Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 0:56:51 GMT -5
Here's the latest installment of "Phoenix vs. The Airline Industry." In this installment, I rant (or whine if you prefer) about "missing" my flight again.
I put "missing" in quotes because I was actually early. In fact, I got to the ticket counter 44 minutes early. More than enough time to get a boarding pass, get through security, and get to the gate on time right?
WRONG!
Apparantly, you can be late for your flight, even when you're not really late for your flight. You see, they won't even give you a boarding pass if you're not checked in 45 minutes before your flight. Being 44 minutes early doesn't cut it, you have to be 45 minutes early. When you protest, they'll tell you that all of this information was on the website. Of course, I didn't book through a website, because this is government travel, and they recently changed travel contractors.
I could have made it in time. They ended up farting around for 20 minutes on the phone with the central office or whatever. I did a test. I got my new boarding pass for the flight 4 and a half hours later, and still managed to get through security and to the gate I was supposed to get out of originally. The fucking plane was still there. Despite the fact I lost so much time to their BS.
Why the hell do they do this? All they had to do was print me off a boarding pass and let me go on my way. I mean, if they let me through security and I don't make it in time before they shut the doors, that's one thing, but they arbitrarily decide you just "missed" your flight? What the hell is wrong with these people?!
I think something fishy was going on. Maybe they overbooked the flight, or they sold my ticket out from under me. I don't know.
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on Nov 15, 2013 0:58:48 GMT -5
You weren't able to check in online?
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 1:00:41 GMT -5
You weren't able to check in online? I'm not sure I could. As I said, I booked over the phone through a travel agent.
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on Nov 15, 2013 1:06:39 GMT -5
You weren't able to check in online? I'm not sure I could. As I said, I booked over the phone through a travel agent. Odd, I always get an email anymore to check in online 24 hours before hand so I don't have to worry about that. Even better since I now have TSA pre-check. The 24 hour check in is awesome.
|
|
whoami
Well-Known Member
Joined: Jan 8, 2011 12:43:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,292
|
Post by whoami on Nov 15, 2013 1:34:07 GMT -5
All you need to check in is you PNR. I usually check in on my phone and use the mobile boarding pass. If the plane was still at the gate and there was plenty of time, you could have listed standby and gotten on the original flight if your seat was not given away. The ticket counter has nothing to do with the flights being overbooked nor do they give tickets away to standbys until the last minute when there are ticketed passengers who hold the seat. All of that is dealt with at the gate. I fly standby frequently. I am only given a seat on full flights at the last second when ticketed passengers dont show up.
I dont think 45 minutes is unreasonable especailly given the multiple ways people have to check in for flights.
|
|
Virgil Showlion
Distinguished Associate
Moderator
[b]leones potest resistere[/b]
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 15:19:33 GMT -5
Posts: 27,448
|
Post by Virgil Showlion on Nov 15, 2013 2:33:55 GMT -5
I usually show up at the airport 90 minutes ahead of time to hedge against delays.
|
|
Apple
Junior Associate
Always travel with a sense of humor
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 15:51:04 GMT -5
Posts: 9,938
Mini-Profile Name Color: dc0e29
|
Post by Apple on Nov 15, 2013 2:53:18 GMT -5
So, most importantly, where do you get to fly to for work?! I want to travel to training so bad, but my supervisor doesn't like me, so he sends other people and then still has me do the work since they "don't know how." Anyway, I'm jealous!
Oh, and no one can screw up travel orders like government travel! "We" often don't get any itinerary until the day before (or, in some cases, morning of) travel, and then find it's full of errors. But the person who does travel "isn't here today"...
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 3:29:40 GMT -5
So, most importantly, where do you get to fly to for work?! I want to travel to training so bad, but my supervisor doesn't like me, so he sends other people and then still has me do the work since they "don't know how." Anyway, I'm jealous! Oh, and no one can screw up travel orders like government travel! "We" often don't get any itinerary until the day before (or, in some cases, morning of) travel, and then find it's full of errors. But the person who does travel "isn't here today"... Well, because of the budget cuts, no one is doing training, unless it's specifically required by law. I go all over. I'm in California right now, near Dark's neck of the woods, as well as Bonny's. But since we have to go through a specific contractor, all kinds of exciting things can happen. One time they booked my rental car in the wrong city, and I had to find a new rental car at around midnight. I looked over my itenerary, and nothing they sent me indicates that I had to check in 45 minutes ahead of time, or even how to check in at all. Traveling so soon after the furlough, using a new company that hasn't even set up their website yet wasn't a good idea. Anyways, I bet your bosses don't send you to training because you're so ridiculously good at your job you don't really need it.
