GBadger

Big thumbs up to the crew on DEN-SNA yesterday afternoon. I had booked a tight connection (DEN-SNA-SFO, with 27 min to make the connection at SNA). I figured, it's a small airport so the trip from one gate to the other will be easy, and if something's going to go wrong, I'll likely know about it before I get on the plane at DEN. Well, everything was going great until we lost the APU during pushback. That resulted in a +/-30 minute delay, and we were now scheduled to land at SNA about 5 minutes after my SFO flight was supposed to leave.

Anyway, long story short, the lead FA took down my flight info once in the air, relayed it to the cockpit, who sent an ACARS message to SNA to let them know that I was on my way. Got to SNA, and the SFO flight was fortunately still boarding. Not sure what would have happened if they'd completed boarding, but I'd like to think that they would have held the flight for 5 minutes to allow me to catch the last flight of the evening to SFO.

Great work, and thank you!

halls120

On UA 574 today, SFO-IAD, and it shows that pmUAs culture isn't entirely gone.

We pushed back on time (6am), and headed to the departure runway. Before we got there, we stopped, and the captain came on to tell us not to worry, but that we soon see fire trucks alongside, due to overheating brakes on the right bogey. Sure enough, San Francisco's finest were quickly on scene. After inspecting the assembly, we were given the go-ahead for a tow back to another gate. We were back at the gate by 7:15, and once we deplaned, there was a supervisor and two CSRs on hand to handle rebookings for people with connections. 20 minutes after we arrived at the gate, we were told to go to another gate where a different aircraft was awaiting. All the luggage was removed and reloaded, and we pushed back on the new bird at 8:30.

I stopped by the FD to chat with the pilots upon reboarding to thank them for putting safety first, and the captain told me had we taken off, we'd likely have experienced a fire, as while on taxi, the right bogey was 350 degrees F.

The icing on the cake was the purser. The previously full F cabin now had 3 empty seats. The supervisor (wearing a pmCO red coat) wanted to push back without upgrading those on the upgrade list, and the purser firmly insisted that the supervisor print her a copy of the UG list so she could fill the empty seats.

Thank goodness the front line employees still care about their valued customers.

Kacee

So much negativity on the boards recently.

I had a great flight from SFO-HNL yesterday. Every single encounter with United personnel was a pleasure, from check-in, to gate, to crew on-board. Flight was packed, with lots of standbys and the gates agents were awesome about processing everyone and being really nice despite the stress of trying to close the flight on time. One came on board with a handful of boarding passes to move pax forward. The FA in F (Ariel, I think) was absolutely amazing. She must have refilled my water glass twenty time. It didn't hurt that after CPU'ing to J on an L fare, I got the double bump (Op up?) into F on an old three-class 772.

transportprof

I had the first entirely good trip on UA metal in half a year today. YVR-SFO-LAX. All flights were on schedule, all staff were pleasant, everything worked. The first leg was on a 737-700 with a great sCo crew and the next leg was on a 757 with sUA crew.

I was CPU'd on both legs, which is also the first time I've had a multi-stage itinerary clear (even in one direction) this year, without using instruments. All that was missing to make this trip perfect would have been hot towels (a recent departure with meals under 900 miles) and pillows, which are long gone.

Filmusic

as an elite 50k traveler, I ran from aeroplan last year cause of AC's policy changes (did not work for me at all)...just made MP gold today...booked my first 'no need to pay for ecomomy plus tickets yhz/pvg' today...whew...long haul to change programs..today, it paid me to do so...again...whew...

jerryy

last night when SAN closed due to weather.

Got appreciation email even before i get home, quick response!

exerda

Wow--here I was thinking those never happened any more. ^ I had a flight tonight where I thought to myself, "In PMUA days, I'd already have the appreciation e-mail for this one." Of course, no such e-mail arrived.

eefor jfp

Had a great experience with check-in on a UA flight from MCO to LAX recently. Everything worked the way it was supposed to--my *G status was recognized, I was able to check three bags at no charge. No line at check-in in Orlando, smiles all around, very pleasant ticketing agent, orderly boarding by the GA. I had one of the few empty seats in E- next to me and my bags were among the first off. That was the day of the shooting at Terminal 3 at LAX but by the time I got in at 9 everything was running again for UA. All in all a fine flight and a good example of the way technology is useful/helpful.

dinoscool3

Had a great experience with Pam in BGM both this weekend and last weekend. Had a MR booked to SEA with a same day turn around, but wanted to SDC to the red-eye so we could have time in SEA. Last week she booked us into different fare codes even though our original fare code wasn't available, without batting an eye. This week, she did the same, in addition to fixing a problem with my father and I not being on the upgrade list, and confirmed us in F on the way back. Both times it took mere minuets.

