UAL customer service hits new low

With apologies to those here who work in the airline industry, I no longer have the need to fly regularly on a commercial jet and couldn't be happier! They suck!

The last time I flew commercially was when I took an Alaskan vacation in 2015. I hadn't flown for a while so I pinged people here and y'all indicated that Alaska Airlines was top-tier so I paid extra to fly them. All I have to say is that, if they are top-tier, then I don't want to see today's middle of the road. A story I related here after that trip:

timwinters said:
I couldn't begin to list the amount of stuff that was lost (or stolen) when I was a torture tube road warrior. I don't miss those days at all. God bless those of you who still have to put up with the regular abuse. And, if my trip to Alaska last week is any indication, it's far worse today than 12 years ago when I quit. God it was painful on soooooo many levels.

And at least it was just your luggage that they lost...that pales in comparison with the pain of the parents who were waiting for their three kids to get off the plane in Seattle last Saturday. The kids never did. Alaska Airlines lost three kids! Dad was going ballistic(rightfully so)...he was about ready to kill someone(rightfully so). The Alaska Airlines employees were acting quite indifferent, standing around with their heads up their asses and not taking any action whatsoever to try to rectify the situation (or even pretend to care in order to pacify dad). I walked over to a the gate agent and said "someone needs to do something about this...hell you all need to be doing something." To which she responded "that's not my watch."

So I walked over to a phone and called 911, told the airport police about the situation and they were all over it in 30 seconds or less. I didnt get to see what resolution was had as our plane boarded shortly thereafter.

Many of you told me, when I asked, that Alaska is one of the premier domestic carriers. If that's true, the airline industry is in deep, deep chit.
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timwinters said:
With apologies to those here who work in the airline industry, I no longer have the need to fly regularly on a commercial jet and couldn't be happier! They suck!

The last time I flew commercially was when I took an Alaskan vacation in 2015. I hadn't flown for a while so I pinged people here and y'all indicated that Alaska Airlines was top-tier so I paid extra to fly them. All I have to say is that, if they are top-tier, then I don't want to see today's middle of the road. A story I related here after that trip:
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I fly UAL on a monthly basis, at least one round trip, sometimes two. I have been doing so for several years, and can count on one hand the number of times I've had a less-than-pleasant experience. Granted, most of my flights are under 2-hr legs, but they are on-time almost every trip. I've not missed a connecting flight nor have they never lost or delayed by baggage (can't say the same for DAL or AAL). Of course, with my frequent flyer status on UAL, I get upgraded to Economy Plus seating or 1st Class when available so I normally have ample leg room and carry-on space as well as 2-bags free (not that I care because it's 95% business travel). Every airline is going to have its snags, especially with customers who get ugly over minuscule issues.
 
United has lost my bags a few times. Fortunately, both times on my way back home. The last time, I land at IAD, no bag. They scan my check and say it's been put on the next flight and they'll deliver it to my house (I only lived about 4 miles from IAD). I get home and my wife tells me our friend who's a United pilot is coming in that night and going to stay at our house (he sometimes stays there, as he lived on NC26 but was at the time "based" at IAD). I ask if he's coming in from DEN and Margy says he is. I tell her that he can bring my suitcase over.
 
TWA lost my bags once upon arrival in Cairo on a deployment. Nothing like being out in the sand without clean underwear or change of clothes for a week.
 
My wife showed me this from a UA Flight Attendant group soon after it happened...as cabin crew she has seen a duck...but untrained dogs that owners think are so cute running in the isles is he biggest complaint. UAL is starting to send letters to passengers after the fact if crew complains of their actions and threatens to ban on future flights if they cannot comply. Its a process that has to be initiated by the Captain from what I am told.
 
Another potential issue ...

I was traveling with a friend from LAX to Dulles a number of years ago. During the trip he noticed he was starting to feel unwell. Finally he looked around and said, "Is there a CAT on this airplane?!" (yep, he's allergic to them).

Sure enough, a lady two rows behind him had her precious Fluffy in a cat carrier under the seat. :confused:
 
Well, I've had bags delayed on occasion, too. Not all have been on UA. I had a trip a number of years ago where I was initially going to Penang, Malaysia. SEA-LAX-SIN-Penang. AS announced a maintenance delay on the first leg that was going to blow my connection in LAX (darn it, I was scheduled to ride Singapore 1 to Singapore from there) so I had them re-route me. SEA-SFO-HKG-Penang (bouncing in Kuala Lumpur). Pick up my bags at SFO and re-check them with Singapore to Hong Kong. Yup, no bag at SFO. 5 hour delay from my original planned departure from SEA, plenty of time to find and re-tag the bag (as the agent said they would) and it didn't happen. I got a really funny look from the Singapore Airlines rep at SFO. Oh well, got to Penang and checked with baggage claim. The guy checked his computer, said it would be there the next day. I told him where I would be staying and to have it delivered. It was. I don't know who was happier the second day of classes I was teaching at Intel, my students or me.

The other time that sticks out was 3 years ago. I had a trip with my wife to Dresden for my professional society's international symposium. We went a touch over a week early so we could visit Prague, Budapest and Vienna before the symposium. Got into Dresden and guess what? My bag wasn't there. Hers was. Last leg was on LH, the first two on UA. So, LH had to find it and forward it to me. It never showed up. So, for a function where I needed a coat and tie (I was the Immediate Past President of the society) I wore khakis that I bought either in Prague or Budapest and a polo shirt that I got along the way. I wasn't wearing dress shoes, either. I got a text message (was sent while we were in the air between FRA and SFO) saying that LH had finally found my suitcase. It was at SEA. It had never been loaded by UA onto the originating flight. I had them deliver it to my house. Sure made unpacking easy when everything was neatly folded and clean. The only bad thing was that LH, as the final carrier who was supposed to handle the bag on the outbound trip, was responsible for reimbursement for the cost of cloths bought on the trip. Should have been UA, but those are the rules. And, that razor you get that is supposed to be good for a couple days while they find your bag? It sure wasn't very good after 2 weeks. And I typically use an electric shaver. Oh well...