|
|
Apple
Junior Associate
Always travel with a sense of humor
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 15:51:04 GMT -5
Posts: 9,938
Mini-Profile Name Color: dc0e29
|
Post by Apple on Nov 15, 2013 3:36:42 GMT -5
So, most importantly, where do you get to fly to for work?! I want to travel to training so bad, but my supervisor doesn't like me, so he sends other people and then still has me do the work since they "don't know how." Anyway, I'm jealous! Oh, and no one can screw up travel orders like government travel! "We" often don't get any itinerary until the day before (or, in some cases, morning of) travel, and then find it's full of errors. But the person who does travel "isn't here today"... Well, because of the budget cuts, no one is doing training, unless it's specifically required by law. I go all over. I'm in California right now, near Dark's neck of the woods, as well as Bonny's. But since we have to go through a specific contractor, all kinds of exciting things can happen. One time they booked my rental car in the wrong city, and I had to find a new rental car at around midnight. I looked over my itenerary, and nothing they sent me indicates that I had to check in 45 minutes ahead of time, or even how to check in at all. Traveling so soon after the furlough, using a new company that hasn't even set up their website yet wasn't a good idea.
Anyways, I bet your bosses don't send you to training because you're so ridiculously good at your job you don't really need it.Oh, I like this answer much better! I'm hoping I can get a job that requires a little more travel eventually. Kiddo graduates in 2 1/2 years, then I can go anywhere. I'm sure it gets old after a while, but I like the idea of a stable job in once place that also happens to send me all over.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 3:45:27 GMT -5
Travel isn't too bad, if you don't do it too often. I travel every couple of months.
You can make decent money doing it, by banking your per diem. I don't know too many people who can spend $60 a day on food.
|
|
wvugurl26
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:25:30 GMT -5
Posts: 21,882
Member is Online
|
Post by wvugurl26 on Nov 15, 2013 7:20:11 GMT -5
I've always checked in online when traveling for work. Then again I go into our system and make my own reservations so I do know what airline I'm on. DC would raise unholy hell if I called the people booking our travel and booked over the phone. That costs big bucks under our contract. The online system is kind of sucky but at least I'm picking my flights, my hotels (if its not something with a block of rooms reserved) and rental car agency. We also have a site where you plug in your confirmation number for the whole reservation and it tells you flights, hotels, etc. That is very helpful because sometimes the actual itinerary is slow in arriving from the travel agency. It used to be virtually there but we just switched.
It does suck to miss it by a minute but I've flown United, American, Spirit and Delta this year and they all have the same 45 minute rule. I'm assuming the cut off has to do with accommodating stand by passengers/crew and getting a final passenger list for security purposes.
I was traveling one time for work and we had no idea where they booked our car at. It wasn't on site and it wasn't on the list of off site places either. It was in the manager's name so she called up the travel agency and made them book us a car at one of the places on site while we stood in front of the rental counters. Now that we can do but initial reservations are made by us through a not so helpful system. And of course as is typical of government contracting, Northrop Grumman runs our travel system. Letting defense contractors have all these other contracts is a whole different rant. We are supposed to be switching to something built more like a Travelocity or Expedia.
|
|
steph08
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 3, 2011 13:06:01 GMT -5
Posts: 5,504
|
Post by steph08 on Nov 15, 2013 8:09:20 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever went to the airport expecting to do all that in under an hour, maybe when I had a 6 a.m. flight and knew it wouldn't be crowded, and I fly out of an international airport that isn't that big or busy! I always give myself 1.5-2 hours to do airport stuff. Even if I get through security and to my gate in 30 minutes, I'd rather have extra time to lounge around, rather than risk missing my flight.
|
|
bookkeeper
Well-Known Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2012 13:40:42 GMT -5
Posts: 1,782
|
Post by bookkeeper on Nov 15, 2013 8:31:31 GMT -5
I arrived 1.5 hours early for a 6 a.m. flight. The lines were huge, a basketball tournament was all flying back home at the same time. The ticketing agent finally called for anyone leaving on our flight and we went to the front of the ticketing line (this was before online check in). We got a nasty tongue lashing about how we need to be here 2 hours ahead of time, every time. This was at a medium sized Midwestern airport. We learned our lesson. If you can't be there 45 minutes before your flight, be early.
There is another reason it is good to be early at the airport. You have many more options if your flight is delayed or cancelled. With winter on its way, travel in the Midwest is a crapshoot.
|
|
taz157
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:50:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,934
|
Post by taz157 on Nov 15, 2013 8:36:37 GMT -5
One of my co-workers flew recently for a travel and he checked in 44 minutes before his flight was to take off. Needless to say, he had the same 45 minute rule and lost his seat. He had to take the next direct flight which wasn't for another several hours. With this co-worker, no clue why he didn't check in online before as he's a young tech-savey person. With this co-worker, he did have his flight information in plenty of time to check in online and everything.
