United MileagePlus (Consolidated) - UA Check-In Desk Mini-Meltdown @ DCA 25 May

Numerous UA pax, status ranging from GS to dirt, missed flights or timely rebooks at DCA Friday owing to short staffing on the landside check-in desks.

I was booked DCA-EWR-SEA and got off the Metro one hour before my 245p flight time to see my first leg, a Q400 hop, posted 90+ minutes late owing to NYC-area storms. My connection blown up, I went upstairs to the check-in area to see about alternatives and found a queue of 50 to 75 in the general line, 20+ in the Premier zone... and exactly two GAs behind the counter, one for each queue.

I joined the line and got on the phone to the Premier desk. I waited on hold for more than 20 minutes, during which each GA processed about four people each. When I finally reached an agent on the phone she tapped away for about ten minutes, then offered me DCA-ORD-SEA -- if I could get through security and down to gate 31 for a 230p on-time departure. It was 215p. I said I'd never make it. (Though I could have, obviously, had the phone been answered faster.)

Back on hold for ten more minutes, and the next best I could get was IAD-LAX-SEA departing at 500p. During this time I inched two or three people closer to the front of the line; at one point our agent just disappeared for a full five minutes. By this time people in both queues were complaining that they were missing on-time flights because they'd been standing there 45+ minutes just to check bags.

In the end all it cost me was a $77 taxi ride to IAD and arrival at SEA four hours later than intended. A lot of folks around me did much worse. Some on that Q400 to EWR to connect to a TATL weren't going to make it across the pond until Saturday. Most of the trouble was not because of storms / ATC in the NYC area, but because of understaffing at the desks and on the phones leading to tardy service recovery, with a side helping of SHARES slowness perhaps. Really bad show.

During this whole hour, as the UA line swelled and more and more pax had their days go sideways, the DL desks right next door to UA were staffed with 5 or 6 fast-moving agents and there were never more than a handful of people waiting for service.

Out at Dulles there was more chaos as another LAX flight went mech and ours was held up as rebooked infants and toddlers had been distributed into middle seats around the cabin, but that's another story.

It was another bad day in a series of bad days with United.

Sorry for your experience but it sounds like you should have gone thru security first and you could have made the DCA-ORD-SEA connection. It's always better, in my estimation, to make changes with gate agents post-security not at the main check-in area.

That said, there is no excuse for the short staffing...

The entire business model is built for everything to operate normally. It all falls apart at the whiff of IRROPS.

If what you saw today happens 20 days a year, then smisek and rainey would walk through DCA the other 345 days and wonder why they are paying for so many agents at the counter. So long as nothing is wrong, it doesn't take any time to say "you can use the kiosk for that"

The problem is with SFO, EWR, and ORD as hubs there's way too much weather for IRROPS to only be a problem 20 days out of the year...

Sorry for your experience but it sounds like you should have gone thru security first and you could have made the DCA-ORD-SEA connection. It's always better, in my estimation, to make changes with gate agents post-security not at the main check-in area.

That said, there is no excuse for the short staffing...

+1

Make it through security and start re-arranging flights. It's a lot faster to get out of the secure area (to head to IAD, for example) than to head in.

Blame it on SHARES - The staffing is based on Fastair data - that took 2 min to deal with IPROPS - under SHARES the same move takes 10+ min. (be it in person or on the phone - so hence the system gets QUICKLY clogged.

In the future go through security and then call or go to UA club - standing in line and calling means you are taking two spots and if everyone does this - the system is artificially slow!

I joined the line and got on the phone to the Premier desk. I waited on hold for more than 20 minutes, during which each GA processed about four people each. When I finally reached an agent on the phone she tapped away for about ten minutes, then offered me DCA-ORD-SEA -- if I could get through security and down to gate 31 for a 230p on-time departure. It was 215p. I said I'd never make it. (Though I could have, obviously, had the phone been answered faster.)....or if you are been at the gate when these flights were offered.

