Email: Progress update on our recent systems conversion
 

I just got this email from UA. (I don't see it posted yet in this forum).
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We continue to work hard to improve your customer experience

Dear tealeaf99,

Providing good customer service to you is our top priority. Our systems conversion last month caused inconvenience or problems for a number of our customers, and we apologize for any issues you may have experienced. Your feedback in person, online and by email has been helpful to us in guiding our response and priorities, and we thank you for it.

We are progressing steadily and have already resolved many of the issues. Some will take longer, and we are working hard to fix them as soon as possible. Today, we want to update you on our progress, and also let you know what's to come.

Progress in our Contact Centers
All of our contact center performance measures are steadily improving. On average, we are answering our Premier phone lines in less than a minute, which has been our goal. In addition, we are addressing our queues of customer emails and responding to pending inquiries.

We recognize there are still peak demand periods when our call wait times are too long. We continue to fix underlying issues and add resources, and are particularly focused on improving your interactions with our MileagePlus Service Center, Groups Desk and Travel Agency help desk.

Upgrades within 24 hours of departure
We understand the frustration that some of you have with being unable to request an upgrade within 24 hours of departure. Revising our systems to allow for this functionality is one of our top priority projects. It will take us several months to complete this important project, but we are committed to delivering on this for you.

Improving Complimentary Premier Upgrade processes
We have resolved many of the problems with our Complimentary Premier Upgrades system, and continue to refine our upgrade processes in order to be accurate and timely. If your flight is eligible for a Complimentary Premier Upgrade, be assured that we will automatically add you to the upgrade list. Once you have checked in for your flight, you can see where you are on the list by going to mobile.united.com or our mobile app.

As you view the upgrade list and the available seat map, please keep in mind that the number of open seats on the seat map is not an indication of how many seats are then for sale. In many cases, customers have confirmed reservations on a flight, but have not yet chosen their seat assignment.

Continuing to improve our upgrade procedures is a top priority. We understand that our members place a very high value on upgrades, and we do our best to accommodate as many people as possible, and in the proper order.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards
Star Alliance® Upgrade Awards are now bookable again on united.com. With the Star Alliance network, our members have seamless travel options that span the globe. With Star Alliance Upgrade Awards, you can explore the world in the comfort of a premium cabin. You'll enjoy priority check-in and lounge access, as well as a more personal level of service on board. Learn more about Star Alliance Upgrade Awards.

Remember that you can also use united.com to book Saver Awards on nearly every Star Alliance member airline. When you search for an award flight, we automatically include available Star Alliance carriers in the search results.

Reminder about Mileage Upgrade Award co-pays
If you request a Mileage Upgrade Award that includes a co-pay, please note that we will collect it at the time you request the award. If you are not successfully upgraded, we will refund the co-pay and recredit your miles for no fee. Learn more.

Mileage credit, mileage redeposits and refunds
Our systems conversion increased the amount of time required to credit accounts for flights and partner activity. Right now, flight activity typically requires up to 96 hours for posting, while activity on certain partners may take up to 15 days. Please allow this amount of time for mileage posting before contacting us about missing miles. We are working to reduce the mileage crediting time to 48 hours for United flights.

Current mileage activity is now crediting accurately in the vast majority of accounts. After our systems conversion, there was a backlog of customer inquiries regarding mileage credits, redeposits and refunds. We added substantial resources and modified our processes to be sure that we respond accurately to everyone. While we're not done yet, we have replied to most customers and are quickly addressing the remaining ones.

Signing in to united.com
We receive many customer questions about signing in to united.com. You can log in to our website in multiple ways, just as you always have:

Account number or email address or username
~ AND ~
PIN or password

Do you have more than one MileagePlus account?
If so, you should go online to merge them into one account. By having just one account, all your earning will be in one place, which means you'll get to an award faster. We'll combine your Premier® qualifying activity, lifetime miles balance and account history, too. It's an easy process that takes just a few minutes. Before you start, please make sure that the first and last names match between the accounts. If you have to request a name change, visit united.com first to learn what is required.


