United MileagePlus (Consolidated) - My first experience with the "new" UA glitch - UA 152 08/11




avi8tir
Aug 12, 12, 8:15 am
Haven't had to deal with many issues since the system conversion like others have posted... Been lucky, i guess.

On 8/11 I was on UA 152 IAH-EWR. Was to be a 764 with the old BF config.

My CPU cleared about 4 days out. The next day, the aircraft switched to a 76H, which is the Micronesia config with only 4 rows of F. I noticed that my seat assignment disappeared so I called and they confirmed me in F and reassigned me to another seat. I was travelling with my girlfriend and since I knew she would not get upgraded, I went ahead a paid for her to sit in the first row of coach (extra legroom) for $69.

Here's where it got screwy..... I checked in the night before and had my boarding pass printed and everything. Morning of departure I checked flight staus and noticed that I had been un-checked in and now, no seat assignment but still listed in First. I called UA and they said there was nothing they could do as the airport had made this change and I would have to check with them when I arrived.

Ok... Got to the airport and went to the ticket counter... They explained that there was an aircraft change... Yes, I knew that - it happened in the system 3 days before and I still had a confirmed seat in F. nothing they could do, my seat had already been assigned to someone else and F was now full.

Great. So now my girlfriend has a paid E+ seat and I'll be somewhere else in the back.... So I went through security without a seat assignment and proceeded to the gate. I explained to the agent what happened - she obviously knew about the change but they weren't even notified until about 2 hours prior to the flight.

At the end of the day, it was a CPU and I know that my F seat is never guaranteed - so I wasnt upset in the least. Plus every person I talked to was giving [grief] for upgrading and leaving my girlfriend in coach haha.

The agent was extremely nice and helpful and was able to somehow get me in the E+ seat next to my girlfriend - even though it wasn't open when I checked just minutes before. She refunded my the $69 I paid for my girlfriends E+ seat AND gave me a $200 travel voucher (which I didn't even ask for or expect).

Needless to say, there were lots of pissed off people. One of which sat across the aisle from us and I honestly wanted to put a sock in her whiny mouth!! She would not shut up and complained to every attendant and insisted on free food for her and her family. Ridiculous.

In the end, a screw up by UA but a great recovery customer service wise.


ctownflyer
Aug 12, 12, 8:29 am
I'd say you got lucky.
Sitting in F with your GF in Y is never a good idea ;)

ddrost1
Aug 12, 12, 8:52 am
rule #1 of FT: when you see a good fare, don't call the airlines/hotel/etc
rule #2 of FT: if at first you don't succeed, call, call again
rule #3 of FT: when traveling with significan other and you get the CPU sans companion, the significant other always rides in F!!:D


mherdeg
Aug 12, 12, 9:00 am
I think United has a policy, under GG OVS DOWNGRADE, which if they applied it correctly would have involved giving you a lot more money than a $200 travel voucher. You might have tried asking at the gate (and you might still be able to ask Customer Relations what this policy says they should do).

LASUA1K
Aug 12, 12, 9:40 am
Dude, the woman gets first!

Jorgen
Aug 12, 12, 9:42 am
Dude, the woman gets first!

No way, keep the woman in line!

(Yes, I'm single, how can you tell?)

LASUA1K
Aug 12, 12, 9:43 am
No way, keep the woman in line!

(Yes, I'm single, how can you tell?)

Ha! I did this once and let me tell you, she was mad the entire vacation. Not worth it.

J.Edward
Aug 12, 12, 9:59 am
She refunded my the $69 I paid for my girlfriends E+ seat AND gave me a $200 travel voucher (which I didn't even ask for or expect).Both PMCO and PMUA had a downgrade policy when F customers were relocated to Y (regardless if the F customer was there due to a YUP/EUA/UDU/etc.)

The issue with PMCO is not many agent knew about it (PMUA automatically caught downgrades, or least my downgrades, and then would auto generate the customer appreciation email and return the instrument, if applicable) and while I cannot confirm, I suspect the pmCO downgrade policy is the surviving policy.

Bottom line: per both airlines' pre-merger (and I would assume post-merger as well) policies, customers who are downgraded *are* due compensation.



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