On my way to visit family for Christmas, I chose to fly on American Airlines. The experience quickly went from bad to worse. For context, I’ve been an American Airlines customer and passenger for over 30 years. I do not consider myself a frequent flyer, yet my loyalty program status recently rose due to increased travel.
After repeatedly delayed flights, poor service and rude agents, I asked for a simple customer service accommodation. In response, American reported me to the police. The escalation is an example of horrendous customer service and a lesson in how not to treat the consumer. Unfortunately, it’s also an essentialization of the American Airlines subculture and philosophy.
In pledging customer service, American Airlines claims on its website that it’s “in business to provide safe, dependable and friendly air transportation to our customers … [and that they] are dedicated to making every flight you take with us something special…in the hopes that you will fly us again and again. We work very hard to make your entire experience with us, from making a reservation to deplaning at your final destination, a positive one.”
In the same pledge, American Airlines promises to render “[a]ssistance when your flight has been delayed”, “[t]icket refunds” and “[h]andling of customer issues”. None were offered, however, to this passenger. All were refused. In other words, none of what American Airlines claims is true. On the contrary, American reported me to the police.
The travel fiasco began with a flight which was hours late. I was not informed of the delay until after I’d arrived at the airport. I waited for several hours. I was disappointed but not irate. I had arrived in advance — by two hours — of my scheduled flight departure. I’d checked in online. I’d reserved a seat. I was all set. Then, American Airlines notified me that its plane was not ready to fly.
Apparently, something was wrong with the aircraft. I was informed that the plane was taken out of operation and that another plane would be used. Eventually, I boarded a plane and arrived at my destination. I lost a day of Christmas time with family.
After the visit, in anticipation of the return flight, once again, I arrived at the airport hours in advance of scheduled flight departure. And, once again, I was notified that the flight was late — hours late — after I’d reserved a seat, checked into the flight, arrived at the airport, checked luggage and made connecting flight arrangements.
Again, I was told that American’s passenger jet was not ready to fly. The plane, I was told, was removed from operation to be fixed. It was too late to make other arrangements. This late departure, like the previous late departure, was caused by American Airlines’ aircraft maintenance.
Let me emphasize this point. The late departures were caused by American Airlines. There were no weather complications. There were no announced travel or security conflicts. There was no reason to expect a problem with aircraft, let alone on two separate airplanes during the round trip. I emphasize this not to blame American Airlines for badly or properly operating or maintaining flawed, faulty or deficient aircraft. Of course, I know that things go wrong and I want the aircraft to be safe. But the fact that American Airlines, not weather or an external factor, caused the delay is relevant to customer service.
Faced with hours before rescheduled departure, this customer proceeded to an airline customer service desk to seek assistance with the connecting flight. The desk was cordoned off. It was vacant. I noticed that an airline club — American Airlines calls them Admirals Clubs — was near the gate where my flight was scheduled to board.
The gate was packed with passengers. I decided to investigate whether American Airlines was willing to consider admitting me as a guest in the club for a few hours. The impetus was the prospect of having a place to sit, wait for hours and relax while waiting for customer service to address any problem with my connecting flight. I entered the club.
Speaking with an agent who did not wear a name tag, I explained that there was no seating at the gate — the terminal was full of travelers — and I asked if the club could consider making an exception, waiving requisites and admitting me for a few hours.
The agent neither addressed nor answered my question. Instead, she stated what she called airline policy. I explained that I understood the policy and repeated that I was inquiring about an exception; that an exceptional circumstance had apparently delayed my flight and I was asking for an exception to the club’s admission policy. The agent told me to visit American Airlines’ customer service desk. I explained that I had been there and done that and that the service desk was vacant. She shrugged, as if to say “tough luck.”
