My friend bumped his seat for a first class ticket, which later they took away. He wrote a letter to United, and I am posting it here below before he sends it to get any feedback.


United Airlines
P O Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666

United Airlines,

I am writing regarding my very bad experience during my trip last week to Tokyo Japan, in which I was lied to and cheated by your employees. I was booked on flight 6060 from San Diego (SAN) to Los Angeles (LAX) and then flight 891 from LAX to Tokyo (NRT) on January 13, 2007. Upon checking my luggage in San Diego, I learned that my flight was over-sold, although I had a confirmed seat on the aircraft. Your ticket agent then proceeds to make me an offer in hopes that I would give up my confirmed seat. She offered me a First Class ticket from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo and a free round trip ticket anywhere in the United States, if I agreed to postpone my travels by a few hours and fly through San Francisco (SFO).

I finally agreed to give up my seat after ensuring that I would receive a confirmed First Class ticket to Tokyo. I would not have not have agreed to give up my seat and change my international travel plans for only a Business Class upgrade, but I thought it would be worth it for the offered First Class ticket. I then went about changing my arrival plans and personalized ground transportation in Tokyo, to accommodate my new, later arrival time.

After waiting the additional two hours in San Diego, I began my rerouted trip through SFO, satisfied that the hassle was worth the First Class ticket. Upon my arrival in SFO, my trip immediately soured. I was informed by Mrs. xxxxx xxxxxx, United receptionist in the First Class Lounge, that I was improperly ticketed in the First Class cabin. She explained that it is United’s policy to only offer one upgrade, and that my upgrade to First Class was essentially a double upgrade which is not permitted. I proceeded to explain that the ticket agent in SAN had explicitly offered and issued me a First Class ticket in return for giving up my seat on the previous flight. She then placed a call to her manager and the SAN Service Director. Following those conversations, I was told that the ticket agent in SAN was not authorized to issue me a First Class ticket, and that I was not permitted to fly in the First Class cabin and would have to settle with Business Class.

At this point, I had extreme feelings of being frustrated, taken advantage of, and cheated. I feel as if I was swindled and given the old bait-and-switch routine. I have been a United Airlines Mileage Plus member for more than 8 years. I have recently begun traveling regularly to Asia and earned Premier status in 2006 and was looking forward to quickly earning Premier Executive status followed by 1K status this year during all my upcoming travel. Until now, I have always enjoyed flying United, but if your employees can not be trusted and make promises they cannot keep, I will start looking to fly other airlines which will treat me with respect as a valued customer and frequent flier.

Enclosed you will find a copy of my First Class boarding pass which I was issued in SAN and then was summarily cancelled upon my arrival to SFO. I expect to hear back from you expeditiously regarding how your company will try to make right, this very wrong situation. Otherwise, I will look to book all my future, scheduled international and domestic travel for myself and my business associates on American or Delta airlines.


A cheated customer,



Mr. xxxxx XXXXXXXX
Mileage Plus # xxxxxxxxxx



Copy to:

Federal Aviation Administration
Better Business Bureau


OK, here are my thoughts. He got pretty good deal in the first place - free roundtrip domestic plus Business upgrade. However, they outright screwed him by issuing the First Class then taking it away. That is ridiculous. He argues he took the deal ONLY because of First Class. See, he can fly domestically for free via military, so that ticket was no incentive. Basically he feels lied to. What do you all think? Anyone specifically he should send this too, or changes he should make?

Thanks for any and all advice and tips.