Dear Mr Parker

REPOST: July 2007


W. Douglas Parker
CEO US Airways


Dear W. Douglas Parker,

I write to complain about the treatment I received last week when I chose your airline as my means of transport on a short trip I took to Colorado. I demand to be compensated.

Now you must forgive me in advance. I have a lot to say and it may be that you don't wish, even maybe don't have time, to read it all. I hope you do. Maybe if it's too much for one sitting you could save it for a long layover on one of your future trips.

Anyway I wish to complain about the practice that I was exposed to on this trip. I arrived at the airport in Burbank, CA more than 90 minutes prior to my departure (Flight 256 to Phoenix, followed by flight 2914 to Colorado Springs). On check in I was confused and alarmed to discover that I had no seat assignment for the second flight, and on further investigation it turned out that this was what I'm lead to believe is called, in your trade, an 'oversold' situation.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this practice, which I know is widespread, refers to that thing you do where you sell more tickets for a flight than there are seats on that flight for people to sit in. That is, put another way, you say that you are trading with me. I give you my $407, you agree to transport me from Bob Hope airport Burbank, CA to Colorado Springs airport, Colorado Springs, CO), via as many or few other places as we both agree to. But in fact you are doing no such thing, because in this instance you actually do not have the service that I have already paid for. You are selling me something you don't own. This seems a little (a lot?) unfair to me.

If I buy a cup of coffee, what I usually do is order it (usually I get a medium cup with 4 shots of espresso and some hot water -- just enough such that there is enough room left at the top to put some non-fat milk in) and then, having paid the person who is there to take my money, receive said item from the person designated to prepare it for me. In short, I trade my $2.65 for a service that the coffee company, at least a reliable one like Starbucks, can provide. I can drink it, pour it down the drain, whatever I like. I have the coffee, right then and right there.

Now I'm thinking that one of the reasons a coffee company, like Starbucks, is so successful, has maybe something to do with the fact that this is how they run things. You know, selling stuff they actually own. They are successful, I'm sure you'll agree.That kind of franchising does not happen by accident. I mean, there's a small strip mall just west of Calabasas that has two right opposite each other. I'm sure that's not the only place. They are freaking everywhere, man! I was delighted to discover that they just opened one in Trinidad Colorado. You know, they even have their own language. That drink I was telling you about? In official starbuck-speak it's called a quad (4 shot), grande (medium) americano (espresso with hot water), with extra room.

I found that I started having to ask for the 'extra' room because many of their barristas (translate: designated coffee preparers) play a little fast and loose with the concept of 'room'. I mean, I once had a cup with less space at the top than there is between seats 12D and 12F on one of your Canadair Regional Jets, or between the end of my knees and seat 11D, for that matter. I'm sure you know what I mean. Then again, maybe you only fly on big planes in first class?

Anyway. The point of all this? The point is that when I go into Starbucks, and order my quad grande americano with extra room, I'm pretty sure that I will get it (to drink, pour away etc). They do not tell me that unfortunately, my coffee is in an 'oversold' situation, and that they are currently soliciting other quad grande americano drinkers present who have flexible coffee drinking plans to give up their quad grande americano in return for a later quad grande americano and some voucher to purchase (from them only mind) any other kind of coffee, tea or refreshment that they offer.

You see where this is going? You are selling me something you don't own, and that bites. You should not be allowed to do this (though I know you aren't the only ones).

I'm reasonable. I understand that travel always involves risk. There is weather which is difficult to predict, planes need extra maintenance or need to be changed and so on. I understand all this. I know that 's the deal. These things happen and I know, and understand. I'm guessing you have an OK record -- what is it for that route? About 70%? Not overwhelming, but if someone can win the National League Batting title with a success rate of about 35% then who am I to argue? The winner in the American league may even do better for all I know, but as we both know the designated hitter rule renders the question, as in all things with the American League, moot.

Anyway, I get it. I might not get to where I want to go because of factors beyond your control. But surely, surely, the decision as to whether to sell more tickets than you have is your decision. Here's a suggestion. Why not, you know, not do it? Don't oversell so that this does not happen in the future.

At the very least, you should publish information for people who buy seats on these popular routes as to how they can avoid this situation. One, I later discovered, would appear to involve a peculiarly high level of masochism. Become a 'frequent flyer' on your airline? I'd love to, it's just that I can't get on the freaking plane in the first place because it's oversold. If at first you don't succeed....? Really?

The whole compensation thing is just way off too. You want me to accept, as recompense for you having potentially totally screwed up my travel plans, a voucher so that sometime in the future I can do the whole freaking thing again? I don't think so.

And I mean, it's not even as if it's *you* who has to take the flak from the poor saps (like me) who get the short end. It's people who work on the ground and in the cabins. People like Craig from flight 2914 who had to wait on board the plane, sitting on the tarmac in 110 degree heat in Phoenix while the oversell situation was 'resolved'. The poor guy must have lost 20lb in fluid. He still did an awesome job, once we took off, by the way, but frankly you are not helping him any. You should really give him a raise or something.

I know. If you give him a raise then your margins get even tighter and this whole oversell thing becomes more critical to9 do. So buy him a drink instead. I bet your salary is higher than his.

Anyway, you'll have noticed, if you are still reading (maybe you're on an extra long layover because your flight was oversold? Then again, I suspect this sort of thing doesn't happen to you very often), that I made it on the flight. Yes I did. So why the complaint? What recompense can I possibly ask for?

Well it's the stress and uncertainty you see. I can take the regular travel stress -- I get it, like I said before. But having arrived, in the end, in Colorado, I was a changed person. Now I have the whole worry of whether or not I will get home on time or not. Not because of weather or aircraft mechanics and the like ... but just because you have sold me what amounts to a lottery ticket, rather than a plane ticket. There's a good chance of winning for sure, but frankly if I wanted a lottery ticket I'd get one. I need to get home.

So, Mr Parker, I am asking you to compensate me for the sleepless night I spent in a hotel room in Trinidad, CO, wondering if I was going to get home, given the extra worry of the 'oversell' rearing its ugly head.

Now, a night's sleep is a hard thing to place a value on, as I'm sure you know given the state of the airline industry these days (can anyone say chapter 11?). So, I'll settle for being compensated the cost of the extra cup of coffee I had to buy in the morning of my return flight to make the drive back to the airport safe.

Luckily for you, I bought it at a 'regular' Starbucks and not in the airport. Do you know that those franchise masters actually have the gall to charge upwards of a dollar more when you buy their stuff in an airport? I guess they know that they have you over a barrel.

Or maybe the airport charges them a shit load of extra rent because they know that a coffee house in an airport is a pretty good gig. Maybe it's a little of both? While I have your attention could you look into that for me?

So, with the greatest respect Mr Parker, please can I have my $2.65 back?

Sincerely,

Tamsin Cleo German

p.s. What does the W stand for? It's just that I can't help thinking of one of favorite English curse words.