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Are United Club Agents No Longer Able to Assist With Rebooking/Ticketing?

Are United Club Agents No Longer Able to Assist With Rebooking/Ticketing?

Old Aug 20, 2012, 4:19 pm
  #1  
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Are United Club Agents No Longer Able to Assist With Rebooking/Ticketing?

Trying to get to SGN from SEA thru NRT flight looks like it will be cancelled due to mechanical. The united club employees tell us they can't work on any rebooking and we have to go back to the main terminal and see customer service. Does this seem correct?

I should add that three of the four of us are all premier gold or higher. Very difficult to understand how /why they would treat loyal customers this way. The staff in the club has no desire to help at all.

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Aug 21, 2012 at 8:10 am Reason: split from Delayed International Flights thread; this topic seems worthy of it's own thread
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 4:22 pm
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Originally Posted by pastorjeffgolfer
Trying to get to SGN from SEA thru NRT flight looks like it will be cancelled due to mechanical. The united club employees tell us they can't work on any rebooking and we have to go back to the main terminal and see customer service. Does this seem correct?
What? UC should be absolutely be able to handle this.
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 4:24 pm
  #3  
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Since they moved to SHARES, yes, this is correct.

When you factor all the premium customers (F and C) and Star Golds and RCC members on the plane, there are likely 100 or more who need to be rebooked.

At 10 minutes a pop with SHARES, there's no way 2-3 club agents can handle this. That's on top of their regular responsibilities in the club.

On the previous PMUA system before the 3/3 system downgrade, it would have been manageable because rebooking/reissuing took only a small fraction of the time it takes now.

Originally Posted by aCavalierInCoach
What? UC should be absolutely be able to handle this.

Absolutely not. Since 3/3, the trick is to blow off the customer and pass him down the line to let someone else deal with it.

Making up a rule like this is a very effective way to do that.

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Aug 21, 2012 at 7:38 am Reason: merge
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 4:44 pm
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Originally Posted by pastorjeffgolfer
Yes it still shows as being delayed but we were told in the UC that it looks like it isn't going to fly. That is when they told us they will not handle any rebooking. Still trying to figure out how to get to SGN by Wed. We shall see what happens. Any suggestions are much appreciated!
Call reservations..they can re-book you over the phone just as well as someone at the airport. Then you can get new BP's from the Club agents if you're still flying United..or head over to whatever airline you end up traveling with. Also, they may have staff at the customer service center right at the top of the escalator..they don't always staff it but if there's a major cancellation they might.
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 5:11 pm
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Not sure if you need it or not, but if you need a new ticket then the UC isn't pulling your leg. Mr. Smisek took all the ticket stock out of all the UC's and United customer service centers to save money I guess. So the only way to purchase new tickets or maybe even rebook with new tickets is to go out to the main terminal ticket counters now.

I was unable to purchase a ticket at a United Service Center in ORD a couple weeks ago due to this.
AD
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 5:16 pm
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Originally Posted by aluminumdriver
Not sure if you need it or not, but if you need a new ticket then the UC isn't pulling your leg. Mr. Smisek took all the ticket stock out of all the UC's and United customer service centers to save money I guess. So the only way to purchase new tickets or maybe even rebook with new tickets is to go out to the main terminal ticket counters now.

I was unable to purchase a ticket at a United Service Center in ORD a couple weeks ago due to this.
AD
when did this go into effect?
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 7:35 pm
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Originally Posted by SEA1K4EVR
Call reservations..they can re-book you over the phone just as well as someone at the airport. Then you can get new BP's from the Club agents if you're still flying United..or head over to whatever airline you end up traveling with. Also, they may have staff at the customer service center right at the top of the escalator..they don't always staff it but if there's a major cancellation they might.
It is odd you can't get the UC agents to do this. UC in SEA rebooked everyone (~dozen people) on the cancelled SEA-IAD morning flight a month ago. I called the 1K line immediately, and the UC agents rebooked everyone but me and my colleague before the 1K line had us fixed up. Some other people had European destinations out of IAD; we were particularly complicated because we were going to Europe with onward connection to Africa (limited reasonable alternatives). Even after the phone line got us a confirmed itinerary, UC agents did the reticketing on LH and TK.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:10 am
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If the reports by channa and AD are correct, this is a serious concern. I know in May, I was able to get rebooked by the agent in the United Club in AUS during IROPS and I've always viewed the availability of agents who can help with rebooking as a major value of club membership.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:16 am
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
If the reports by channa and AD are correct, this is a serious concern. I know in May, I was able to get rebooked by the agent in the United Club in AUS during IROPS and I've always viewed the availability of agents who can help with rebooking as a major value of club membership.
Add me to the list. I had a major irrops in April. The mini-T6 club at LAX gave me a lecture about 'how they don't do rebookings, because they need to take care of paying customers.' (Still not sure how I wasn't a paying customer, LOL)

And this was at 10PM, so it shouldn't have been all that busy. In the end, they did rebook us -- it took about an hour (seriously, no joke, no exaggeration) because there were 3 of us. So yes, it does take forever, and yes the clubs don't have enough staff. But it's still ridiculous. I asked them 'what exactly would I be paying for with a membership?' I guess some people really like carrots.....

