Have "Happy Days" Returned/Come to the New United?

This is what I said:

in response to "With so many negative threads (more than I can ever remember)". Sounds to me that there is an "increase" implied, and note that I also said a "continuation"...why are you harping only about my use of "increase"?

I have no idea what this refers to, but as a general principle, it would be true.

Tell you what, I do not see what is to be gained from this so I must let you "win" this one. I find it all quite "sophomoric"...

Take care, mate!

I second (or third) the sentiment that what we're really dealing with is a new airline. I've honestly felt it a bit freeing to stop imposing my CO centric views on my travels. While I haven't had one of the issues described on the myriad complaining threads, I was initially disappointed. Now, quite honestly, I'm getting excited to see what lies ahead in the next year. Assuming that the labor issues get resolved, I'm excited about my "new" airline.

Well.... tonight the agents que for 1k is so long I gave up being on hold twice

Seems they are still having staffing issues when things go pear-shaped. The weather which blew through NYC last night really messed up operations. I believe ORD was also affected.

Pretty much everything east of the Mississippi was hit hard by wx delays (and this was for all carriers, not just UA)

In the last week, i had 2 positive experiences. I sent a note to @united1k letting them know how about a terrible ticketing nightmare. I recived a call the next day, i was in a meeting, asked her to call back, and she did! She said she was so sorry about the transition, and how tough it has been on the employees, too. Offered me a $350.00 credit for my troubles. Accepted.
Flew IAD-DXB on 20th, plane late by 1 hr taking off, old unconfortable dirty configuration. Landed- an email offering me miles or another $ 350.00. Accepted.
I am hopeful that Jeff Smisek has come to Jesus and seen the light.

Sounds like they're starting to get on par with the learning curve.

I'm very happy for you. Really. I'm also extremely irritated that my nightmares have not received any kind of compensation. No replies to emails submitted through united.com. No return call that was promised by someone I spoke to at length in Smisek's office.

While I hate to be a whiner, I also won't sit back and stay silent when they really mess up my travel experience. It seems that my communication would be considered a favor, as I'm not threatening to leave, but rather informing them of issues that need prompt attention. To get a return email would have made me happy, but now to hear that you not only got a reply, but also significant compensation just makes me irritated all over again that the treatment of passengers is clearly spotty.

If it means anything (although in my view it shouldn't), I am Platinum with enough flights already booked to make me 1K before the end of the year.

agreed, spotty and uneven is a good term. What I'm enthused by is that things do seem to be (slowly) improving. CS is still a major concern however. Probably because Smiling Jeff does not seem to place that much value on it.

Hello! I have been keeping an eye, quietly on here, came across this entry and felt inspired to respond.

I'm very happy to hear your experience with United went without any "hitches" - both major and minor. Things happen all the time when one's traveling and of the ten (+2 ORD-LGA) segments you took all went effortlessly, for the exception of one segment not clearing.

As a 1K GS 2MM (1.5 BIS) who has been travelling with United almost exclusively to UA destinations for close to twenty years, this is not business as it used to be. Whether good or bad, the United today is a different airline, now whether it's "Happy Days" again or is it moving towards a "leading airline" remains to be seen. As a 1K we only have to only compete with GS for automatic upgrades, waitlists, etc. most domestic segments will clear, IF you have booked your flights T > 100 hrs, and most flights wait listed will clear.

The grievances begin shortly AFTER the threshold time for 1K upgrades pass. Book four segments JFK//LAX or SFO T < 48 hrs and see what percentage of upgrades clear. By then we are competing with so many different variables - TODS, booking codes, Chase cardholders, it's a mess. The day will eventually come when you will not fly 100K a year or not even 75,000 - that's when things will really be different. These are where most of the complaints are coming from.

I had the pleasure of reading your bio, thank you for sharing it with others, myself included. You know a thing or two about life, I am sure, and know United has flooded the lower to mid ranks with individuals who don't even have to fly to get tier status. The program was initially designed to reward the airline's best customers - those who actually fly....a lot. Now if you have good credit and can charge $500,000 a year on a Chase card, one came become a Platinum without even stepping foot onto a plane! Is that right?

The list is endless as to the changes Smisek has made which has created negative ripple effects down the chain. GS and 1Ks are on the top and, for now, should work out OK. There are a few colleagues who are GS and have stopped flying UA because of changes in CS. From what I hear from them, it was for charging things they use to let slide.

Which global airlines would you put in the category of a "leading airline"? When you compare that to United what are your thoughts?

Best Wishes,
UG

Someone said something that I fully agree with and which everyone with a beef should try to remember:

As for this:

For my pattern of travel, United remains by far the "leading global airline", the recent problems, which have largely subsided, notwithstanding. It goes to all the places I have wanted to go, and with the addition of former CO routes, there are few places that I would like to visit that I could not reach flying UA + *A. So, I am staying put where I am and keep my optimism, which seems justified by my recent trips as related in the original post.