Thanks Pam. ^

StingWest

Had an excellent experience yesterday: SFO->DEN. (757)

Good food, great service in F. The female attendant smiled continuously while moving to serve the customers rapidly (reminded me of Lufthansa service)..

Well done UA!

ezefllying

A big thumbs-up to United phone reservations.

I was scheduled to fly DCA-ORD-LAX Friday afternoon. Boss needs me to stay late, so I SDC to a flight Saturday via EWR. I check in, don't like my UG chances, and SDC to the next EWR-LAX flight on my app. My UG rank is even worse. Called Reservations, get rebooked back into my previous EWR-LAX ticket, and attempt to check in on my phone.

I get boarding passes and seat assignments. But I'm nowhere to be found on the UG list (and there are only three people listed for two seats). I call UA reservations and learn that, likely due to my rebooking into a flight I'd previously checked-in to, the system was confused, thought I was already checked in, and wouldn't process my check-in request.

What's "worse" (First World problem), the system apparently didn't see me as even in contention for the UG. Reservations said only the airport could check me in. I was concerned that, by the time I arrived Saturday morning, the list would clear. So I made what I consider a big request: I asked my phone agent to call Newark (DCA's ticket counter was closed for the night) and have an airport agent check me in. I didn't know if they could, or ever would, do this.

The agent put me on hold. Fifteen minutes later, she came back on to let me know that Newark Airport had checked me in and that I was number 2 on the list.

I cleared the upgrade, the last to do so, overnight.

Thanks, United.

exerda

As expected, my RPU didn't redeposit after failing to clear on Sunday. Called 1K 1Call #, went to MP Account Servicing, held until I'd heard the spiel about my balance, etc., and waited for an agent.

Got a non-ICC agent (^) who immediately understood the issue and took care of it within 2 minutes, and who was very apologetic, and said, "You are one of our most valuable customers; we're terribly sorry this happened and we really apologize," etc.

Small things, but after wading through an hour call, and a half-hour call, with ICC agents for the MP Service Center previously to get back unused certs, this was a very welcome change!

edcho

Great experience in domestic F recently with a very attentive FA (IAH-LGA / A320). Would top our water and wine before we even asked, proactively went up and down the aisle throughout the flight, and looked out for all our needs before we could even ask (blanket provided when we were getting a little cold, etc)! There was even a rose that he put in the bathroom ...

He did a lot with very little...

cricketer

I just flew SFO-LHR in Global First, and I have to say, the experience was really top-notch. Granted, I didn't have the highest expectations, but still...

The only gaps were the food, which was solid (the pork chop had one of its better days) but not great, and the absence of pajamas (but I had brought my LH ones along for the ride).

I've always liked the hard product - it's a great seat, and a very comfortable bed. The turndown service was as good as any I've received on any airline. I got up after the meal, and before I could really get out of my seat, the FA asked if she could make the bed. When I got back to my seat a couple of minutes later having changed in the bathroom (okay, a bigger lav would be nice), the bed was immaculately made up, with a little box of chocolate truffles on the pillow. I was in Seat 2A, the pilot rest, and the curtain alongside the windows were drawn for me as well.

Fell asleep, and didn't wake up until 25 minutes before landing, so I missed the breakfast, but as soon as they saw me wake up, the FA asked if I wanted breakfast or juice. I asked for juice, freshened up, and came back to my seat all set for landing.

Granted I slept for the most part, but for the 3 hours or so that I was awake, the soft product was truly world class. My water was never below half-full and not once did I feel like I was waiting on anything when I needed something - whether it was my jacket being hung up after boarding, my plates being cleared after a course, or anything else.

Just goes to show what is possible. Throw in the rumoured next-gen hard product in business class and maybe there's some hope for premium travel on UA in the future.

EnvoyBoy

Both my worst and my best GF crews have been LHR-based and on the overnight IAD-LHR flight. The small touch I remember most from the good flight (why dwell on the bad one, other than this FT) is that the GF FA never refilled my water glass. She simply brought me a new, clean glass each time with a lemon slice with a new napkin and just swapped out the used glass and napkin. No small detail missed!