I recently had occasion to call an airline to make some adjustments to some travel plans. The airline will remain nameless for now, but it’s probably not one any of this blog’s readers will ever have to deal with, so have no fear.
First time I called, I listened to the most annoying and wildly inaccurate advertising jingle I’ve ever heard for 15 minutes or so. Then, the line went completely silent. Eventually, I figured out I’d been disconnected.
I called back. I stayed on hold a few minutes, then had to leave to go do something else. I tried choosing a different option from the electronic menu, thinking I’d called the wrong number, but there was only an answering machine. Figuring no one would ever respond to a message, I decided to try for a person.
The next time I called, I was on hold for 20 minutes. Finally someone answered, and after I’d explained my question, the person hung up on me without another word. Annoyed, I called the answering machine number and left a message. No one has ever responded to it.
The next time I called, I was on hold for only 5 minutes and someone came on and answered my question for me. However, the answer was quite confusing, since I asked it in two different ways which would have opposite meanings, and she said “yes” to both of them. Giving up, I decided to try back again and ask someone else. In the meantime, I sent an email with my question to an email address from the web site. No one has ever answered my email.
I gave it a couple days, and decided to try to call one of the offices directly instead of the 800 number. I got a person, who interrupted my narrative and told me to call the 800 number. I did, was on hold for 15 minutes. Somebody finally answered, and as I started to explain my question, she hung up on me in mid-sentence.
I called the office direct again, and punched in an extension that I knew to be the wrong one. I explained the hanging-up problem, and the kindly person there gave me the extension of the ticketing supervisor. I called the 800 number again, used the extension, and got the ticketing supervisor, who answered my question. I think. We’ll see, when I hear about what they did from my credit card company.
Mmmm…hmmmm….it’s the gas prices driving airlines out of business…suuurrreee.
But, you are still headed this direction in a few months? Or, have you had enough fun already? 🙂
Yes we are…thanks to a *different* airline who deemed it good that not only should my fare be nonrefundable, but that a hefty fee should be charged for changing the dates…hence earning themselves about two and a half fares for one seat, and making it fiscally irresponsible of us not to make the trip. What fun. I’ll send you an email soon with the details.
I sure hope this trip to parts unknown turns out well! We just got back from there.