Other key developments are also in the works. We are simplifying and better identifying our boarding groups and boarding sequence to improve your experience at the gate. We will introduce our improved boarding process soon. Plus, we're continually refining and adding to united.com, in advance of a completely redesigned state-of-the-art website coming next year. Visit the United Hub for website details, news about United products, answers to frequently asked questions and periodic updates on a wide range of subjects.

The bottom line is that we've heard you clearly. Our entire company is focused on delivering the travel experience that you expect from us. This is our number one priority, and we'll continue to update you as we progress.

As always, thank you for flying with United.

Just had three copies show up in my inbox..

I wish they would explain the need for pax to give COdbaUA an interest free loan for requesting a mileage upgrade.

Not for long :rolleyes:

Just received as well...I'm glad MileagePlus is keeping us in the loop but the UDU process is still a crap shoot and a black hole as far as I'm concerned with SHARES. RN confirmable space for CR-1 and SWU upgrades remains limited to non-existent months and months out...but at least there will be a new website next year...and that's honestly a change I like as small as it may be.

Didn't get it yet.



"MileagePlus – the world's most rewarding loyalty programSM, " -- but that's why we're trashing it and giving you OnePass. But don't worry, we'll still call it MP! Hope ya don't notice!

Just got it a few minutes ago. Seems like something of an acknowledgement that they took the pulse of PMUA fliers and completely misread it. I truly hope they are sincere about fixing the system issues, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Maybe you should email Smisek ... ;)

Pretty soon they're going to have to eliminate the word "recent"

I'd probably get a one line response that was typed from a Blackberry ;)

"becuze we can" :o:p

And the announcement of another "new and improved" boarding process.

Not even a mention of clearing the CPUs at the elite window - just a promise to "add you to the upgrade list" and you can see where you stand after check-in. This isn't United, this is Continental. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will.

+1. Bingo

I got the e-mail as well...

Happy to see they are acknowledging more things, but of course, sad to see many things, including the main item I took away from the e-mail - the quote from above.

It will take a FEW MONTHS for them to add the ability to add upgrades within 24 hours of departure. I don't know if this is a joke or what, but this is and will be the problem with COdbaUA.

How many items need to be fixed? Major Items.

If it will take a team of developers several months to add a capability that was inherent in the PMUA system, then there is a major issue.

They will probably NEVER (until whatever system upgrade the CO apologists say is coming in a few years time) fix:
Instant Ticketing
Instant Refunds
Companion Upgrades (to be processed the way they still promise they do, but don't actually abide by their own policies)
ToD Issues
Upgrade Instrument Return (upon NOT clearing)
<<insert other issues here>>

I have absolutely no faith in their IT staff and their business-making decisions if they chose SHARES, yet need several months to fix a simple issue that should never have existed in the first place.

Sad day, indeed - but reading this will make me move even more business away from CO, oh I mean UA...:td: :td: :td:

-jeremy

What is this now? Fourth time's a charm?


Excellent post. I think a lot of people no longer trust UA's technology (this is the same problem I had with CO's technology when it was called CO -- it was so unreliable, I didn't trust it).

Not sure why they're now starting to attack these items that have plagued CO's systems for years. But I think that if they're willing to address them, then that's a good thing. CO never attempted to touch some of this stuff. Remember they even wanted to do away with zone boarding out of convenience when they moved to SHARES.

I think it's clear that as customers we need to keep the pressure on to fix things, as this email shows that they're now willing to look into some of this stuff.

What caught me off guard is them saying they have responded to most of their email queue... Im still waiting for a response requesting original itinerary mileage credit for a change they made due to a cancellation from almost over a month ago (plus other complaint)...

Most just means > 50%.

They also use other PR terms, like "vast majority" which means the same thing, and implies more. So they could be failing 30% of the time and still claim that the "vast majority" are fine.

just in..new boarding process..."READY, SET...GO"

SURE its gonna be new and improved. What would be new and improved is to GO BACK to the RED CARPET.

One of them is for me, please forward.

