skidooman

I got stellar help from SFO Intl business.

EWR, well ... less. A lot less.

And then there are the cases where employees are enforcing true, albeit stupid, rules. Want a beer in ORD? Show me some ID.

My fellow pax (an American living in Paris), well into his 50s, was less than enthusiastic.The employee was doing his job, however, enforcing laws that stupid politicians dreamed to solve an very marginal problem.

PsiFighter37

TBH, I've generally encountered very nice folks at the UCs in EWR (at least in Terminal C) when it comes to inquiring about different things about flights.

It's the non-UA folks (like the people manning the security lines) that have zero empathy for anyone.

And honestly - if I need something to get taken care of stat, I just call the hotline anyways.

dmurphynj

Never had a problem. It isn't flowery feel-good stuff but the folks in EWR are just trying to get the job done. Of course I'm always departing or arriving EWR, never transiting so maybe that changes things.

transportprof

You're right. I've never had a problem originating or terminating at EWR. It's when there's a blown connection during wx that things can get ugly.

trk1

I have been a 1K for over 15 years. I have never had anyone at a United Club that was rude at checkin.

zrs70

I'll pull up an old thread of mine!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-happy-ua.html

radiowell

If no IRROPS, EWR is actually very good. I have learned to take care of connection problems BEFORE I get to EWR. And most UC staff have been nothing short of wonderful (well, but then at SFO GFL/IFL.. although the issue there, I guess, is that they probably have to turn away a vast majority of potential entrants).

halls120

The first time I ever used the new SFO international terminal, I inadvertently walked past the UC. Walking down the terminal, I saw the UA IFC lounge. I went in to ask where I could find the UC, and the lounge dragon couldn't have been more nasty in her response.

milepig

Mostly true. But there is a sub-category of dragon who just takes your BP
scans it throws it back at you and then turns back to the other worker and starts chatting again. Not rude, per se, but hardly welcoming. I think they learned this from the LH Dragons who are the masters at this. They have a one up as they stare down their noses at you while doing so.

JBord

I haven't seen this specifically, but I often see people arguing with them at ORD about admittance to the clubs. Long before the remodels, and even before the merger. I don't stick around for most of these, but where I have, I've yet to see one where the passenger was right.

If I had to put up with people like that, it would certainly try my patience. My own experience is no different with lounge employees than with any other UA staff...if I'm polite and friendly to them, I receive the same in return 99% of the time.

ExtonUS

I am a Philadelphia area native so it takes a lot for me to think someone is 'nasty'. We just have a warm and kind natural temperament up here in the North East so I tend to assume the dragon talk comes from people not from this area that are more sensitive to these kinds of things. I don't know. I have had good and bad experiences all over the world with all kinds of different airlines.

worldwidedreamer

What we really need is more passengers with empathy for staff, and staff empowered to have more empathy for passengers.

Also I think that a lot of the complaints come from people who incorrectly think they are eligible to use the lounge.

Rules that make sense to us which could reasonably confuse others:
Club memberships do not provide entry to IFLS
UA Gold admits only on international flights; other *G on all flights
Most domestic first does not include lounge access, but premium transcons do
Not all drinks are free

emcampbe

This. I always try and be polite and friendly, and in almost every case, even if they can't give me everything I am asking for, and I consider myself pretty reasonable, usually, they at least try as best they can.

This. It's much more unlikely that people are reporting the good experiences, and even the ones where staff are exceptional and go above and beyond, whereas some will complain at the first hint that something isn't 100% proper. Or in some cases, they complain when they know they are in the wrong, but an employee doesn't go out of the way to break the rules for them (I.e. Threads where people know they arrived X minutes passed the check in cutoff, and they know it's their fault, but are still upset when an agent won't check them in).

seat38a

The problem with lounge access seems to be at ALL lounges worldwide. I can't remember the last time I didn't see a group of people whipping out every card in their wallet to see if one of them lets them in.

Lani1

Lol I have 6 segments this week,come join me and I will show you