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Quote:

Originally Posted by wheresmyplane (Post 643093)

There were extenuating circumstances that would merit a ticket on the next flight. Give her standby at least. Who does that hurt? Are you arguing that CAL did

Oh sure, No one's ever used that phrase before to beat the system. Just in case you haven't been flying for the last several years our flights are COMPLETELY FULL. Non-revs don't even get on most of the time.

If this cheaper than normal ticket was non-refundable than put the blame where it belongs, with his ex-wife.

Oh and by the way, I agree with the title of this thread as far as our employee unfriendly management goes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheresmyplane (Post 643093)

No, they're not 2 completely different things. They're both about companies trying to stiff customers. Comparing it to a sporting event is comparing apples to oranges. It's not like CAL didn't have another flight going to that destination later on - they did - they made him buy another ticket. Why should he have to buy another ticket? He already had one! How many non revs were on the next flight? If there were any, that guy's daughter should've had a seat at no extra charge. He wasn't asking for a refund. There were extenuating circumstances that would merit a ticket on the next flight. Give her standby at least. Who does that hurt? Are you arguing that CAL did everything within their power to satisfy that customer? They didn't even come close. The only answer a lot of companies train their employees to give is "No." I've had jobs where I'm the person the customer deals with, and if I had acted the way I've seen a lot of "customer service professionals" act, I would've been out the door in a heartbeat! Companies (Airlines included/especially) need to wise up. If you don't have customers, you don't have a business. If everybody did what that musician did to United, we'd have better service in this country, that's for sure.

Calling something a non-refundable ticket is just a way to stick it to the customer if something beyond their control happerns. It's the result of greed and nothing more.

Where's Spanky when you need him?? Sounds as if he floated the preverbial biscut and left the building.

Beating the dead horse a bit more.....Do YOU KNOW if CAL had another flight going there later that day?? If you know all his business, maybe you can enlighten us to the specific details so that we may stop guessing the facts of his situation.

If you think that a non-refundable ticket is JUST A WAY TO STICK IT TO THE CUSTOMER, you have a lot to learn about marketing, fare classes, and the option the customer has when purchasing a "rock bottom blue light special", or the "full fare real deal" ticket. If he/she did buy a non-refundable/resticted fare, they got exactly what they bought....welcome to the real world my friend.

As we said earlier, the facts of the story would be nice before you interject all of your circus side show a$$umptions my friend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheresmyplane (Post 643093)

Are you arguing that CAL did everything within their power to satisfy that customer?

Are you arguing that CAL should do everything within their power to satisfy the customer? I for one think they should have held the flight for the late passanger, afterall the passanger is always right!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheresmyplane (Post 643093)

No, they're not 2 completely different things. They're both about companies trying to stiff customers. Comparing it to a sporting event is comparing apples to oranges. It's not like CAL didn't have another flight going to that destination later on - they did - they made him buy another ticket. Why should he have to buy another ticket? He already had one! How many non revs were on the next flight? If there were any, that guy's daughter should've had a seat at no extra charge. He wasn't asking for a refund. There were extenuating circumstances that would merit a ticket on the next flight. Give her standby at least. Who does that hurt? Are you arguing that CAL did everything within their power to satisfy that customer? They didn't even come close. The only answer a lot of companies train their employees to give is "No." I've had jobs where I'm the person the customer deals with, and if I had acted the way I've seen a lot of "customer service professionals" act, I would've been out the door in a heartbeat! Companies (Airlines included/especially) need to wise up. If you don't have customers, you don't have a business. If everybody did what that musician did to United, we'd have better service in this country, that's for sure.

Calling something a non-refundable ticket is just a way to stick it to the customer if something beyond their control happerns. It's the result of greed and nothing more.

You're waisting your time with these guys. They are more interested in "being right", trying to make a point about rules and saying the customer was WRONG, wrong, wrong. In a sense after giving it some thought I hope Continental continues to take this stance and my airline of choice makes advancements in customer service where the customer is right and builds alot of business (direct and word of mouth from this). These guys keep trying to build extreme examples and angle their arguement to continually show why this guy was wrong (and forget about flexability or extenuating circumstances). We really should encourage them to continue on this path and hope Continental does the same. Again, it benefits all of us unless you happen to work for or like Continental.

I guess its a waste of time trying to mention anything about customer service. I guess professionalism is out the door too... Too bad. And yes, CAL should do EVERYTHING necassary to satisfy the customer. Saying that they should hold a flight for 1 late guy and making 49 others late is stupid, but they could have let her on later/the next day/thru another hub and having her pay the difference in ticket price. Anything would have been better than what happened. I had a boss that used to say "The answer's yes, now what's the question?" The point was that we would go out of the way to help a customer. That hasn't been the prevailing attitude in this country for some time. Shame.

Also, a non-refundable ticket shouldn't really BE an option - that's what I was getting at. It's trying to hook the passenger into a flight that they might not be able to make for any # of reasons, and then telling them "too bad, buy another ticket," at walk - up rates of course.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aggie02 (Post 643154)

According to HK the passenger is NOT always right !:)

Fred

So what should CAL say to all the travelers who bought full fare tickets in order to have that flexibility?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Bauer (Post 643189)

Oh please.

I'll bet your beloved carrier has the exact same rules as CAL does and would leave you behind if this happened to you.

Good luck.