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Worst Flight EVER USAIR #683 (Case in Point, don't let them buy Delta!)

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Worst Flight EVER USAIR #683 (Case in Point, don't let them buy Delta!)

 
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 10:08 am
  #1  
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Worst Flight EVER USAIR #683 (Case in Point, don't let them buy Delta!)

Worst Flight EVER US683 out of Phoenix on Dec22, 2006-12-29

Reviewer: The Smiths(booked on Orbitz, look us up) from Phoenix AZ

Arrived with plenty of time, check in was no problem. Conditions were rainy, so as we were sitting there waiting for boarding, we were looking out of the windows by the gate-everybodies luggage was in the rain. And I'm talking about for a few minutes, some of the pieces had water puddles on them resembling a small lake! We sat there for over an hour, just watching people's stuff get ruined. Told the gate cleck about it, she gave us the "Oh they'll have it moved in shortly" brush off. I took pics of this, plan on posting it over on the Delta investor website shortly.

After boarding, we sat at the gate for more than an hour. Reasons given: awaiting late passengers(10) on an inbound flight, also "weight and balance was not completed." I've worked aircraft in the military before, also has a friend who did aircraft(specialty: fuel tank repair) at Sky Harbor before, this is a phrase that really means: Our fuel guages aren't working 100%, we're having to check the tanks by hand with dipsticks.
I don't know which was the actual or more pertains to the delay, but neither was acceptable.

After finally getting our lost souls on board, we took off. That's when the fun really started. Two hours into this flight-which for some reason was now going to be at least two hours late(reason given was ground delay at Newark), they start serving food, but they ran out food before they get to the back. But that was okay, because the passengers in front of us had a baby which STUNK.

After even the stewardess mentioning the smell, but not attempting to do anything, I got up to see if the smell was really coming from the lavatory(we were sitting in 26 D,E,F) or somewhere else. Finally the AHOLE in front of us got up and changed the kids diaper while I was in the lavatory. This guy had been bouncing the kid up and down the whole damn time! Another hour goes by, incident repeats itself. I had already spoken with the stewardess about it, and she TOLD ME she had thought had been a wet diaper. Well GEE WHY NOT CONFRONT THE ONE PASSENGER RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE ENTIRE BACK HALF OF THE AIRCRAFT SICK???? Letting a baby sit in its own crap for over an hour strikes me a CHILD ABUSE!

I was livid at this point, and asked to speak to the Captain when we landed, and they agreed. But after landing(2.5 hrs late) and I got up to the exit, both pilots had disembarked-with haste I might add. The two stewardesses remaining did not want to hear a word I said. I asked for the tail number of the aircraft and their names, they refused to give me either. I read the data plate for the aircraft, tail number was #633, Airbus A320?, on the way out.

I have never in 20 yrs been treated like this or had an experience like this. And yes, our luggage was soaked when we got it. Their behavior made a bad situation the worst that it could get, and they made it obvious that they could care less. The old America West is dead. AVOID AT ALL COSTS
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 10:51 am
  #2  
 
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I sure am glad that this is the worst flight you've ever experienced. If you would take as much time as you spent posting that rant to read the results of a search of "worst", you'd see other peoples' worst flights ever may even have been as bad as yours.

But I'm not doubting you. Really.

After all, how could this not have been the worst flight ever?

It's not as if you flight crashed, or was hijacked, or had a cabin door blow open with crew members sucked out of the a/c, or dropped 5,000 feet due to turbulence while people weren't seatbelted, or been diverted to another country, or even hit a skyscraper and killed thousands of people -- all of that would have been better than what you had - right?



PS -- Welcome to FT.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 10:52 am
  #3  
 
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Sorry, but I really have to laugh when I read posts like this. Think of all the people who were stuck in Denver for days or had to purchase expensive tickets to avoid going through Denver. Those people have had crappy travel experiences. While your flight certainly sounds unpleasant, it doesn't sound like the "worst flight EVER".

Directing your complaint at the end of the flight to the stewardesses doesn't seem like the most effective method of complaining; I would send a detailed, concise, and organized letter detailing your exact complaints, and any compensation you feel is due.

If you have damage to your belongings/baggage due to exposure to water you should have filed a complaint at the airport. You could also write a letter to the baggage services office; I would include your pictures as that seems to support your claim of excessive and avoidable time in the rain(though note that their website says claims must be filed at the airport, within four hours, so this may be a dead end at this point).
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 11:01 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by RSmith68n
After even the stewardess mentioning the smell, but not attempting to do anything, I got up to see if the smell was really coming from the lavatory(we were sitting in 26 D,E,F) or somewhere else. Finally the AHOLE in front of us got up and changed the kids diaper while I was in the lavatory. This guy had been bouncing the kid up and down the whole damn time! Another hour goes by, incident repeats itself. I had already spoken with the stewardess about it, and she TOLD ME she had thought had been a wet diaper. Well GEE WHY NOT CONFRONT THE ONE PASSENGER RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE ENTIRE BACK HALF OF THE AIRCRAFT SICK????
So if it was obvious that there was only one baby in the back half of the aircraft, why didn't you say something to the parent(s)? Especially the 2nd time around? After all, you were the one being bothered and if you assume that all of US Airways acts as one evil entity, why would the airline whose baggage handlers leave your luggage out in the rain have FAs that actually do anything to make flights more comfortable?
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 11:51 am
  #5  
 
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A baby in poopy diaper is the fault of the airlines, enough so to disagree with a corporate buy-out/merger?

