To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to formally complain about my flight with US Airways and American Airlines on July 30, 2015.

I departed Bermuda on Flight 1974 operated by US Air and was en route to Washington DC when the plane was diverted due to bad weather to Norfolk, Virginia.

After circling the airport in Virginia for about a half an hour, the pilot landed to refuel. By the time the plane landed in Washington, I, along with most of the other passengers, had missed my connecting flight.

The attendant on the plane informed everyone that a representative from the airline would meet us as we deplaned and inform us of our next step. This never happened and when I tried to get help from the attendants at the boarding counter, I was told that my plane had left and I would need to go to the counter across the way, right in the middle of the floor, which would have been the US Air rebooking counter, to get further assistance.

I did as directed and, after waiting for just over an hour, was promptly redirected to the American Airlines counter to be rebooked. Ultimately, after waiting a further 45 minutes, I was told that there were no further flights available that night and was put on standby for the next morning’s flight on Friday, July 31.

I asked the ticket agent to arrange for my bags to be at the baggage claim for me to pick up before leaving the airport, and was assured that this would be possible.

The clerk directed me to go downstairs to the US Airways baggage claim room to recover my luggage, which I did, only to be told by the baggage clerk that my bags had been forwarded to the American Airlines baggage claim office and that there was no one to go to get them for me.

The woman advised me to return to the airport early the next morning and collect my bags at American’s baggage claim office, which I did.

Once I arrived with my claim ticket, given me by the clerk at the ticket counter the previous evening, I was told that my bag had been forwarded on the flight that I had been booked on that morning to Miami, which was AA913; this flight departed Reagan International, heading to Miami, at 6am.

I managed to make it through the TSA check-in and arrived at the AA gate just in time to be told that because three people had missed the flight, I would be flying to Miami.

I was greatly relieved about this, but once the plane boarded, the captain announced that the flight would be delayed due to engine trouble.

With a sinking heart, I settled in and waited for news from the flight crew that the problem had been fixed and that I would not miss my connecting flights out of Miami.

Fortunately, after about a half-hour, the problem was rectified and we were on our way to Miami. The problem is that once we arrived, I was given only five minutes to run from Gate 40 and get to Gate 48 to catch my flight, leaving me with no time to check the status of my bags.

When I produced my boarding pass, the gentleman at the AA gate told me I had the wrong boarding pass, immediately printed another, then hustled me to the plane. Needless to say, this was a relief, as I did not want to miss my flight.

When I arrived in Barbados on AA1089 on July 31, I cleared immigration and went to collect my luggage. However, my luggage was not on the flight as I was told by the baggage handler that morning in Washington.

After the initial disappointment of not having my bag, I spoke to the baggage clerk in Barbados, who gave me a receipt of the luggage complaint form she filled out on my behalf and I was given a phone number to call in regard to reclaiming my bag as soon as it arrived in Barbados. I tried calling using the number she had given me on countless occasions during the next two days after my arrival in Barbados, but was unsuccessful in getting anyone to answer the phone.

On the third day, I decided to take a taxi to the airport in Barbados to find out what the deal was with my luggage. After speaking to yet another AA ticket agent, I was told that my bags would be on the flight arriving either that night or the next morning. Altogether I had to pay B$60 (about $30) coming and going for the taxi. However, after speaking to someone I left deflated yet hopeful that I would have my luggage soon.

The following day, I still had not heard anything from the airlines and, just as I had the previous day, I made countless calls but was unable to get anyone on the phone.

Once again, I ordered a taxi and paid another B$60 to find out if my bag had arrived, only to find out that it was not there. I arrived in Barbados on July 31, which was the Friday, and after four distressing days had still not heard from anyone at the airlines or the airport concerning the whereabouts of my luggage. On the Sunday, when I went down to the reception desk at my hotel, I was informed that someone had brought my bag to the hotel. However, the security guard at the hotel did not have a record of me staying at the hotel and when he asked the person that brought the bag to leave it, they declined to do so.

Once again I went through another day with no clothing, except the two outfits that I had to purchase in Barbados.

Finally on Sunday, August 2, the receptionist at the hotel was able to get someone on the phone at the airport who advised that my bags would be at the airport the next day.

Well, the next day my bags were still not at the airport and since it was a holiday on the Monday, I would not be able to get my bag until Tuesday, August 4, making the total days I had endured without my luggage a whopping six. On Tuesday, I went and retrieved my luggage in yet another taxi, this time at a cost of B$70, which, because of the mix-up on their side, the hotel paid for.

By now, my vacation was almost over and I no longer had the will or desire to even try to enjoy my trip. That delivery of my bags was delayed for the first six days of my trip was bad enough; not only did I have to buy new clothes, I also had to pay B$120 for taxi fare to and from the airport, just to be told that my bags had still not arrived, which was deeply disappointing.

What really gets me upset about the whole fiasco is the way that the employees of American Airlines ignored my plight or were just downright rude to me concerning my ordeal. I had a room reserved in Miami and because my flight was diverted and delayed, having missed my flight from Washington to Miami, I was still charged for a night’s stay at the hotel in Miami as well as having to pay $100 to overnight in Washington.

I found the customer service agents for both American and US Air to be very rude and extremely unhelpful to me during my trip.

I was given the wrong information on countless occasions and my ticket from Washington to Miami was written out to a Michelle Butler.

My name is obviously not Michelle Butler, so why do I have a ticket stub in that name? I expect to be fully reimbursed but don’t believe that I ever will be for what turned out to be a horrible vacation, thanks to American Airlines and US Airways.

To be fair, I am letting the management and staff at both airlines know that this letter will be submitted to The Royal Gazette once I finish relaying this information to them, with the effect of giving the general public the knowledge that this so-called merger between American and US Airways is nothing but a colossal failure on behalf of both airlines, and that the handling of my case by many inept employees of both airlines should be a warning to consumers.

ROMA BURCHER