SOBE ER DOC

Taking an ad hoc survey of how irritated I should be.

Flew UA/CO 082 two days ago from EWR-DEL. Paid for a seat up front.

Boarded the plane in EWR and took my seat. Looed at the TV screen in front of me and it was flashing between black screen and white screen every 2 seconds. Figured the FAs were on top of it...boy was I wrong. We depart with the issue continuing. FAs tried three times to reboot the system (even stating they had radioed maintenance for their assistance) without success. The next 14 hours were spent with no IFE and what was essentially a strobe light in front of every passenger in business. FAs said they did not know how to make it stop.

To add insult to injury, the power outlets were not functioning at any seat for most of the flight AND half of the overhead seat lights (including my own) did not function properly.

Having paid full fare for a seat up front I was more than displeased, as was everyone around us. I'm planning to send a little note to UA to express my displeasure but I was wondering how irritated other folks around here would have been in this situation and what sort of "service recovery" I should be looking for on this one.

brp1264

There has yet to be a CO/UA 777 long haul flight I have been on where there weren't IFE issues.

The system usually has to be rebooted 3-4 times before the issue is fixed, and in that case it doesn't always fix the issue.

My last flight was last month EWR-BOM, and my IFE was working just fine, but others weren't. The solution? Reboot the entire damn plane multiple times. Took me a good 3 hours to watch a 2 hour movie.

Share your pain man, I really wish they would have done some more intensive stress testing on the IFE before deployment.

clacko

i prefer a book to ife, & most tv shows.....

zigzagg900

I happened on a flight LAX-SYD. Projectors in Y were not working. I was in C but still got an e-mail a few days later offering compensation. I chose 10% off a future international flight. You may want to contact customer service.

channa

But this was a CO flight. Don't hold your breath.

star_world

Based on the extensive number of posts I've seen here in the last months reporting positive outcomes to service issues they have reported I would say that your cynicism is somewhat misplaced.

TWA Fan 1

Well, whether or not the "cynicism" is warranted, what is reasonably clear is that problem occurs at least fairly regularly.

My memory of previous examples of this problem on PMCO's ultra long-haul, is that customers have received what I would characterize as essentially symbolic gestures of compensation, such as 500 OP miles.

I think the deeper issue is one of maintenance and why the IFE system seems to break down with seemingly regular frequency.

Policypeddler

DL had a problem on a SIN/NRT flight I was on about 2 years ago. They finally fixed it; however, a rep stood at the exit door and handed out vouchers for 5,000 DL miles. Didn't have to ask!

fastair

I occasionaly meet UA's Intl arrivals at my station. Panasonic, who maintains the IFE is there at every arrival to tweak /repair the IFE systems based on what the crew reports via eletronic message from the air. The systems require LOTS of maintenence, but at least at my station, there is always someone there to fix the issues as soon as the plane blocks in. I have no clue why any system without real moving parts would requires so much maintenence, but it does, and at least they fix the issues when noticed prior to the next flight.

star_world

No dispute on that - I think the same is true on most airlines' IFE systems. SQ, EK, BA, etc. all have frequent IFE issues. Reboots of the entire system are all too common on these modern systems.

Hartmann

For non-working IFE on a recent LHR-IAH flight in BF my wife and I received 10k miles.

bocastephen

Did you escalate to the BF concierge immediately while on the ground? They would have called maintenance over if you boarded early and gave them enough warning - this is why I'm always among the first to board BF and check the full operation of my seat and IFE within the first few minutes and get with the Concierge immediately if there is a problem.

Sure enough I have issues IAH-NRT and NRT-IAH, and was re-seated before departure.

channa

If you're saying CO CS has improved, that's good to hear.

As always, perceptions will take a while to change. As more and more people experience and report the alleged CO CS improvements, then the perceptions will improve.

Perhaps the OP can write to CO CS and document how long it takes them to respond, and the generosity level of the compensation (both have been issues with CO post-flight CS for many years).

star_world

Particularly when perpetuated in posts such as yours above

TWA Fan 1

That's spectacular, especially when you consider that a thread was started not too long ago, in which a customer rode in BF BOM-EWR, the entire way in a non-working BF seat (which was in the down position).

After tremendous effort with CO's CS department, he reported receiving 5,000 OP miles...and no monetary credit, even though his very expensive J trip was, shall we say, "flattened"