Is it really the fault of the AIRLINE
or maybe the fault of the employee alone?

Is it possible the employee didn't want to offend the passenger?

Get over yourself.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:23 pm
  #6  
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Um, welcome to Flyer Talk

Stewardesses? Dude, this is '06 not '76. I am sure you are upset about the smelly diapers, but why is that the airlines fault? I'm sure parents change diapers on other airlines, just not US. It may not be right to do it in the open, but nonetheless it happens.

Please lose the caps!

Cheers

Ian
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:31 pm
  #7  
 
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Sorry it was my kid's dirty diaper. Well, not on that flight but it happens It doesn't really sound like Us Airways did anything wrong. You were delayed, it sucks. We've all been there. Incidently, I just recently took my 1st US Airways flight in a while and the service and crew were exceptional ^
Sorry you had a bad experience. Welcome to FT!
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:37 pm
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Curious, how does Delta keep poopy diapers off its planes? Might be enough reason for me to switch.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:41 pm
  #9  
 
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Some people don't know when to stop inventing handles, do they?

US 683 has not yet arrived in EWR today, and isn't due to until 10:43pm.

Yesterday, US 683 departed at 4:16pm (8 minutes late, not an hour) and arrived in EWR at 10:48pm (5 minutes late).

Further, an inop fuel gauge would be illegal under FAR 91.205, section b even for non-commercial, daytime, VFR flight.

There was also .1" or so of rain in the past 24 hours at PHX.

Next time you try this, you might want to be sure to get at lease some facts right.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:41 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by RSmith68n
Reasons given: awaiting late passengers(10) on an inbound flight, also "weight and balance was not completed." I've worked aircraft in the military before, also has a friend who did aircraft(specialty: fuel tank repair) at Sky Harbor before, this is a phrase that really means: Our fuel guages aren't working 100%, we're having to check the tanks by hand with dipsticks.
I don't know which was the actual or more pertains to the delay, but neither was acceptable.
I don't know where to start with the insanity that is this post, but this was my favorite part. Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about. W&B is (BoeingBoy, please correct me if I'm wrong) performed AFTER the a/c is loaded so that, uh, you can get it's weight and balance. Occasionally there will be a delay in getting the results back because there are people checking these numbers so that the plane does not crash into the ground (which as others have posted, would, in fact, make this the worst flight ever).

And I don't think they use dipsticks to check the fuel. They siphon by mouth.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:51 pm
  #11  
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This guy has GOT to be kidding. Damp luggage, an hour late pushing back, and a stinky infant in the cabin... add up to the "worst flight ever"? For goodness' sakes. I've had two bad flying days this month alone that make this look like first-class passage on the Queen Mary.

It takes some nerve to stand next to people whose Christmases were wrecked by wx ops at DEN or LHR this week and call this a "worst flight ever."

Move along, folks, nothing to see here.
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 12:51 pm
  #12  
 
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My boss, who is a Delta Medallion residing in Atlanta, recently complained that he got stuck in a middle seat with a baby nearby with a stinky diaper. So I guess it happens on Delta too......
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 1:02 pm
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by McFlyPHL
Some people don't know when to stop inventing handles, do they?

US 683 has not yet arrived in EWR today, and isn't due to until 10:43pm.

Yesterday, US 683 departed at 4:16pm (8 minutes late, not an hour) and arrived in EWR at 10:48pm (5 minutes late).

There was also .1" or so of rain in the past 24 hours at PHX.

Next time you try this, you might want to be sure to get at lease some facts right.
The OP was referring to a flight on 12/22......not yesterday.

If he has been so lucky that all his flights went smoothly in 20 years, he should make the Guiness book of Records.

Anyway, welcome to FT and may your 2007 flying experience be rosier.....
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 1:09 pm
  #14  
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Yeah, I feed the trolls occasionally.

I took pics of this, plan on posting it over on the Delta investor website shortly.
Where the reaction will be not unlike the reaction here.
Two hours into this flight-which for some reason was now going to be at least two hours late(reason given was ground delay at Newark), they start serving food, but they ran out food before they get to the back.
Perhaps there was a rumor back there that there would be food, but
guess what?
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Old Dec 29, 2006, 1:09 pm
  #15  
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I miss the good ol' days when Flyertalk was about frequent flyer issues. It seems this board is turning into a place to complain about everything related to bad flights.
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