You need to work proactively when this stuff happens...not add to the problem by removing yourself from the proximity of a solution.

+1

Make it through security and start re-arranging flights. It's a lot faster to get out of the secure area (to head to IAD, for example) than to head in.

But I guess the OP needed to check luggage? If that's true, then he/she has no way to go though security any earlier. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he/she stood there just to print a BP?

But I guess the OP needed to check luggage? If that's true, then he/she has no way to go though security any earlier. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he/she stood there just to print a BP?

I see nothing in the OP's post to indicate that he/she had bags to check.
It seems like he/she wasn't initially planning on going to the check-in area, and went there only "to see about alternatives" after finding out about the delay of the original flight.

But I guess the OP needed to check luggage? If that's true, then he/she has no way to go though security any earlier. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he/she stood there just to print a BP?

It's possible. The benefit of waiting for a phone agent while waiting in line is that if the phone agent finishes before you get to the front, you can print a BP at a machine and go to the gate. At the same time, you can use the machines to check baggage, too.

...standing in line and calling means you are taking two spots and if everyone does this - the system is artificially slow! Nonsense. I'm not impeding anyone's access to UA by standing in line while calling. Whichever channel comes through first, that's what I'll use.

You need to work proactively when this stuff happens...not add to the problem by removing yourself from the proximity of a solution. I don't really require that sort of lecture, having been at this for a long time -- and been in too many situations where it's impossible to get anyone's attention in a timely way airside, especially in out stations. (My original EWR BP would not have gained me admission into the concourse from which the ORD flight was departing anyway.) Anyway, how about urging the damn airline to "work proactively when this stuff happens"? A few months ago I was on US when a flight cancelled and they called me to offer options -- even confirming me on an overbooked flight. From UA, total silence.

The benefit of waiting for a phone agent while waiting in line is that if the phone agent finishes before you get to the front, you can print a BP at a machine and go to the gate.

Precisely. It almost worked, too, except that the system wouldn't let me print BPs at DCA for an IAD departure.

Precisely. It almost worked, too, except that the system wouldn't let me print BPs at DCA for an IAD departure.

Yeah, that's understandable. I guess if the phone agent had managed to find you an ex-DCA option, the chickens would have let you print a local BP so you could skip the agent line.

I didn't know the RJ and mainline flights were in different concourses at DCA. All in all, I think you did the right thing and made the best of a bad situation.

Nonsense. I'm not impeding anyone's access to UA by standing in line while calling. Whichever channel comes through first, that's what I'll use.

I don't really require that sort of lecture, having been at this for a long time -- and been in too many situations where it's impossible to get anyone's attention in a timely way airside, especially in out stations. (My original EWR BP would not have gained me admission into the concourse from which the ORD flight was departing anyway.) Anyway, how about urging the damn airline to "work proactively when this stuff happens"? A few months ago I was on US when a flight cancelled and they called me to offer options -- even confirming me on an overbooked flight. From UA, total silence.
Be aware that TSA has changed its policy. So long as you hold a valid BP for any checkpoint, you can enter through another checkpoint. If your DCA-EWR was out of Concourse A, you still could have got through secuiryt at B and thus to the ORD gate.

An Officer may occasionally tell you that you are at the wrong checkpoint, but won't actually prohibit access.

I was at DCA a week ago when a DCA-ORD plane went mech @20 min before boarding... talk about a cluster... the rebooking line was almost to the AA gates on the other side! And it was taking no less than 5-10 min per pax to get it done. There looked to be several ppl in line w passports, so I'm guessing they missed their flights to asia... I didn't believe it was as bad as ppl were saying, until I actually saw it happen!

I didn't know the RJ and mainline flights were in different concourses at DCA. All in all, I think you did the right thing and made the best of a bad situation.

