UPS Strikes Again
And this time I missed my flight to San Antonio because of it.
Yes, you heard me: UPS strikes again. Let's tell the story, shall we? I was going home for Memorial Day weekend because my brother was graduating on Friday, and I wanted to be there for it. So I ordered my tickets through Orbitz, only this time for some reason they said they would be paper tickets. Okay, I thought... that's weird. I don't know why they're paper tickets this time since they're always etickets, and I haven't even had to deal with paper tickets for as long as I can remember. Whatever.
But they give me no indication of how I'm supposed to come about these mystical paper tickets... no shipping or tracking information, so I just naively assume they'll be waiting for me at the United counter when I go to check in. I come home around midnight on Thursday to a note on my door from my landlord, letting me know he has a package from UPS and to call him to get it from him sometime. Well, it's 12:30 at this point, so I'm certainly not going to call him then, and I leave for the airport at 5:30am to fly home so it looks like I'm just going to have to get it from him when I get back.
So I pack for my trip home and head of to the airport. Mo drops me off around 6am, and I head to the line for non-eticket customers, since that's where I assume I need to be for my paper tickets, and they United lady promptly deters me away and toward the eticket line. "But I think I'm supposed to be in this line..." I start to explain. "Do you have a credit card?" she asks, stupidly. "No, what's a credit card, bitch?" I want to say. "Yes..." I actually say. "Then go to that (the eticket) line... it will access your ticket and print a boarding pass." "If you say so..." and I head to the eticket line.
After 30 to 35 minutes of waiting, I arrive at a kiosk, where I quickly discover my eticket cannot be found. Shocking. Perhaps it's because I didn't have an eticket like I tried to say? Perhaps. So the attendant comes over and looks at my paper work and says, "Hmm, yes it looks like it should be an eticket, but it's not." Duh, thanks. So she walks me over to the other line where I originally tried to go, but puts me up front.
So the next attendant calls me up, tells me I'm supposed to HAVE a paper ticket to give her at which point she's to give me a boarding pass. I explain I never got a paper ticket, I thought I was supposed to get one here. She asked who I ordered the ticket from. "Orbitz." She tells me to call Orbitz.
So at 6:30am I call Orbitz, at which point I'm informed that my tickets were delivered via UPS the previous day, Thrusday, and signed for by some name I don't recognize. I assume it's my idiot landlord. "Why are you delivering my tickets the DAY BEFORE I have to fly," I inquire. "Delivery was first attempted the 24th (Wednesday)." Yes, TWO days before is much better. Good job, Orbitz. So I ask what the hell I'm supposed to do to get on my flight, and I'm instructed to fill out a "lost ticket" form and I will have to purchase a new ticket. I explain that UPS should really be filling out the "lost ticket" form but she doesn't care and wishes me luck. FUCK.
So at 6:45am I ask a United attendant where I go to fill out a lost ticket form. "What time is your flight?" she asks. "7:22" "You can't check your bags for that flight, they have to be checked 45 minutes prior to flight..." "Can I check them for a later flight?" She shakes her head. "So I've missed my flight, is that what you're saying?" "Yes..." "So what do I do??" "You can fill out a lost ticket form and they'll put you on the next flight. Go to that line right there." She walks me to the appropriate line to obtain said form, of which I'm the only occupant. Apparently I'm the only person who loses tickets. What's greater is there's no attendant at the front of this empty line, so I look like a crazy person standing at an empty line waiting to be helped by an invisible attendant.
So I wait for 15 minutes while the attendants help all the other lines, and the lady who put me there walks by and says "Someone will be right with you." Uh huh. A few more minutes go by and someone else is put behind me in line by the same lady. Good... now I'm not the only crazy one. A total of 30 minutes go by and no one has even looked at me, so when the attendant helping the line right next to me calls the next person I step up and say, "Excuse me, is anyone even tending to this line?" "No, only this line," he says prickishly and motions the the next person in front of him to step forward." "Excuse me... we've been waiting here for 30 minutes and that lady (I point appropriately) told us to wait here. When are we going to be helped?" "What are you trying to do?" "Fill out a lost ticket form." "Someone will be here to help you soon." BULLSHIT. What a shitface.
So I walk up to the lady that put me there and bitch and moan, and she walks off... 1 minute later there's someone in front of me calling me forward to help me. I explain the story... she tells me it will be $100 to schedule a new flight (NOT a full fare price as Orbitz led me to believe), however the next flight was booked, so the soonest I could get into San Antonio was 10:30pm. How CONVENIENT... my brother's graduation ceremony is at 7:30. I explain that won't do... and she checks other airlines. The ONLY available flight that will get me there on time is an American flight that leaves at 11:30, but she can't book it, I have to go to the American terminal. However she'll hold the later United flight for me just in case American doesn't work out.
