United Airlines Sucks More: doubletalk “appreciation” yet again
November 9, 2011
Today, I was supposed to fly to LA at 12:25pm. Instead, I got on a plane at noon and then got back off at 1:30pm. After securing a different non-broken plane, we finally took off around 5pm. I missed my connection…by hours.
When we first boarded, a crazy woman (who turned out to be 3 times the legal alcohol limit) was raising a ruckus in the crowded first class cabin of the ancient 757 we were destined not to fly on. Something about her bag being moved and it being filled with absolutely precious and priceless photographic equipment. She was rude to a flight attendant, and that was it. Off the plane she went. Just before we de-plane’d, we saw her being driven off in the back of a police car. The rest of the cabin thought it was all pretty amusing.
But we were not amused when the engine failed on the tarmac. Back to the gate we go. A computer card swap did not solve the problem, but it did delay a real solution for well over an hour. Eventually we got a different plane and re-boarded from a different gate.
Here’s the real problem. For our trouble, United offered us an “appreciation” card (see http://united.com/appreciation), which entitles an inconvenienced passenger to a pittance of a reward for their trouble. Last time something like this happened (a mere two weeks ago), I was offered 9000 miles or $250 as a reward for a broken business class pod on a $7000 round-trip ticket! Nice. Um, wrong order of magnitude. This time I was once again offered 9,000 miles or $250 for a missed connection and a night that in LA that will cost me way more than that. If you ask me, United needs to make their bribes come into line with their fares.
UNITED AIRLINES, anybody listening? Will you please stop sucking when 2011 ends? Please? Or maybe we will give you an “appreciation” 40 lashes and 5 days in the stocks. Grumble, doublespeak, grumble.
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November 9, 2011 at 2:04 am
[…] times. In fact, it seems to be the backup plan of choice when things go awry in LA. They definitely went off the rails […]
November 19, 2011 at 4:43 pm
The google spybots have determined that Jeff Smisek does an automated search each day for his name. Or maybe his people do it.
A message for the searchers: Read this entry too…but more importantly, fix your darn airline.
December 9, 2011 at 11:16 am
A new development. Further conversation with Customer Solutions agent Sara Dornacker is resulting in compensation for the LA hotel room. That’s more like it. Thanks!
I still hope that 2012 is better for United. Should be easy.
January 16, 2012 at 2:52 am
Trying to redeem some dollars for a cancelled United flight and what do you know United’s Customer Appreciation link doesn’t work anymore. Gee, what a surprise !!!
January 16, 2012 at 8:37 am
It would be far better for United to fix its operations than to try to bribe us into complacency with “appreciation.”
January 22, 2012 at 11:55 pm
well the flight was ok, except we were in the dark for the trip from YYJ to SFO and were given an “Apology”. This stated that we could select a token of United goodwill at their site. However the site is down & out.
I’d call that “short term gain for long term pain” as there will be no flying on United by my family ever.
My daughter is a Travel Agent from Victoria so she will get the word.
March 15, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Appreciation site still down and out.
Doesn’t accept my information. I think it just routes angry customers down a dead end road.
Well, United is now dead to me.
March 15, 2012 at 7:53 pm
I have found that it is swamped. If you keep trying you can finally get through to it. Thing is, it is not at all clear that anyone is listening.
July 13, 2012 at 8:19 pm
UA does it again… and again! 4/12/12 UA 698 SFO to LAX delayed 6 times! Missed connection and missed meeting by more than 24 hours. Consolation… not 9,000 miles or $250 but 3,000 miles or $75. Talk about sucky!
October 27, 2012 at 7:28 pm
EXPENSIVE FIRST-CLASS TICKET for non-stop Newark to San Diego #515 on Saturday 20 October 2012. “DELAYED” FIVE HOURS with one deplaning, one gate change, one $5 coupon for a latte, one new aircraft, and some sort of tear-off certificate with a discount on the next United flight (that I hope never to book.) The two-meal flight turned into “breakfast” at 2 p.m. EDT with a double ration of honey-nut cheerios. Thanks a lot. We had to beg for liquids as attendant service was almost non-existent. When we arrived in San Diego, it took half an hour for the luggage to appear on the carousel. Over all, a new low.
July 25, 2013 at 7:49 pm
United Airlines sucks! They have a monopoly over other carriers and I am forced to fly them as they are the only convenient route to my destination. As a result I have to put up with their horrible customer service, delays, and overpriced airfare.
March 3, 2014 at 1:07 pm
My upgraded ticket to Hawaii cost twice as much as most economy flights many delays and cancellation turned an 11 hour flight into 54 hour of airport time, missing the family event we planned our trip around. Lost 3 days vacation time and they lost our luggage which we paid them to deliver . What a joke. Never again will I us United or ever recommend them to anyone.
June 8, 2015 at 9:24 am
Had a short flight from Chicago to DesMoines on May 31, 2015. Had started out from Spokane, WA. Got on plane in Chicago – plane broken so got off to board another plane and then changed gates again and waited almost 4 hrs. Got on that plane and it was broken and waited and finally fixed the glitch. Then flew to Des Moines. While I understand that mechanical issues happen I do not like being told to go to customer appreciation website and being told there is no compensation. Had a ride waiting for me in Des Moines for a 1 1/2 hr drive yet. Driver charges extra money for having to wait 4 extra hours. United sucks. Will avoid United
November 29, 2015 at 4:21 pm
Was supposed to leave Houston to Orlando on nov 22 2015 at 9:25am arriving at 1:30pm. Didn’t leave Houston till after 9:00 pm (12 hrs later) thanks to not one but two unreliable airplanes missed out on a day at Disney with grandkids. You would think for prices they charged United would have planes that actually work. Oh yea they did give me a $7 food voucher. Ever tried to get something to eat at an airport for $7. Next time I fly United will be when I don’t have to be somewhere at a certain time. Otherwise I’ll be flying with their competitors.