I think what happened is that PMCO (who ran the RJs to EWR) used to operate out of one concourse and PMUA out of another and they are still using two seperate sets of gates now. It's not that RJs alone are in a seperate area just that PMUA was located differently from PMCO. It's easy to downsize to one check in area but it may be there are no neighboring gates available in either the PMUA or PMCO areas to expand out into so they are maintaining two separate sectors of gates.

Nonsense. I'm not impeding anyone's access to UA by standing in line while calling. Whichever channel comes through first, that's what I'll use.

Completely agree. You are correct in this instance. Had you said you: 1) just waited in line or 2) you just called, there would have been people in this forum telling you that you should have called while in line.

I don't really require that sort of lecture

In this forum, you'll see quite a few apologists. Rest assured that most of us understood your main point (i.e., there should have been far more staffing at the ticket counters).

There are two United Clubs post-security that could have helped the OP. Worth it in a case like this to buy a day pass if necessary.

Nonsense. I'm not impeding anyone's access to UA by standing in line while calling. Whichever channel comes through first, that's what I'll use.

I don't really require that sort of lecture, having been at this for a long time -- and been in too many situations where it's impossible to get anyone's attention in a timely way airside, especially in out stations. (My original EWR BP would not have gained me admission into the concourse from which the ORD flight was departing anyway.) Anyway, how about urging the damn airline to "work proactively when this stuff happens"? A few months ago I was on US when a flight cancelled and they called me to offer options -- even confirming me on an overbooked flight. From UA, total silence.



Precisely. It almost worked, too, except that the system wouldn't let me print BPs at DCA for an IAD departure.

^ All points well founded and well put. I suppose some folks here are trying to offer helpful advice. But as the OP soundely puts it, he (and the rest of us) do not need lectures on how to deal with UA's lousy IRROPS service. The issue is the service (or lack thereof) to begin with.

The OP's experience is sadly similar to one I had in IAD several weeks ago.

You could have joined us on EWR/SEA #1476 on Friday evening. Left 25/30 minutes late. Oh joy, 5:45 minutes on a -900 transcon with no IFE. A new plane with wonderful mood lighting. Brilliant scheduling from UA. Food in F sucked, but the crew was great.

I might be imagining things but wasn't there a post merger UA debacle not too long ago at DCA too? I vaguely remember something about that OP taking about it getting to the point where the customer standoff was getting hostile... Was that IRROPS related like this or something else... Or am I just completely making this up?

I think what happened is that PMCO (who ran the RJs to EWR) used to operate out of one concourse and PMUA out of another and they are still using two seperate sets of gates now. It's not that RJs alone are in a seperate area just that PMUA was located differently from PMCO. It's easy to downsize to one check in area but it may be there are no neighboring gates available in either the PMUA or PMCO areas to expand out into so they are maintaining two separate sectors of gates.

Right - all PMCO operations (mainline or regional) operate out of the south pier and all PMUA operations operate out of the center pier in Terminal B/C. Access to these gates requires passing thru a different TSA checkpoint. This was supposed to be resolved by the US/DL slot swap with UA picking up several DL gates in the south pier in exchange for UA's center pier gates but AFAIK, no consolidation plan at DCA has been announced. DCA pax need to really pay attention to their departure gates or they will wind up having to go thru security twice and risk missing their flights. Just because you're going to ORD or IAH does not mean you will be departing from the "traditional" PM UA or CO gates! And of course, if you get a reroute (or possible one like the OP) it really sucks.

Sorry for your experience but it sounds like you should have gone thru security first and you could have made the DCA-ORD-SEA connection. It's always better, in my estimation, to make changes with gate agents post-security not at the main check-in area.

That said, there is no excuse for the short staffing...

+1

The entire business model is built for everything to operate normally. It all falls apart at the whiff of IRROPS.

