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United Airlines...More Like Hot Garbage!

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posted on Jan, 29 2019 @ 10:07 PM
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So I usually book my own flights as well as any flights the wife takes myself...this time i was approached with flights in hand to visit family across the South West. I looked at the prices and was amazed because we could hit Nashville > Albuquerque then Albuquerque > Vegas and finally Vegas > Nashville for a little over 500$ for 2 people. Then i noticed our abq to vegas leg was with united...shudder. The deal is good like real good...so i go for it. Well united fell through like a wet paper bag with a 5lb barbell in it.

So we landed in Denver and we got the text...flight to Vegas cancelled. Maintenance found an issue on our plane...ok... Ok # happens and the last few times I had issues of this sort it was quickly sorted with me on another flight asap...like less than an hr longer wait. Well we head straight to customer service to get sorted. The lady for United says the next flight out is almost 6 hours later...whoa...wtf...I landed in your hub at Denver and you don't have anything for 6hrs... So she apologizes and I know it's not her fault...she doesn't schedule for them and she upgraded us to economy plus so yay. So we walk out for a smoke and a drink.

I get settled in and start talking to the wife when all of a sudden she notices her boarding pass has my name on it. We are out of the security area now so we can't get her in without a proper boarding pass. I figure no worries just call them. So we do...30min to talk to an agent...to say she can't do anything about it...so of course I'm like whatever pass me your boss because that's silly. Nope sure enough they can't sort this the supervisor tells my wife...they can't look at boarding passes or change them from her end...what the ever loving f*#k. Please visit one of our customer support offices on site with your boarding pass. Ok well babe...lets eat and have a drink then go back through TSA. Side note the place we ate #ed up our order 3 times and we gave up on that too...but at least we didn't get charged for that. So we go in and use a pass they had sent her email after speaking to the management with united. Finally in the B terminal again 5 hrs later ready to go sort this and get our asses to Vegas! Wait whats this...the customer service office is empty. So we go find a gate and ask for help...well home girl could look our seats and flight up. She says one of them was registered to someone that wasn't me and wasn't her. Well wtf...i had boarding passes printed for these seats in hand just both had my name on them. Ok well here are my passes ma'am let's get this sorted. Oh i can't do that she says...you need to go to customer service. I'm like yes I've been there and no one was there... Oh you need to go to the one on the other side of the terminal...theres like 300 people there sir you can't miss it! Wait what!

You know that's the only one open and it's swamped...wtf is going on! So we debate and I lost she wanted to go sort the ticket (I said i would take the one in question and present it with my ID and tell whoever to kick rocks) needless to say my plan was best...but didn't happen =(. So there we wait...i am livid at this point and being pretty vocal. The couple behind us start talking to me about what was going on. I explain what I've just told you guys here, and you know what they tell me...they have been trying to get home to Grand Rapids for 2 days!!! Being sent from place to place to get a flight home. I'm astonished, i just can't believe this...no vouchers no nothing just dicked around. He was busy too trying to get in touch with family and ask advice on how he should handle all the expenses from this himself. I mean airports aren't cheap at all and 3 days of them for 2 is bound to be a few hundred or more for sure.

Armed with this knowledge I start asking more and more folks if they too had these issues. Lots...and i mean lots of people are stuck some for days some like me over maintainance issues some over this cold snap some for God knows what over 2 days ago now. So finally one helpful person out of about 5 comes over handing out cards for a hotline they opened for this mess. I mention whats going on and what kinda issues I've had today. He says that this might be an easy fix and says he will be right back. Back he comes saying sure enough this will be easy to fix. Silly me i think they will finally fix her pass and we get our seats all is right other than the 6hrs wasted. Nah not so much. They aren't going to bump whoever they double sold her seat to and tell us if we wanna sit together we can go sit in the tail of the plane not up in economy plus as we were supposed to. Well f*#k this we will take whatever means I can to get out of here to Vegas and away from your # airline. I get our passes and haul ass to the bar...and now i forget what bar it was but this is the one bright spot of the day...i order a dales pale ale and a double Jameson...what came back was a glass of dales and a full to the brim rocks glass of Jameson! I mean full...easily 4oz. Now of course the only nonsh*t people i dealt with didn't work for United today...I could go on and on.

