Update: I was able to redeem my coupon for 3000 miles, but not my husband's, so yesterday I wrote United "
[email protected]" and copied Jeff Smisek, having found his email on the board here.
Today, I received a reply on behalf of Mr. Smisek. I must say, this is impressive. UA is trying. See below. The only unknown at this is whether both my husband and I will get the miles or just one of us.
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9/27/2012
Subject: I'm the sucker who paid for two business first tickets
Re: An extremely uncomfortable flight on UA 903 MUC-IAD, Sept 23, 2012
BDXXXXX profhoff
BDXXXXX hubby
Dear United Airlines:
My husband and I paid around $15,000 for two business first tickets and both seats were broken. Also, my tray table was broken. An equipment change meant we had the old 777. A flight attendant told us you are not bothering to fix the seats or anything else on the old configurations anymore.
I wasn’t able to use my tray table for snacks, drinks or work. We weren’t able to relax, let alone sleep, for the 9+ hours of the flight. This was frustrating considering we paid a lot of real money for lie-flat business first seats in the reconfigured 777 (we researched which flight to take). In addition, because of the equipment change, we weren’t able to plug in our computers.
The flight attendant gave us “appreciation coupons” and I was able to redeem mine (for a paltry 3000 miles – seriously?), but when my husband tried to redeem his coupon, he kept getting an error (see below). So apparently, even your website is broken and not being updated.
There has been an error processing your request. Please try your request again, or contact us at
www.united.com/feedback.
We’re only United Silver, but based on the awful flight last week, and the poor response to our experience, we’re now seriously considering switching to Delta – gaining the same elite status through a challenge and signing up for their AMEX credit card to maintain status.
I think United needs to do more to satisfy passengers like me and my husband. We may not be Global Services, but we’re professionals who pay real money for our premium seats, value positive service, and share our experiences with our friends and colleagues.
Best regards,
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9/28/2012
Subject: United Airlines
Dear Mrs. profhoff:
Thank you for contacting United Airlines. I am responding to your email on behalf of our CEO, Mr. Jeff Smisek.
The comfort of our passengers is a primary focus for us, and I truly regret you were disappointed in our service. Each aircraft adheres to a rigorous maintenance schedule to help ensure our customers enjoy safe and comfortable travel.
I will include your comments in our monthly Customer Care report. The report will be reviewed by our Technical Operations Team. I am confident necessary repairs will be made to your Business Class seats.
My apology cannot erase what happened, but I hope it helps to know we take your concerns very seriously and we are grateful for your business. As a gesture of our good will, I have requested 10,000 miles be credited to your MileagePlus account. Please allow 3 business days for processing.
We appreciate your business and look forward to welcoming you on board a future United Airlines flight.
Kind Regards,