Another Happy United Customer

[mrfish3726]

United makes it hard to fly its 'friendly' skies RMN 06/20/05

Now I know why United Airlines is bankrupt. I tried to buy tickets from them recently, but they foiled my best efforts.

First I tried their Web site. It may be the most user-unfriendly Web site I have seen, and I do plenty of business on the Internet. I reached for the telephone. I have frequent-flier miles, so I called the Mileage Plus number. I was told that, since I was buying a regular-fare ticket as well as redeeming miles, I had to call the regular number. When I finally got through on the regular number, they said I had to use the Mileage Plus number!

I explained that I had already called the other number and was told to call this one. Sorry, they said, the other number is for redeeming miles.

By now I was getting a little hot, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. No, they said, a call like mine could not be transferred to a supervisor. That's when I said "Forget United!" and hung up.

Any company that runs its business that poorly should not remain in operation. If a customer comes to you with money to spend, and you block their every effort, you need to go away and leave the business to your competitors.

Don Million
Centennial

 

[lasttoboard]

United makes it hard to fly its 'friendly' skies RMN 06/20/05

Now I know why United Airlines is bankrupt. I tried to buy tickets from them recently, but they foiled my best efforts.

First I tried their Web site. It may be the most user-unfriendly Web site I have seen, and I do plenty of business on the Internet. I reached for the telephone. I have frequent-flier miles, so I called the Mileage Plus number. I was told that, since I was buying a regular-fare ticket as well as redeeming miles, I had to call the regular number. When I finally got through on the regular number, they said I had to use the Mileage Plus number!

I explained that I had already called the other number and was told to call this one. Sorry, they said, the other number is for redeeming miles.

By now I was getting a little hot, so I asked to speak to a supervisor. No, they said, a call like mine could not be transferred to a supervisor. That's when I said "Forget United!" and hung up.

Any company that runs its business that poorly should not remain in operation. If a customer comes to you with money to spend, and you block their every effort, you need to go away and leave the business to your competitors.

Don Million
Centennial

[post="278253"][/post]​

 

[boeing787]

Hey sounds a little "fishy" that you would want to book a flight on good ole UAL Mr. Fish. I personally thing YOU are starting to feel the heat. TED is gonna chomp up your little Frontier planes. Go back and play on your "frontier forum." Thank you very much. h wait you don't have one. LOL! P

 

[C54Capt]

Hey sounds a little "fishy" that you would want to book a flight on good ole UAL Mr. Fish. I personally thing YOU are starting to feel the heat. TED is gonna chomp up your little Frontier planes. Go back and play on your "frontier forum." Thank you very much. h wait you don't have one. LOL! P

[post="278402"][/post]​

boeing787,

Your post makes you look like the idiot. Stick to substance and you may redeem yourself.

 

[mrfish3726]

Boeing787,

I posted a factual complaint about the way UniTED treats customers that is all. And as for TED, oh man! B) AGAIN SHOW US THE MONEY THAT TED IS MAKING! We'll see how things fair for UniTED as oil climbs to even more record highs this summer. Predicted to hit $70 dollars a barrel before the end of summer. Then we'll see how TED and UniTED is doing???? Can you say "PAY CUTS AGAIN??"

 

[casual rat]

F9'll be paying the same for Jet-A as everyone else, so you're in the same boat. From what I've seen walking the A-Concourse, not all your F9 customers are totally enthralled with the way you guys do business either. Your post shows two things: You're obsessed with TED, and our customers are educated enough to write letters !

 

[magsau]

Thats the gig at F9. No one expects anything so they are not dissappointed.

I was at BWI recently and had a UAX jumpseater sitting in the cockpit. He had to sit up front because the back was full. Anyway, the guy commutes from BWI to DEN and was telling us that he normally rides F9 because their flights are always EMPTY. He said he almost always gets a row to himself on the segment and he rarely uses UAL becasue he gets stuck in the cockpit due to the loads being so high.

