United: We are making changes to ensure that we always put customers first

[Anti Federalist]

Logged onto my account and this was displayed prominently.



We are making changes to ensure that we always put customers first

By United Airlines
April 27, 2017

Earlier this month, we disappointed our customers and ourselves when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words.

We committed to take action as a result of this incident, and today marks the first step in changing how we fly, serve and respect our customers.

We commit to:
Limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only.
Not require customers seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk.
Increase customer compensation incentives for voluntary denied boarding up to $10,000.
Establish a customer solutions team to provide agents with creative solutions such as using nearby airports, other airlines or ground transportation to get customers to their final destination.
Ensure crews are booked onto a flight at least 60 minutes prior to departure.
Provide employees with additional annual training.
Create an automated system for soliciting volunteers to change travel plans.
Empower employees to resolve customer service issues in the moment.
Reduce the amount of overbooking.
Eliminate the red tape on permanently lost bags by adopting a "no questions asked" policy on lost luggage. In these instances, United will pay a customer $1,500 for the value of the bag and its contents.

[Anti Federalist]

So, after 20 years and a million plus miles with Continental/United, this incident, combined with scrubbing my regular commute flight, made me switch to JetBlue.

Third trip in, nonstop (that alone is damn near worth the price of a first class seat) and it was a cluster$#@! of errors, stupid AirBus(ted) mechanical issues and gate crew delays.

Luckily I was only two hours late for my appointment so no real harm done.

Three days later, an email apologizing for the delay and poor service, and $25 flight certificate.

Nicely done JetBlue.

[sparebulb]

United will pay a customer $1,500 for the value of the bag and its contents.

That won't cover the cost of my Armani and Bruno Maglis.

[Danke]

I always like to trust my life to a doctor that couldn't get hired at a first rate hospital too...



but the government says they are all safe....

[Danke]

And JetBlue has sooooo many destinations, and code shares with a government financed, head chopper airline to boot, way to go supporting American jobs.

[Anti Federalist]

I always like to trust my life to a doctor that couldn't get hired at a first rate hospital too...

but the government says they are all safe....

We all gotta go sometime...

But see, this is just what I'm talking about about...a loyal 20 year customer who has spent tens of thousands of dollars flying your airline, and you'd think I'd get my ass kissed and a hug...amirite?

But no, I get the surly cop treatment, "move the $#@! along, maggot" and another one star rating.

I haz the sadz...keep it up and I'm going to dis-invite you to my Mariner's Day Party.

[Anti Federalist]

And JetBlue has sooooo many destinations, and code shares with a government financed, head chopper airline to boot, way to go supporting American jobs.

And the one destination at the one time I have flown for the last fifteen years, and that I need, they scrub from the schedule.

[Danke]

We all gotta go sometime...

But see, this is just what I'm talking about about...a loyal 20 year customer who has spent tens of thousands of dollars flying your airline, and you'd think I'd get my ass kissed and a hug...amirite?

But no, I get the surly cop treatment, "move the $#@! along, maggot" and another one star rating.

I haz the sadz...keep it up and I'm going to dis-invite you to my Mariner's Day Party.

Tell me your story (Privately) I will forward it. I think our new boss is working hard to change things.

[RJB]

Tell me your story (Privately) I will forward it. I think our new boss is working hard to change things.

If I give you a sob story in a PM can I get a free flight?

[Anti Federalist]

Tell me your story (Privately) I will forward it. I think our new boss is working hard to change things.

Seriously?

The last time I did that (reached out to you concerning a United internal matter), I ended up looking like a dick-head.

I'll be happy to tell you what's going on, (although most of it is already posted here), if yer not yanking my chain.

[Danke]

I do feel bad our flight attendants and customer representatives aren't the greatests.


but any pilot who worked for Contenental was there 'cause they couldn't get hired at United. We are raising the bar in training now for them.

[Danke]

Seriously?

The last time I did that (reached out to you concerning a United internal matter), I ended up looking like a dick-head.



I'll be happy to tell you what's going on, (although most of it is already posted here), if yer not yanking my chain.

I think Oscar is a different CEO. He came by operations during Thanksgiving to talk to us and thank us for working over the holidays.


I think he is sincere.




i would never "yank you chain."

[Anti Federalist]

I do feel bad our flight attendants and customer representatives aren't the greatests.

but any pilot who worked for Contenental was there 'cause they couldn't get hired at United. We are raising the bar in training now for them.

I happen to agree, like I said months ago, got family that flies for United and he's had to be on the top of his game his whole career.

But that isn't even my major bitch to pitch, yeah, 60 year old grandmothers dealing with the public on planes are going to tend to get grouchy.

Without giving out personal info the "three strikes" boiled down to this:

Changes in the way miles are accumulated to gain Premier status. My schedule is fixed and the number of flights I make and flight segments completed has remained consistent for years now. I would routinely achieve "Gold" status, with about 5,000 miles over every year. Up until about three years ago, the mileage accounting changed, and now I can barely make "Silver" flying the exact same route, and the exact same number of trips, in mostly the exact same ticket class.

Dropping the Cleveland hub from BOS, which was a viable option for me as an alternate route, either coming or going.