So I haul ass two terminals down and get in the American line. While in line I decide to call my landlord and bitch him out for this. I tell him that because he signed for the tickets, Orbitz claims they are not responsible because as far as they are concerned, the tickets were delivered and I'm fucked. He says he thought he was doing me a favor, to which I respond with the fact that he hasn't signed for a single package the entire god damned time I've lived there (and I've received MANY packages) and the ONE time he decides to "do me a favor", he totally fucked me over, and in my opinion he should pay for the ticket. He of course refuses this telling me once again he just thought he was doing me a favor and I get off the phone with him in a huff and dial UPS.
On the phone with UPS, I explain what's happened and they tell me they'd be happy to investigate, but it has to be initiated through Orbitz, and otherwise they do no take responsibility, even thought I explain to them that the package wasn't even delivered to the right person (but of course they don't care). By this point I'm at the front of the American line and get called up. I explain my story to the attendant, and find that there is only one seat available on the 11:30 flight, and it's first class and will run me $650. So I decided I have some more calls to make before I can make a decision and she's kind enough to hold the seat for me.
I call Orbitz once again and tell them what's happened so far. I insist they call UPS and figure this shit out NOW because I have to purchase tickets soon and need to know who's paying for it because I certainly am not. The guy calls UPS, and comes back 5 minutes later to say UPS isn't taking responsibility. Tell me something I don't know, Orbitz. He also explains that Orbitz isn't going to take responsibility or pay for the ticket because as far as they are concerned, the ticket was delivered.
So I pose this question... "Doesn't it concern you, as a business, that UPS delivered this ticket to someone completely different than the ticketholder. He certainly didn't sign for it from my apartment, and his name isn't the same as mine or even close. So doesn't it concern you that MY tickets are being delivered the DAY before my flight to someone ELSE?" He pauses, then repeats his bullshit that they're not taking responsibility because they were delivered, and I ask for a supervisor. This was already a 30 minute conversation. So he puts me on hold for a supervisor, and comes back every few minutes telling me he's still holding for a supervisor. Then I go on hold for 20 minutes, during which time I assume he's speaking with a supervisor on my behalf. At the end of this 20 minutes, however, the line drops, which is odd because I have a full signal, and it's certainly convenient.
So I call back again and get some woman. I immediately ask for a supervisor, and she gathers the basic information on my case to relay to the supervisor. An hour later, at about 10:00am, she tells me she has authorization to create a new itinerary for me, but since it's so close to the time when the last available flight leaves, I should go ahead and purchase the tickets myself and Orbitz will reimburse me for them. What worries me is the fact that during this hour wait, I saw the attendant who saved the flight for me leave... her shift ended while I was on the phone. So now I don't even know if I still CAN purchase the ticket. She gives me the fax number to send my receipt and all the other information I will need. "What about my returning flight?" "You bought a round trip ticket through us, correct?" "Yes, but they were on different airlines." "That's fine, go ahead and purchase a round-trip ticket and you'll be reimbursed for it." "Okay..." I say, and I rush to the front of the American line to see if I'm still reserved for the flight. I AM, thank god, and I tell her I need a round-trip ticket, coming back Tuesday morning. The only thing available is a first class flight to Dallas then an economy flight to LAX. It's $1716.
Fuck. Me. I had no choice... and besides Orbitz is footing the bill. So I take it. And that ends my 5-hour long Friday morning airport drama. Fun story, eh? It worked out, I suppose... I made it in to San Antonio at 4:30pm, saw my brother's graduation, and I'm on the plane back to LA as I type. Now all I have to do is submit my receipt for reimbursement... that's the part I'm nervous about. The American attendant asked if I wanted to go first class all the way, and I considered it... figured I deserved it for my 5 hours of trouble... but decided not to screw the system and took the economy ticket (the only one available). Hopefully Orbitz won't think I tried to screw them and deny my reimbursement.
BUT I did call yesterday to make sure there were notes on my Orbitz account that I was TOLD to purchase the ticket and that I would be reimbursed for it, and there were... so I should be fine. Now I just have to apologize to my landlord for yelling at him about this ticket when he was, really, just being nice. Even though he fucked me over in doing so. Meh.