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on Nov 15, 2013 11:23:13 GMT -5
Travel isn't too bad, if you don't do it too often. I travel every couple of months. You can make decent money doing it, by banking your per diem. I don't know too many people who can spend $60 a day on food. I often go over my per diem. But that's because I have a rule of not going to anything I could get at home on travel (at least for lunch/dinner)....and then throwing down $50 for a really nice dinner and glass of wine doesn't seem so bad when your per diem picks up at least half that, or more if you went cheap on breakfast/lunch.
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on Nov 15, 2013 11:49:27 GMT -5
A trick I learned, assuming there's not a long line - you can check in/print a boarding pass at the sky caps (is that what they're called) outside even if you're not checking a bag. I've done that once or twice when I looked inside and the line inside was huge, but there were only two people outside.
TSA PreCheck is amazing though - I love being able to go through security in less than 5 minutes. It saved my ass last time I traveled when everything conspired against me even though I gave myself the same amount of time. Oh, and if your CAC card is high enough security or something you also get to cut through security - not sure the specifics I just have a friend that can do that and he's a government contractor.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 16:20:45 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2013 11:54:35 GMT -5
Oh, and no one can screw up travel orders like government travel! "We" often don't get any itinerary until the day before (or, in some cases, morning of) travel, and then find it's full of errors. But the person who does travel "isn't here today"... You have my sympathy. A friend who does frequent travel for the government refers to the agency they have to use as "Satan".
|
|
skubikky
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 7:37:12 GMT -5
Posts: 3,044
|
Post by skubikky on Nov 15, 2013 11:54:57 GMT -5
Travel isn't too bad, if you don't do it too often. I travel every couple of months. You can make decent money doing it, by banking your per diem. I don't know too many people who can spend $60 a day on food. I had an assignment for my company in Europe for a few months. Our per diem was $140/day which didn't include the rent on the apartment which the company had already leased nor the air fare. It was very, very generous and lucrative.
|
|
Opti
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 10:45:38 GMT -5
Posts: 42,242
Location: New Jersey
Mini-Profile Name Color: c28523
Mini-Profile Text Color: 990033
|
Post by Opti on Nov 15, 2013 12:27:11 GMT -5
You work for the government right? I haven't heard of such a high per diem for food in most corporations unless of course you make really big sales or are high in management. People complain about food stamps and here you , a federal government worker, could spend someone's monthly allotment in under two days. I realize my info is old but not too long ago corporations would have down-sized you to under what you might need. More like $20 a day.
|
|
ohhkay2
New Member
Joined: Mar 13, 2013 11:27:01 GMT -5
Posts: 28
|
Post by ohhkay2 on Nov 15, 2013 12:56:20 GMT -5
I've never been late for a work flight (was AA, just switched to Delta and we book through SATO), but my last few SW flights I've gotten there with less than 45 minutes to spare. My trick? Print boarding pass using my rewards number/self-serve and go to the counter with my luggage. They will put a "Late Check in" tag on it, but even though it's not a given I've never had my luggage show up after me. Also, it probably depends on the airport but every one that I have been through has let me through the employee line with my CAC card. That's literally the only reason I make it on time when I cut it that close and that's the government issued ID I use when I travel. Per Diem is $71 a day in Dallas (DC and Chi too I believe) and there's NO way I could eat that much food lol. Well, we did get close going to medival times
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on Nov 15, 2013 12:57:46 GMT -5
If you google government per diem rates you can see what they are - it varies by city. Like my last trip to DC is $71 a day - if you're there for all 3 meals. You also only get 75% of per diem on travel days (which I don't get, food costs more in the airport). I think when I went to Huntsville it was around $50.
I'm a government contractor so we use government rates since that's all we can bill the government for, but I could see corporations following those guidelines. Most companies I know follow the government rate for mileage reimbursement. Plus it'd be really expensive for the company to figure out the different COLA for each city instead of just following what the government determines.
