I can't help feeling that if they aren't kissing your asses by now, Lewis is being too gentle.

I can't complain about how he's dealing with them-- he's being far more reasonable than I would have been and when necessary, he's been applying the screws. What's really bothering me is how at every turn, where we're trying to ensure the kids' safety and well-being, they're behaving as if we're asking for the impossible. Frex, we originally set their itinerary so that they wouldn't have to transfer through Atlanta Hartsfield, mostly because it's their first unaccompanied cross-country flight with a connection. Before, they're always had direct flights, but we figured that they're old enough to navigate a connecting flight and it makes life easier for their grandparents. But my one stipulation was that they not go through Atlanta-- hell, I know adults who are intimidated by making connections through Hartsfield. So we figured Charlotte on the way there and Houston on the way back-- neither airport overwhelming.

Now, it looks like they're going to be going through Atlanta both ways and each flight has a layover of less than an hour (the layover on the way there would be 35 minutes!). And when we said that was unacceptable and if that was the only alternative, then they would have to pay for the kids to be escorted between gates in Atlanta. Now they're arguing about that.

Barb, if they end up going through Atlanta, you can give them my number in case things go very wrong. I can also give you detailed instructions about how to get between the gates in question.

Barb, if they end up going through Atlanta, you can give them my number in case things go very wrong. I can also give you detailed instructions about how to get between the gates in question.

Thanks, Ginger-- at this point it looks as if they're going to have escorts, but I'll give them your number just in case. I'm just so furious at these implications that we're being overprotective ninnies because we're trying to make sure our kids make it safely across the country.

They're smart kids, so they probably wouldn't have much trouble navigating in the airport. The airport is very large and very crowded, though, so I don't think you're being overprotective in making sure there's an adult with them. Also, that's a pretty tight window, so having someone who knows where to go could be the difference between catching and not catching the flight. It takes a certain amount of gall and mass to sprint through the crowd and throw yourself through the closing doors of the people mover.

I can't believe a service business is trying to lay the blame on the customer for the problem...and THEN implying that the customer is being unreasonable.

It's not about making the travel agent's job easy. They seem to have missed that point.

Good lord, Barb! I can't believe how intransigent they are being!

My supervisor went home sick, so I'm in a room by myself on a spare computer, trying not to fall asleep. I think I'll go wander the warehouse and store. These people are very safety conscious - I love it! And they are actively asking for my input on pretty much all aspects of the program. Ahhhh...

Dear Barb's travel agency:

You're the reason people book online.

Barb I can't believe how impossible they are being. You might want to check on consumerist.com for tips on how to escalate the matter.

Does the travel agency have a facebook page or use twitter? Maybe you could leave negative feedback there or refer to what's going on and the company by name. Sometimes it takes visible bad publicity to get things to be done right.

Situation resolved-- sort of. The rugrats have new tickets. They are connecting through Atlanta, but the travel agency, after a fair amount of kvetching & moaning, is ponying up for escort fees. Mind you, they think we're being overprotective ninnies for wanting our children to be escorted between terminals during a layover of oh, 35 MINUTES. In Atlanta. But I don't care.

I'm still so mad, I could spit nails. The agent refused to tell her boss b/c she said "He's not going to want to eat the cost on these tickets for clients who think we did a terrible job & who aren't going to use us again."

Mind you, we said NO SUCH THING. We gave them ample opportunity to potentially win repeat business- after all, we're not unreasonable people. No one yelled (because Lewis was the one dealing with them), no one threatened anything. All they had to do was at least act as if they gave a shit and they repeatedly showed us they didn't. However, not only did they ensure they won't get our repeat business, they guaranteed that a LOT of people are going to hear about it. Because yes, they do have a FB page and they're dealing with a woman who uses words for a living and knows how to work social networking media. Even better, she has many, many FRIENDS who know how to work the hell out of social networking media.

Cry havoc and let loose the boobs of war, y'all.