Current Status:
Mood: Sad because I have carpal tunnel from typing this ridiculous story
Food: NOT Chick-fil-A... they were closed when we left for the airport :(
Song: "Never Take Friendship Personal" -Anberlin
Yes, you heard me: UPS strikes again. Let's tell the story, shall we? I was going home for Memorial Day weekend because my brother was graduating on Friday, and I wanted to be there for it. So I ordered my tickets through Orbitz, only this time for some reason they said they would be paper tickets. Okay, I thought... that's weird. I don't know why they're paper tickets this time since they're always etickets, and I haven't even had to deal with paper tickets for as long as I can remember. Whatever.
But they give me no indication of how I'm supposed to come about these mystical paper tickets... no shipping or tracking information, so I just naively assume they'll be waiting for me at the United counter when I go to check in. I come home around midnight on Thursday to a note on my door from my landlord, letting me know he has a package from UPS and to call him to get it from him sometime. Well, it's 12:30 at this point, so I'm certainly not going to call him then, and I leave for the airport at 5:30am to fly home so it looks like I'm just going to have to get it from him when I get back.
So I pack for my trip home and head of to the airport. Mo drops me off around 6am, and I head to the line for non-eticket customers, since that's where I assume I need to be for my paper tickets, and they United lady promptly deters me away and toward the eticket line. "But I think I'm supposed to be in this line..." I start to explain. "Do you have a credit card?" she asks, stupidly. "No, what's a credit card, bitch?" I want to say. "Yes..." I actually say. "Then go to that (the eticket) line... it will access your ticket and print a boarding pass." "If you say so..." and I head to the eticket line.
After 30 to 35 minutes of waiting, I arrive at a kiosk, where I quickly discover my eticket cannot be found. Shocking. Perhaps it's because I didn't have an eticket like I tried to say? Perhaps. So the attendant comes over and looks at my paper work and says, "Hmm, yes it looks like it should be an eticket, but it's not." Duh, thanks. So she walks me over to the other line where I originally tried to go, but puts me up front.
So the next attendant calls me up, tells me I'm supposed to HAVE a paper ticket to give her at which point she's to give me a boarding pass. I explain I never got a paper ticket, I thought I was supposed to get one here. She asked who I ordered the ticket from. "Orbitz." She tells me to call Orbitz.
So at 6:30am I call Orbitz, at which point I'm informed that my tickets were delivered via UPS the previous day, Thrusday, and signed for by some name I don't recognize. I assume it's my idiot landlord. "Why are you delivering my tickets the DAY BEFORE I have to fly," I inquire. "Delivery was first attempted the 24th (Wednesday)." Yes, TWO days before is much better. Good job, Orbitz. So I ask what the hell I'm supposed to do to get on my flight, and I'm instructed to fill out a "lost ticket" form and I will have to purchase a new ticket. I explain that UPS should really be filling out the "lost ticket" form but she doesn't care and wishes me luck. FUCK.
So at 6:45am I ask a United attendant where I go to fill out a lost ticket form. "What time is your flight?" she asks. "7:22" "You can't check your bags for that flight, they have to be checked 45 minutes prior to flight..." "Can I check them for a later flight?" She shakes her head. "So I've missed my flight, is that what you're saying?" "Yes..." "So what do I do??" "You can fill out a lost ticket form and they'll put you on the next flight. Go to that line right there." She walks me to the appropriate line to obtain said form, of which I'm the only occupant. Apparently I'm the only person who loses tickets. What's greater is there's no attendant at the front of this empty line, so I look like a crazy person standing at an empty line waiting to be helped by an invisible attendant.
So I wait for 15 minutes while the attendants help all the other lines, and the lady who put me there walks by and says "Someone will be right with you." Uh huh. A few more minutes go by and someone else is put behind me in line by the same lady. Good... now I'm not the only crazy one. A total of 30 minutes go by and no one has even looked at me, so when the attendant helping the line right next to me calls the next person I step up and say, "Excuse me, is anyone even tending to this line?" "No, only this line," he says prickishly and motions the the next person in front of him to step forward." "Excuse me... we've been waiting here for 30 minutes and that lady (I point appropriately) told us to wait here. When are we going to be helped?" "What are you trying to do?" "Fill out a lost ticket form." "Someone will be here to help you soon." BULLSHIT. What a shitface.
So I walk up to the lady that put me there and bitch and moan, and she walks off... 1 minute later there's someone in front of me calling me forward to help me. I explain the story... she tells me it will be $100 to schedule a new flight (NOT a full fare price as Orbitz led me to believe), however the next flight was booked, so the soonest I could get into San Antonio was 10:30pm. How CONVENIENT... my brother's graduation ceremony is at 7:30. I explain that won't do... and she checks other airlines. The ONLY available flight that will get me there on time is an American flight that leaves at 11:30, but she can't book it, I have to go to the American terminal. However she'll hold the later United flight for me just in case American doesn't work out.