|
|
chiver78
Administrator
Current Events Admin
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:04:45 GMT -5
Posts: 39,482
|
Post by chiver78 on Nov 15, 2013 13:00:46 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever went to the airport expecting to do all that in under an hour, maybe when I had a 6 a.m. flight and knew it wouldn't be crowded, and I fly out of an international airport that isn't that big or busy! I always give myself 1.5-2 hours to do airport stuff. Even if I get through security and to my gate in 30 minutes, I'd rather have extra time to lounge around, rather than risk missing my flight. even though it takes time away from my day, it's worth it to NOT stress about missing my flight, being out $ for whatever change becomes necessary (personal travel) or having to explain myself and justify the fees on my expense report (business travel)
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 16:20:45 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2013 13:51:43 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever gone to the airport expecting to do all that in under an hour, maybe when I had a 6 a.m. flight and knew it wouldn't be crowded, and I fly out of an international airport that isn't that big or busy! I always give myself 1.5-2 hours to do airport stuff. Yeah, but don't you hate it when you get there and there are no agents working the desks yet or the coffee shops aren't open yet? I got to LGA really early for an AM flight and what saved my rear end was having access to the airline club, which was open and had plenty of coffee on tap.
|
|
HoneyBBQ
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 10:36:09 GMT -5
Posts: 5,395
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"3b444e"}
|
Post by HoneyBBQ on Nov 15, 2013 13:59:22 GMT -5
Wow. Usually it takes me an hour just to get through security at my local airport.
|
|
8 Bit WWBG
Administrator
Your Money admin
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 8:57:29 GMT -5
Posts: 9,322
Today's Mood: Mega
|
Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Nov 15, 2013 15:31:29 GMT -5
...:::"You can make decent money doing it, by banking your per diem. I don't know too many people who can spend $60 a day on food.":::...
Depends on the city! Sometimes I think the people who calculate the per diem skip breakfast, and eat off the dollar menu! Thank goodness for the internet to help locate cheap eats. We were in Anaheim and I was very hard pressed to find breakfast for $10. Such is what it will be near major commerce areas like convention centers.
...:::"It does suck to miss it by a minute but I've flown United, American, Spirit and Delta this year and they all have the same 45 minute rule. I'm assuming the cut off has to do with accommodating stand by passengers/crew and getting a final passenger list for security purposes.":::...
What sucks is sometimes even if you are checked in, they'll give away your seat. I had one VERY close call with a delay and a layover. You'd think the airline would have coordinated since they knew that 20 people on the delayed flight A needed to transfer to flight B. I think some of our folks lost their seats anyway, even though there wasn't much they could do about it! ...:::"Wow. Usually it takes me an hour just to get through security at my local airport.":::...
Some of those airports are ENORMOUS too. Getting through security, and then finding out you have a mile worth of walking to get to your gate...
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 16:20:45 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2013 16:19:10 GMT -5
Yeah, I had that happen- I rushed like mad to get to the gate for my connecting flight but didn't arrive within their time window (10 minutes? 15 minutes?) so they'd closed the door, probably after loading a standby into my seat. And yes, they do know. They just don't care unless you're Executive Platinum, Chairman's Preferred or the equivalent. They can make their on-time stats better by closing the doors before the posted time.
|
|
movingforward
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 15, 2011 12:48:31 GMT -5
Posts: 8,385
|
Post by movingforward on Nov 15, 2013 16:42:21 GMT -5
I check in online and get to the airport 90 minutes before my flight. Sometimes I might breeze right through and end up sitting in the airport for an hour and other days it is packed and takes me a full hour to get through security. I do understand you being upset because you probably COULD have made your flight but you really do need to make an effort to get there earlier. If I were your supervisor I would not be happy that you missed the flight. I wouldn't be unhappy with the airport but rather at you for not doing your due diligence in getting to the airport in a timely manner. It is pretty standard these days that you need to be there 1.5 hrs early.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 16:50:19 GMT -5
WVUGURL,
We had a system like you described up until the beginning of the fiscal year. Then they switched to a new system/contractor. The contractor was supposed to have the site up by Oct 8th, but that obviously didn't happen because of the furlough. No one could log in. So I was forced to call a person.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 16:53:07 GMT -5
As an addition to my rant before, I'm flying back today, and they closed the ticket counter! There was a sign at the ticket counter that they'd reopen at 12:00 p.m. That's right, they shut down the ticket counter right in the middle of the day!
They must realize they have a captive audience, to treat customers like this. It's aweful. The only airline now I'm semi happy with their customer service is Southwest.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Post by Phoenix84 on Nov 15, 2013 17:04:22 GMT -5
Travel isn't too bad, if you don't do it too often. I travel every couple of months. You can make decent money doing it, by banking your per diem. I don't know too many people who can spend $60 a day on food. I had an assignment for my company in Europe for a few months. Our per diem was $140/day which didn't include the rent on the apartment which the company had already leased nor the air fare. It was very, very generous and lucrative. Yeah. When I first started, I was on travel for six months in Virginia. Not only did I get per diem every day, but they paid for an apartment for me. So I didn't have rent. It was very lucritive.
|
|