flyingbrick

Not saying this is actually a bad idea, but given long hold times, the fact that anyone even considers this speaks volumes about the sad state of airline customer service/support. It would be a whole lot easier (i.e., cheaper) to just get it right the first time rather than doing it wrong repetitively.

channa

I understand your M.O., and it certainly makes sense, but if you travel with high frequency, who has the time to constantly monitor their itins and constantly be on the phone with them to resolve their system and schedule issues?

I have over a dozen reservations, many of them with unacceptable, negative, or less than minimum connections due to schedule changes, and occasionally a dropped flight due to cancellation. As you point out, it sometimes takes multiple calls and significant time to remedy issues -- I've been averaging probably 40-50 minutes per reservation to resolve each one (my spread is 30 minutes to 4.5 hours per issue).

I've actually been accepting some of the negative and less than minimum connection ones so that they don't unilaterally rebook me onto something else, creating more problems as they've done in the past.

Pre-3/3, I never dreaded calling in to remedy these sorts of things -- they'd never take more than 5-10 minutes max. But now it's such a chore. It's even a chore finding the problems -- not only did the old UA mark each sked change itin in red, but hte site let you see on one page all the flight segments, and if something looked amiss, you could spot it at a glance, without having to open each record to figure out if something changed.

LilAbner

This situation is not about getting it right the first time, it's about keeping an eye on one's reservation. There are many reasons that a res can become screwed up (schedule changes- flight # changes- CPU drops, someone with loose fingers adjusted something, Shares caught the flu, to just name a few). Not checking every so often is a disaster waiting to happen, and not calling immediately when a problem arises is cavalier and careless.

& to answer CHANNA, yep it's a pita, but if you "Snooze ya loose"! NOT fun, but someone's gotta do it!!!

channa

I hear ya, and it's certainly prudent.

But I think the maintenance and time investment of dealing with CO is why a lot of people are moving to other carriers.

Beerman92

Which came first the "glitch" or the "bug"? I have two theories on this both involve the glitch coming first. 1) when two glitches collide in the system they create a mico-bug. As more glitches run into and collide with the micro-bug it eventually reaches critical mass and becomes a bug. 2) United saw all the glitches in the system and in a panic needed to do something about it and so dumped a bunch of bugs into the system to run around and eat up the glitches. As usually happens with this approach to problem solving the bugs eventually become a bigger pest than the glitches they were designed to eliminate.

anc-ord772

I agree. I manage reservations for a number of people, and it is a HUGE time suck to call in all the damn time. AA is getting business because I dont want to babysit.

I know UA is starting to admit there are problems, but my god it takes much more work to lure back once loyal customers. It will be interesting to see if they are up to the task once this thing starts running smoothly in a year or so.

channa

Sounds like a sci-fi movie. Or maybe Jurassic Park. I don't know.

LilAbner

That may or may not be true, also!

Many of the same folks that are "Dropping Out" are still posting on this thread and still bit-hing. Million - 2 million - 3 million 1K's with status & bennies for life, ain't goin' nowhere. They just miss the pampering and, "Are Mad as Hell, and ain't gonna take it anymore", until there next flight!

anc-ord772

I've seen a lot of longtime active MM's and GS folks who used to post in this forum disappear over the last few months. YMMV.

Beerman92

Nobody HAS to do it. Its a self-imposed problem as in if you don't make reservations on an airline that continually botches them you don't have to monitor them constantly. For some reason the picture I have in my mind is eating at a restaurant and the waiter bringing the plate over with a whole bunch of napkins between his hand and the plate and laying it in front of me saying "be careful, its very hot". And me waiting until he turns his back and then touching the plate, burning myself and commenting "That's hot!"

MBS MillionMiler

I noticed yesterday that one of mine has the same thing...

Mine was booked on united.com a few weeks ago, all UA itinerary, all domestic. Nothing out of the ordinary other than I used a $-off eCert and am upgraded to R in both directions (confirmed, no waitlist).

I've got a terrible sore throat this weekend and can barely talk, or I'd be calling right now too...Even though the trip isn't until September.

All of my other itineraries are fine.

InHouseCounsel

Glad I caught this thread-

Did my daily check of two pages of upcoming reservations for schedule changes (which seem to be happening more frequently again), and saw an award ticket I booked 2 weeks ago for daughter had disappeared. On hold now as they try to straighten it out. Normal domestic saver award ticket.

Henwurst

I have the same issue with an upcoming award ticket (domestic in XN, UA metal). It was not a known issue to the agent, so he said he'd call me back, which in fact he did!

The e-ticket was apparently still valid and he could see me on the manifests of all my flights. It was just a matter of not being able to pull it up with the PNR. His advice was to call back during office hours on Monday when the right people are available.

I'll try calling on Monday to see if they can correct it, but most likely I guess I'll just have them open up some inventory to create a new booking...

eerickso

I hadn't seen this thread, but just called UA when I noticed I couldn't bring up the details for a future flight. Searching by confirmation code results in an error message telling me the number is invalid.

The agent I spoke to told me that the new computer system just "lost" 20,000 tickets and they're working on restoring them but it would take a few days. She said she could still see that I had a valid ticket for the flights in question.

redwoman

lost mine too between Friday June 1 and today June 3. The agent can pull up the eticket number but it's blank.

They have no record of my reservation. On the phone right now for what is sure to be a painful call.