Complaint Review: Alaska Airlines

On July 7th 2012 I was scheduled to fly out of Redmond, Oregon at 12:50pm.  I had checked in online the night before but did not have a printer available to print out my ticket.  Since RDM is a very small airport with hardly any traffic I arrived 40 minutes before my flight and when I went to the Alaska counter to ask them to print out my ticket there was nobody working at the counter.  I walked over to the United counter to ask for help but they said they could not help me and that the people working at the Alaska counter would not be back until after the flight had taken off.

So after that point I tried to use the computer but it would not allow me to do so.  Then I heard someone from Alaska Airlines calling my name on the PA system and I tried telling the TSA people to please let them know I was here and trying to get my ticket printed, but they said they couldnt help me.

Once my flight left a lady finally showed up to the Alaska counter with the initials LAR .  She very rudely said she couldn't help me and that I would have to call the reservations to reschedule my flight.  I was upset and as I started to walk away I turned back around to see LAR and another Alaska employee laughing and making fun of the fact that I could not get on my flight (because NO ONE WAS AT THE COUNTER!!!!)

So I called the reservation number and eventually spoke to a manager who was very rude and condescending to me as well.  She said the only way I was going to get home at this point was if I paid an additional $251.00 even though I argued that NO ONE was at the desk 40 minutes prior to the flight.  This woman did not care or even listen she said that because I tried to get a ticket in the lobby computer at less than 30 minutes before the flight (which was long after I had been running around everywhere trying to get help!!!) This manager was making up her own story of what had happened in the airport to justify charging me $251.00 and then telling me that was the way it was going to be...too bad!  (In addition to leaving me on hold for 30 minutes for no reason!!)

The next day when I took the same exact flight LAR was at the desk (as she should have been the day before !!!!) even within 30 minutes to the departure time.  Had she been where she should have been the day before I would NOT have missed my flight! I have requested that Alaska Airlines return the $251 that I was charged to fly out the next day but they have refused.