IRROPS policies for UA customers: 2013 and beyond.
 

New guidelines for handling customers during IRROPs were published this week. The new guidelines have just about everything that I've seen that FTers want. These guidelines are more similar to what pmUA did but go somewhat further in the customer's favor and from what I gather here on FT represent a radical change from pmCO procedures. So if you're in an IRROP situation and don't think you are getting what you deserve ask the agent if they're aware of new guidelines communicated in early Jan 2013.

PLEASE TELL MORE!!!

(very worthy of a new thread entirely)

I know it was OT but I responding to the comment "IRROPS is their best example of the customer be damned...".

Mods can move to new thread but the guidelines are an internal document and I won't discuss the specifics. They are very favorable to the customer. Believe when I say they offer just about everything FTers have ever said they should get in terms of getting to where they are going. They do not address or change the amenities provided during IRROPs.

Because information dissemination is not a UA strong point I hope I'm giving everyone a data point to help them get what they are entitled to and enhance their service recovery experience.

Moderator note.
 

FYI, these posts were in the thread about the new boarding process, but have been placed in a new thread, given the subject. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.

woohoo! can't wait to hear more

Might have to talk to the people in the UC to see if they will give any details ;).

I hope not to have to find out.

Is this the NEW poop or old stuff???

https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/tra...virtual_expert

Bolding mine: ^ If you are at liberty to say, I'm dying to know more* as I'm flying Saturday & Sunday (1/12 & 1/13)

*especially if the old "1k's get a hotel regardless of the delay" is officially back ;)

The biggest issue that I have picked up from conversations on this topic is the refusal of agents to provide a reasonable range of alternatives, whether that means going with another carrier, or whether that means going with UA metal at a higher fare class. In fact, the single most egregious change I've seen discussed was that you can only fly in same fare class. So, if you bought an S fare, and your flight was cancelled, and the next available UA metal seat with an S fare is 3 days out, then you have to sit and wait 3 days to get on that flight, even if there is a UA flight leaving with an empty seat in 40 minutes, but it only has B buckets left on it.

Can you comment on how this scenario is treated under the new guidelines?

Perhaps Shannon would be willing to fill us in...

Let me add my voice to the chorus..

I have actually started seeing some changes I like recently from better on-time service, to better trained and happier staff (aka CS) to more transparency.

This would be a great addition.

My uninformed interpretation of SFOFastAir's post (esp. highlighted phrases) is that the new policy is exactly about the problem that mitchmu points out above. Hotels are clearly an amenity, so I predict no change there. But if the full range of rebooking options (higher fare class, premium cabin, other airlines, etc.) are available, this is a good thing.

Honestly, I haven't had a problem with this since the merger. With one understandable exception, I've been rebooked very generously (frequently in full Y) by both PMCO and PMUA agents -- both in IRROPS and in response to quotidian SDC requests. But maybe I've just gotten lucky and dealt with agents who were willing to ignore the official policy (like the GA who told me up front that he was getting laid off in 3 days, and happily protected me on three separate itineraries, 36 hours out, in full Y). If elites can expect that kind of latitude, then I say ^.

That said... there's something of a zero-sum game here. With flights running so close to capacity, every seat that I get in IRROPS is a seat that somebody (probably with lower status, or somebody willing to pay for it) [i]doesn't[i] get. I suspect I'll like this change (whatever it is)... but I bet some group will get the short end.

1K/GS has always been allowed to get a hotel regardless of the reason, even before this new guideline. I was given one due to weather in June 2012.

If denied, ask the agent to search for "GG Amenity" in their system.

sUA agents have a history and culture of serving the customer. I've found that most sUA agents will still break the rules to do the right thing. It's in their blood. But, the fresh new ones who barely have a driving license, and especially the sCO agents, have been brutal in their enforcement. It often seems like they enjoy saying no and exercising their power.

To the extent that expected behavior is dictated by a new policy and that new policy is better than existing policy, we should all be better off.

Curious: How does one get a hotel offer? I had a WX cancellation last year and was never offered a hotel. Since I am not, in fact, over-entitled, I actually didn't even think to ask for one. I just paid it myself.

Does it make a difference if the cancel happens before the airport? My cancel was the day before the flight, done by email.

I've also been rebooked into Y the few times I've had an issue...must be the new culture...

I hope I get IRROPed next week! And get an representative who is aware of the new policies!

"I've also been rebooked into Y the few times I've had an issue...must be the new culture"... This has happened to me several times and is not new. Not sure how it's triggered, or if it's just discretion, but got the Y bonuses.

