travel day and a revised pairing that transited ORD.

After arriving in ORD, the gate agent scoffed in my face at the thought of 1st class upgrade. All full. No options. All other airlines full on 1st class. Good luck!

Contacted ACP, scheduling and corporate travel on trying to resolve issues. Here is a few snippets of quotes from FDX agencies:
"You can deviate and book your own ticket"
"It's legal"
"You still get the bank money"
"It's not our job to chase the class fare, only to get you in place"


How can this happen? Simply because we failed to address soft contractual language that allows "if available" to get printed into the final CBA. It happens because they could give a rat's behind about doing what's right, rather than doing what's convenient.

So to the 57%, I'd like to say be careful what you wish (or vote) for.

BTW, my "first class" meal was 2 packages of pretzels.

Unequivocally and totally unacceptable.

 

Waaaaaah!!!!

 

I know it sucks. I don't have all the answers. I do know my HKG-SIN and NRT-HKG trips now provide business seats both ways, and the bank is about 4-5 times what is was two months ago, which gives me a lot more travel options.

Not mocking your situation. I am just pointing out there are some improvements for some of us as well. I guess it will be up to us individually to be proactive and lead turn getting our seats, which I know isn't perfect.

 

Seriously? Are you a new hire? You didn't even check for the flight booking? You can ALWAYS be booked in economy under previous contract and guess, what, under any future contract. Even if you rate first, if it's not available you won't get it. There is no way the Company would ever change that - come on. You sound like a prima donna, unless you are a new hire.

 

Why is this thread titled "Lie flat seats"? It sucks yes, but it has been happening to guys on reserve forever. Even if there are First Class seats available, most times they can put you in coach if there are no discounted seats available. Nothing new here.

 

I also am confused at why this is titled, "Lie Flat Seats".

But yeah, I'd be ****ed off and disgusted also. Maybe enough to write an ops report on the screwup by whomever forgot to ticket this when they should have. However, I do agree with the others who said this could have happened before or after the new contract.

For the next time, I think I'd call up crew schedule, tell them what the flight options are (that are legal, and in first class), and make it easy for them to rebuild the pairing in my favor. You never know, it might work. I would also check that they issued me a ticket, as soon as I realize that I'm going as scheduled, because I hear this kind of thing sometimes happens. Coach middle seats truly suck. Hopefully you had some beverage service that made it more tolerable.

 

The "if available" is the kicker. I've done the coach to anc as well on a last second ticket. The problem of Swiss cheese language in remains in this cba.

For some reason we don't get compensated for the flexibility our work rules gives the company to move freight. Yes there's some penalties for revisions, but not enough in my mind to start building the church for Easter. They rely on the wishy washy rules we've given them, with things such as the hsby astby schedule flood, reserve line conversion (yes I know this was eliminated but tbd is whenever) back filling line holders into asby, dh in coach or in the back of a 777 to dxb under the " all the that was available" canard. There is no incentive to man correctly because it doesn't cost them anything to use these practices.
We had a chance to fix this, we failed.

 

We had the opportunity to fix stuff like this but 57% thought it was good enough (as good as we were going to get?).

We voted for it ... it's our own fault (if you voted yes, find a mirror and ask yourself why you did that). Now Management can say, "You guys said you'd vote for anything that had a 10% pay raise!" Even they couldn't believe it!*?

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

The dart throwers crack me up!

Prima Donna - well I guess I am since I expect the company to issue me a ticket in First/Business and I think we're worth it.

New Hire - Not hardly. I just had hopes that scheduling would fix the issues not just when it's convenient for them. I won't make the same mistake again.

Call the title anything you want. The point of the thread is like Hourshore and MayDay pointed out, our CBA has so many holes in it that should have been addressed during the last go around and yet weren't tightened up with language.

Contact with scheduling, crew control and ACP all fell on deaf ears.

It's over and done with so it's time to move on. Merry Christmas and hope this doesn't happen to you.

 

What was the accepted fare?