[jimworcs]

There is a toxic culture in the airlines. Most employees know that they are unlikely to encounter you again...you are travelling. They will tell you whatever they need to tell you to get you off the phone or away from them. The airlines should have a system of the first point of contact solves the problem. They should give their name and a contact address for them. Even if they cannot solve the problem, they find out who can and stay in touch with the customer until resolution is achieved. Forward thinking companies adopt this problem management approach. Airlines are not forward thinking and their employees routinely lie. It is like this because they are effectively monopolies, operating from huge hubs and passengers in reality have little choice. To pour salt into the wound, the government protects them from bankruptcy, so there is no sanction.