stevenshev

Oh dear, I'm going to have to make a disparaging comment, which pains me, seeing as your trip report was one of the best I've read in a long time.

1) It was uncalled for and inappropriate for you to ask for a Skykit in hopes of getting $200 for a lack of kirs royaux on board. You must be kidding.

2) You were not in fact entitled to drink chits at the LAX RCC, though the agent was not very friendly about it.

Besides that, awesome report, sorry about the Lobster Thermidor, and about the unfriendlies you encountered along the way.

alliance

No worries - and thanks.

The purser and I had previously had quite an extensive chat about how inconsistent product is the bane of UA and he made a direct reference that this was yet another example and so I responded by jokingly asking for one and he gave me one with a comment along the lines of if nothing is done UA won't ever change. Do I think that no kir royal warrants me getting a $200 voucher? Of course not. (I haven't sent it in yet, so don't know if it will be $200 or not.) Do I think UA should have consistent F product, especially on their ps service? Yes. So, do I feel bad that I got one for this? No.



49NS/ * * STAR GOLD ACCESS - OA STAR ALLIANCE CUSTOMERS * *
50NS/ STAR GOLD CUSTOMERS `EXCEPT UA AND US AIR STAR GOLD)
51NS/ TRAVELING ON A SAME DAY STAR OPERATED FLIGHT
52NS/ HAVE ACCESS TO RED CARPET CLUB ON DAY OF TRAVEL
53NS/ CUSTOMER SHOULD PRESENT STAR GOLD CARD
54NS/ AND BOARDING PASS FOR STAR OPERATED FLIGHT
55NS/. * * SEE NOTE BELOW FOR UA AND US * *
56NS/ ** NOTE UA AND US STAR GOLD CUSTOMERS HAVE ACCESS
57NS/ ONLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL* * *
58NS/ GUESTS MUST ENTER THE LOUNGES WITH AN ELIGIBLE
59NS/ STAR ALLIANCE GOLD MEMBER AND MUST DEPART ON A
60NS/ STAR ALLIANCE MEMBER AIRLINE BUT MAY TRAVEL ON A
61NS/ DIFFERENT FLIGHT.
62NS/ TWO DRINK CHITS SHOULD BE PROVIDED AT GATEWAY TO
63NS/ *TRANSOCEANIC* TRAVELERS ONLY
64NS/ ALL CARD HOLDERS AND GUESTS SHOULD BE TRACKED

and:

* * * UA AND STAR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS * * *
UNITED FIRST INTERNATIONAL AT ALL CLUBS ON SAME-DAY
TRAVEL... ONE GUEST ALLOWED... TWO DRINK CHITS SHOULD
BE PROVIDED AT THE GATEWAY.
UNITED BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL AT ALL CLUBS ON SAME-DAY
TRAVEL... NO GUESTS ALLOWED... TWO DRINK CHITS SHOULD
BE PROVIDED AT GATEWAY.

Thanks. There is more to come... hopefully in the next day or two.

plat

great TR, love the camera work ^

stevenshev

Lucky and I were discussing this last night. Unfortunately, though I see where you're coming from, you're not reading this correctly. Let me highlight the parts you should be reading.

I assure you that you are not meant to get drink chits, and it is certainly understandable that the matron would deny you thise, but her conduct was still completely inappropriate, though you may have reacted the same way if someone was pushing you for something they thought they were entitled to, but weren't in fact.

Also, I appreciate your point about the Skykits, and that United service is inconsistent. That doens't mean that Skykits are the most appropriate way to solve the issue. You're not meant to ask for Skykits, they're supposed to be given to you when the purser decides that there is a gap in service. United is very, very good about giving these out, but asking for them for small problems is, IMHO, an abuse of the system, whereas you should just be calling/writing to customer relations with your small issues.

alliance

I think I see what you are trying to argue under the FIRST/BUSINESS section - because it says United First / United Business instead of just First / Business. If you read that policy literally, I would tend to agree with you.

But if you read it that way... why would that section be titled UA and STAR International if it only applied to United flights? And if it was the case that only United First and United Business customers were allowed access as you are reading it, then how would other star alliance first and business passengers be granted access to the RCC? This is the section that grants *A F/C passengers RCC access, is it not?

As a 1K on a *A flight, I also don't see how the *G policy would not apply to my situation. I also don't understand how the guest part of the policy applies here.

sithlord

very uncanadian to question policies to alliance concerning star alliance because he is, well alliance. my laptop caplock is broken henceforth the lack of caps.

alliance

After discussion in the UA forum, it was agreed that I should have got 2 chits at the LAX RCC.

alliance

I had some excitement this week which prevented me from working on the next update... but don't worry, it's coming.

FourWheels

Finally home from my February "run" and got caught up on your adventure. Thanks for the laughs! I'm bookmarking this thread under my reference tools. Looking forward to each upcoming installment.

alliance

Outstanding... hope you had a great time on your own adventure. I hope you can make the upcoming SFO dinner...

FourWheels

Hmmmm, I'm supposed to connect through SFO twice on 4/28 and I just put an itin on hold. Am thinking how I can swing the DO without add'l $$$ and sacrificing 1,000 EQM.

lucky9876coins

Hmm, you wanna PM me your entire routing and maybe we can work something out?

alliance

1000 extra EQMs on UA is EASY - just pm luck9876coins or me for more info.

FourWheels

PM'd lucky earlier. Now you've got email.

lucky9876coins

The suspense is killing me!