The captain made sure to apologize to first class though...oh and that seat i was told was double sold...empty...but my seat was taken now (remember before when i said i would just take what was her seat and make sure we got both...well it woulda been fine i woulda got both no issues). If you look right now at trending hashtags I bet you find united climbing up there.

I sat in the B terminal in Denver all afternoon talking to folks canceled and bumped for so many different things it was insane. I have been flying regularly for 15 years now and this is by far the biggest pile of hot garbage I've ever heard of. Customer service is damn near nonexistent. Most of them didn't give a # and just looked defeated. Never have I seen so many people screwed over at an airport that wasn't just from one weather event. And even then only about 1/3 of folks I spoke to around me were delayed going further north into this cold snap.

Thanks ATS for giving me an outlet and i hope you all heed my warning. I don't care how cheap it is...fly united airlines at your own risk/peril!



posted on Jan, 29 2019 @ 10:17 PM
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a reply to: RickyD

Oh hell. I have not been to Denver for awhile. I had no idea the closed the Smokin' Bear Lounge on the C concourse next to Timberline Steaks!

I used to go there every time I was in the Denver airport.

www.bizjournals.com...



posted on Jan, 29 2019 @ 10:21 PM
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a reply to: RickyD

Sorry for your frustrations, but this was pretty amusing to read


Next time I travel in the continental US I'm hitting the road, only way to go!



posted on Jan, 29 2019 @ 10:21 PM
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a reply to: RickyD

I hate United. I am a former 100k a year traveler and avoid United like the plague. However, living in Chicago, you are kind of stuck with United for most routes as this is their home hub.

Here is my story. So I took a job in management consulting the summer of 2001 right after finishing my MBA. This job requires weekly travel and long hours. Within the industry, having status on airlines is kind of a perk for putting up with the crappy lifestyle. It makes the travel that much more bearable.

Anyway, long story short, I had only been working about a few months and 9/11 happened. I had a few flights get cancelled shortly after 9/11 as they were still trying to work things out. So at the end of the year, I am literally ONE SEGMENT short of making status on United. Only reason I am short is because of the flights they cancelled.

So I call up United and I am like, do me a solid and give me status. You can clearly see from my flight history I fly sometimes three times a week and did the 29 segments in literally like 2 months.

The little customer service dweeb wouldn't give me status which meant I would have to start the 2002 year from 0 again. It seems like a petty thing, but when you literally travel EVERY week as a business travel, being able to board the plane first, etc and all the perks even with the basic status is a huge thing.

I was so pissed off. My next engagement had me flying to Atlanta and fortunately, United has competition and I was able to fly Delta instead. So I took my money elsewhere. United's loss. I probably spent $50k on airline tickets that year flying that route...

My favorite airline is Jet Blue right now.... I will pay extra to avoid United.



posted on Jan, 29 2019 @ 10:51 PM
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My sympathies


With most airlines, passengers are little more that self-loading cargo.

I've had many adventures like this, and I've discovered that if I was able to keep my sense of humor and be as nice as possible, the airline employees were way more accommodating. Sometimes, though, being nice is very difficult when someone is dumping a bucket of hawg poo on your head.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 01:44 AM
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a reply to: RickyD

