From 1985 until 1999 I was a United FF out of Denver--consistently Platinum and occasionally 1K. At the time (before the capabilities of the Internet that we now take for granted) there was a United ticket office at the Southwest Plaza in Littleton, Colorado that I regularly used. Like so many other things from the past (thinkthe "Cheers" bar), you got to know everyone there on a first-name basis and they greeted me the same way on every visit. At the time there was a stand-alone software tool, "United Connections," that used modem "dial-up" access to book reservations. Its major limitation was that you could not ticket the reservation you just made. To do that, I had to go to the "city ticket office" or go to the airport. The staff there was truly wonderful--calling them customer-focused would be an gross understatement. When I needed an award ticket I received truly personal service. I'm sure that because of the frequency with which I visited the office, more than a few unwritten rules were bent--if not outright broken. I miss the both service and the convenience.
The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end that's all there is. — Mr. Carson (Downton Abbey)