It really adds insult to injury that that they can't even manage to send me their apologies, but I guess it's all the proof I need about the continued utter unreliability of their systems. In the past, I used to get annoyed by PMUA spamming me about the loyalty credit card that I've already got. Now, having not even received mileage credits for my card spending since January, I miss even those e-mails.

If they were truly listening to us instead of giving us the standard PR BS, they would remove Jeff and his annoying welcome video which is packaged as part of the all important safety briefing.

If they could just write code as well as they craft sentences
 

Glad to finally hear SOMETHING but overall - a lot of words - but few answers and not enough specifics.

I suppose i shouldn't complain since at least they got somewhat specific about the 24 hour upgrade issue - but when you read the sentence "It will take us several months to complete this important project, but we are committed to delivering on this for you. " its hard not to scoff when this was existing functionality which was lost.

Glad they are "committed" to restoring what we had....

LOL, this time no one was brave enough to sign the email.

Someone better tell the people at the MPSC, because they kept telling me they are still working on mileage redeposits from February.

Because Jeff sez, "Your money is really my money, collecting interest to make my golden parachute even bigger."

+1 Above and beyond the more substantive problems, I am so tired of this guy's face and voice.

2nd thing I noticed

1st thing is how long winded and wordy just like CO's trashy website.

After many swipes to reach the bottom no signature?

Edit: mine (gold) came later than my kid's (no status). Typical CO Mentality

Also mine had navy background stripe at top and bottom and kid's was CO.com blue color

Both messages had the same insipid content

Just vague promises, no dates specific by which these issues will be addressed. Even if the date is a year out, it gives specificity and creates accountability. Also a lot of blame on IT, but no affirmation of what the upgrade policy is. Will someone from UA have the courtesy of being crisp- is the current practice of prioritizing TODs over elites an IT snafu- or is it policy?

I got this letter this morning and noticed NOTHING WAS SAID about the lousy, rude cust service

They were also "committed" to my yearly upgrades and UAClub membership that they took away as a mm flyer. I guess when UA now uses the word "committed" they mean it the same way I said I was committed to my EX-wife:D

That is normal CO. Why would they call special attention to normal operations?

From an insider, I have it on good authority that there will only be 4 boarding groups on the new United:

Group #1 Uniformed military and those who need "a little extra time" to board.
Group #2 Families with children under 5
Group #3 GS, 1K, 0P, 1P, and 2P
Group #4 Kettles

At the new United, we treat all elites alike! :mad:

LOL yeah sure.

If that is the case just merge 3 and 4 and call it 4's label.

I guess they forgot F and C class or will that be group 5

:p

No! At the new United, we treat all classes alike! :D

So did Aeroflot and look what happened to them :)

As far as elite boarding goes, they're basically going back to the PMCO protocol.

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say GA's complained that, with the overwhelming workload imposed on them by SHARES, they sought a simplification of the boarding process.

Email: Progress update on our recent systems conversion
 

Mass passenger defection will make their jobs even easier

Mass passenger defecation, not so much

LOL, here we go again.

That said, I give them credit for being forthright anout the continuing problems.

Oh, and for those that don't think our complaining here on FT is being heard - did anyone else get the impression that the e-mail was heavily influenced by the numerous threads of complaint here on FT?

Which means once again, being a 1K is next to useless.

Email: Progress update on our recent systems conversion
 

Is it that the 8 group process isn't rolled out worldwide and that is why they are referring to as "new"?

Or are they really coming back with yet another attempt to prove gutting United's process was stupid?

Mine came in this morning. Not impressed at all. Why should it thke months to fix the 24hr window problem for UGs?

If I could think of a better airline for my schedule, I'd switch. Instead, I'm figuring out how to stay home more and sit on COdbaUA metal less.

Yeah the PMUA GA's are slow learners.

I think it's more likely the change was initiated from the PMCO side, since they weren't familiar with the PMUA zone-style boarding process.

But regardless of that, I think that if you look at how much more work there is in SHARES for GA's vs. the system at PMUA, reducing the boarding process by four groups may be a necessity.

Actually, the PMUA GAs always had more boarding groups (and a more complicated process) than what PMCO FAs are now experiencing, so you're targeting the wrong group.