I would come to learn that the agent’s attitude and actions represent American Airlines, which is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
The agent spoke to me as if she’d memorized a script. After making the policy statement, she added that, if she agreed to consider my request, she would have to admit every passenger. Of course, this is not true, which I told her. I never raised my voice. Nor was I rude, hostile or disrespectful. I made my request — that American let me wait in the club for a flight which was delayed for hours due to American’s maintenance problem — with discretion. The request I made was reasonable. The agent offered zero accommodation. None.
Shortly after I left the club, someone at American’s Admirals Club notified police. While I was standing at the gate while looking for a place to sit and rest, a trio of police officers arrived. One of them asked if I’d been to the club. I knew that I did not violate the law, so I spoke freely with the peace officer, who expressed shock to me that the airline had notified police. Of course, I was neither detained nor placed under arrest. However, I was shocked that American Airlines treated me as a potential criminal — merely because I had asked to be admitted to American’s club to wait for American’s delayed flight.
Is it possible that American Airlines can improve?
After communicating with at least nine American Airlines representatives, none one of whom offered to honor the airline’s customer service pledge, I have zero reason to think improvement is possible. In fact, I have multiple reasons to think that American Airlines is malicious, dishonest and dishonorable.
Vdara Hotel & Spa is located just off Las Vegas Boulevard. The all-suites, non-smoking, non-gambling resort, owned by MGM Resorts, is perfect for my needs. But I know that I am not the typical visitor to this desert oasis.
Vdara Hotel & Spa
Like LA, Las Vegas attracts every type of wannabe and couldabeen and they’re all over town. Prostitutes in line at the front desk with their clients, a drug addict passed out in the lobby, drunks stumbling around the parking lot, I saw them all on this trip, which was for business.
Attending the Global Security Exchange (GSX) conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center, I was easily able to get around town, thanks to Lyft, the monorail and sponsored shuttle buses. Each time I needed to go, a Lyft driver was already waiting by the hotel entrance.
Vdara, where I’d previously stayed, is tucked away off Frank Sinatra Boulevard behind MGM’s Aria casino and resort. Upon check-in, I asked the friendly front desk clerk, Letitia, for a list of items, which she promptly provided. The room was simple, elegant and easy to find and use. The same goes for everything else in the hotel, including the compact fitness room, spa, pool, bar and dining.
Complimentary bottled water awaited in the refrigerator. I used the kitchenette during my stay, though once standard items, such as coffee makers and dishes, either cost more or are provided only upon request. The bathroom had both a spacious shower and separate tub, good lighting, closet, vanity mirror and pocket door. The television’s remote control was sluggish, so it probably needed batteries. The wifi was strong.
Meals at Vdara mean a patio and bar lounge, small cafe with adjacent pantry for pricey, light groceries (each suite has a kitchenette) and a friendly, if high-priced, Starbucks. I bought groceries at Walgreens on the strip, which is my usual practice, and ate at the convention center. When I ordered to-go meals from the cafe, however, the food was fresh, perfectly prepared and delicious. But it took way too long. Every morning I asked for salt and pepper with my eggs, but they were included in the order exactly once. Each time I ended up with a small bottle of Heinz ketchup, which after the first time I asked them to omit. So, go and order to-go for the best Vdara food, but watch the clock and check the to-go bag.
I plan to visit Vdara again. It’s a beautiful, simple hotel. Staff are friendly, though a few stand out. Nathan was very prompt with a request. Letitia made an outstanding first impression. Concierge Hakan, who previously worked the concierge desk at the Cosmopolitan, was the most knowledgeable, accommodating and results-driven and I came away thinking that he should personally train every one at Vdara. There wasn’t a single Vdara detail about business or personal travel that he didn’t know.
As a non-smoking non-gambler seeking to work and enjoy myself while in a still-sometimes seedy town, modern, efficient and quiet Vdara, removed from the strip yet in close proximity, is in a class by itself.
During a recent stay for a conference, I discovered elegance in downtown Los Angeles hospitality. While the Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles, located across from Pershing Square, is not a full four-star experience, the 95-year-old hotel holds to high standards.
Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles
This is not a showy, pretentious property. Despite its grand reputation, history and lavish decor, the Millennium Biltmore primarily distinguishes itself as a premium hotel based upon its outstanding service. The standard room is adequate to good, depending upon one’s modern demands. Mine was alright, though I had to ask for another room upon check-in because the hotel’s non-smoking policy had clearly been violated by the previous guest. The fifth floor room lacked a vanity mirror for proper grooming, space was tight and housekeeping was mediocre.
Yet convenience, uniqueness and exemplary service compensate for the Millennium Biltmore’s flaws. Staff were without exception responsive and attentive during the conference, often exceeding expectations and anticipating demands. For example, when conference staff were overwhelmed during setup for registration, Biltmore staff, who were watching like sentinels in the background, stepped in time and again to provide logistical support, sustenance and manpower.
Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles
Cecil B. DeMille filmed his 1924 silent film Triumph here. Past guests include Howard Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jean Paul Getty, Shirley Temple, the prince of Wales, Walt Disney and Rudolph Valentino. Gary Cooper (High Noon), Claudette Colbert (The Palm Beach Story) and Clark Gable (Gone With the Wind) won Oscars here. The Biltmore proudly served American soldiers during World War 2. The bookie room in The Sting (1973) was filmed in the Biltmore’s Gold Room. The same room was used during Prohibition as a speakeasy with a hidden door so guests could dodge police by escaping onto Olive Street (for now, the exit is sealed in brick). Indulge in the hotel’s history with the concierge, who’s very knowledegable and is equipped with a complete list of motion pictures and television shows filmed here. Taylor Swiftrecently shot a video here when she stayed overnight. A web series was filming during my visit. Also stroll what the Biltmore calls its historic corridor, which features an exhibit of the hotel’s pictorial history.
Discovering the Millennium Biltmore means immersing in its small marvels and charms, chiefly a sense of simple luxury in the madness of downtown LA. Its bar and Cognac Room are both intimate and elegant. Smeraldi’s, where I dined for breakfast and lunch, serves delicious food very fast. Even the lobby, pictured above, fosters a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Fitness, swimming and sauna and steam rooms add value and the Rendezvous Court with its piano, trickling water and natural light, as well as an afternoon tea, is perfect for reading, writing and thinking or conversation.
That the hotel’s interior designer, Giovanni Smeraldi, also decorated the White House and the Vatican is not surprising. From motifs based on literature’s Tales of the Arabian Nights to angels, gods and myths and 24-karat gold, the Millennium Biltmore surrounds the guest in elegance, interesting accents and themes and space for a distinctive and memorable downtown Los Angeles experience.
This hotel is nestled into lush, green hills in Pittsburgh’s Green Tree neighborhood with perfect location, accommodations and property assets and amenities. Needing to be near this location for a recent trip, I booked here as against downtown Pittsburgh, where I recently stayed at the Fairmont, primarily because Pittsburgh’s newest Hilton hotel has an airport shuttle, which I needed to use.
DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh | Green Tree
The courtesy shuttle turned out to be a hassle. I phoned when my flight landed as instructed, spoke to someone who spoke with broken English who told me that a shuttle was waiting for me or would be dispatched. Neither was the case. I went to the designated spot, waited for a while and called again. I was told that a driver had been dispatched. No shuttle arrived. I made two more calls while waiting for over an hour — each time, I was informed that the driver was nearby and on the way — and, after being told that the shuttle had to wait for a flight crew which was causing the delay, I finally pieced together that the driver wanted to wait to pick up a flight crew that had been booked at the hotel. I would’ve taken and paid for my own ride but the front desk clerk kept telling me that a shuttle was coming soon. I saw seven Parking Spot shuttles come and go during the hour plus-wait. When driver Norman finally showed up over an hour after the initial call, one other passenger — the airline flight crew he’d been waiting for — boarded. The other passenger proceeded to play hip hop on his device without headphones. Norman said nothing during the entire drive. So, expect confusion and a long wait for the hotel shuttle. This was not the best door to door service.
DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh | Green Tree
The hotel was apologetic, however. So, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was the shuttle service having a bad day. The front desk clerk gave me a generous voucher (and, upon checkout, the clerk added extra Hilton Honors loyalty rewards points). It’s a convenient location and I’d stay at this hotel again. I won’t be taking the shuttle if I can avoid it. But the room, with a comfortable bed and desk, chair and closet with safe, iron and ironing board, is neatly appointed. There’s also an in-room coffeemaker with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee and tea. The bathroom had what I need, though its door closed too close to the toilet, and the warm cookie upon check-in and bottled water in the room were nice and convenient.
Front desk staff, with the exception of that first night before checking in, were friendly, attentive and helpful.
DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh | Green Tree
A bistro marketplace sells Starbucks coffee and various types of food including pizza. The bistro also stocks small grocery, souvenir and toiletry items. An adjacent gathering area with tables and chairs near two large screen TVs tuned to cable sports and news makes it easy to have a snack and catch up on headlines and games. Unfortunately, bistro hours vary, so it was closed one morning when I wanted to buy something.
The restaurant, which offers buffet service, is very good. Service is attentive and food is fresh and delicious. The spacious bar also features big screen high-definition TVs and serves happy hour specials. DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh at Green Tree also features a shared workspace with printers, computers and supplies and a fitness room off the lobby and a swimming pool with separate hot tub.
For superior hospitality in downtown Pittsburgh, I recommend the Fairmont Pittsburgh. Having stayed at other area hotels over time during various visits, including one last summer for OCON Pittsburgh, when I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh Airport, which was great, and the Sheraton at Station Square, which was not, I listened this time to friends and family who suggested visiting the Fairmont hotel. Accommodations were exemplary for my needs and tastes. Expectations were rarely exceeded and mostly met. I took advantage of the downtown location, a block from Market Square, near Point State Park and close to everything in Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle, walking to cafes, museums and skyscrapers, all while taking in the city’s architecture, bridges and industry.
Speaking of the Fairmont Pittsburgh‘s location, I could’ve taken the T (rail transit) to meet a friend for breakfast at the Dor-Stop Restaurant in Dormont, though since it was cold, I summoned an Uber car instead, which was fine (and I found that Uber is easier than Lyft, at least in this city). I arrived a bit early.
Returning later to a perfectly appointed room overlooking PNC Park where the Pirates play baseball, called a parkview room here, I was very pleased with the 15th floor room. Robes, slippers, old-fashioned alarm clock, coffee, tea, cordless phones, ink and paper — the clean, quiet, spacious room had everything I needed and the best part was the silence. Overlooking city streets, the Allegheny River, skyscrapers — with a view of the Gulf Oil Building tucked between glass towers — during a winter storm was a wonderful sight. The room is functional, with a generously sized desk, plenty of smartly placed outlets for my gear, a swiveling flat screen television and safe, ironing board and deadbolt on the door. I use a Verismo machine for coffee at home, so the Keurig coffee machine was new to me. Though I figured it out, the Keurig’s instructional drawings left out a step, which is why I prefer written, as against pictorial, directions. I was surprised to find that the room lacks a general hotel guide, though this may have been an oversight. A daily newspaper is available in the lobby but it’s a New York paper, not the local Post-Gazette.
The bathroom is also spacious and generously appointed, though someone forgot to include shampoo and conditioner, which were promptly sent upon request. I did notice and report what I suspect is a design flaw in the glass shower door, which persistenly left a puddle when I exited the tiled shower. With a ledge, corner caddy for soap and rain-style shower, plus a bath and separate toilet area, accessories and quality towels, I was satisfied.