Then there was the trip to SE Asia through NRT a number of years ago. SEA-NRT, no audio in my seat. NRT to SE Asia, the IFE for the entire 747 was down. SE Asia back to NRT, no jack in the arm rest to plug my headset into. Everything worked NRT to SEA. I mentioned the failures to the FAs on each leg and got miles to compensate me from UA. I commented on the SE Asia to NRT leg that this was the third leg in a row where I had had problems. Got moved to business seating after the meal service. This was, IIRC, shortly after the UA/CO merger. I had other problems shortly after that CF, too. Maintenance seemed to take a hit.

The bottom line is - if you ride the airlines enough, stuff happens. Live with it. It's nothing personal, it just happens.

Some day I'll quit riding pressurized aluminum mailing tubes, but I don't see that anytime soon.
 
June 2001, we returned to LAX from Rome on British Airways, with a 24-hour layover in London. One of our bags - mostly souvenirs and other stuff purchased during the trip, never left Rome. When it didn't come off the carousel at Heathrow we notified the airline. Next day when we checked in for the flight to LAX, the BA desk agent said our bag was still not found, but it would be forwarded to us after we got home. OK, stuff happens, and we pleasantly chatted with the agent for a while as she processed and gave us our boarding passes. Meanwhile, at the next window, another passenger from our flight was raising a huge stink over some miniscule slight. Our agent looked at him, looked at us, and said, "Give me your boarding passes." I handed them back, she smiled and without a word exchanged our Coach seats for Business Class.

Back at home, still no word on our bag, so I filed a claim for the bag and contents, which added up to about $600. Six weeks later, BA's check arrived in the mail. The same day, a courier showed up at my office with the bag and all its contents, and a tag which said in Italian, "Baggage found without tag."

Screen Shot 2018-01-31 at 9.43.39 PM.png

(Yes, I sent the check back.) :)
 
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Pilawt said:
Another potential issue ...

I was traveling with a friend from LAX to Dulles a number of years ago. During the trip he noticed he was starting to feel unwell. Finally he looked around and said, "Is there a CAT on this airplane?!" (yep, he's allergic to them).

Sure enough, a lady two rows behind him had her precious Fluffy in a cat carrier under the seat. :confused:
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Small pets carried on in carriers are common.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/in_cabin.aspx
 
I found being cheerful in the face of adversity sometimes helps. Twice I got caught in equipment chnages (down size) fiascos. In the first, some guy was making a big stink that he couldn't arrive two hours late (routed through ORD rather than non-stop). Meanwhile, they thought they might have one seat on the direct flight left so they sent me down to the end of the jetway with a non-revving flight attendant hoping for an empty jumpseat. Mr. Loudmouth was put on the connector. The seats on the direct flight didn't materialize and I went back to the checkin counter. The gate agent says "You see that gate over there...run". So I hustle down the gateway to the connecting flight. This was a 747 with three classes so they had put all the bumped passengers in business class. No problem. Except when I get to ORD. All my paperwork was still with the gate agent at SFO. I tell the gate agent in ORD and they gave me a raft of crap about "They wouldn't have done that." Finally, begrudingly they looked in the computer and issued me a first class boarding pass. There were only like 8 seats in first on that 727 and I was the only one of the bumpees to get upgraded on the second leg. I was also promised a BTC so I ask when I get to IAD but it's real late and the only guy there is the baggage service guy. He prints out about four feet of paper that explains my change in internary including SFO telling ORD that they have my paperwork.

The other time we had put in for a first class upgrade in Kona going back to SFO. Kona's airport is nearly entirely outside and it's raining. There's a bunch of guys bitching about the fact that their E+ seats didn't survive the equipment change and they wanted refunds or upgraded seats. I'm just standing off to the side of the podium trying to stay out of the rain. She finally turns to me and says "What's your problem?" I just smile and said I was waiting to hear about my upgrade. She hands me two first class boarding passes....problem solved.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Kind of sad that one is so alone in this world that the only emotional support is from an animal. How can one be so looney tunes all your friends decided to disown you.
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Well, as you’re aware, you’d have to have friends first BEFORE they can disown you. ;)
 
denverpilot said:
Except for that whole thing that the author built the entire article on an untrue premise. Sure. “Interesting...” if you’re into poorly written fiction.
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Can you be more specific?

What I found interesting is that selfishness seems to be a society-wide phenomenon, and not something that you find in only one group of people.
 
Palmpilot said:
Can you be more specific?
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The populist but inaccurate garbage about billionaires and tax “loopholes”.

The author is clueless. That or he just knows he’s writing for the online BS eaters who adore junk articles like that. Write BS, get food pellet.
 
Well I guess you found it interesting enough to comment on!
 
Palmpilot said:
Well I guess you found it interesting enough to comment on!
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Read first couple of sentences, saw it was populist garbage, closed it.

The “comment” was mostly to warn others off of wasting even that much time.

“Standard Internet fiction. Writer needs a paycheck from clickbait. No rational thought used in writing it.”
 
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