(Domestic) Again, Elites sit in back, non-revs up front (fact)
Apr 19, 2009, 12:42 pm
#61
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
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And if you want anyone to get on an AA flight, you have to personally walk them over and stand there, forcing the issue of AA's acceptance of your customer.
Apr 19, 2009, 12:43 pm
#62
Join Date: Oct 2004
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J.Edward did you know that you can still have your e-tkt printed? The reason why we don't is that most airlines will not accept your printed ticket as routed if their aircraft/flight is not actually traveling with the same routing...So we don't send customers with paper tickets to other airlines and have to re-book and push the new e-tkt to the other airline.
So you see, we do the right things but get screwed by the other airlines, because they, the other airlines, refuse to follow the rules.
So you see, we do the right things but get screwed by the other airlines, because they, the other airlines, refuse to follow the rules.
I think it might be clearer if I pointed to a way to easily push a ticket from one carrier to another, regardless of the modus-operandi.
Apr 19, 2009, 12:45 pm
#63
Join Date: Oct 2004
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I suspect something will come of this, but to be fair, this is the weekend and there's a good change the powers that be within CO have not had a chance to follow up on the issue themselves.
Apr 19, 2009, 12:50 pm
#64
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Ok, now that's odd. UA rebookings to AA don't have this requirement. And AS rebooks to AA don't have this requirement. They just work.
Now I'm thinking there's something about what CO is doing that is different from other carriers.
I know when UA reissued me to UA connecting to CO, the UA agent said she was unable to get CO to accept the e-ticket (though they had my reservation). She then printed the CO segment to paper so we wouldn't have any problems.
In all the reissues UA has done (AA, NW, DL, CO), it was only CO that had the issue.
Maybe it's SHARES-related?
Apr 19, 2009, 12:51 pm
#65
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
Posts: 7,437
It's not that difficult to push a ticket to another airline, it's all the rebooking and fixing the ticket for the other airline to accept without them bouncing the customer back to you because they (the other airline) does not want to fix the ticket to be accepted into their system.
Apr 19, 2009, 12:56 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Posts: 449
The Gate Agent should be made an example of by being terminated (or at least demoted if termination is not possible) and the employees who knowingly took seats in FC in violation of the rules should be reprimanded. "I was only following orders" doesn't cut it.
Speaking for myself, if I don't have faith that Continental will live up to its end of the bargain then I will have no reason to fly them versus the other choices that I have out of DEN. I refuse to fly WN because I witnessed an employee blatantly disregard policy to my detriment, so I am very serious about this.
Scott, please look at this and let us know the upshot. Thank you.
Speaking for myself, if I don't have faith that Continental will live up to its end of the bargain then I will have no reason to fly them versus the other choices that I have out of DEN. I refuse to fly WN because I witnessed an employee blatantly disregard policy to my detriment, so I am very serious about this.
Scott, please look at this and let us know the upshot. Thank you.
Apr 19, 2009, 12:56 pm
#67
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I'm not following. Other carriers do this in less than a minute. What makes it so complicated at CO?
Apr 19, 2009, 12:58 pm
#68
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
Posts: 7,437
Ok, now that's odd. UA rebookings to AA don't have this requirement. And AS rebooks to AA don't have this requirement. They just work.
Now I'm thinking there's something about what CO is doing that is different from other carriers.
I know when UA reissued me to UA connecting to CO, the UA agent said she was unable to get CO to accept the e-ticket (though they had my reservation). She then printed the CO segment to paper so we wouldn't have any problems.
In all the reissues UA has done (AA, NW, DL, CO), it was only CO that had the issue.
Maybe it's SHARES-related?
Now I'm thinking there's something about what CO is doing that is different from other carriers.
I know when UA reissued me to UA connecting to CO, the UA agent said she was unable to get CO to accept the e-ticket (though they had my reservation). She then printed the CO segment to paper so we wouldn't have any problems.
In all the reissues UA has done (AA, NW, DL, CO), it was only CO that had the issue.
Maybe it's SHARES-related?
Yeah, it could be a SHAREs thing but I'm not an IT person. We sometimes have problems pushing tickets to them as well.
Apr 19, 2009, 1:04 pm
#69
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
Posts: 7,437
The reissuing step is where most agents get screwed up unless they ticket alot.
Apr 19, 2009, 2:10 pm
#70
Join Date: May 2008
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Are you IAH, EWR or CLE based? If so, you're SOL! CO knows that, so be a good sheep and get back into line. Oh, btw, do you know what BOHICA stands for? 
