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UAs Official Response to HKG Ticketing/IT Error: Redeem @ Correct Amount or Redeposit

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UAs Official Response to HKG Ticketing/IT Error: Redeem @ Correct Amount or Redeposit

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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:46 am
  #466  
 
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Originally Posted by milesmuncher
Maybe they're releasing the new site redesign to distract everyone from this weekend's IT fiasco
Not in the broad daylight unannounced.
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:47 am
  #467  
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Originally Posted by Lori_Q
Yes, it must be. This is costing UA many thousands of $$$ per minute in lost revenue.
Just more revenue for AA :-:
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:48 am
  #468  
 
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It has made it to USA Today http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/s...12&sf5125612=1
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:49 am
  #469  
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Originally Posted by sky417
What kind of messed up IT department do they have? Seriously..
Maybe it's some angry FTer hacked into their system.
Yeah--what kind of morons deploy a breaking IT update in the middle of the business day for the majority of your customers?!?!

Is there any question why the UA CIO resigned?
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:50 am
  #470  
 
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We are currently updating our website and reservations systems. This will temporarily affect our ability to serve you online and over the phone.

Not even an "apology for the inconvenience." They are really peeved!
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:52 am
  #471  
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What is wrong with that if the correct price of the TV is indeed $800?

You are given the option to return the TV with no responsibility of payment, or you can keep the TV and pay the correct price.
The price of a TV is generally related to the cost to produce plus a margin. individual airline ticket prices are totally divorced from reality. Two people sitting next to each other could have the prices they paid differ by a factor of 10x.

We are currently updating our website and reservations systems. This will temporarily affect our ability to serve you online and over the phone.
And Gornicht on the mobile version!

Last edited by iluv2fly; Jul 17, 2012 at 2:52 pm Reason: merge
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:52 am
  #472  
 
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Just to speak to the "who are these UA IT programmers anyway". Today, much of UA IT is outsourced. But, UA has never had a lot of loyalty to their IT staff. Even back in the day UA would gear up for systems changes by doing a mass hire to get the job done and then layoff huge numbers of people. I never applied to UA for a programming job, knowing too many people who lost their jobs after 18-24 months on a project. Many people applied wanting the bennies and hoping that they would not later be canned. This was common knowledge here in Chicago during the 70's, 80's and early 90's. Later with the proliferation of consulting companies and later outsourcing, these mass hires and layoffs have become a thing of the past. But, in the IT world UA had a reputation all their own.

How do I know this? I was a programmer in the late 70's, 80's and early nineties. In a large shop there was usually at least 1 person who had worked for UA at one time. For a short time I also ventured out into the IT head hunting arena. UA was pretty upfront with letting people know that after a project was over, your job was not secure.
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:56 am
  #473  
 
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Originally Posted by HCSmooth66
Usually about 12 times that many miles? I'd still be happy paying 48 miles!
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:57 am
  #474  
 
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I hope the system comes back soon, because I have about 3 hours to cancel a reservation within the 24 hour period after booking.

I will be irate if I can't do so.

I'm about to seriously consider making the move to other carriers - I'm already 1MM, and don't see the value of 2MM, so my switching costs are not that high.

Greg
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:58 am
  #475  
 
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Originally Posted by HCSmooth66
Doesn't look like the court of public opinion is going to sway to those who booked the tickets.
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:59 am
  #476  
 
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Originally Posted by newballs
Not in the broad daylight unannounced.
I agree, of course

But maybe the "push out the new website" connection is right next to the "release all award space to HKG for 4 miles" connection on the big UA switchboard

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Old Jul 17, 2012, 11:59 am
  #477  
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Originally Posted by colpuck
But UA installed the automated ticketing system. UA had the option of having people check the validity of every ticket issued but they CHOSE not to. Shouldn't they be responsable for that choice?

I know I am responsable for my choices, why not UA?
Moreover, UA disposed of instant ticketing. SHARES should have caught this.

Originally Posted by Happy
What is wrong with that if the correct price of the TV is indeed $800?

You are given the option to return the TV with no responsibility of payment, or you can keep the TV and pay the correct price.

It is a reasonable settlement that only those who insist to get something (in this case huge) for nothing would cry foul about violation of contract, Dot would stand up for our rights, blab blah blah.

Frankly, if any of you who actually owned and ran a business, would you still act like this way?

Further more, anyone who took advantage of such, would know better not to book any non-refundable along with it, not until the possibility of the outcome is more firmly established. In this case, anyone who has any brain would know the outcome that favors the flyers who have booked this, would be less than 5% if that much.
If the Amazon cart shows $800 and after the customer clicks PAY, and he is charged just one cent, then he owes $799.99. OTOH, if the cart says one cent, then too bad, so sad.
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 12:01 pm
  #478  
 
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Originally Posted by Jesperss
Doesn't look like the court of public opinion is going to sway to those who booked the tickets.
Is that their official counter offer? I'm sold!
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 12:02 pm
  #479  
 
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Originally Posted by HCSmooth66
Here's a guy who knows how to play it cool with the media:

Aaron Riggins, a Washington, D.C., resident, is one of [UA's customers who had made the reservations at the low level of miles], though.

He says he bought a first-class, round-trip ticket to Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon for four miles plus about $40 in taxes.

"I was definitely surprised," he says of when he saw the deal, "but I've seen these things happen in the past."As of Tuesday afternoon, Riggins said United hadn't contacted him.

But not having to pay a penalty for United's error is a plus, he says.

"When you go to change a flight with United or any airline most of the time there's not a lot of compassion about fee-waiving," he says.
Well played, sir! ^

Contrast that with Gary's supremely unhelpful response:

Gary Leff, a BoardingArea.com expert, bought two of the round-trip tickets. "I basically just grabbed a lottery ticket," he says.

He figured it was probably a mistake but decided to take a chance anyway. "I didn't expect them to honor the tickets, but sometimes these things work out wonderfully," he says.
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Old Jul 17, 2012, 12:02 pm
  #480  
 
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Originally Posted by Jesperss
Doesn't look like the court of public opinion is going to sway to those who booked the tickets.
That is how you read the article? Seems like it was just a regurgitation of what UA Insider posted + what has since been said in this thread.
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