Fairmont Pittsburgh advertises itself as a luxury hotel and I found that it’s worth what I paid (county taxes are highest among the multiple taxes) for its location, quality and relaxed, businesslike atmosphere. In fact, it’s connected to business offices, so the relatively small hotel staff is happily welcoming and not overzealous. That said, a couple of front desk clerks weren’t the most attentive, failing to make eye contact, but generally staff were friendly and responsive. Check in and check out were both swift and professional. I really like that staff mostly left me alone to do business and come and go while nodding in recognition or extending a short greeting. They usually knew the answers to my questions, i.e., about the area, facilities, etc., when asked. Doorman Ron offered a tip that I walk to Heinz History Center, which I did in spite of the cold, rainy weather. I needed the exercise, though the fitness center’s very functional, too, so I’m glad I did.
I ate at the main restaurant twice. I first went for a solo breakfast, which was served exactly and promptly as I ordered (crisp, not limp or overcooked, bacon, eggs scrambled easy and fresh tomatoes) which was delicious, and again when I met someone for lunch. I ordered the salad and a pot of tea and both were fine. The restaurant, which my luncheon guest, who’s a longtime Pittsburgher, knew by its former name Habitat, is unfortunately called fl.2 (that’s the name). There’s a bar there, too, with a happy hour, which I would’ve enjoyed trying out if I’d had the time. The restaurant wallpaper shows wear and tear; again, not the best for what ought to be a four or five-star hotel. But fl.2 and its excellent staff really is a top property asset. The second floor place is perfect for conversation, conferences and catching up. I think this is because it’s removed from the main hotel traffic and action and, while there’s a partial view overlooking the Fairmont Pittsburgh‘s unique location near where major avenues converge at an angle toward Point State Park and where the Monongahela River and Allegheny River merge into the Ohio River, the view does not dominate the experience.
In summary, I think the secret of the Fairmont Pittsburgh success is its understated air, which emanates from a downtown business approach matched by its removal from potentially hectic surroundings due to its island-like setback and trim, elegant design. This is not a showcase hotel, so its guests and staff are probably disinclined to strut and show off. Andy’s, a casual bar off the lobby which is probably named for Pittsburgh artist Andy Warhol though I’d like to think is named for Pittsburgh capitalists Andrew Mellon and Andrew Carnegie, offers a DJ and live jazz band on certain nights. Both sounded terrific as I walked by, giving Andy’s and the Fairmont an inviting and not too solicitous sense that guests can relax, mingle and achieve solitude.
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After repeatedly delayed flights, poor service and rude agents, I asked for a simple customer service accommodation. In response, American reported me to the police. The escalation is an example of horrendous customer service and a lesson in how not to treat the consumer. Unfortunately, it’s also an essentialization of the American Airlines subculture and philosophy.
Returning later to a perfectly appointed room overlooking PNC Park where the Pirates play baseball, called a parkview room here, I was very pleased with the 15th floor room. Robes, slippers, old-fashioned alarm clock, coffee, tea, cordless phones, ink and paper — the clean, quiet, spacious room had everything I needed and the best part was the silence. Overlooking city streets, the Allegheny River, skyscrapers — with a view of the Gulf Oil Building tucked between glass towers — during a winter storm was a wonderful sight. The room is functional, with a generously sized desk, plenty of smartly placed outlets for my gear, a swiveling flat screen television and safe, ironing board and deadbolt on the door. I use a 
I ate at the main restaurant twice. I first went for a solo breakfast, which was served exactly and promptly as I ordered (crisp, not limp or overcooked, bacon, eggs scrambled easy and fresh tomatoes) which was delicious, and again when I met someone for lunch. I ordered the salad and a pot of tea and both were fine. The restaurant, which my luncheon guest, who’s a longtime Pittsburgher, knew by its former name Habitat, is unfortunately called fl.2 (that’s the name). There’s a bar there, too, with a happy hour, which I would’ve enjoyed trying out if I’d had the time. The restaurant wallpaper shows wear and tear; again, not the best for what ought to be a four or five-star hotel. But fl.2 and its excellent staff really is a top property asset. The second floor place is perfect for conversation, conferences and catching up. I think this is because it’s removed from the main hotel traffic and action and, while there’s a partial view overlooking the