But seriously, OnePass was never on the level of the UA/AA, and arguably DL, as it does not need to be. CO's got you by sheer virtue of EWR, why would they want to compete for you on the basis of loyalty when they've got you hook, line and sinker with their schedule?
Look, with *G presumably coming to CO Golds why consider Plat? It's one of the weakest top-tier status out there. Afterall, what does it get you? The ability to have your EUR fail to clear 5 days, instead of 3 and reduced fees. <shrug>
While I personally would do a run to go from Silver >>> Gold, I doubt I'd do one to take me from Gold >>> Plat as I just really don't see the advantage as justifying the cost. But CopperSteve, you might want to keep your eyes on the MR forum as occasional CO (and others) post deals that are just too good to pass up.
But seriously, OnePass was never on the level of the UA/AA, and arguably DL, as it does not need to be. CO's got you by sheer virtue of EWR, why would they want to compete for you on the basis of loyalty when they've got you hook, line and sinker with their schedule?
Look, with *G presumably coming to CO Golds why consider Plat? It's one of the weakest top-tier status out there. Afterall, what does it get you? The ability to have your EUR fail to clear 5 days, instead of 3 and reduced fees. <shrug>
While I personally would do a run to go from Silver >>> Gold, I doubt I'd do one to take me from Gold >>> Plat as I just really don't see the advantage as justifying the cost. But CopperSteve, you might want to keep your eyes on the MR forum as occasional CO (and others) post deals that are just too good to pass up.
). As for BOHICA, I will refrain from picking up the soap.
Apr 19, 2009, 3:23 pm
#71
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If there is a situation that warrants follow-up it happens. I've yet to see an incident in the past 3 years where that wasn't the case. Suggesting that CO is asleep at the wheel because the folks who do that follow-up are actually enjoying their weekend and not working is just plain ridiculous. Doubly so when you consider that many of those folks went out to dinner with FTers last night just for fun.
Apr 19, 2009, 3:27 pm
#72
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That's a very good point ^ and something that I think you and I hold differing opinions on.
I'd argue discretion should be pushed out to the front line employees. An empowered agent, FA, GA (sfogate, pptp, etc.) who knows the system, the company and what's feasible for the customer should be given the authority to make whatever calls needed. However at the same time I'd also suggest that with a greater degree of freedom a greater extent of transparency is required for all parties involved (PDA site, internal documentation, etc.)
I'd argue discretion should be pushed out to the front line employees. An empowered agent, FA, GA (sfogate, pptp, etc.) who knows the system, the company and what's feasible for the customer should be given the authority to make whatever calls needed. However at the same time I'd also suggest that with a greater degree of freedom a greater extent of transparency is required for all parties involved (PDA site, internal documentation, etc.)
I do think that the front line employees should be empowered to fix problems and make things "right" for customers. But I also believe in starting from the formal rule book and working backwards from there to loosen things up. I also believe in not going ballistic on the agent if they decide not to issue a waiver in a particular instance - whatever their reasoning - as they are starting from the correct place.
Most of all, however, I believe in appropriate punishment for agents who abuse the system, as it appears happened in this case. That is absolutely a necessary part of allowing latitude to the agents. Of course, it also means establishing an enforcement squad and then making sure that they are following rules, etc. but that is part of the cost of doing business.
Apr 19, 2009, 3:51 pm
#73
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: 30 minutes south of EWR
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Why do the majority of CO Elites with an easy choice of alternative carriers choose CO for their travel (even when other carriers offer lower fares or better routings)?
It's because of the upgrades - free, unlimited, space-available domestic upgrades. Take that away, and the key value proposition of CO from the customer's perspective is wiped away - there is nothing to differentiate CO from DL, UA, AA, B6, WN or anyone else.
+1
Apr 19, 2009, 4:39 pm
#74
Company Representative, United Airlines
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
We're on it.
Thanks CO_Nonrev_elite for the details. As you would expect, we will be following up on this.
Upgrade integrity is something we take very seriously. While transparency tools such as continental.com/info and our new gate information displays (GIDs) go a long way to show this commitment, we still make mistakes. And when this happens, well take the necessary steps to address it.
Upgrade integrity is something we take very seriously. While transparency tools such as continental.com/info and our new gate information displays (GIDs) go a long way to show this commitment, we still make mistakes. And when this happens, well take the necessary steps to address it.
Apr 19, 2009, 4:47 pm
#75
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Good thread made better by multiple use of the word 'shenanigans'.
Yes!
Yes!