Comments on: Is United Airlines getting a customer service upgrade?

By: Kathleen W.

Kathleen W. — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:44:02 +0000

I have had , I think, a good United experience. My husband had a flight delay returning from Kansas City to SNA (Orange County) and received a free RT voucher. (We didn’t think the delay was excessive). I decided to use the free trip to attend a wedding in VA. I picked the flights that I wanted from their list of dep/arrs but I could not get the website to let me enter the voucher. I called them instead. I apologized and stated that I did not want to pay the phone fee as I had tried to book online. He told me that I didn’t have to pay it. I also said that I had not chosen the cheapest flights but had chosen ones that were most convenient to me. The difference was from $285 to $420. I thought I might have to pay the difference, but no. We usually fly out of LAX because it is almost always cheaper but SNA is so much more convenient. No problem, they honored my free voucher as if I were a most valued paying customer. A good thing!

By: John Kolb

John Kolb — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:40:12 +0000

Interesting to see the range of comments. As a GS, I may not be the typical case, but have had a number of great service moments in the last 6-8 months, including a wonderful anniversary trip. Yes, there are still crabby attendants, but there are the same on AA, CO, etc…overall, even on the express flights, I get a thank you when I board, and frequently the same from the flight crew. When things go wrong – and they will – those little things can make a big difference.

Keep reporting the bad service, and saying thanks for the good service! It helps.

By: David Farnham

David Farnham — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:23:35 +0000

It may be a small thing, but on a recent United Express flight GSO-IAD (about 50 minutes airtime), with a full plane (54 pax), the sole flight attendant not only managed to serve everyone who waned it a beverage but also addressed at least the elite FFers by name and thanked them for flying United!

By: Rob Roman

Rob Roman — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:38:32 +0000

Here’s the deal. UAL doesent send the frontline to the Disney camp. They’re sending management to these programs, some multiple visits. The same management team that treats the frontline employees like crap. It’s to the point where the frontline employees are treating each other like crap and in front of the customers, as I’ve witnessed on a number of occasions.
UAL management needs to step up and rid themselves of the severly damaged bagggage then, repair and take good care of what’s left. Value your employees so they want to keep working and will value the customers in return. They’ve done it before in the late 80′s when I used to hear their employees had the power to make decisions that were good for the customer and the airline. Now they’re afraid and frustrated because most of the service comes by way of a kiosk or foreign based employees.

By: John Lee

John Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:21:26 +0000

Although I am glad it worked out for your friend, I must say my experience with United is not as satisfactory. As a Premier Executive member, and travel business class, I still get treated like a third class citizen by their flight staff (perhaps me being Asian makes them assume I was kicked up to business as matter of luck?) When my transferring flight was cancelled in Frankfurt on my way to SFO from Vienna, they weren’t much of help. In fact, they made me feel like it was my fault. that the flight was cancelled.

They should learn the concept of service from some of the Asian carriers, like JAL, KAL, SA, CP, etc. They know how to value their customers…

By: Jabberwocky Revisited | Flight Wisdom

Jabberwocky Revisited | Flight Wisdom — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:24:15 +0000

[...] experience can induce a passenger to another airline, even if it means more money. Chris Elliott reports that United Airlines is making an effort to improve its image…but it takes a great deal of [...]

By: David

David — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:24:00 +0000

In-flight crews are zombies! Bitter demoralized and hanging on for what’s left of a paycheck. Glenn Tilton and his goons gotta go! United first and biz class now a joke!

By: Kathy L

Kathy L — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:17:36 +0000

Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but other than a few less than friendly flight attendants, I’ve had excellent service from United for over 25 years! Life’s not perfect…stuff happens and it’s how you learn to deal with it that can make the difference.

By: Dr. Combs

Dr. Combs — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:59:08 +0000

I think I have noticed more efforts. I was delayed leaving IAD by 5 hours due to storm – not ULA fault – and I am glad that we stayed on the ground after the plane disappeared – and they offered a voucher without asking. As luck would have it, on the way back, I was delayed in OED because the plane was delayed at origin. I wrote a note to ULA and, to my surprise, received a prompt response and they offered additional voucher – even though I did not ask for that – I was simply “complaining” about the poor attitude of the Red Carpet rep that evening.

I hope the efforts continue!!

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:36:29 +0000

How do I contact Barbara Higgins at United C.S.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:21:11 +0000

Flights don’t get “combined” to save money. This results in an aircraft not being where it is needed to fly another route, flight crews and attendants not being where they are needed, etc. There must have been a mechanical or other such problem resulting in an aircraft not being available. It sucks, but it happens. Of course, being able to blame your problem on someone else probably makes you feel better!

By: waggie

waggie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:44:29 +0000

I’m really glad to hear that they made it right for this customer.

They have rarely done the right thing in my dealings with them. i fly out of sfo so it makes sense for me to fly United. In all honesty, they have some of the most rude agents i have ever dealt with. Even though i am 1k, i feel the service is better on SWA.

Great blog and thanks for sharing.

By: Consumer Equalizer

Consumer Equalizer — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:20:06 +0000

Certainly if the CEO is worth anything at all, this needs to be made the rule, not the exception, and then needs to be made into a competitive leverage where the press quotes it and beats up on other airlines for not doing it.

Change doesn’t open overnight, of course, but I hope this is the direction they are going. We need it!

By: bmvaughn

bmvaughn — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:17:19 +0000

Nice to see such a response – but it is funny that the response suggests that the pax spent the night in SFO when the original posting says PDX.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:03:14 +0000

If they are improving things, I haven’t seen it. Glad things worked out for you.

UA caused me to miss a funeral by combining a flights (canceling mine) in order to reduce expenses and increase profits.

I have called, Twittered, emailed and faxed and have had no suitable response. The person on the phone (who was nice) wouldn’t let me speak to a supervisor.

I hope they prove me wrong, but to date I have not been impressed (heck, even satisfied).

PS If anyone from @unitedairlines reads this, they can reach me at @jcreynolds