 

[Fly]

Stellar customer service you have over at F9 I see: :down: :blink:

_________________________________


Pros: cheap prices for abusive non-service
Cons: hung up on; transferred to unmanned number; abused with glee

I'd like to apologize to whomever gets seated next to my 3 year old or 5 year old, they'll be crying. Of course they'd be fine if Frontier would bother to seat them next to my wife and I, as per our request. Frontier, however, chooses not to; but not because they are constricted by technology (they did agree to put us together once before) just because they are lazy, inconsiderate, and wouldn't even be bothered to let me speak to a supervisor. I called customer care and was spoken to rudely ("why are you calling here?!"... a brilliant challenge from the guy who answers the phone "customer care, this is kevin") I loved being put on hold for 20 minutes then told "sorry, you can't speak to a supervisor" and hung up on... customer care just transferred me back to the reservation pool that hung up on me to begin with. Fine, Frontier, choose not to be helpful; stress my wife and me about our seating on a flight with our kids... I won't bother you with another ridiculous request again... ever.


____________________________________________

Worst Experience of My Life
Pros: The pilot on the 3rd flight offered the passengers complimentary drinks because of the delays.
Cons: The flights were late and/or non-existent, the crew was uncoordinated, customer service was an oxymoron.

This airline lacks in every aspect of business. They were seriously understaffed (2 counter clerks and no supervisor) and when my flight was canceled, it took me 2 hours to get to the front of the line to try and get redirected. Which didn't happen. The next flight I was bumped to didn't leave for over an hour after the scheduled departure time because the flight crew wasn't there until 45 minutes AFTER the flight was supposed to leave. The following day, (third time's a charm) I tried again to complete this trip, the flight was late AGAIN and because of that I missed my connection in Denver. This meant that I had a 3 hour lay over until the next flight. Which was then delayed another 3 hours. Need I say more. When I spoke with the customer relations representatives (several times) the only consolation I received was an offer of a $50 voucher for another flight. As if I would ever choose to fly with them again!
I would never recommend this airline and suggest that spending $50 more on a flight is more than worth all the frustration.

__________________________________________________


Pros: cheap
Cons: everything!!

I will never use this airline again. Frontier is good for people that don't have a lot of money (me) but I am going to shell out the extra money for a safer airline next time around. I had to take an emergency flight from Omaha to Denver last year....


___________________________________________

I've got more but you get the picture. Every airline drops the ball once in awhile. Fish, you're obsessed.

 

[C54Capt]

I've got more but you get the picture. Every airline drops the ball once in awhile. Fish, you're obsessed.

[post="278459"][/post]​

Fly,

You of all people know that every airline has their "fan mail" and UAL probably has 15 times more than Frontier because they are at least that much larger of an operation. Why do you stoop to join the others in this bashing. I think that you will find Frontier highly regarded by most of its customers and most of the folks in Denver.

 

[Globetrotter11]

Just to balance this "bash fest" out a little:

Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel

June 22, 2005 (FrequentFlier.com) -- "I wanted to write in response to the most recent issue's Feedback and the gentleman's experience with United.

"I suppose, from time to time, I've had some sneaking suspicions that people are bashing United. His letter outright confirmed what I fear has been happening. Thus, I'd like to share two short stories in regards to exact opposite of his experience. One is quite exactly relevant, the other is related to award travel ... which is typically the source of all gripes.

"Early this past fall, I had a flight originating from Chicago O'Hare, changing planes at Boston Logan and arriving in Munich at Franz Josef Strauss.

"The day before my flight, I received a voicemail both at my office and on my mobile phone, from a Supervisor at Logan. She had been reviewing the next day's arrivals and noticed there was a short time to change planes. She believed that an hour and 24 minutes simply wouldn't be enough ... as we're all aware of the 'recommended' international times. She called to say that she had changed my flight to the next one out, which was a few hours later.

