We arrived at the America West check-in just before 10.00 and found twenty or so people ahead of us in the First Class line.
After almost 30 minutes in line we had hardly moved, there was one agent checking pax in, intermittently two agents were on the desk. It was taking ages and the airport was heaving with frustrated people trying to get their flights. I later found out that all HP direct flights that day were oversold by 10 to 15 percent and most people were turning up, allegedly they had 11,000 pax to check that day.
I went up to the check-in agent after half an hour or so and advised her we were booked on the 11.29 and was told I had to wait in line. When we eventually got to the desk there was less than half an hour to our scheduled departure time and we were advised we would not get on that flight. We were told that they could confirm us on one the following morning but, as I said above, all later flights that day were oversold. I asked if they would put us up in an hotel but was told because we had not checked in more than half an hour before the scheduled departure time we were not entitled to be provided with free accommodation. Instead a dubious slip of blue paper was given to me which said we should be offered a discount at certain unnamed hotels.
We agreed to be confirmed for the morning flight but also asked to go standby on the remaining flights that day. We were told we had to check our bags if we wished to go standby and that these would go on the next flight HP473 scheduled to depart at 13.48. I asked what would happen to them if we were not at SFO to collect them and was told they would be removed to a secure area. (That turned out to be a sick joke.) We agreed to this as we only had two nights in San Francisco and didnt really want to spend a fifth night in Las Vegas.
Well, the boarding cards were printed out for HP473 and, guess what, I got the dreaded SSSS (Selected for Special Security Screening?) this was shaping up to be a great day. We went to the America West Club, now renamed the US Airways Club and waited a few minutes for the receptionist to finish with the pax in front of us. We were politely greeted and I handed over our First Class boarding passes and was told Sorry Sir, America West First Class passengers are no longer entitled to use the Lounge!!! Sorry, did I hear you right? Anyway it is true, since the UA Airways take over, things have changed.
So I thought we have our Priority Pass cards and Amex Centurion, so I offered these and was relieved to be told Priority Pass would still admit us. We did the formalities with her, she was obviously embarrassed to have to tell First Class passengers they could no longer use the lounge and I can understand why.
We left to go down to the gate early hoping we may get a jump on the standby queue. No such luck, the kind lady on the desk told me it is the order in which you checked in that determines the order in which you are called up, should there be any room that is.
Well, needless to say we did not get on that flight so boarding cards were re-issued for the next flight HP575 departing at 15.58 and I got the SSSS treatment again. Just lucky I guess! So back we went to the lounge.
We repeated the procedure again about an hour later and I got the same TSA guy for the treatment and we shared a joke or two I said I would see him again in another hour or so and he said I wouldnt because he was due to go off duty in fifteen minutes.
Got to the gate and asked what our chances might be, we were told that it looked like they may have one First available and maybe one coach we decided to take this if offered By this time we just wanted to leave. When we were called up Birkin took the coach and I took the First. (Not because I am an MCP, Birkin is slight and light and I am, well, big and heavy. Ok so it doesnt rhyme.)
We were half an hour late leaving (not so bad as the HP473 which had returned to the gate with a technical problem and was, I think, still there when we departed). When we arrived in SFO we found one of our two cases and our holdall, but not the second case. Secure area my Arse, many bags, maybe one hundred or so, were simply piled up along a wall with a tape in front of them and nobody watching over them. I reported the bag missing and was told it may be on our flight and that I would have to wait until all the bags were off before he would make out a missing bag report. Well it didnt pop up on the carousel so he did make out the necessary report. We took the two that had arrived and went with our limo driver to get the car. He said he was not surprised by our treatment and said they know America West as America Worst! This delay cost us dearly and doubled the limo hire costs due to waiting time and additional parking fees.
We got to our hotel (the Mark Hopkins) about 19.30, the staff there were wonderful and could not have done more to make up for our delays and lost bag. I monitored the tracking online and the following day, mid morning the system said the bag had been found and was on its way to us, it arrived sometime during the afternoon by which time we had gone out. The reason for the delay appeared to be a TSA inspection. All the contents were there and were, in fairness, in good order, clothes still folded. Nothing was damaged.
So not a good experience, we will not fly America West/US Airways again unless there is no other practical alternative. We were offered no compensation for being denied boarding, the lost First Class seat, no food vouchers and nothing for the delayed bag now back in the UK, I am pursuing these matters.
