US Airways Frustration

Yesterday was not a pleasant travel day.  Unfortunately, I was flying US Air, since the miles I get on US Air will eventually merge with American (where most of my miles are), and since the flight was at a better time for me. 

Well, I ended up running late getting on the flight.  Had to mail a first communion package to my niece, slow for no reason traffic right by my house, construction at the airport terminal, not many parking spots, huge lines, etc. 

Got to the gate and they had already boarded everyone in the area, so I was able to walk right up. 

The guy at the desk forced me to check my bag, he said the overhead bin space was full.  It wasn't a big rollerboard, so I asked if I could put it under my seat.  He said no, it was too long, and I'd have to check it.

So as instructed, I left it at the end of the jetbridge, and then walked onto the plane.

Only to see that at least 33% of the overhead space was open!!!  And only about 5 people boarded after me, so well over a third of the space was empty the entire flight. 

Argh!  F-bombs were flying in my head.  I wasn't in first class but since the first class attendant was the first person I saw, I asked if I could just grab my bag and put it up above, but he said no, for inventory purposes, it had to go under the plane since it had already been ticketed.  I asked why on earth I'd been told they compartments were full and forced to check my bag when that was clearly 100% false, and he didn't really have any good answer -- something like, oh, I guess he just assumed it was full by now. 

I was so angry.  Of course I was landing around rush hour and I knew spending the extra 15-30 minutes to wait for my luggage would only make traffic worse.  And as soon as I sat down in my seat and my bag was headed to the bowels of the aircraft, I realized I'd actually put my purse (with my inhaler, wallet, etc.) in my suitcase since my suitcase was fairly empty and it didn't fit well in my laptop bag/briefcase.  Fortunately it didn't matter.  I didn't need the inhaler or anything else, and the wait in Philadelphia for luggage wasn't horrible.  But it just really pissed me off. 

Oh well, my hotel is right by a really cool running trail, and they had a little dinner buffet in the hotel restaurant with an awesome salad and decent cheese pizza, which meant I just went out for ice cream for dessert.  And they have a breakfast buffet that I'll hit up in about an hour when the defense counsel I retained gets to the hotel to meet me. 

I totally hate hashtags (and I don't tweet), but these are the ones I'd consider:
#USAirwayssucks
#USAirwayslies
#USAirwaysbaggageunionscam
#whatstatenamesplacesConshohocken
#homesoonIhope (do you capitalize I in hashtags?)

Some photographic evidence of empty bins, which I was told were full:

This picture is my favorite.  Taken from my window seat, looking at the bin directly across from me, which had room for at least 2, probably 3 suitcases the same size as mine:

And on that last "hashtag", seriously, I love the names of places out here: