Independence Air "No Apology Necessary"

Well, even though, I just received their apology (19 July 12:53 pm) I am choosing to keep this blog in. But I do owe it to them to acknowledge that they did (two weeks later) apologize for the inconvenience that canceled flight 1048 caused me, my family and friends. They also apologized for the dog toy incident. And they gave me a $50.00 credit for a flight in the future. According to their records flight 1048 was canceled due to maintenance problems. OK, so I have to ask this question again, why no loud speaker announcement?

I've since recieved some questions from others (in response to my story):

1. Why didn't they try to get us on another flight the next day? or the day after that?
2. Why didn't they offer to see that we got home safe.
3. Why didn't they offer to help us carry our carry-on baggage back to the main terminal or the bus to the main terminal, instead of fussing about the dog not being in his carrier?

The story you are about to read contains just the facts. I have tried to convey the experience that we went through without emotion for two reasons.

1. I never got mad while at the airport dealing with any of the Independence Air (flyi) staff. They, the staff on-site, where not the ones that caused the mishap on 1 July 2005 and getting mad at them would have only compounded the problems we were facing at the time. I believe that letting them have that power over my emotions would only serve to hurt me in the long run.
2. Once the entire ordeal was over and we had returned home, greatly disappointed our summer vacation was not to be, it was then that I decided to compose the letter below asking flyi to at least apologize. I stuck to the facts and avoided embellishments to reinforce the fact that my intent was not to receive monetary compensation, but that I was truly looking for a valid explanation and an apology from flyi for what had happened to my son and me (and what would have been our small dog's first flight).

I sent this letter 11 July and it is now 19 July. Still I have heard nothing back from flyi with the exception of the computer-generated reply letting me know that they had received my letter.

This trip had been planned and the tickets purchased since 9 May 2005.

I truly feel Independence Air should at the very least apologize; for the time, trouble and disappointment, my son, myself, my family, our friends in North Carolina and our friend (who took-off work to drop us off and returned to pick us up and take us home) due to a foul-up on the part of Independence Air.

We arrived at the main terminal 1 July @0650 hours. We obtained our boarding passes and then checked our baggage through (at the main terminal). At 0700 hours I medicated our small dog for his first plane trip. Let me emphasize: our bags were checked through and we had our boarding passes by 0710 hours. No one from flyi gave any indication flight 1048 was being delayed, re-routed or canceled.

We proceeded to the security checkpoint line and although the line was very long it went very quickly. We were though security and arrived at Gate A2 by 0735 hours (one hour prior to Flight 1048Â’s planned departure from Dulles to RDU). Still there was no loud speaker announcements made regarding flight 1048 at the terminal gates. Why were the passengers not informed?

The whole experience of traveling with our dog (for the very first time) had been a very pleasant one for us, our dog and everyone we came in contact with at the airport (passengers and airport staff). Until approximately 0750 hours.

According to our boarding passes the plane was scheduled to start boarding @0805 hours. We (my son, our dog and I) waited patiently and listened each time announcements regarding the status of the other flights were made. We heard the problems other flights were having, but never once heard of any problems concerning flight 1048. Approximately 0750 hours I asked my son to go to (our departure) Gate A2 and ask the attendant if flight 1048 was on time and on schedule. He returned with the response that the gate attendant told him that flight 1048 was leaving from Gate A1. There had been no announcement regarding this switch for departure at a different Gate.

At this point I approached the attendant at Gate A2 and held up our boarding passes and asked if she could please tell me what was going on with flight 1048. All she said was, You need to go to the customer service counter and check with them as to the status of that flight. I thanked her and went to the customer service counter and waited in line to find out the status of flight 1048 to RDU.

