I have been a Global Services member for 5 years, and a mostly very, very happy one. I've been treated like a king, met at late-arriving flights and personally escorted through hidden doorways at airports and across tarmacs in cars when connections are tight, and so forth. I am sure they have held at least two international flights for me to arrive, as I was escorted to the aircraft, door slams, and it starts backing away from the gate before I even buckle my seat belt. Even a flight attendant said "You must be very important for them to hold us."
However, my three most recent international flights in business or first class have all had problems that were, in my opinion, worth complaining about.
1. Business class to ***, my seat was broken. I filled out the online customer service form, and was awarded $300 travel credit.
2. In first class to *** two weeks later (paid upgrade from Z fare business class), my seat's entertainment complex didn't work, which made for a long flight. I again filled out the online customer service form, and was awarded a couple hundred dollars travel credit.
3. Finally I was in business class (full fare), flight is several hours late taking off due to a mechanical problem, causing me to miss all my connections and get home a day later than planned. OK, these things happen, but to top it off, when I go to board my flight home to *** the next day, an alarm went off when I scanned my boarding pass and everyone stares as I am pulled aside for not having a valid boarding pass. SHARES had cancelled the rest of my itinerary. Instead of being the first person to board the aircraft (I was at the head of the line) I became the last, as two agents tried for 15 minutes to figure out what was going on. The aircraft's door was closing when they finally figured it out and let me on board.
I hate to complain so much but these are valid, I think. My question is, will it hurt my Global Services membership to complain repeatedly? Will I get flagged as a crank and complainer, someone to not invite back into GS membership 2013? Or will it help, they'll feel sorry for me and try to treat me better in the future? I've flown roughly 92,000 full fare miles this year.
Last edited by Chevelter; Dec 10, 12 at 6:56 am..
Reason: Corrected spelling
I have been a Global Services member for 5 years, and a mostly very, very happy one. I've been treated like a king, met at late-arriving flights and personally escorted through hidden doorways at airports and across tarmacs in cars when connections are tight, and so forth. I am sure they have held at least two international flights for me to arrive, as I was escorted to the aircraft, door slams, and it starts backing away from the gate before I even buckle my seat belt. Even a flight attendant said "You must be very important for them to hold us."
However, my three most recent international flights in business or first class have all had problems that were, in my opinion, worth complaining about.
1. Business class to ***, my seat was broken. I filled out the online customer service form, and was awarded $300 travel credit.
2. In first class to *** two weeks later (paid upgrade from Z fare business class), my seat's entertainment complex didn't work, which made for a long flight. I again filled out the online customer service form, and was awarded a couple hundred dollars travel credit.
3. Finally I was in business class (full fare), flight is several hours late taking off due to a mechanical problem, causing me to miss all my connections and get home a day later than planned. OK, these things happen, but to top it off, when I go to board my flight home to *** the next day, an alarm went off when I scanned my boarding pass and everyone stares as I am pulled aside for not having a valid boarding pass. SHARES had cancelled the rest of my itinerary. Instead of being the first person to board the aircraft (I was at the head of the line) I became the last, as two agents tried for 15 minutes to figure out what was going on. The aircraft's door was closing when they finally figured it out and let me on board.
I hate to complain so much but these are valid, I think. My question is, will it hurt my Global Services membership to complain repeatedly? Will I get flagged as a crank and complainer, someone to not invite back into GS membership 2013? Or will it help, they'll feel sorry for me and try to treat me better in the future? I've flown roughly 92,000 full fare miles this year.
The factor that matters is revenue, not distance flown
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The factor that matters is revenue, not distance flown
92,000 full fare miles - as the OP says - with Business class paid tickets most likely gets him to the GS threshold;
By the way, you need to be 1K in order to be considered for GS
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keisari
92,000 full fare miles - as the OP says - with Business class paid tickets most likely gets him to the GS threshold;
By the way, you need to be 1K in order to be considered for GS
I'm nowhere near GS territory, but I'm pretty sure that GS did not require 1K status, but rather that GS provided 1K status.
Also, 92,000 full-fare miles (if BIS) would make one 1K, but 92,000 PQMs would not.
The factor that matters is revenue, not distance flown
Yes, I think that is more important, but in previous years GS members have reported receiving emails saying that they were a bit short for renewal, but that if they flew 50,000 or 75,000 total full fare miles for the year (different members got different figures quoted depending on where they were at, mileage-wise) that their membership would be a guaranteed renewal.
My spend $100G, give or take a bit, for the year. I fly a lot of non-full-fare (domestic) miles, too, so am well into 1K territory on that count, but I have read that one does not have to be 1K to be GS.
I hate to complain so much but these are valid, I think. My question is, will it hurt my Global Services membership to complain repeatedly? Will I get flagged as a crank and complainer, someone to not invite back into GS membership 2013? Or will it help, they'll feel sorry for me and try to treat me better in the future? I've flown roughly 92,000 full fare miles this year.
Probably won't hurt a GS to complain too much as they really like your $$$!
