NARRATOR: In LA, there's a party of three
traveling from New York to Vegas on a rival airline.
Delayed for six hours, they've now
missed their connecting flight and are faced
with an even longer wait in LA.
Desperate, they turn to Mike for help.
I need--
[interposing voices]
Well, be quiet for a second.
Let me-- let me talk.
All right, what's going on?
What's got you so upset?
What's got me so upset?
I've been on New York Time since 5:00 this morning.
I was supposed to be at my destination at 10:00 AM
this morning.
She's telling me now that I'm not going
to leave out LA time till 9:45.
They have a 6:20 flight that's going out.
They can't put us on.
Now they're telling us to get back on our way till 9:45?
Who's gonna pay for my hotel?
Well, we--
Let me tell the man, please.
NARRATOR: Glenn Smith, his mom, Constance, and girlfriend,
Tishmona, are hoping that Mike will be able to help
them get to Vegas on Southwest.
You've been on New York time since--
all right.
So you guys aren't upset with Southwest at this point.
You're just upset with the whole situation.
It's not Southwest.
The whole situation.
She said there was going to be a supervisor
out here, so I can talk to you.
I need to get compensated for my time.
I need-- I've been here--
Don't yell at him.
I'm not yelling at him.
Leave me alone, please.
There goes the guy you need to talk to.
What-- where's he at?
Right there.
I just said--
I just-- I'm a supervisor with Southwest.
I just--
Stop butting in, please.
Let me--
NARRATOR: Faced with the prospect of a further three
hour delay, mom vents her anger at the rival airline's
representative.
No, I don't need no damn wheelchair.
[inaudible]
I need a plane.
I need me a seat on the plane now.
Now two hours from now.
Now.
You switch places, you get your ass to stand over there,
and let me stand over here.
Understand me, what I'm saying.
No, you stand over there, where I am.
OK?
OK.
Do you think I've got my money's worth in this one day?
I feel I should be compensated.
That's what I'm talking--
I've never seen an airline as sorry as this.
NARRATOR: The frustration continues for mom Constance.
He's an idiot.
He hasn't figured it out yet.
[bleep]
NARRATOR: And girlfriend Tishmona is
trying to make sense of it all.
So the lady said, go to Southwest.
And I'm like, go to Southwest?
What's at Southwest?
Just go to Southwest, please.
You know, so I'm like, OK.
Let's just go to Southwest.
Maybe they already spoke with them.
But she made it like we're going to come to Southwest,
and we're going to run and get on another plane.
Right now, like, a plane was waiting for, again,
at Southwest, just to get more [bleep],,
for lack of a better word right now.
I can't even think.
I'm just tired, I'm hungry.
I need a shower.
Yeah.
And I know things happen.
This is not my first time flying a plane,
but this is the worst ever.
NARRATOR: They're booked on the next flight to Vegas,
but their bags are still with the other airline.
No, see, this flight is going from--
into LA.
Yeah.
And it's supposed to be a flight, so--
you're supposed to pick your bags up at the baggage claim,
and if you want to bring those over-- maybe one of you
want to go over there and get them?
Bring them over to here. - [inaudible]
Sir, we already have--
Well, you send somebody.
We have you boarding-- we have your tickets all--
What kind of service do your airlines offer?
Why don't you send someone for our bags?
Why should we keep walking all over East L?
We're not getting any service.
Let me ask United if they can transfer--
Would you want to do that?
Yeah.
Do you guys want to wait here for now?
Yes.
OK.
- So you're going to come back? - Excuse me.
You still haven't answered my question
from what I've been talking to you this whole time about.
Where's your customer service at?
Where are you going to compensate
me for, for my problem?
I just paid [inaudible],, you still-- you still
haven't done anything.
If he comes over, you can [inaudible]..
This guy lost me.
NARRATOR: The Smiths' bags have finally
been transferred into Southwest's care,
but too late for the next flight.
This is like the vacation from hell.
NARRATOR: And Constance is still looking for answers.
Don't ask a-- don't answer a question with a question.
It's a yes or a no question.
NARRATOR: They should have been in Las Vegas eight hours ago.
You don't have the answers to those questions,
so you get your supervisor.
You don't want to do anything for us, that's fine.
Maybe your supervisor will.
Because you don't want to do-- maybe
you don't have the authority.
Maybe you don't have the authority,
or you just don't want to, so let us talk to somebody else.
Can I just make a suggestion?
I know you guys are upset, and everything,
and I don't think we're going to get
anywhere, like you were saying downstairs, at this point here.
Did you give them something they can write in to?
No.
Maybe give them an address or something they can write in to,
so they can try to follow up with this.
Because it doesn't seem like we're going
to get anywhere past this--
Well, why not?
[inaudible]?
Are they going bankrupt?
How could you not?
How could you just not?
How could you not?
I don't trust him giving me a number.
I really don't trust him.
[inaudible]
The guy doesn't want to compensate us.
He didn't get the bags on time.
He told us he was going to get our bags.
He never got the bags.
And when he got the bags, he got the bags late,
so now he changed us to another 8:10 flight,
and this started since 5:00--
5:00 this morning, actually out of New York.
NARRATOR: The day from hell is finally drawing to a close
for Glenn, Tishmona, and mom.
And it's Yolanda to the rescue.
OK, so they've had a rough day.
What we're going to do is make them, uh, enjoy this.
We're going to celebrate.
They can start their trip off great on Southwest.
We're buying them a drink.
NARRATOR: She's also discovered the reason for their trip.
All right, guys, we got a birthday girl on board,
and we're going to sing to her.
She's had a really rough day trying to get to Vegas.
One, two, three.
(SINGING) Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Tishmona.
Happy birthday to you.
[cheering]
Thank you.
You guys enjoy your trip, OK?
Sorry about all that everything.
I think that's great.
We were able to take a really not so good situation
and make it great.
And hopefully they'll enjoy the champagne,
and she can start her birthday fresh,
and have a really good birthday.
So that's what we're hoping for.
Happy birthday, [inaudible].