Originally Posted by
rmadisonwi
Shortly after that, those kiosks disappeared. And now, some years later, the feature has returned, in app form.
One of my only post-merger (pre-integration) experiences with the old United was when I showed up in Orlando [IIRC] and my bag didn't. As I walked through the door to the baggage service office, before I could say anything the customer 'service' agent said "You gotta use the kiosk, I can't do nothin'" ... then lead me out of the baggage service office, punched in my details on a kiosk where the kiosk responded: "Please see a United Airlines representative for assistance" -- the two stared each other down for a good 45 seconds before she said "I...ugh....go see Continental." and went back to her stool.
(I detest kiosks being the only avenue for customer service so this rubbed me the wrong way)
Originally Posted by
phltraveler
You know how it is at airports where United isn't the hub... it's always blank (or almost always) for the baggage carousel in the app.
Yep, incidentally, it's always populated for my connection (hub) but never for my actual destination. I asked at a baggage service office a while ago and was told that it was an "IT Issue" and they have no idea where that information comes from/how to get it to the app (though the first agent didn't even know it was in the app to begin with)
Originally Posted by
azepine00
Hmmm lets say you notice mid-flight that your bags are heading in the opposite direction, or as doors close you see that your bag is not loaded..
there is almost nothing you can do other than stressing out for hours..
There's plenty I can do, for one not standing around wasting time at the belt for a bag I know will never come (MSP is awful for this -- priority bags are always the last out after an eternal wait and I'm at about a 20% miss rate) -- I can research options for interim clothing and/or look at the other flights to try to guess when my bag is likely to arrive. In one case, waiting the 40 minutes for a bag that never came meant that I just missed closing time for the local department stores (and as last flight of the night, my bag wouldn't be showing up until sometime the next morning); had I known that my bag wasn't coming, I would have hopped right in a car, done some quick shopping, and had fresh clothes for meeting my client the next day (instead of apologizing for showing up in jeans and slightly ruffled -- at least I'm on good terms with that client)
Originally Posted by
Kacee
I'd much rather be informed in advance that my bag didn't make it than only find out after waiting all the way to "last bag" at the carousel. Not only did I just save 40 minutes of pointless waiting, good chance I'll beat the crowd to the baggage services office.
Yep. There have been some close connections/weather irrops were I'm finally getting "wherever" late at night, usually coming home, and my first stop has been the BSO to ask if I should bother waiting around (about 50/50) -- this way I can make that decision without bugging someone.