I've never been one to post rants, but today was possibly the worst day I've had in a long time. Please, just let me get it out.
I was supposed to leave LA for New York this morning at 6:50, arrive in New York by 6 pm, and then go to where I needed to be and unpack and move into my new place. I got to LAX at 5:10ish, just under 2 hours early for the flight, like you're supposed to. I see this enormous line of people waiting to check in, but I thought "whatever, I have 2 hours"...I waited in this line for 50 minutes, and it was so slow because it was one of those automated check-in lines, and there were only 2 people there to help the 32938902 people trying to check themselves in with their problems.
So, at 5:55ish, I think "at this rate, I'm not going to make my 45 minute check-in cut off..maybe I should go talk to someone". I was thinking this only because in my past experience of almost missing a flight (this has happened to my family twice in my entire lifetime, so its not an often occurrence, but I've been through it), we told an agent that we were most likely going to miss the flight and they tried their best to help us out i.e. both times we've been ushered to the front of the check-in line by an agent because it was urgent.
So I go talk to a United employee, who says "no, you should try waiting in the line...you'll be fine". I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I have 10 minutes and like at least 30 people in front of me!" She tells me to wait in the line anyway and it will be fine. Of course, I try to check in and it won't let me because I'm past the 45 minutes. I ask another agent (one of the few available to help people having difficulty with the machines) and she says "go over there" (points to her general left). I was like "where is THERE? what line?" and she says, "Ma'am, I told you to go over there" (point to general nothingness again). I'm frustrated at this point so I just go to the left, where I ask another agent where to go. She tells me to to Special Services. Special Services says (quote) "This isn't my problem". I go back to the same agent, and she says "oh, my bad, go to ticketing...since you're getting a new ticket". I wait in the ticketing line forever, only to be told that I have to go into the assisted check-in line (this is the fourth line I've waited in if you're counting).
I wait in THAT line for over an hour (this time because there are automated kiosks again and the four agents that are supposed to be checking people in are helping people learn to use the machines). I finally get to the front and they rebook me for another flight (which doesn't get me to New York until 11:30 local time, at which point I'm stranded and need to pay for a hotel for that night) and tell me that there is a $75 charge. I would understand this, but I missed my flight because I was waiting in their stupid line! A line that only exists because they don't have enough people working (there were soo many empty stations, it was driving me insane)! Shouldn't airlines KNOW how many people are going to show up on a given day since people actually buy the tickets in advance? Why would you not have all of your employees working on a day that you know you're going to be really busy?
While I was waiting for my new flight, I talked to a bunch of people also waiting and a lot of them were rebooked for the same reason, so it was nice to know I wasn't alone. The annoying thing was, not everyone was charged for the rebooking...some people were, but some weren't, and there really was no rhyme or reason to who was or wasn't. Whether or not it's a fair charge, why isn't it just applied to everyone?! How do some people get off?
Anyway, 17 hours of bouncing from airport to airport later I'm stranded in some random town in upstate New York and I have no idea how I'm going to get to where I need to be tomorrow. I'm sure it will all work out, but I'm just SO glad that this terrible day is over. Never flying United again!
I was supposed to leave LA for New York this morning at 6:50, arrive in New York by 6 pm, and then go to where I needed to be and unpack and move into my new place. I got to LAX at 5:10ish, just under 2 hours early for the flight, like you're supposed to. I see this enormous line of people waiting to check in, but I thought "whatever, I have 2 hours"...I waited in this line for 50 minutes, and it was so slow because it was one of those automated check-in lines, and there were only 2 people there to help the 32938902 people trying to check themselves in with their problems.
So, at 5:55ish, I think "at this rate, I'm not going to make my 45 minute check-in cut off..maybe I should go talk to someone". I was thinking this only because in my past experience of almost missing a flight (this has happened to my family twice in my entire lifetime, so its not an often occurrence, but I've been through it), we told an agent that we were most likely going to miss the flight and they tried their best to help us out i.e. both times we've been ushered to the front of the check-in line by an agent because it was urgent.
So I go talk to a United employee, who says "no, you should try waiting in the line...you'll be fine". I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I have 10 minutes and like at least 30 people in front of me!" She tells me to wait in the line anyway and it will be fine. Of course, I try to check in and it won't let me because I'm past the 45 minutes. I ask another agent (one of the few available to help people having difficulty with the machines) and she says "go over there" (points to her general left). I was like "where is THERE? what line?" and she says, "Ma'am, I told you to go over there" (point to general nothingness again). I'm frustrated at this point so I just go to the left, where I ask another agent where to go. She tells me to to Special Services. Special Services says (quote) "This isn't my problem". I go back to the same agent, and she says "oh, my bad, go to ticketing...since you're getting a new ticket". I wait in the ticketing line forever, only to be told that I have to go into the assisted check-in line (this is the fourth line I've waited in if you're counting).
I wait in THAT line for over an hour (this time because there are automated kiosks again and the four agents that are supposed to be checking people in are helping people learn to use the machines). I finally get to the front and they rebook me for another flight (which doesn't get me to New York until 11:30 local time, at which point I'm stranded and need to pay for a hotel for that night) and tell me that there is a $75 charge. I would understand this, but I missed my flight because I was waiting in their stupid line! A line that only exists because they don't have enough people working (there were soo many empty stations, it was driving me insane)! Shouldn't airlines KNOW how many people are going to show up on a given day since people actually buy the tickets in advance? Why would you not have all of your employees working on a day that you know you're going to be really busy?
While I was waiting for my new flight, I talked to a bunch of people also waiting and a lot of them were rebooked for the same reason, so it was nice to know I wasn't alone. The annoying thing was, not everyone was charged for the rebooking...some people were, but some weren't, and there really was no rhyme or reason to who was or wasn't. Whether or not it's a fair charge, why isn't it just applied to everyone?! How do some people get off?
Anyway, 17 hours of bouncing from airport to airport later I'm stranded in some random town in upstate New York and I have no idea how I'm going to get to where I need to be tomorrow. I'm sure it will all work out, but I'm just SO glad that this terrible day is over. Never flying United again!
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