[net.consumers] Peoples Express Horror Story

rlp@cbscc.UUCP (R L Platt) (04/09/84)

About three years ago, People's Express started
flying from Columbus to the East Coast, and later
expanded their service to include Florida.  Since
I have many friends in NJ, and my parents live in Florida,
I occasionally flew PE to both destinations.  Service was
about the same as other airlines, the planes were usually
on time, and besides, they were REALLY cheap.  Columbus
to Newark was $39, and Columbus to Florida (direct!) was $69.

<ENTER FLAME MODE>
My recent experiences with PE were not as pleasant.  In November,
my girlfriend and I decided to make a March (spring-break) reservation
to fly to Florida, and visit my parents.  I called PE and was told
that they no longer fly direct, I had to fly Columbus to Newark,
and then Newark to West Palm.  Inconvenient, but for $99 one way
not too bad.  
	Suddenly, it's spring-break, our bags are packed
with T-shirts, and suntan lotion, and we arrive at the airport
for our flight.  Suddenly, we're told the flight to Newark has been
canceled!  The best PE is willing to offer is priority stand-by to
Newark on the next flight.  This means that if there are any empty
seats on the next flight to Newark, we and ~200 other people
have priority for getting them.  Once we get to Newark, we're on
our own!
	Ah, but we have reservations, I think!  WRONG, we have
reservations, but not tickets (which are issued on the plane),
so we're out of luck.  Naturally, all the other airlines were
booked solid (after all it was spring break).  We finally gave
up and went home.
<FLAME OFF>
-- 
         +----+			R. L. Platt
        /|   /|			AT&T Bell Laboratories
       +-|--+ |			Columbus, Ohio
       | +--|-+
       |/   |/			nscs!rlp
       +----+			(614) 860-4850

jma@bwkna.UUCP (04/20/84)

<>
Having a ticket (in addition to a reservation) doesn't necessarily
mean anything to the PeoplExpress folks, either.  I was recently
flying PE from Boston to Newark, and arrived at the airport pretty late.
I was told they were overbooked and that I would have to wait "over
there" to see if I could get on the next (and last of the night)
flight.  It was also spring week end, so chances were pretty grim.
Immediately after sending me away, the check-in people asked if anyone
in line was continuing to another PeoplExpress city, and if they were,
to step forward for boarding.  When I asked the agent, she said
they had to do that or otherwise these people (who, being in line
after me, had arrived later than me) would be stranded in Boston.
I was able to pursuade her that if they did indeed have seats, they
ought to let those who arrived first have them.  Then, "for our
convenience" they boarded through the aft doorway of the plane, so
we got to stand out in the cold and wind; the plane was so crowded
that they had to apologize for "not being able to beverage" all of
us, and in fact were still collecting cash after the captain had turned
on the No Smoking sign in preparation to landing and we had all returned
our seatbacks and tray tables to their original upright and locked positions.
At Newark, we again had the convenience of going out the back of the
plane.

	One gets what one pays for.  Sometimes, one pays for what
one paid for (or attempted to avoid paying for).