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United Airlines is horrible

post #1 of 10
1/24/13 at 7:10am
Thread Starter 

I used to fly UAL a lot and was global services or 100K for most of 2000-2010.  A recent experience with them highlights how bad they have gotten.  Needless to say, I will never fly them again.

 

I was returning from Buenos Aires with my family.  A storm hit and the airport shut down for an hour.  United was unable to get the plane refueled and the crew timed out and they cancelled the flight.  After unloading us from the plane, we spent the next 4 hours in complete chaos and confusion getting to the hotel that UAL had arranged.  Nobody from UAL could tell us anything about our situation or what was happening - it was very surreal.  We managed to make it out the next night, but United was unable to get us to our final destination for an additional 24 hours.  I booked a separate flight to Chicago and rented a car to get to our final destination.  When I asked United for a simple reimbursement for the rental car, they rejected it as it wasn't in their policy.  When i told them that it had saved them 4 hotel rooms and meal vouchers in Houston, they didn't really care.  When I told them that i would never fly them again and that they were losing a business traveler and hundreds of thousands of dollars, they didn't care.

 

United used to be a good airline.  What happened?

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post #2 of 10
1/24/13 at 8:14am
It sounds like you no longer have any kind of elite miles status and you're experiencing what normal plebes have gotten from UA for the last 20 years. I have always found their customer service subpar, both in the air and on the ground, but the 3rd class seats on their bigger jets moderately better than others. Sorry for your troubles, but you can't really expect a reimbursement without prior approval.
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post #3 of 10
1/24/13 at 10:50am
it's definitely gotten worse since the merger with continental. I've been 1K for the last 5-6 years or so and service is noticeably worse now, almost never get upgraded, they don't care if they run out of your first choice meal, etc., etc. /rant. and what's with the cheeseburgers?? who want's to eat a pink slime burger on a plane?
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post #4 of 10
1/24/13 at 8:44pm
KNock on wood, never had a problem with United.
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post #5 of 10
1/24/13 at 8:46pm
there is no airline that is not horrible.

as long as the government requires all the ridiculous taxes that squeeze all airlines' profits (LOL, THERE ARE NONE) .. err, revenues that it does today, all the airlines will do whatever it takes to cut costs, which ultimately fucks the customer in the end.

first order of business to improve everyone's experience with every airline:
-KILL THE TSA
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post #6 of 10
1/25/13 at 1:02pm
Try leaving a vague note on their facebook page about how disappointed you are in their customer service. Someone may get in touch with you and make things right. At least, that's how American Airlines handled things for me a few months ago.
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post #7 of 10
1/27/13 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffZan View Post


United used to be a good airline.  What happened?
when? foo.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenFrog View Post

there is no *airline that is not horrible.
*USA-based airline

exemplary carriers: swiss, lufthansa, thai, asiana, cathay, etc...

okay, so maybe it doesn't help much for those traveling domestically, but anyone jumping out of their continent is free to sample the multitude of companies left not staffed with surly union-protected lifers resentful of their job
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post #8 of 10
1/28/13 at 5:33am
I hate UA because of a bad experience several years ago. I avoid them except when no other airline flies to my destination. But as GF points out, all US airlines are awful though having elite status does lessen the agony.
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post #9 of 10
1/28/13 at 6:05am

For whatever reason, I find complaints through social media have better response than those through the complaints link on the corporate website.

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post #10 of 10
1/28/13 at 6:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffZan View Post

I used to fly UAL a lot and was global services or 100K for most of 2000-2010.  A recent experience with them highlights how bad they have gotten.  Needless to say, I will never fly them again.

I was returning from Buenos Aires with my family.  A storm hit and the airport shut down for an hour.  United was unable to get the plane refueled and the crew timed out and they cancelled the flight.  After unloading us from the plane, we spent the next 4 hours in complete chaos and confusion getting to the hotel that UAL had arranged.  Nobody from UAL could tell us anything about our situation or what was happening - it was very surreal.  We managed to make it out the next night, but United was unable to get us to our final destination for an additional 24 hours.  I booked a separate flight to Chicago and rented a car to get to our final destination.  When I asked United for a simple reimbursement for the rental car, they rejected it as it wasn't in their policy.  When i told them that it had saved them 4 hotel rooms and meal vouchers in Houston, they didn't really care.  When I told them that i would never fly them again and that they were losing a business traveler and hundreds of thousands of dollars, they didn't care.

United used to be a good airline.  What happened?


Waaaaaaa...
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