Not quite sure why it's taken a long time for United to roll out a sleek, modern website. The current website is just awful and uninspiring. I would venture to say it's probably the worst compared to the other large legacy airlines in the USA.
AA was able to get theirs done very quickly. This is probably their second redo in the span of three years. This new look is very good.
Does United have a timeframe on when they are rolling out a website that can out do all the other guys?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phatom701
Not quite sure why it's taken a long time for United to roll out a sleek, modern website. The current website is just awful and uninspiring. I would venture to say it's probably the worst compared to the other large legacy airlines in the USA.
AA was able to get theirs done very quickly. This is probably their second redo in the span of three years. This new look is very good.
Does United have a timeframe on when they are rolling out a website that can out do all the other guys?
I completely disagree. United's website is quite functional - certainly moreso than pmUA.
If you want bad, try US Scareways sometime or Delta's website. Both make United.com look great.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmurphynj
I completely disagree. United's website is quite functional - certainly moreso than pmUA.
If you want bad, try US Scareways sometime or Delta's website. Both make United.com look great.
+1
I had to fly US Scareways a couple times last year and their website is totally horrid on the basic things. Good like trying to deal with your reservation (like changing seats) or try to find out where your plane is 3 hrs before your flight.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phatom701
Not quite sure why it's taken a long time for United to roll out a sleek, modern website. The current website is just awful and uninspiring. I would venture to say it's probably the worst compared to the other large legacy airlines in the USA.
AA was able to get theirs done very quickly. This is probably their second redo in the span of three years. This new look is very good.
Does United have a timeframe on when they are rolling out a website that can out do all the other guys?
When I was talking to the customer experience person at SMD4, they said probably later half of 2013.
I tried using the new AA website and I couldn't even use a simple function like sort by price. There are plenty of complaints over on the AA forum so it isn't all great.
Last edited by luv2ctheworld; Jan 18, 13 at 7:22 pm..
Reason: Speech to text doesn't work so great..
UA has much more fundamental IT issues to address. Too many stories here of issues which all look to me to be the signs of a very brittle, poorly tested pile of software.
Here are some IT issues I've read about here in the past few weeks that I can recollect straight from memory:
Having to stop posting miles for several days because of unexplained issues
Two years in a row of many people getting the "wrong" higher status for several days at the turn of the year
Changing and missing and inexplicable seat assignment snafus
Running promotions, awarding miles, and then clawing them back because the wrong number was posted
The infamous 4-miles to HKG in GlobalFirst debacle
Being unable to print out an acceptable boarding pass
Stuck CPU processing (was this ever working properly? Will it ever? Will UA ever come clean?)
Numerous reports of issues actually ticketing award travel on partner airlines, and then not owning the problem
A new web site would be the classic example of lipstick on a pig.
They may own SHARES and avoid paying any royalties to anyone for something better, and think it saves them money, but I really do wonder. The bug fix costs must be enormous, and the hundreds of additional call center staff to field the complaints ain't free either.
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Compared with DL's website, I'm thrilled with UA's website. Their transparent award search engine actually works -- on DL, it's broken in so many ways. Nor can one upgrade DL flights online, view upgrade (R) inventory, etc.
Honestly, I don't care if a website looks like it was designed in 1990, 2000, or 2015. Functionality is what counts -- everything else is just lipstick that sometimes just gets in the way.
My key issue here is, if AA.com can quickly make their website looks good and do so twice in the span of two/three years, what's going on with United.com.
The functionality of AA.com is simple to understand for most users. I haven't fully exercised all the functionality on AA.com yet. But needless to say AA.com brings out the modern simple design language similar to Apple.
United.com might be more functional but it sure looks very dated. I keep thinking this is a website that's designed with a bunch of engineers instead of really hiring the best graphics and usability experts to help develop it.
Let's hope the new website will come sooner. The one good thing is, hub.united.com is a step in that right direction.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phatom701
My key issue here is, if AA.com can quickly make their website looks good and do so twice in the span of two/three years, what's going on with United.com.
If you have to redesign your website every year, you're doing it wrong.
Frankly, a VT100 interface would be fine for me, so long as it's functional.
AA New Website So Much Better than UA
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