I haven't flown on US for years but now have flights scheduled on the old HP routes. I realized I have about 30+K old HP miles that have been converted into Divident Miles so I thought I'd request upgrades (10K each way) for my flights using the miles.

What a fiasco. When I call the US CSR line, they can't seem to find my itinerary and then I tell them it's on an old HP route and they transfer my call to an "America West Specialist." I haven't yet reached this elusive "specialist" since once the call was disconnected before transfering over, and the other two times I held for 15 minutes before realizing I had better things to do.

Can any of you Dividenders give me some good advice as to how I can make this thing work out? Any special phone numbers (I'm not US elite, unfortunately)? Good times of day to call? Looks like there's no way to do this thing on-line.

Your help is much appreciated. Thanks.

fz

I haven't flown on US for years but now have flights scheduled on the old HP routes. I realized I have about 30+K old HP miles that have been converted into Divident Miles so I thought I'd request upgrades (10K each way) for my flights using the miles.

What a fiasco. When I call the US CSR line, they can't seem to find my itinerary and then I tell them it's on an old HP route and they transfer my call to an "America West Specialist." I haven't yet reached this elusive "specialist" since once the call was disconnected before transfering over, and the other two times I held for 15 minutes before realizing I had better things to do.

Can any of you Dividenders give me some good advice as to how I can make this thing work out? Any special phone numbers (I'm not US elite, unfortunately)? Good times of day to call? Looks like there's no way to do this thing on-line.

Your help is much appreciated. Thanks.

fz

What is your routing? You are trying to redeem US Dividend miles for an upgrade? This sounds fairly routine not withstanding your run-around you had with an agent. My advice? Call back and get another agent who can help you.

Ian

What is your routing? You are trying to redeem US Dividend miles for an upgrade? This sounds fairly routing not withstanding your run-around you had with an agent. My advice? Call back and get another agent who can help you.

IanABQ-PHX-YEG on the outbound, YEG-PHX-SMF on the return. I agree that it sounds simple and routine, but after three unsuccessful calls, I thought I'd turn to FTers for help. Each time, I was told by the agent that they couldn't do this themselves because these were old HP routes, so they transferred me to people who thought could do this. I appreciate the call and try again advice - that's always been my mantra on UA matters. Just thought that after three tries, something seemed fishy and someone on this board might be able to share some nuggets of wisdom.

Cheers,
fz

ABQ-PHX-YEG on the outbound, YEG-PHX-SMF on the return. I agree that it sounds simple and routine, but after three unsuccessful calls, I thought I'd turn to FTers for help. Each time, I was told by the agent that they couldn't do this themselves because these were old HP routes, so they transferred me to people who thought could do this. I appreciate the call and try again advice - that's always been my mantra on UA matters. Just thought that after three tries, something seemed fishy and someone on this board might be able to share some nuggets of wisdom.

Cheers,
fz

Sorry fzwinter....

BUT HOLY CRAP! This is exactly what I have been posting about regarding the stinking call routing between SHARES and Sabre - Tempe/Reno & Winston Salem along with Mexico and the Phillippines.

fzwinter.... Call back and ask for someone in Reno or Tempe. If they are in NC, Mexico or the Phillippines, those poor folks cannot help you.

And please do all of us a favor - write a one pager to Scott Kirby/Sr VP Marketing and Customer Service in US' Tempe office. PLEASE!!!!

Sorry fzwinter....

BUT HOLY CRAP! This is exactly what I have been posting about regarding the stinking call routing between SHARES and Sabre - Tempe/Reno & Winston Salem along with Mexico and the Phillippines.

fzwinter.... Call back and ask for someone in Reno or Tempe. If they are in NC, Mexico or the Phillippines, those poor folks cannot help you.

And please do all of us a favor - write a one pager to Scott Kirby/Sr VP Marketing and Customer Service in US' Tempe office. PLEASE!!!!
Good advice kevAZ - I'll try for Reno and Tempe and if I still have any energy, I'll put a one-pager together too.

fzwinter.... Call back and ask for someone in Reno or Tempe. If they are in NC, Mexico or the Phillippines, those poor folks cannot help you.

