On my recent trip home to Georgia, my European wife was suddenly denied boarding mid-trip. This was due to a form that she was apparently supposed to file 6 years ago, and the U.S. government only noticed now. Thus, we were left with several expensive international tickets for her that went unused. Not wanting to eat the loss, it was time to contact customer service to get a refund or credit. I had the choice between 4-6 hours of wait time or using a “secret” number for the top frequent fliers. Here’s what happened and why it matters for both customers and reps.