FlyWorld

djmp

Current United Club benefits are listed as:

• Personalized travel assistance
• Complimentary Wi-Fi service in all locations
• Complimentary selection of beer, wine and spirits
• Complimentary breakfast and afternoon snacks
• Reciprocal club privileges for access to all Star Alliance® airline lounges
• United Club members may access Star Alliance member airline lounges with up to one guest when departing on a same-day flight on any Star Alliance carrier.

"Personalized travel assistance" would reasonably include ticketing help, as in the past.

Interestingly, 2/2011 benefits for the then-Red Carpet Club were:

• Comfortable lounges centrally located in our busiest airports
• Personalized travel assistance
• Complimentary Wi-Fi service in all locations
• Complimentary selection of wine, beer and spirits
• Complimentary soft drinks, juices, coffee, tea and cappuccino
• Complimentary breakfast and afternoon snacks

So basically the same (except the comfortable lounges went away).

Pat89339

My recent experience on 8/10

I suffered through a trifecta of Irrops.

First flight posted a two hour delay, extended to 3 hours at the airport. There was one person working the desk at the UC. He did a great job of finding me a flight out on a busy Friday night, unfortunately the plane did not comply and went mechanical. So back to the club I went. Again he was the only person working the desk and ended up finding me a seat on a flight that was supposed to leave before my original flight, but was delayed 4:24. I was fortunate that he was working the desk that night.

Along the route that weekend, I attempted to ticket a reservation I had on hold using vouchers at three different airports and was told at each one that they don't do ticketing and I had to mail it in. I tried the clubs and the customer service areas, landslide and airside. No dice. However, I had absolutely no problem ticketing at ticketing Position 51 at SFO when I returned.

FlyWorld

The "I'm too busy" excuse seems a bit easier to understand if there is only 1 desk. I've seen where front-line staff try to help a PAX resolve an issue and then get buried in the complexity of it, while a queue forms of PAX trying to get into the club. That's frustrating, especially when you've got 20 minutes to catch your next flight. Of course, now, that's likely to turn into 6 hours or 3 days due to all the cancellations.

I'm not shocked to learn that PMCO stations don't have the second desk. Since our future seems to look like PMCO's past, I wouldn't be shocked to find the second desks empty at PMUA stations soon. Another change we'll like.

DeaconFlyer

Funny, I was able to get rebooked very easily at an ORD service center last weekend.

channa

A hub is a different animal.

The outstation is where this is a problem.

PTahCha

Sounds like there are 2 activities here:

Rebooking - UC agents should be able to do this, typically at the secondary desk beyond the check-in desk. Some outstations, such as JFK (and now SEA) claims that they cannot do this - that's just an agent who's too busy clipping his/her nails in the meantime.

New ticket purchase - Based on AD's observation, this can no longer be completed behind security.

ralfp

This has been my experience as well.

From memory:

LGA (both)
ORD B18
EWR A20s (not sure about former RCC)
EWR C90s
ORD IFL
JFK (not really sure)

Most of them have additional agents at the check-in desk, especially during serious IRROPs.

FlyWorld

In fairness, I've found everything to be harder at outstations and that's not new with $mi$ek, though he might have made it worse.

PSU Mudder

EWR and IAH have always had 2nd desks.

goodeats21

UC staff are not nearly as helpful or proficient as they were in the RCC, and it is the reason I did not pay $ to UA to renew my membership.

I can watch someone cut their nails out in the terminal...no need to pay money for a special lounge.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ew-one-me.html

(It was a much better thread before the photo was removed, IMO)

DeaconFlyer

Seems like AD was implying you couldn't be re-booked at a hub. I was providing my opposite experience

CALMSP

your attempt to blame management is incorrect. Ticket stock is in the clubs (those that offer an "assitance" desk.......not the front check-in desks). The reason behind this more likely is directed from an internal audit control policy. Nothing about cutting costs by our CEO.

gobluetwo

Define outstation. I was very easily able to be rebooked at the LGA Concourse C UC last Wednesday evening. They had ticket stock and everything.

Passmethesickbag

Yes, but they're landside so it's less fun for them to send you back through Security.