Honestly, I think it's the people in Denver. Driving my Jeep, from Wisconsin to LA, I stayed in downtown Denver. It had been a long drive. I did book a room at a nice downtown hotel. In the morning I wake up, decide I need caffeine and a smoke. Go down to the lobby, out the front door, and look around at downtown Denver at 9am, not a car driving on the street, quite as all hell. The reason I had gone outside, the way I did, is because I noticed there was a Starbucks there. I walk to the right, and look into Starbucks, its empty. Sign reads CLOSED. I look at the hours of operation, weekdays 4am-11pm Monday through Friday, Weekends 9:30am to 9pm. I went into the hotel, and asked about Starbucks, the person behind the desk proceeds to tell me, "sir this is a ski town, places open late and close early, during ski season on weekends, there is complimentary coffee, in the lobby " Starbucks opens at 9:30? Thankfully I had my smoke before I dealt with that.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 04:37 AM
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a reply to: iplay1up2

That sums up Denver for me in a nutshell. Me and the eife were looking to move there a year or so ago and decided to spend a weekend there to check it out. Nope...no way! Most shallow egotistical assholes I've ever met on the whole. I know so great people from Denver I've just never met any there.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 04:38 AM
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Also we have determined all our bad luck today was due to me not wearing my usual fly day Bob Ross t-shirt. I always wear it when we fly cause who,can look at Bob and be angry or upset...wish I wore it today!



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 04:40 AM
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a reply to: Edumakated

They are literally the worst ranked domestic airline. Never again will they see me as a customer. And the employees...it was hard to be mad at them cause I know its not the person in front of me causing it...but they all looked so defeated...every single one I met.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 04:51 AM
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a reply to: TheTruthRocks

The way i see it is none of the people you are dealing with are usually at fault. The bartender didn't send me a barely cooked burger i never saw the cook either. So as upset as i was we had multiple food issues at what was supposed to be a halfway upscale place i paid a lot to eat and drink at...why am i going to be a dick to the guy who took my order then sent it to be fixed. Ended up with a 9$ tab on 80$ or so of food and drink...so not being a dick works out sometimes.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 04:57 AM
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a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I have flown most major US airlines and quite a bit too. Never have I ever had these issues with any other airline. Guess you live and you learn...on the whole my flying experiences are usually painless and easy. I actually got my bags checked and through TSA in 10min and by 15min I had a drink in my hand at a bar...during the shutdown...even connected in Atlanta and had zero issues there. There always has to be a worst and in the case of airlines United gets the honor.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 05:02 AM
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a reply to: infolurker

Yea last time i flew in the lounge in Nashville said it was still there too...much to my surprise upon arrival i was told they nixed it 2 years prior. Ok so people don't like smoking...some still do and the least one can provide is a couple areas that people can enjoy their freedom to enjoy a smoke too. Not saying i should be able to smoke out anywhere but damn is a lounge or 2 so much to ask. Lol maybe that can be next weeks rant.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 05:43 AM
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a reply to: RickyD

Well, if it's any consolation; take it from a multi-million mile flyer (1k and premier on about 5 airlines), and someone who has worked in the airline industry for the past 30 years...it doesn't really matter what airline you fly on anymore, flying just pretty much SUCKS all over. UA is definitely down near the bottom of the barrel, but they all have similar stories.

The airlines (all of them) have worked really hard to lower the "bar" to the point where the expectation of any 'customer service' at all is a distant memory. If I didn't know better, I'd say there is collusion among them to ensure that not one of them has better customer service than the other, that they actually want people to view air travel as a miserable experience which people just have to "endure" if they want to get to where they're going. By doing this they can progressively eliminate more and more services, people and any expectation of comfort and/or enjoyment. It's just a downright miserable experience for most. And, if they could get away with charging you for a seatbelt...they would!

Just 10 years ago the notion that sitting in an aisle seat in coach was an "upgrade" would have been laughable. Now, the airlines fill the middle seats first. They want to get you into the mentality that if you want any comfort at all...get out your wallet! Otherwise, suck it up, Suzy!

Now, for my part, I'm luckier than most in that I get to fly business or first most everywhere I go anymore (because that's the only way I'll ever agree to travel now, otherwise I'd rather walk). However, I still sympathize with all the BS people have to put up with. It's shameful, and they know it. They want it that way...so there won't be any expectations of better.