Actually, that's kind of a minor bitch: let me substitute this one - huge change fees. My work is in freefall and financial bankruptcy right now due to crushing debt and poor market conditions. The people we work for are getting squeezed just as hard and consequently, they make no allowances at all for those of us that have fixed commitments to fly in or out of the work area, resulting in frequent flight changes at the last minute that are extraordinarily expensive. I do not get reimbursed for flights or changes, it's all on me. Most people in my line of work use Southwest specifically because of the no change fee policy. I can't bring myself to use them because I hate the idea of a "rugby scrum" to get a decent seat (for a man my size that is important) and it also leaves me hanging with lousy northeast corridor connections, Philly or Baltimore or Newark (I think).

And now, over the last couple of months: dropping the IAH connection that used exclusively for my inbound "to work" flight. It had great ontime performance, left and arrived at the perfect time, and was usually inexpensive. I watched as the price slowly started to creep up over the last few months, and then, last month, it was gone. The next available gets in too late for me, and the other connections are too unreliable, especially in winter and those don't arrive in the right time slot for me either.

Calling the cops to beat up a recalcitrant Vietnamese passenger was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Danke]

Calling the cops to beat up a recalcitrant Vietnamese passenger was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

I thought your knowledge of transportation would preclude such a statement.

why bring up national origin? United called the cops "to beat up". Seriously?


the flying public is dumb, I thought better of you until now.

[oyarde]

Tell me your story (Privately) I will forward it. I think our new boss is working hard to change things.

Does this mean I can take my Tomahawk on the plane ?

[Danke]

Does this mean I can take my Tomahawk on the plane ?

I already put u on the no fly list.


no Injuns on my plane unless they are in the cargo bay.

[oyarde]

I already put u on the no fly list.


no Injuns on my plane unless they are in the cargo bay.

I always wondered , do you guys keep better beer and liquor up front ? The choices in the back are not that great .

[Anti Federalist]

I thought your knowledge of transportation would preclude such a statement.

why bring up national origin? United called the cops "to beat up". Seriously?

the flying public is dumb, I thought better of you until now.

What him say?

Relax, I'm pulling your chain now.

That said, obviously Oscar and United realized they stepped on their dick, and, at least according to that statement, will not call cops for internal customer matters anymore.

Hard "Lesson Learned": no matter what, when you call a cop, somebody's day is going to get $#@!ed up.

[Danke]

I don't think any company though the cops would do that. U know what I'd do now? Everyone deplanes.

[specsaregood]

Most people in my line of work use Southwest specifically because of the no change fee policy. I can't bring myself to use them because I hate the idea of a "rugby scrum" to get a decent seat (for a man my size that is important)

I read an article recently that stated the rugby scrum thing (also why I avoid SW) was due to a very old computer system that didn't have the ability to reserve seats. They just updated that system earlier this month and now at least have the ability to do reserved seats. Whether they will I guess depends on customer demand.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...vations-system

[Danke]

I always wondered , do you guys keep better beer and liquor up front ? The choices in the back are not that great .

Injuns as a policy are not served liquor.

[oyarde]

I don't think any company though the cops would do that. U know what I'd do now? Everyone deplanes.

I remember once when I was in Basic Training one morning while eating breakfast the drill sgt came in , yells " alright everyone stand up and eat " . I never missed a stroke but it seemed like it messed with everyones head . Deplaning everyone may have the same effect . Of course it could also trigger someone unstable .

[oyarde]

Injuns as a policy are not served liquor.

As the Greatest American Patriot I should get double shots for the price of a single .

[Anti Federalist]

I read an article recently that stated the rugby scrum thing (also why I avoid SW) was due to a very old computer system that didn't have the ability to reserve seats. They just updated that system earlier this month and now at least have the ability to do reserved seats. Whether they will I guess depends on customer demand.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...vations-system

Good info...I owe ya rep.

[Anti Federalist]

I don't think any company though the cops would do that. U know what I'd do now? Everyone deplanes.

If it was a vessel prior to leaving the dock, I'd do the same thing.

Off. All ya'all.

And no, I'm sure they probably didn't think that's what the cops would do.

Most people don't.

That's why I've been hollering at the top of digital lungs (mostly without effect) Never Call Cops!

[Danke]

[Anti Federalist]

'Twas a cold an' dreary mornin' in December, (December)
An' all of me money it was spent (it was spent),
Where the hell it went to Lord I can't remember (remember),
So down to the shippin' office went, (went, went),

CHORUS

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl - heave a pawl!
'Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
For we're bound for Valparaiso 'round the Horn!

That day there wuz a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
For the Colonies and for 'Frisco and for France (an' for France),
So I shipped aboard a Limey barque the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
An' got paralytic drunk on my advance ('vance, 'vance),

'Twas on the quarterdeck where first I saw 'em,
Such an ugly bunch I'd niver seen afore;
For the captain had shipped a shanghai crew of Dutchmen,
An' it made me poor ol' heart feel sick an' sore.

I asked the mate a-which a-watch wuz mine-O,
Sez he, 'I'II soon pick out a-which is which';
An' he blowed me down an' kicked me hard a-stern-O,
Callin' me a dirty, lousy son-o'-a-bitch.

It was then I made me mind up that I'd leave her,
I'd git a job and live me life ashore;
So I jumped overboard and swum ashore boys,
An' in the English Bar I found a whore.

But Jimmy the Crimp he knew a thing or two, sir,
An' quickly I was outward bound again;
On a Limey to the Chinchas for guano,
An' here I am a singing the ole' refrain.

So here we are once again at sea, boys,
The same ol' garbage all over again;
So won't you stamp the caps'n round an' make some noise, boys,
An' join with me a-signin' the ole' refrain.