Boise Airport didn’t get the memo

POSTED: 06:14 MST Thursday, June 14, 2007

by Lora Volkert

Article Tools
Printer friendly edition
E-mail this to a friend
RSS Feed
Digg this story
Add to Del.icio.us
Tags - Boise Airport, transportation, travel

By now you’ve probably heard that the new requirement to have a passport to go to Mexico or Canada has been temporarily eased, thanks to a backlog of passport applications. U.S. travelers can still go to either country just by showing proof that they’ve applied for a passport, and the U.S. government is refunding $60 fees citizens paid to have their passport applications expedited. Apparently, someone at the Boise Airport didn’t get the memo.

Yesterday I got home and found a note on the counter from my roommate Kim, letting me know that she and her boyfriend had left that morning for a weekend trip to Cabo. All well and good, except that when I got home she was in the living room.

Though Kim had a passport, her boyfriend Brian didn’t have one. He had ordered it to be shipped to him overnight, but he missed FedEx when they came to his house to deliver it.

They saw the news bulletins that all he needed was proof that he’d applied, so they printed out the necessary papers and drove to the airport to catch their early flight.

The clerk at the airline check-in counter had been on vacation and wasn’t up to speed on the new rules, so she asked her supervisor. He told her that they needed a passport to go to Mexico – no ifs, ands or buts. They said Kim could get on, and if Brian could get his passport in time, they could put him on standby for a full 11:00 o’clock flight. Kim and Brian both left in disgust.

They tracked down Brian’s passport and came back for the 11:00 o'clock flight, by which time the airline representatives had realized their error. But it was too late. Only one seat opened up on the flight. Brian went to Cabo, and Kim went home to stew for a day.

I hope no one using the WiFi at the Boise Airport now has a horror story like that one, but if there are ongoing problems, please share your experiences and warn your fellow travelers.

4 Comments

I hope the airline was able to compensate these people for the huge upset they caused to their travel plans. Great PR and customer service.
Comment By Mr. Smuggly
Friday, June 15, 2007 @ 7:33 AM

As a consultant, not only do I fly a lot but I also know that most companies operate under a very thin veneer that *looks* like they have their ducks in a row. Underneath the veneer is found chaos, chewing gum, and baling wire. I image almost every airlines falls right into that category.
I can appreciate their massive operations--there's a LOT to coordinate. But that means a higher level of 'big picture' awareness and customer focus is needed by all employees--not the robotic, clock-punching attitude that some airline employees display.
This story is a tragedy for the couple.
I agree wholeheartedly that this airline should compensate this couple -- with one of their promotional vacation packages paid in full!! Their [insert favorite descriptor here] internal communications blunder is no excuse for ruining what was no doubt a highly-anticipated vacation for these people.
Comment By Dan Bobinski
Friday, June 15, 2007 @ 9:36 AM

The Boise airport struggles period. Between finding a place to park and the incompetent employees, might as well drive to Salt Lake to get on a plane. (Might be cheaper too)
Comment By PJ
Friday, June 15, 2007 @ 10:30 AM

Compensation?? Surely you jest! Based on the two airlines that have service to Mexico, they could bump you from the flight, lose your luggage, make you sit in an airplane with no air circulation for 12 hours, miss your connection and run over your dog on the tarmac and they wouldn't compensate you for a Coke!
Comment By Jim
Saturday, June 16, 2007 @ 9:25 PM

Leave a comment

Leave this field empty

Name:

Email:

You have characters left.

Commenters, let's maintain a civil discussion here. Please observe the following guidelines:

Do not use profanity or euphemisms for profanity.
Do not personally attack or bait other commenters.
Express your own views; don't just argue for argument's sake.
Sarcasm doesn't work on the Web. Either avoid it or clearly label it so you aren't misinterpreted.
Don't make the same point repetitively.
No spam. Link to a commercial site only if it's relevant to the discussion.
Putting your name on your comments increases their value and credibility. However, if you must conceal your identity, please choose one pseudonym and stick to it. No "sock puppets."