So my view is that most former RCC's will rebook you. It was their job. You are more likely to get told to 'go to the CS counter' by a CO agent. To me, this is a big reason why I like to stick to PMUA hubs, and I can imagine that might persist for the next 5-10 years.

Last edited by hobo13; Aug 21, 2012 at 1:13 pm
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:16 am
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I was re-booked at the UC in Seattle a few weeks ago when a flight on my itin was canceled.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:20 am
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Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
If the reports by channa and AD are correct, this is a serious concern. I know in May, I was able to get rebooked by the agent in the United Club in AUS during IROPS and I've always viewed the availability of agents who can help with rebooking as a major value of club membership.
Exactly. I think Smeagol will find that a lot of people weren't paying for UC membership mainly because of the chic design, the plentiful toilets, the delicious morsels, the dialup-speed WiFi, the charming bar staff, or even the mice. Granted, the days are long gone when one could just walk straight through security to the airline club with one's carry-on and check in, but we can do that online or with our phones today. But a major remaining reason for many was the ability to bypass the lines to CS in the terminal and get your reservation sorted out by an expert with a minimum of waiting. If that is taken away, the inevitable result will be decreasing revenue through club memberships.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:25 am
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Originally Posted by hobo13
Add me to the list. I had a major irrops in April. The mini-T7 club at LAX gave me a lecture about 'how they don't do rebookings, because they need to take care of paying customers.' (Still not sure how I wasn't a paying customer, LOL)

And this was at 10PM, so it shouldn't have been all that busy. In the end, they did rebook us -- it took about an hour (seriously, no joke, no exaggeration) because there were 3 of us. So yes, it does take forever, and yes the clubs don't have enough staff. But it's still ridiculous. I asked them 'what exactly would I be paying for with a membership?' I guess some people really like carrots.....

So my view is that most former RCC's will rebook you. It was their job. You are more likely to get told to 'go to the CS counter' by a CO agent. To me, this is a big reason why I like to stick to PMUA hubs, and I can imagine that might persist for the next 5-10 years.
I notice from your profile that you are 1K. 1K's are out. If you fly once a year on a k fare and have a Chase card, then you're in. They need to save time for those premium customers, not lousy over-entitled 1K's.

Seriously, though, at most RCC's I've been to, there is a desk to check-in at the RCC, and that desk is naturally busy checking people in.

But, there is usually a second desk, with 2-3 agents, and the sole purpose of that desk is to deal with travel issues.

So, I don't understand this logic that those agents are too busy to help. What else are they supposed to be doing? I thought that was the sole purpose for having that desk with those agents?

This year, I'm "in" RCC for free, with the 1-year Chase card offer. In previous years, I paid with miles. I won't pay cash for RCC. Not worth it.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:33 am
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Two separate issues being discussed in this thread:

1) The ability to purchase a new ticket at a customer service counter anymore - this has been an ongoing trend by United to push all new ticketing to either phone or web channels and have airport personnel deal with that day's operations. I'm not saying I agree with the move in that direction but its been going on for years. IMO whenever you have a customer wanting to pony up some cash for your service you should close the sale. Not construct obstacles to them completing the sale.

2) The ability of UC agents to provide rebooking services. Doesn't seem like its anything new here either (since 3/3). Experiences and lines being uttered by agents all over the map. Some providing service, some being overwhelmed, etc. If United intended to reduce services offered in the clubs I would think they would reduce staffing. This is what should be the focus to determine if in fact there are service cuts coming IMO.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:38 am
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Originally Posted by mitchmu
But, there is usually a second desk, with 2-3 agents, and the sole purpose of that desk is to deal with travel issues.
I can name several clubs that don't have this second desk.

1. LAX T6 (former CO)
2. ORD E/F gates

But yes, if that second row of agents is there, I think you are 99% likely to get rebooked. If you are at a former RCC with the second row, I think you are likely to get rebooked, but it will take a bit longer, as the agent multi-tasks to also check pax into the club (which also takes longer now!) If you are at a PMCO club without the second row......

Last edited by hobo13; Aug 21, 2012 at 1:13 pm Reason: T6 not T7
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:47 am
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Originally Posted by mitchmu
Seriously, though, at most RCC's I've been to, there is a desk to check-in at the RCC, and that desk is naturally busy checking people in.
Not naturally busy - since 3/3, they are artificially busy with yet another task that has gone from straightforward to tremendously complicated!
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