US Airways deceive..and inconvenience your customers! Stranded in philadelphia Winston Salem North Carolina

I've always experienced baggage problems and or flight delays in each flight that I have made with us airways but this last one was the straw that broke the camels back.

During a return flight from PBI on 4/4/04 we were informed that there was a delay with flight #1278 out of PBI to PIT, so we were transferred to flight #976 to PHL so we could connect to flight #2888 to Burlington.
Flight #976 was scheduled to depart at 6:20 P M but after a long delay, and double loading of passengers onto a "malfunctioning" aircraft we finally took off about 8:50 P M and were told that we would still make our connection due to the fact that our connecting flight was also running late.

We got to the gate in PHL about 11:10 P M, our late departing connecting flight left PHL at 10:30 (20 minutes late)..so we missed our flight by well over half an hour..(not even close..)

After arriving we were met at the gate by a very irritated employee who said he was making overnight accommodations for us (about 15 to 20 people) he said that we were "lost in his system" and that we would all have to wait while he took each of our names and information before contacting a local hotel.
We were then sent to baggage claim.

After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes for baggage I went to the claims office where I was told that I would not get my baggage for the night because it was being held for the 1st flight out in the morning!!!
This is the most irresponsible inconceivable practice that I've ever encountered!! Here U S Airways leaves me stranded away from my home..and additionally keeps me from my personal belongings, clothing medications, contact lens solutions, etc., but also insures that I will miss work the entire following day!

The persons reasoning at your baggage office was that U. S. Airways handles thousands of bags at that airport each day and you couldn't possibly unload my baggage to the claim area where I was stranded..

It seems to me that it would have been easier to unload my baggage along with all the other passengers who were ending their flight there in PHL (who also waited 90 minutes for their bags)

Than to sort out and take my things to a storage area.
Who makes these BONE HEAD decisions???

So there I was..no baggage, after midnight..no food voucher..and told to go catch a van to a substandard hotel instead of placing us at the hotel connected to the airport.

The next morning after taking a flight to Burlington #859A, waited for 45 minutes for baggage which did not arrive, and was not sent on an earlier flight as was told by the person in PHL the night before.

So I spend another 45 minutes waiting to file a lost baggage report at the counter in Burlington.
Now I have to take a cab home to wait for my baggage to reappear. After several hours I called to find out the status and was greeted by a recording which stated that I would have to call back later because there were too many people on hold in the system (so you must screw up hundreds of people a day).

When I finally did get through to a live person (another 25 minutes on the phone) I was told that the baggage was located and was turned over to the delivery dept. at 5 P. M.. and should be receiving them at my door shortly.
At 8 P M I called again, to try to find out where my bags were and was told that they would be delivered sometime before 10:30 P M!!!!

At about 11:30 P M my baggage arrived..
What a way to deceive..and inconvenience your customers!!!

Byron
Burlington, Vermont
U.S.A.