Originally Posted by
davidsfo
UA gave out $20 dinner vouchers in YVR last week for the cancellation of an SFO flight. It was weird; some CSR's gave out the dinner voucher (along with the hotel voucher - it was a crew related cancellation) and others didn't. The whole episode was handled very poorly by UA's ground staff in YVR. Everyone from the CSR's to the FA's were saying that UA is stretched to the breaking point and customers should be prepared for lousy service.
I think many elites, and non-elites, will soon be joining the folks over at WN and JetBlue if this continues. The ever lasting quest of the elites for an F upgraded seat just isn't going to be worth it if UA continues this downward trend.
After seven years since my last UA flight I went to Chicago to join my friend for a few days. I traded for an e-voucher on CC and the non-stop OMA-ORD was uneventful. My friend gifted me 3P and I enjoyed row 5 E+.
June 16th was my return. There was a minor schedule change e-mailed to me about six weeks out. No problem. I go to OLCI the night of the 15th but it tells me I have to call UA because of the schedule change. What a load of crap...print my bloody BP, you idiots.
So after being in the holding queue for approximately 42 minutes RA fixes the problem so I then have to go back down to the lobby to print the BP. Okay, fine.
I arrive at the airport about 1.5 hours early and sit at the gate. When the GAs arrive they announce an equipment downsize and that they need several volunteers. I ask them what they are offering. She tells me what the 'protection' is. I specifically ask about a meal voucher because the option I take is four hour wait then connection to YX in MKE because I have to be home that night for morning meeting. In hindsight, I should have taken the hotel room they were offering and took the first flight next day. She offers RT ticket and I ask about a travel voucher. She says $400 and I ask if it is good on INTL; she says any UA metal. Fine, give me the voucher, please.
So I give up my seat and after they close the flight another GA shows up and first lady gives my info to her to finish reboooking me and getting my vouchers. So I am given all of this stuff and it is explained to me. I am actually given four (4) $100 vouchers that must be redeemed at the airport. I'm on a bloody e-ticket. Why doesn't this stinking excuse for an airline do e-vouchers like most other carriers? NW puts them right in my WP account so I don't even have to have the paper receipt in my hand when I go to redeem them. I ask if they can be used together and am told yes. They are numbered 1-of-4, etc. so maybe I'm ok but as I later read the small print it says they cannot be combined. So I really don't know. Thought MAYBE I would use them to go to SIN Do but now I'm thinking CC.
But then comes the kicker. Where is my meal voucher? She tells me that UA only gives meal vouchers for 1Ks now. I tell her I specifically asked and was told I would get a meal voucher BEFORE giving up my seat. Her first response was tough; after I pressed she told me to get one from GA when I arrived MKE. I get to MKE and the guy said he would if he could but he couldn't even access the flight record, that he would need to do that to give me a voucher.
So I was either lied to or misled (what's the real difference I don't know) and remembered why I haven't flew UA in over seven years.
You people may like your dysfunctional excuse for an airline but I'm sticking with what works for me. I'd drive the 450 miles to Chicago before I'd take this stinking airline again.