It's up to you if you feel that a broken seat or entertainment center is cause for an e-mail or letter to GS. There is not going to be anyone up the ladder that is going to excommunicate you from the GS program for complaining about broken stuff and receiving vouchers for your inconvenience. IMO, it's up to you how important these e-cert's are and if you truly deserve them. As you mentioned, they are continually jumping through hoops for you, and a few hick-ups once in a while are to be expected especially if you're flying a lot. You can pretty much bet that there is a complete history, in your GS record and EVERY movement, transaction, and inconvenience, pertaining to you has been noted somewhere in your profile! Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but you need to be the one to decide what is really a cause for a complaint vs an occasional thank you for "The Extra Mile" that you are graciously shown over & over!
... you need to be the one to decide what is really a cause for a complaint vs an occasional thank you for "The Extra Mile" that you are graciously shown over & over!
Excellent perspective and advice. I will be more attentive to sending thank-yous also.
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If they are legitimate complaints that are clearly documented by you (and the crew) it won't hurt your GS standing.
If they are more soft complaints ("I don't like the new paint scheme and therefore I demand excessive compensation") or items you bring upon yourself ("I gorged on club cheese and that made me really gassy") or if they feel you're trying to game the system ("I don't like that there are no longer tooth picks offered. What else am I supposed to jam into the headphone jack to break them so I can complain") then UA might not want to keep you as a customer.
As ludicrous as all of those things are in my horrible run-on sentence above, they're all sadly true. Don't believe me? Read FT.
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I am a GS and consider it almost a duty to keep UA abreast of my thoughts on their product. Occasionally that involves complaints though I keep many of those to myself. But when I get good service I make use of the GTEM and Recognition programs as much as possible. With the new app you can even scan employee IDs for the recognition program!
If one of my very best clients was fearful of telling me about decreasing service levels - I'd either very much want to know, or would have stopped caring a while ago.
In either case, would not see it as something you were doing wrong...
I too would not worry. I think the ONLY thing that complaining too much might do is reduce your chances at compensation. If you complain every flight that something is wrong with your seat, for example, you might not get much if any comp after the 3rd or 4th time in a row.
Totally beside the point, I do try to mix an equal amount of Rose letters (compliments for great crew service) with Onion letters (complaints). I do not feel this has any bearing on GS status, but it does have a bearing on people's careers so I want to be balanced.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keisari
92,000 full fare miles - as the OP says - with Business class paid tickets most likely gets him to the GS threshold;
By the way, you need to be 1K in order to be considered for GS
As someone else mentioned, not sure this is correct. I seem to recall hearing about folks being given GS even when just starting with UA as they were buying C/D fare biz class and/or full fair first. Certainly not right away, but after perhaps half a year of it on the way to over 100K BIS.
92,000 full fare miles - as the OP says - with Business class paid tickets most likely gets him to the GS threshold;
By the way, you need to be 1K in order to be considered for GS
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chevelter
Yes, I think that is more important, but in previous years GS members have reported receiving emails saying that they were a bit short for renewal, but that if they flew 50,000 or 75,000 total full fare miles for the year (different members got different figures quoted depending on where they were at, mileage-wise) that their membership would be a guaranteed renewal.
My spend $100G, give or take a bit, for the year. I fly a lot of non-full-fare (domestic) miles, too, so am well into 1K territory on that count, but I have read that one does not have to be 1K to be GS.
multiple examples posted on FT of folks getting GS with under 100K qualification miles. You get GS, you get 1K. Its all revenue. If you buy e.g. 4 15K RT GF seats (60K in revenue) and fly only 50-60K miles on those tickets, they in the PAST always would have given you GS. Not sure what they are doing now though.
As to the "fly 50/60/75K full fare and re-qualify" that offer was not made this year, unlike past years. So no one knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAN 1K
I am a GS and consider it almost a duty to keep UA abreast of my thoughts on their product. Occasionally that involves complaints though I keep many of those to myself. But when I get good service I make use of the GTEM and Recognition programs as much as possible. With the new app you can even scan employee IDs for the recognition program!
If they take off points for complaints, then no way I will get GS this year I've been kicked off upgrade lists so many times its not funny, I've had SHARES cancel my flights, I've had auto rebook take away my connection and shown up at the gate to catch my flight to have my boarding pass beep and hear "oh you are booked tomorrow am." I've had delays/cancellations/MXs that are too many to count. I've been mad about the crappy coffee, poor food, and low quality wine/booze. I've frozen in the summer in F on a CRJ700 and let them know that blankets are sort of mandatory in F on a 3 hour flight, even if its UX. I could go on.
And as someone else said, if they don't want to hear from folks playing $50K plus, then another airline will want the business.
92,000 full fare miles - as the OP says - with Business class paid tickets most likely gets him to the GS threshold; By the way, you need to be 1K in order to be considered for GS
not before the merger. I know someone who was elevated to GS long before she hit 1K.
I've been kicked off upgrade lists so many times its not funny, I've had SHARES cancel my flights, I've had auto rebook take away my connection and shown up at the gate to catch my flight to have my boarding pass beep and hear "oh you are booked tomorrow am." I've had delays/cancellations/MXs that are too many to count. I've been mad about the crappy coffee, poor food, and low quality wine/booze. I've frozen in the summer in F on a CRJ700 and let them know that blankets are sort of mandatory in F on a 3 hour flight, even if its UX. I could go on.