Welcome to MP, UG!

Well today the system no longer recognizes my home phone - asks me for multiple ID info and as 1k I'm still on hold forever got transferred (without my consent) to web support for an issue the agent should have handled and the web person said she's reported 3 agents today for not doing their job and transferring to web support inappropriately, she was very pleasant and helpful but I needed to be transferred back to res and there was another 20 minute wait.

Thank you for the welcome, much appreciated. Nice to "meet" you, Kind Sir.

If your definition of a "leading global airline" is an airline that flies you to all the places you, personally, have wanted to go, than there is your answer. It really doesn't matter what others think as long as your experiences have been positive and your recent trips have been uneventful. Some would agree with you, some would not. It would be impossible to get everyone on the same page.

Travelers base their thoughts/feelings of an airline on a number of criteria - cost, hard product, soft product, cities served, customer service, frequent flyer programme, etc. and from there they can decide whether they are currently happy with the airline they are flying or move to another airline that fits their priorities.

Safe travels!

UG

I find little to disagree with in your post.

Safe travels, as well!

I'm curious (and also making an assumption) - did you ask for compensation at the counter at IAD because the plane was the old config and an hour late? I'm assuming no.

I just don't get why UA sends out apology emails for things like this. There is *no* guarantee of a particular 777 config and delays happen all the time. $350 for an hour of time? And some of that time can be made up in the air because it's an eastbound flight.

I truly believe this type of pro-active approach is the reason we see so many, "What compensation am I entitled to?" threads on FT and MP. IMHO you aren't entitled to any compensation for an old config 777.

And all of us have stories about delays - weather, mechanical, connecting passengers, etc. Most don't receive automatic compensation for them and UA seems utterly sporadic and random on when they do this.

Just last week I was delayed in SFO for over an hour on a domestic flight due to late arriving aircraft and late arriving crew. No email and no expectation of compensation.

And I'm not implying that the OP I quoted felt entitled to compensation. I'm questioning UA here really.

-RM

PLUS-MMiler degradation issues, not being able to have miles option for Red Carpet now U Club,etc etc

a CORE issue, a cultural issue, a future profitable business issue.

To answer the OP's question- I've been fine with the new United. I did have to deal with some long phone hold times around 3/3, but that wasn't surprising. All my flights this year have run on time or close to it; I've gotten from point A to point B without problems and my encounters with various UA staff members has been polite and professional. I intend to keep booking with UA in the future when it's feasible. Maybe I'm just lucky or easygoing or don't fly enough- but I'm content with the services that UA provides.

This has, more-or-less, been my experience as well. My travel experiences have been pleasant, and I've gotten where I needed to be on time with all my bags. My wife had a flight with some MX issues, but we were able to stay abreast of them and keep her confirmed on a connecting flight or two in advance of a rolling, 8-hour MX delay in late April. The Premier line agents I dealt with that day were helpful, polite, and knowledgeable, and I never waited more than 30 seconds to speak to someone over the course of 5-6 calls. She grumbled about getting where she wanted to be late, but she still got there on the same day (EWR-IAH is a route with a lot of capacity).

Clearly everything isn't perfect, but I have been satisfied with the service I've received post-integration and will continue to fly with UA.

I am really happy for those of you who have had no real problems since the merger. Having personally experienced several inconveniences - some of them major - I am not generally complaining about having experienced problems, but more about their resolution of them, or lack thereof. Any company can have mishaps resulting in customer inconveniences, but it is not unreasonable to desire a conciliatory reply and/or compensation for the very real losses of time and money. I certainly HOPE that not every United passenger has suffered through all of the travel disasters that I have during the last 4 months. Many would choose to switch airlines (and some have), and United would be suffering an even more severe PR problem.

For me, there's only one thing that counts in evaluating the new UA - experiential issues, which of course can be driven by systems, maintenance, employee satisfaction and management decisions.

I expected systems problems - they happened and they seem to be fading away, as one would expect. I have been surprised by the complete collapse in reliability and punctuality that I have experienced - and it's not just my flights, it's the routes I fly on, as evidenced by FlightStats statistics. The food in Y seems to have got even worse, but that may just be part of a never-ending continuum. GPUs are now useless to me as the premia for W fares are too high, but I suspect that that is as much part of an improving economy as it is a management decision, as I'm still seeing the front cabins full. Domestic upgrades for me, however, continue to operate as normal.

I do struggle a little with some of the cosmetic and procedural changes but I put that down to unfamiliarity on my part. It seems to me that the web interface has some strengths and some weaknesses over its predecessor - realistically more of the former than the latter.

Why do I fly UA over other airlines - E+, *Gold lounge access, good mileage redemption opportunities and the very occasional long haul upgrade. I pay for that through worse airplanes, seats and IFE, no booze, worse food and grumpier FAs (by and large). None of these key aspects has changed now that all is settling down.