Oh, and those "defeated" looking 'customer service' agents...they really are 'defeated'. They're in a no-win job. They've had their benefits and pay steadily cut, and they've been given nothing to offer in the way of service. Talk about demoralizing!

The stories I could tell you from an insider view would just shock you!

Contrary to the advertisements telling you otherwise...air travel anymore is just...pure...misery.

ETA - The airlines have learned that in today's society travel is mandatory for many, and with that there is money to be made. And as long as airlines can get away with nickle and diming you for every single thing...they will!
edit on 1/30/2019 by Flyingclaydisk because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 05:47 AM
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sadly this is the way of almost all airlines.

I remember as a kid in the 80s going on united and it was as fun experience.
one of the biggest thrills was getting those little bag of honey roasted peanuts.
At the time about the only place to get them was on united.
well now thanks to some people treating it like you brought on the horseman of the apocalypse you cant even get plain ones.
sorry for that side track

I remember one time back then as well that they had a booking problem and they bent over backwards to fix it. I got the next flight out even though it wasnt them, a voucher and if they could not get me out they would give me a hotel room if needed.

now its basically a smile and touch luck charlie.

IMO the biggest issue that lead to your problem is the government allowing them to DELIBERATELY overbook.

concerts, sports events, buses , hell even the national parks dont "overbook because someone may not show up" .
If you have a ticket you gonna get in unless something really rare happens.

if they would not allow the airlines to do this problems like yours would be limited.

the biggest crock is they claim they lose money of someone doesnt show up.
how the hell do you figure that. they dont show up either you forfeit their ticket (free money with reduced fuel use due to less weight) or they get a nice penalty fee .

but sadly now they dont even try to hide the fact they are screwing you over for every nickle and dime they get because the FAA and transportation dept (those agencies that are SUPPOSED to be looking out for consumers) dont give a #.

scrounger



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 06:12 AM
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Oh, and I'll share a little story with you, just one little tiny example of how crappy the airlines have become.

Here's something most people don't know, and all the airlines who did it should have gone down for fraud and breach of contract.

You know those checked bag fees? Heh, well there's a story behind those...and it's a whopper too!

If you go down to the store and buy a widget with your credit card for $10, and then look on your card statement to find out they actually charged you $15 for that widget, it would be fraud, right? Right? Well, listen to this one...

Back in the early 2000's the airlines had a major problem on their hands. With soaring fuel prices they knew they were going to have to raise flight fares. Well, that only solved PART of the problem, a small part. The much larger problem was the fact that they had billions of dollars in flights pre-sold (i.e. advance booking). The new, higher, fares wouldn't apply to those people, so how could they ever recover that money? HA...enter checked bag fees! It was they only way to retroactively raise fares. Now that ticket you bought 3 months ago was going to cost you $50 more. And...THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT!!!

Some airlines initially considered just cancelling your reservation and refunding your money, but they would have gone bankrupt if they did that...so the only thing left to do was figure out a way to charge you MORE for something you already paid for! You had a "contract" for a service, that you had paid for, and that the airline had agreed to. The very definition of a "contract"...and they breached it. BUT...because YOU, as the traveler, willingly PAID the fee they got away with it. If everyone would have put their foot down and said "NO WAY!", they'd have never gotten away with it. But it gets even worse! Now, people expect to pay those fees...so they gladly kept the bag fees in place. Now everyone does it, well, almost everyone. And, don't even mention Southwest here, because their business model is different than everyone else, and there are reasons why they can do what they do without charging those fees (but I'm not going to get into that here).

BTW - this was the first time in history anything of this scale had ever been pulled off. And the world got suckered. So, next time you fly...enjoy that middle seat, because they know you've got some extra cheddar to fork over for the "upgrade" fee for the aisle seat right next to you (which will go empty just to prove their point...SUCKAHS!)
edit on 1/30/2019 by Flyingclaydisk because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 09:20 AM
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originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Well, if it's any consolation; take it from a multi-million mile flyer (1k and premier on about 5 airlines), and someone who has worked in the airline industry for the past 30 years...it doesn't really matter what airline you fly on anymore, flying just pretty much SUCKS all over.


That's pretty much it and it's all about status. If you don't have it you're screwed, if you do you don't worry about what the kettles worry about.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 09:50 AM
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I basically drive anywhere if it takes me less than 7 hours... it simply isn't worth the airport / airline hassles.

Deregulations of the airlines significantly lowered fairs but it also turned flying into what used to be a nice experience into a greyhound bus with wings. I remember when people used to dress up to fly (and you could smoke) and the service matched. As a kid, I used to love being able to go into the cockpit with the pilots.

In fairness to the airlines, the vast majority of consumers view airlines as a commodity, so price is all that matters no matter how crappy the service. As such, it is a race to the bottom as consumers have generally shown they don't value service no matter how much they may b*tch about it. When it is time to open their wallets, they go with the cheapest.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 10:05 AM
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a reply to: Edumakated




Deregulations of the airlines significantly lowered fairs but it also turned flying into what used to be a nice experience into a greyhound bus with wings. I remember when people used to dress up to fly (and you could smoke) and the service matched. As a kid, I used to love being able to go into the cockpit with the pilots.


Well, the flip side of that coin is, if there was still federal government regulation a plane ticket from Detroit to Chicago would cost about $55,000. I'd probably dress up for that too. And, even then the airlines would have to be subsidized with taxpayer dollars.

I can remember a time when a plane ticket from Casper, WY to Denver cost more than a plane ticket from Denver to Miami. Seriously.



In fairness to the airlines, the vast majority of consumers view airlines as a commodity, so price is all that matters no matter how crappy the service. As such, it is a race to the bottom as consumers have generally shown they don't value service no matter how much they may b*tch about it. When it is time to open their wallets, they go with the cheapest.


Just wait 'til they come out with the standing seats. They've already been developed you know. Airbus A-319's will have (400) PAX onboard, and A-380's will be able to carry an entire State.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 10:22 AM
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originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Edumakated




Deregulations of the airlines significantly lowered fairs but it also turned flying into what used to be a nice experience into a greyhound bus with wings. I remember when people used to dress up to fly (and you could smoke) and the service matched. As a kid, I used to love being able to go into the cockpit with the pilots.


Well, the flip side of that coin is, if there was still federal government regulation a plane ticket from Detroit to Chicago would cost about $55,000. I'd probably dress up for that too. And, even then the airlines would have to be subsidized with taxpayer dollars.

I can remember a time when a plane ticket from Casper, WY to Denver cost more than a plane ticket from Denver to Miami. Seriously.



In fairness to the airlines, the vast majority of consumers view airlines as a commodity, so price is all that matters no matter how crappy the service. As such, it is a race to the bottom as consumers have generally shown they don't value service no matter how much they may b*tch about it. When it is time to open their wallets, they go with the cheapest.


Just wait 'til they come out with the standing seats. They've already been developed you know. Airbus A-319's will have (400) PAX onboard, and A-380's will be able to carry an entire State.



I can fly cheaper to Europe from Chicago than I can to some US cities where the flight would at most be 30-45 minutes. The price of airline fares is driven by route competition, not distance.

I can literally fly to NYC from Chicago sometimes for about $100-$200 round trip. Same with a flight out to LA or San Francisco. Very cheap. However, a trip from Chicago to say Kansas City could be $750 a ticket. The Chicago to KC flight is literally about 40 minutes. Barely enough time for drink service. The difference is that the Chicago to NYC route has about four or five majors flying that route pretty much every hour on the hour. Meanwhile, if want to fly Chicago to KC or other routes, there is only one or two players to choose from and the price reflects it.



posted on Jan, 30 2019 @ 03:03 PM
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a reply to: Edumakated

Agreed.

Just further proof bag fees are bogus and not anything to do with fuel prices, but rather just because they can. Otherwise the opposite would be the case.



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