Anyone have a direct number for Reno or Tempe so I can bypass the waiting period just to have someone unsuccessfully transfer me there?

Anyone have a direct number for Reno or Tempe so I can bypass the waiting period just to have someone unsuccessfully transfer me there?

Was told at the PHX airport last weekend that calling 800-235-9292 (the old America West #) goes directly to Tempe/Reno call centers for SHARES booking - perhaps this will help you.

I've had great luck with the fine folks in Reno - they're not always able to resolve a situation immediately (or ever), but they've always been extraordinarily nice - and they're easy to understand (as opposed to the offshore call centers).

Good luck to you - I hope you can get your issue resolved!

Sean

...BUT HOLY CRAP! This is exactly what I have been posting about regarding the stinking call routing between SHARES and Sabre - Tempe/Reno & Winston Salem along with Mexico and the Phillippines...


KevAZ - which number(s) are you using? You seem to be the authority on US/HP call centers.

In the last 20 or so phone calls, I've NEVER received an offshore RA when using the old HP #. Using other #'s, I most definitely have.

Just curious - are international reservations agents based within the States, or? I've had a heck of a time understanding a few of them when I call in.

Thanks, and good luck on your proposal (that was happening Thursday or Friday, right?)!

And please do all of us a favor - write a one pager to Scott Kirby/Sr VP Marketing and Customer Service in US' Tempe office. PLEASE!!!!

Could you post or PM the Tempe address?

KevAZ - which number(s) are you using? You seem to be the authority on US/HP call centers.

In the last 20 or so phone calls, I've NEVER received an offshore RA when using the old HP #. Using other #'s, I most definitely have.

Just curious - are international reservations agents based within the States, or? I've had a heck of a time understanding a few of them when I call in.

Thanks, and good luck on your proposal (that was happening Thursday or Friday, right?)!

I think that is the problem that KevAZ is trying to help US resolve--there are so many numbers to so many centers, that calls get rerouted to the wrong agents/centers.

If you are legacy US and/or you have a Sabre reservation, and you call US legacy numbers, you can often (not always) get service.

If you are HP, have a Shares booking, and/or have a reservation on an old HP route, and call US legacy numbers (which are the numbers published on the website and in all mailings and publications), then service is not so good or not at all.

The offshore call centers? That is yet another issue that is supposed to be resolved by bringing the centers back to the US...hopefully soon! (?)

Success! Called the Tempe call center and things were handled easily. Thanks to all for your help ^ ^

. . . This is exactly what I have been posting about regarding the stinking call routing between SHARES and Sabre - Tempe/Reno & Winston Salem along with Mexico and the Phillippines.

I've been told by a couple of CP agents that all phone agents now have access to both systems. The problem is that they haven't been sufficiently trained in the other system. So, in this case for example, it is easier for the agents to dump you over to an "America West Specialist" than to work through the process in an unfamiliar system.

Here is what I don't understand: Since the consolidation isn't going to happen until next year, anyway, as of a certain date, why not start making all new reservations go into the new system so that 12 months later, virtually everything is, by default, in the new system and the integration is much less cumbersome? It seemed to me that they should have done this as of the go-live date of the new consolidated website. As it is now, it seems they're still going merrily along making new reservations in both systems, continuing to compound the problem.

Given this mess, they're directing a sizable percentage of their premium customers to agents who cannot help them, then bouncing them around the company, cutting them off, making them call back multiple times.

Alternatively, until they get this mess sorted out, why not just handle phones the way they handle airport check-in. If you have a ticket from source A, B or C (or are flying on HP), call this number; for D, E & F (or are flying on US), call that number.

There HAS to be a better way (for customers) to handle this.

Can you even fathom what things would be like if a Delta merger were to be added into this mess? :(

I think these are good ideas and I think we should be moving in the direction we are all going to end up in next year anyway. Why prolong it?

However, I am not so sure how trained all of the agents are, especially the offshore agents.

I was under the impression that HP ticket holders are better served by HP agents and vice versa, because HP books in Shares and issues HP ticket numbers and US uses Sabre and issues US ticket numbers. Do they really have access to both systems or can they just view what is in the other system that is not their primary?