It was about 0815 hours by the time I reached the front of the line at the customer service counter. I handed my boarding passes to the CS rep and asked if she knew what was up with flight 1048. She left the CS counter, went to the kiosk and punched in our confirmation number, a screen came up stating, Please see a Customer Service Representative concerning your flight at this time. She returned to the service counter punched up something on her computer and said that the flight had been canceled and the earliest flight she could accommodate the two of us on would be @1705 hours. I explained to her that we were traveling with a small dog that had been medicated and he would not last that long. She said that was the best she could do for us at this time. We (I) had no choice! If we could have been put on an earlier flight leaving an hour or so later we might have been able to complete our planned vacation. On the advise of my dog's Vet, I was not to over medicate our dog because of his size. I told the CS rep that I would have to ask for a full refund. She told me she would not be able to help me I would have to go to the bank of phones and speak to one of the phone CS reps about getting my money back.

Now I start picking up the phones and begin to listen to dead air. Not knowing how the phones worked, I again go to Gate A1 (least busy gate) and ask if they can explain how to use these phones. She told me once I pick up the phone it should ring through and although I may have to wait for someone to answer, someone would pick up at the other end, eventually. I watched as another flyi customer finished his conversation on one of the phones and after he hung up I picked that phone up with my fingers crossed. I waited for 15-20 minutes before I spoke to a person. I explained the situation at Dulles to the (phone) CS rep, she said that they would give me full credit back on my charge card, including my dog's round trip fare and all taxes and associated fees.

At this point we have to make two more phone calls, one to our friend to come back and get us, and one to my sister in North Carolina to tell her the flight has been canceled and we are not coming home now. She, of course, is half way to the RDU airport and very disappointed that we are not going to make it for the vacation we had planned since early May.

Then I remember that (3) three of our bags have been checked through since 0710 hours from the main terminal. I return to Gate A2 and ask about the procedure for having our bags returned to us. Luckily the ground chief is talking to the Gate A2 attendant and over hears my question and assures me that he will personally make sure that the bags (all 3 of them) will meet us at the baggage claim area #5. I, of course, get his name and title just in case there is another miscommunication and I need a name to help me get our bags.

Every one of the individuals representing flyi that I had dealt with (to this point) had been very pleasant. I should also mention that throughout the entire ordeal not once had there been an announcement concerning flight 1048. Can someone at Independence Air please explain to me why nothing was ever announced to those of us who were waiting for flight 1048 on 1 July going to RDU that morning? The loud speakers were working because other flights and their status were announced.

Now, We are (re)packed and headed for the bus back to the main terminal and baggage claim area #5. And one would think that our very eventfully morning is now coming to a very exhausting and very disappointing end.

However, as we are leaving I have our dog on his lease (a very short lease) when flyi representative Melissa R. Benjamin comes running up behind us and tells us we have to put that dog in its carrier. We start to comply with her command and I ask if she would hold a small hand fan, so I can help my son get the dog back in his carrier. She jumps back with both arms over her head and announces, I am not holding that dog toy! I show her that it is not a dog toy, but a hand fan, by turning it on. Her reply, I donot care, I am not holding that. She displayed a very bad attitude about the entire situation. I then asked her, What is wrong with you? and proceeded to explain that I need to help my son with the dog. She informs us that she is not required to help any passengers by holding their stuff and started picking at her fingernails. By this time my son has managed to get our dog in his carrier and we again head for the bus back to the main terminal.

If I had a complaint about anything after that morning's disaster of 1 July, it would be the very crude, rude and unpleasant treatment of Melissa R. Benjamin. Her attitude was totally unprofessional and totally unnecessary. I would hope that Independence Air would instruct her in the proper way to interact with their passengers in the future.

I would still like to know exactly what happened to flight 1048 that morning and why we were never informed, even after our bags had been checked through and we had our boarding passes in hand (by 0710 hours). There was not the slightest indication that flight 1048 was anything, but on schedule and on time for take-off that day? I am thoroughly disappointed with the way we (my son and I) were treated by the lack of information we were given at the airport.

I am truly convinced had I not started asking questions as to the status of flight 1048, we might still be sitting in the waiting area of the terminal gates today listening for the announcement, We will now start boarding for flight 1048.