So I haul ass two terminals down and get in the American line. While in line I decide to call my landlord and bitch him out for this. I tell him that because he signed for the tickets, Orbitz claims they are not responsible because as far as they are concerned, the tickets were delivered and I'm fucked. He says he thought he was doing me a favor, to which I respond with the fact that he hasn't signed for a single package the entire god damned time I've lived there (and I've received MANY packages) and the ONE time he decides to "do me a favor", he totally fucked me over, and in my opinion he should pay for the ticket. He of course refuses this telling me once again he just thought he was doing me a favor and I get off the phone with him in a huff and dial UPS.
On the phone with UPS, I explain what's happened and they tell me they'd be happy to investigate, but it has to be initiated through Orbitz, and otherwise they do no take responsibility, even thought I explain to them that the package wasn't even delivered to the right person (but of course they don't care). By this point I'm at the front of the American line and get called up. I explain my story to the attendant, and find that there is only one seat available on the 11:30 flight, and it's first class and will run me $650. So I decided I have some more calls to make before I can make a decision and she's kind enough to hold the seat for me.
I call Orbitz once again and tell them what's happened so far. I insist they call UPS and figure this shit out NOW because I have to purchase tickets soon and need to know who's paying for it because I certainly am not. The guy calls UPS, and comes back 5 minutes later to say UPS isn't taking responsibility. Tell me something I don't know, Orbitz. He also explains that Orbitz isn't going to take responsibility or pay for the ticket because as far as they are concerned, the ticket was delivered.
So I pose this question... "Doesn't it concern you, as a business, that UPS delivered this ticket to someone completely different than the ticketholder. He certainly didn't sign for it from my apartment, and his name isn't the same as mine or even close. So doesn't it concern you that MY tickets are being delivered the DAY before my flight to someone ELSE?" He pauses, then repeats his bullshit that they're not taking responsibility because they were delivered, and I ask for a supervisor. This was already a 30 minute conversation. So he puts me on hold for a supervisor, and comes back every few minutes telling me he's still holding for a supervisor. Then I go on hold for 20 minutes, during which time I assume he's speaking with a supervisor on my behalf. At the end of this 20 minutes, however, the line drops, which is odd because I have a full signal, and it's certainly convenient.
So I call back again and get some woman. I immediately ask for a supervisor, and she gathers the basic information on my case to relay to the supervisor. An hour later, at about 10:00am, she tells me she has authorization to create a new itinerary for me, but since it's so close to the time when the last available flight leaves, I should go ahead and purchase the tickets myself and Orbitz will reimburse me for them. What worries me is the fact that during this hour wait, I saw the attendant who saved the flight for me leave... her shift ended while I was on the phone. So now I don't even know if I still CAN purchase the ticket. She gives me the fax number to send my receipt and all the other information I will need. "What about my returning flight?" "You bought a round trip ticket through us, correct?" "Yes, but they were on different airlines." "That's fine, go ahead and purchase a round-trip ticket and you'll be reimbursed for it." "Okay..." I say, and I rush to the front of the American line to see if I'm still reserved for the flight. I AM, thank god, and I tell her I need a round-trip ticket, coming back Tuesday morning. The only thing available is a first class flight to Dallas then an economy flight to LAX. It's $1716.
Fuck. Me. I had no choice... and besides Orbitz is footing the bill. So I take it. And that ends my 5-hour long Friday morning airport drama. Fun story, eh? It worked out, I suppose... I made it in to San Antonio at 4:30pm, saw my brother's graduation, and I'm on the plane back to LA as I type. Now all I have to do is submit my receipt for reimbursement... that's the part I'm nervous about. The American attendant asked if I wanted to go first class all the way, and I considered it... figured I deserved it for my 5 hours of trouble... but decided not to screw the system and took the economy ticket (the only one available). Hopefully Orbitz won't think I tried to screw them and deny my reimbursement.
BUT I did call yesterday to make sure there were notes on my Orbitz account that I was TOLD to purchase the ticket and that I would be reimbursed for it, and there were... so I should be fine. Now I just have to apologize to my landlord for yelling at him about this ticket when he was, really, just being nice. Even though he fucked me over in doing so. Meh.
Current Status:
Mood: Sad because I have carpal tunnel from typing this ridiculous story
Food: NOT Chick-fil-A... they were closed when we left for the airport :(
Song: "Never Take Friendship Personal" -Anberlin
posted by Justin Porter at
9:51 AM
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