cfischer

it's getting better for sure. Phone/airport/crew has been acceptable for the past 6 months IMO. Not as good as Delta, but they are through the bottom they hit early in the year (IMO).
Int/ service is still fare below acceptable in all cabins and I haven't seen much improvement there to be honest.
If they continue on this positive trajectory and fix their intl. products they may even get some extra business and keep catching up with Delta.

dank0014

Though not a big UA fan, there hasn't really been any major issues with customer service all year. Yes there are those rotten apples but they dont outnumber the good ones. The only real issue is actually consistency for me and many agents / FAs not knowing their companies policies or processes - not to say I know them all.

NJFlyer42

It has been better. Service reminds me of TMobile many years ago when they realized that retaining customers was a better idea than trying to find new customers. Service improvements were uneven, but noticeable. At UA, improvements are uneven but noticeable.

I'm not sure this will help the labor situation. A few FA's and phone reps really need their wings clipped and "encouragement" to find a job that involves less customer contact. Others need training and adjustment to a new regime. Neither set of events is pleasant for labor. The winners will be the FA's who simply do their job with a good attitude. Guess which group will be more vocal. I assume the unions will represent the more vocal members and complain.

BeBrilliant

My experience has not been better in the past 12 months (October 2013-2014).

I filed my first complaint with the FAA this year against UA.

I have the lowest upgrade rate (<10%) to F this past YTD than ever as a 1k.

UA only calls me about rebooking after they make a mistake on my flight after it leaves. The proactive protection on risky missed connections is spotty at best.

And, they have removed award inventory and made it harder for me to book on other star alliance carriers. On top of that, I had an award ticket booked on air china through UA.com and even when it showed ticketed and received an email confirmation, when we got to the airport, it wasn't there. UA was unapologetic citing that it wasn't their fault and that they do a normal check of all star alliance award reservations and would have caught it (but didn't for 6 months between booking and flight).... the arrogance.

They reduced Same Day Change benefits.

So color me absolutely surprised that anyone is seeing positive to UA service this year as they are less able to do things for me as rules have tightened considerably. The attitude of the front line staff has not improved in my opinion.

ATXflyer

Too little, too late.

I've enjoyed my 150K miles on AA this year, 97% up front.

UA changed an award flight for me in January without notice. Just cancelled that and moved to AA. Went from 4 RJ segments to 4 Mainline segments.

I don't remember what it's like to fly an Barbie Jet anymore.

BearX220

My wife had positive interaction last weekend with ground staff at SEA when the first leg of her SEA-IAH-DCA was cancelled. They rebooked her without the usual resistance on the Alaska SEA-DCA nonstop even though she was flying on an award ticket. She volunteered to me that the United people she dealt with were upbeat and helpful. Downside, of course, was six hours hanging around SEA and getting to her destination hours late because of usual UA operational woes. But, still.

On the other hand...

I had an interesting chat this week at a hotel bar in London with a very senior United cabin staff person on layover. 52 years with the company. I sat down next to the FA, we got to talking, and when it emerged I was on a brief visit from the USA, he or she said:

"Flying United, I hope."

"No, I'm terribly sorry. British Airways. On a short trip like this I'm afraid I can't risk booking United these days."

"You're damn right," spat the FA, and off we went. I am taking pains here to conceal identifying details:

This person was positively vicious about Smisek & Co. and opined that the airline in current form is a "disaster." He or she spoke with contempt of the train wreck experienced a day or two earlier at a UA hub, with virtually all key international departures running hours late or cancelled, and his/her own flight barely getting off before crew timeout.

Staffer was acutely aware that the composition of UA premium cabin clientele has changed dramatically in the past two years -- regular HVFs are mostly gone, this person said, replaced by op-ups and TOD takers -- and many of the themes hashed over again and again on this board (war on elites, horrible food, mx delays / cancellations, etc.) came out of this person's mouth unprompted by me.

It was this person's view that Smisek is "worse than Lorenzo" and he/she claimed the rank-and-file widely expected the BOD to fire him at midyear, but the Q2/Q3 results have sadly bought him a little more time. This person is therefore planning to quit shortly, saying many colleagues have given up trying to save the airline's image on the front line and plan to follow suit.

This FA's anger and scorn were really striking, even given that a few Stellas were disappearing into him or her, and while I was sympathetic to the views expressed I can imagine this person being a rather intimidating, scary figure inflight.

So on the basis of my hour with a UA FA letting his or her hair down I would say there is still a fair amount of fury, resignation, whatever on the front lines.

fastair

This person is most likely in their 70's, (working 52 years) and has been offered an additional $100k to retire. Not discounting what he/she said, but even if things were great, at 70+ age and with a $100k bribe, most would still jump ship.

sanfran8080

A FA flirted with me and went on a date. Does that count?

gobluetwo

In-flight service has been generally good, except for that one FA who used his fingers to dig a lime out of the lime cup when I reminded him that I had asked for one (ugh - that did NOT go in my drink).

Even phone service has generally been ok, as I'm fairly low maintenance. The thing that bugs me is their lack of ability to protect you on flights anymore (and I know it's been a while, still annoying). It's either ticket you on the new flight and offload you from the other, or just have to wait until you get to the airport and miss your connection (or whatever) to get yourself on the later flight.

Kacee

Wondering if this is the same FA . . . did you meet her in a bar in London?

rwmiller56

Earlier this month, I was on a return trip from IND to SFO, connecting in ORD. We had a severe delay in IND due to ATC problems at ORD. I knew I would miss my connecting flight in ORD, so I tried to get a jump on the situation, and called UA customer service from IND, rather than waiting until I arrived at ORD. The phone agent was able to get me on a later flight out of ORD. That was the good part. I originally had an E+ seat (paid for in advance). The phone agent said I was in an E+ aisle seat for the new flight. However, when I arrived at ORD, I found out that I was really booked into E-. There were no more E+ seats left. Needless to say, it was a miserable flight back to SFO in E-. I haven't sat back there in a long time, and I couldn't believe how small the seat pitch is. So, my experience with customer service has been negative. I did get UA to refund my E+ upgrade fare.

As far as in-flight, I haven't noticed an increase or decrease in the quality of service.

flybit

did she take her teeth out

In The 216

This was exactly my point to the Premier desk and the web desk. I was booked in A, there was A open and that should be the end of the story. Interestingly enough, when I went online at my connecting airport United.com offered me up a myriad of SDC options (even with additional connections) into A class.

I will clarify my statement regarding the phone agents slightly. If you get an agent who knows the rules and policies it has been better. It seems, however, that the number of those is dwindling. What is even more troublesome is the length's that agents (particularly out of Chicago, in my experience) will go to argue with me over simple policies that they simply do not know or are getting wrong.

I had a Chicago-based Premier desk agent scold me for taking advice on Twitter. I explained that it was a United agent on United official Twitter account, @United. I asked her if she knew United had an entire social media team that served customers via Facebook and Twitter. She said she had no idea but she was going to "ask around" to verify if that was true. Unbelievable.

gengar

I actually think the service has gotten even worse, although my sample size is almost certainly even smaller than yours since I fly AA/VX whenever possible. My last flight on UA featured no PDBs and the most brusque, apparently-uncaring FAs I've had in a while.

lhrsfo

My experience is little changed. Randomly, I come across truly great employees (like the man who checked my bag at SFO this afternoon) and truly terrible employees, who undo all the good work of their colleagues.