If what you saw today happens 20 days a year, then smisek and rainey would walk through DCA the other 345 days and wonder why they are paying for so many agents at the counter. So long as nothing is wrong, it doesn't take any time to say "you can use the kiosk for that"

The problem is with SFO, EWR, and ORD as hubs there's way too much weather for IRROPS to only be a problem 20 days out of the year...

+1 million

I might be imagining things but wasn't there a post merger UA debacle not too long ago at DCA too? I vaguely remember something about that OP taking about it getting to the point where the customer standoff was getting hostile... Was that IRROPS related like this or something else... Or am I just completely making this up?hard to tell which one you are remembering

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1343504-united-meltdown-ord-6-may-2012-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1343679-ua-express-mini-meltdown-ewr-morning.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1326516-lax-meltdown-scary-situation-unbelievable-agents.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1328345-sfo-ewr-ua-1702-partial-meltdown-sfo.html

Why does the OP need to say "from GS to dirt"; just because somebody does not have status does not make them dirt

Why does the OP need to say "from GS to dirt"; just because somebody does not have status does not make them dirt

Umm...err...I believe it is just an expression. I sometimes call coach class "cattle" but I really don't believe there is a barn behind the curtain.

I know what he means but I still think this is offensive; saying cattle car refers to the lousy accommodation but dirt is a direct insult ; having GS or 1 k does not make u superior or better than anybody else; u just happen to be spending more time and money in that specific airline; my 2 cents

standing in line and calling means you are taking two spots and if everyone does this - the system is artificially slow!

I guess you would have really been mad when I stood at the 1K counter in LAX in mid-March for 2 hours both on the phone with the 1K line and chatting with an agent while the line snaked for 20 people behind me! :D

Why did this happen? Because the SD behind the counter had waited on hold for 15 mins for her support desk, so I decided to call 1K just to see if I could get her some support. When I got right through, she had ME be the liason between her and the 1K phone agent, who was also intermittently on hold with her support desk. So let's see... by my count, I was tying up 3 agents: 1 at the LAX counter, 1 at ORD 1K, and 1 at the Temple of SHARES.

Eh, that's what happens when COdbaUA has a 777 LAX-IAD go mx in the world of SHARES!

Don't blame the OP. It's the smart thing to do.

The kind of stuff by United is inexcusable. The fact is, there should be more people checking folks in. The understaffing is consistent throughout the chain when things go bad the problem really shows up.

Having agents manning desks is a cost of doing business.

But I "love" (aka don't love) how the thread becomes an attack on the OP for something that United f'ed up. Gotta love (aka don't love) Flyer Talk for that.

So let's see... by my count, I was tying up 3 agents: 1 at the LAX counter, 1 at ORD 1K, and 1 at the Temple of SHARES.


I know what he means but I still think this is offensive; saying cattle car refers to the lousy accommodation but dirt is a direct insult ; having GS or 1 k does not make u superior or better than anybody else; u just happen to be spending more time and money in that specific airline; my 2 cents
Actually, spending more than 2 cents does make a GS & a 1K superior to dirt peeple's!;) Because the higher your rank the higher up the totem pole you can call or get help from, even all the way up to " The Temple of Shares"!

Why does the OP need to say "from GS to dirt"; just because somebody does not have status does not make them dirt

Ah, calm down. See my profile at left to see my status level on BA, B6, etc. It's a term of affection... and, in the context of United Airlines, an accurate one. Mr. Smisek does treat most of us like dirt.

Notice I took pains to avoid the K word.

I "love" (aka don't love) how the thread becomes an attack on the OP for something that United f'ed up. Gotta love (aka don't love) Flyer Talk for that.

Not to worry... rule one on Flyertalk has become, find something to go after the OP for. The price you pay for starting a thread. Sure has gotten weird around here.

Just pathetic.

But anyone that had dealt with SHARES before should have known what a CF the whole transition was going to be. All the CO apologists kept saying that SHARES was fine and UA would up-staff to deal with it. but they can't staff 10x the UA level to maintain the same QoS as UA had.