"I'm sure you're aware Logan's layout isn't exactly conducive to this, on varying levels. Nothing like a quick run through a parking lot to reach your Terminal.

"However, upon setting up the itinerary, I was fully aware of my time constraints and it was a conscious decision. I was travelling with a carry-on, am in good health and the flight coming in is notoriously punctual. Thus, I called up Reservations the day of the flight, after attempting to reach the Supervisor directly. After I explained the situation, I had them change it back. The Agent even gave me an, "Are you positive?" No fees or hassles and I was well on my way.

"I suppose someone much more cynical might ask why their systems even allow you to book itineraries like this. But that's not the point of this story. Not only did I receive what I would deem an ample amount of time in the notification, the agents who handled it did so personally and professionally. There was no automated email or voicemails left with me. It was an entirely hands-on experience.

"The second story is more recent, and as I've said, related to an award flight.

"I decided to take an absolutely last minute flight down to Rio De Janeiro over President's Day weekend. While this was certainly a gamble, I had the benefit of a Brazilian Consulate being quite proximate, so the visa was less of an issue. When I came up with the wise idea I would take a little vacation that weekend, taking advantage of the extra day ... I somehow found myself sifting through United's site looking for award travel.

"I found, with relative ease, a Saver Award in First Class. However, since I wasn't 100% positive the visa would come in, I didn't want to deal with the possibility of mileage and fee damages. I called Reservations and explained the situation.

"He confirmed what I saw and said things were looking good. He informed me that he could put a hold on the seat and given my situation, would even get the telephone fee waived if/when I decided to actually book it. This was a win-win situation.

"Long story short, I got my visa in 3 hours, booked the held flights and left at 9pm that same evening. I will fully admit, maybe that was just a charmed situation.

"Upon getting to Rio, I discovered it's wonder and found myself quite resistant to leave. I was set to leave Monday evening for an early Tuesday morning arrival back in Chicago. Monday morning, after much contemplation, I contacted Reservations. I discussed my intention to stay in Brazil for at least 2 more days. I was, of course, given the standard answers of "That will require a fee." and not surprisingly, "We don't have your class of service available, but we can gladly put you in Coach."

"As I grumbled a bit and mulled over just staying and not flying so plushly, she must have sensed my displeasure. I asked for Business ... to which she looked, but this time a bit further around and did end up finding some seats at a later date.

"However, business of the sort that cannot be classified was calling back home and that just wouldn't work either. She put me on hold for a short while to converse with a Manager of some sort. After about 2 10 minute holds (you can imagine the price of this phone call from my hotel), I was greeted with confirmation on my intended date of flight, in my intended class, without a fee. Even she seemed to derive satisfaction from this news and sent me off with the best of wishes.

"When I arrived at the airport 2 days later, the Agents there shuttled me through the process and past all confusion. Upon asking the first Agent I saw which line I should be in, she walked me directly over to a back desk area to get my ticketing all sorted out, waited for this to happen and then escorted me to the front of security herself.

"While this part was a bit embarassing, I stood there 100% relieved and enthused at the entire situation. It really felt great to get the white glove treatment.

"Everything involved, it's easy to say that was one of the better jaunts I've taken. Most importantly, it solidified my stance as a diehard United customer and supporter. Maybe it's against the grain, but I'll even spend a few extra bucks here and there to be onboard with them instead of an opposing carrier." [Sean G.]


http://frequentflier.com/ffc-062205.htm#rantsraves

 

[sastal]

"I found, with relative ease, a Saver Award in First Class. However, since I wasn't 100% positive the visa would come in, I didn't want to deal with the possibility of mileage and fee damages. I called Reservations and explained the situation.

As I grumbled a bit and mulled over just staying and not flying so plushly, she must have sensed my displeasure. I asked for Business ... to which she looked, but this time a bit further around and did end up finding some seats at a later date."

