iluv2fly

The majority are great. After 10 years, I recognize the voices and the names of many of them and know if the experience will be great or just ordinary. There are few times that I have done the hang up and call back routine.

For the record, the GS agents at Dearborn go by the book. They know the rules and don't veer from them. If you call 3 hours and 15 minutes for the same-day change, they tell you to call back in 15 minutes. Waive the $150 fee? Ain't gonna happen. But all that negative is wiped out by the service and perks you get from being GS, irregular ops handling (IMHO), probably being the best.

pdx1M

I actually don't have a problem with the policy of not waitlisting. Upgrading an award is really beyond what should be expected from the program, especially since you can get upgrade space converted to award space. By not waitlisting they essentially say they are willing to upgrade a GS award ticket if there is space but not ahead of a revenue passenger wanting to get that same upgrade. I.e., if there are revenue tickets waitlisted and IM adds upgrade space then all those have to clear first and then if there is still upgrade space, the GS award gets upgraded. Seems reasonable to me as a GS from day 1 of the program. I will grant that you could automate this and allow a GS to waitlist at priority lower than any revenue ticket but I am guessing the system couldn't do that and adding it for such a corner case wasn't worth it so they just said no waitlisting.

1015-1k

Your logic doesn't hold in the era of UDU. There will always (>95% of the time) be a full first class, meaning many, many elites wanting to get an upgrade. If I call in at 120 hrs prior, I can snag the XF/NF space available, thus beating all the other elites wanting upgrades. In the case that no space exists at that time or I purchase an award flight within a closer timeframe, I am prioritized lower. In either case there are still the same number of elites wanting/expecting to be upgraded. In one case, I get the upgrade. In the other, I don't.

IM does not necessarily relate to demand for upgrade space, but rather hopes for revenue purchases. This seems to be an arbitrary rule set simply to say that GS won't always trump other elites.

I agree with you that if UA really wanted to prioritize GS upgrades lower on award flights they should simply find a way to do that in the automated waitlist. Otherwise, don't state it as benefit and I wouldn't be griping. Another option is to just make all elites eligible for UDU on award flights. I would have no problem with that. (Award flights are still essentially purchases and I doubt many use miles for domestic first awards anyhow, so not much loss there).

pdx1M

You're right on UDUs in the time interval between 120 and whatever the 1K window is. I was mostly thinking about SWUs and CR-1s. I still think that was what mostly drove their thinking and given that they didn't want to pay the price of automating all this for the pretty rare case that it is (limited number of GS and even fewer trying to upgrade awards at any given time) they just made the policy blanket.

Skacorica

I have to say, I have had a great experience with all the GS agents, save for one. She sounds a bit - southern and she is grouchy and just generally miserable to talk to. I am going to start hanging up when she answers and just calling back.

iluv2fly

I think I actually had the same one a few nights ago. I ended up telling her that I didn't want to talk to her any longer and to get her supervisor. Supervisor was awesome and we worked out what the original agent didn't want to even attempt. And I very rarely ask for a supe on the GS line anymore.

Rpcfly

This just shouldn't be happening period. Perhaps a little "retraining" in the art of customer service should be in order. It's not like we're needy or anything but I just can't understand treating your heavy $$ spenders this way.

pdx1M

I find pretty much all the agents are great but on balance I have particularly good luck when I get the Honolulu ones - maybe its the weather! I have noticed that on occasion if I have to wait I get a different "all of our agents are busy . . ." message that doesn't mention "helping other *GLOBAL SERVICES* customers" - just says "customers". Not sure what the phone routing is doing but I have generally opted to hang up and redial when I get it since it sometimes seems like it spills me to slightly less good agents.

SportsTech

I hang up and call back whenever Ms Smith answers unless the only thing I need is a seat assignment...

iluv2fly

Great agent yesterday.

Going ORD-LGA at 7 pm. Looking out window and see the snow starting to fall. Go on .bomb and see two afternoon flights were already cancelled. Will I get to NYC?

Call GS line. Nice agent put me on 4 pm flight. He said that F is sold out all day, but you never know. Put me on the upgrade list. Three hours before flight, when I thought I was receiving my sleazy update, it was my upgrade clearing. Excellent. My flight was only an hour late, waiting for a third crew member.

My original 7 pm was three hours late - it just landed at LGA. It's nice to be in my cozy suite at the Hyatt right now instead of waiting in line for a taxi in the cold.

Ari

Silly question: Why not assign the seat online?

1015-1k

Any idea how big the pool of GS phone agents is at any given time? Often I feel it is not that big, which typically deters me from the immediate hang-up-and-call-back routine.

SportsTech

Good question; simple answer is, I have a Blackberry...and the UA app is almost useless for checking flight status, let alone actually doing anything with flights or seat assignments. If I'm on the road, it's easier to call the GS line than it is to dig out my laptop and 3G card.

Skacorica

Ha! I just did that yesterday when I called to arrange some travel for my wife to come meet me. Glad I did, the gentleman that helped me was terrific.

goingbananas

It was probably Bob Mc...or Cedric.