Hmm, I wonder what MP status this guy has? He doesn't exactly sound like the average "regular-fare-ticket" kind of guy. I sure hope UA continues to bend over for Mr. $ean G. As for Mr. Don, he may have to start racking up a few "million" for that type of plush.

 

[mrfish3726]

Magsau

I was at BWI recently and had a UAX jumpseater sitting in the cockpit. He had to sit up front because the back was full. Anyway, the guy commutes from BWI to DEN and was telling us that he normally rides F9 because their flights are always EMPTY. He said he almost always gets a row to himself on the segment and he rarely uses UAL becasue he gets stuck in the cockpit due to the loads being so high.


I would beg to differ with your UAX jumpseater. He obviously didn't or won't get on any of these flights anytime soon!

6/23/2005 BWI DEN 9:05 AM 10:55 AM 132 131 1 99 %
6/23/2005 BWI DEN 6:05 PM 8:00 PM 132 135 -3 102 %

6/24/2005 BWI DEN 9:05 AM 10:55 AM 132 126 6 95 %
6/24/2005 BWI DEN 6:05 PM 8:00 PM 132 129 3 98 %

6/25/2005 BWI DEN 9:05 AM 10:55 AM 132 125 7 95
%
6/25/2005 BWI DEN 6:05 PM 8:00 PM 132 121 11 92 %

6/26/2005 BWI DEN 8:45 AM 10:35 AM 132 109 23 83 %
6/26/2005 BWI DEN 5:00 PM 6:55 PM 132 124 8 94 %

And these loads go on and on like this for the next 3 weeks, but I don't think that I have to post them all to show you that F9 is keeping there customers happy and coming back for more (Denvers Hometown Airline). And tell your UAX jumpseater he might be flying up front with you for the rest of the summer!

And if he plans to get back on the only DEN to BWI trip we have GOOD LUCK, they are all over 100% LF. So here is my proof, lets see yours.

 

[StraaightTaalk]

Jeez. You all need to grow up and stop this, "Mine is bigger..." nonsense.

We could fill these boards with cut-and-paste jobs of complaints about EVERY airline, culled off the Internet.

I'm no fan of United, but this thread is ridiculous.

 

[mrfish3726]

FLY this is just for you


AIRLINE OF THE YEAR Survey Results:

http://www.airlinequality.com/2005/airline...nal.htm#lowcost

If you will notice FLY the ONLY Legacy Carrier listed was Continental. But hey whats this, what's this????

BEST AIRLINES N AMERICAN

1. AIR CANADA 2. JETBLUE AIR 3. CONTINENTAL AIR


BEST REGIONAL AIRLINE N AMERICA

1. MIDWEST AIR 2. ALASKA AIR 3. FRONTIER AIR


BEST LOW COST CARRIES N AMERICA

1. JETBLUE AIR 2. WESTJET AIR 3. FRONTIER AIR


UniTED or TEDDY didn't even get a mention ??????? B) I rest my case as to the kind of care and customer service we show ALL of our passengers!

FLY the news just gets worse:

4 STAR AIRLINES: note that Frontier Airlines is on that list! I don't see UniTED or TEDDY on the 5 star or 4 star list.

http://www.airlinequality.com/StarRanking/4star.htm


HMMMM wonder were they are??? :blink:

Oh there you are on the 3 star list, only listed as UniTED!!! What the hell happened to TED??? He must be out conductiong more of those REALLY STUPID interviews around town LOL

http://www.airlinequality.com/StarRanking/3star.htm


And here you go FLY we'll even see who has more complaints F9 or UniTED:

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/frontier.htm

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/ted.htm

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/ual.htm

There we go I rest my case! There shouldn't be anymore debating on this thread LOL! h34r: Remember the PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING FLY

 

[mrfish3726]

Straaightaalk says "I'm no fan of United, but this thread is ridiculous."

YEAH, but they started it! LMAO