The previous IRROPS policies were reasonable. They were just not consistently applied, and many had a fear of OALs, even though they were expressly allowed.

But even the best policies won't overcome SHARES' issues. If it takes 15 minutes to rebook/reissue a ticket, that's still a problem.

Plus another 15-30 minutes to issue a hotel voucher.

Minus all the staff that has been reduced so there is hardly anyone at the gate to do the work.

Times 200 PAX.

Not pretty.

I have fond memories of PMUA, and miss a number of pre-merger policies. And I don't disagree with your characterization in general. But, to be fair, I have had pretty good experiences on both sides of the aisle in the last 2 years. I've specifically had 2 or 3 really good interactions with sCO agents.

For example, I asked for a SDC at the checkin counter in IND, and got an agent who cheerfully spent at least 15 minutes figuring out a way to do it even though I was clearly SOL according to policy (G fare, and nothing below Q was available). When I thanked her effusively, she said, "Hey, it's good to be Platinum!" and winked.

So there are good customer-focused sCO agents out there. Really. Also, I believe in fairies. :D

+1.

I look forward to having only limited experience in dealing with these new IRROP policies. I know, it's a long shot. ;)

I've been rebooked a little less than a dozen times due to IRROPs after the switchover, usually in Y. I have not had a problem. However only once did I receive the Y fare bonus when the miles posted. Surprised to hear that still comes through for others.

None of the cases you listed should be a problem policy wise going forward.

So what ARE these PMUA-esque (if not better) policies you refer to? Please do tell!

what about weather overnight delays for 1k? to me that's very key - hotel vouchers?

Basically in terms of getting to where you need to go the guidelines allow us to do just about anything to get you there with the least amount of delay.

Maybe other FTer's can comment on pmUA IRROPS flexibility.

Sounds like the old Gordon Bethune "burn the policy manual in the parking lot" move back in '94....which started to be dismantled to "no waivers / no favors" post 9/11.

Financials must be looking grim for them to make such an about face. So, after all, declaring war on customers turns out to be a bad idea. At least they are showing a capacity to learn!

This is change I can like. pmUA had great flexiblity to book you into any fare class on UA metal, and onto the same ticketed cabin on any other carrier, if it got you to your destination sooner, in the event of IRROPS. That's really valuable when you have an urgent need to be somewhere.

pmCO always rebooked in full Y if all that's avail, and if original class of service wasn't avail, they booked whatever was during IRROPS. I've never had a request turned down during IRROPS on them, even in EWR. Hotel vouchers and meal vouchers may be different post-3/3 but rebooking certainly hasn't been. I can't imagine what the big change is.

I would hope that the vast majority of hub agents are about as fast in SHARES as they were in FastAir. I grant that if a true ticket re-issue is needed that will require a call to the help desk (no training on how to do it). But if it's just a book and sync operation it should be done in about 30-60 sec once you decided on what you're going to book. UA or OA there is no difference in the time it takes to book and sync.

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

That's nice, but I spent 90 minutes at the gate in IAD last week on a ticket reissue from UA to DL. It took four (4) helpdesk agents and two (2) GAs and two (2) supervisors to get 'er done.

So I'll believe it when I see it. ;)

So that has not changed since 3/3.

I spent 1 hour & 15 mins getting rebooked on a misconnect @ IAH UC last week and had to run to my new flight with a coupon & red ink all over my hands to present to the G/A! Only took 3 agents to getter-dun!!!

Looking forward to hearing more, and hopefully soon. Can you hint at whether or not we should expect policies for oversale situations to also change. Here again, they technically had somewhat reasonable policies in place - but they were so rarely adhered to that they may as well have not existed.

I would love to know the back-story for how these changes came about. It was quite a long time ago that Mr. Hand announced the return of common sense customer service, and yet those changes never materialized. Perhaps this is a sign that UA leadership is finally raising a white flag, and perhaps more is to come.

Saw the new policy in action tonight after 3761 cx'd out of IAD. Everyone was handled in about 15-20 minutes. They brought over four more agents and processed everyone with relative ease.

Well that is an sUA station. I want to believe... so someone report they've seen the new policy in action at an sCO station. It's all about implementation, not just what's on the books.

Is the war on elites now officially over?

The biggest change in IRROPs for me has been the easy update call when I land somewhere and there has been an IRROP. Used to get the call that I have already been rebooked and see an agent to get my boarding pass. That hasn't happened once since 3/3.

Far from it. The war has many fronts. Looks like they're retreating on the IRROPS front, but I see no return to upgrades, no re-valuation of MP, no return of 1K desk. Perhaps just a little less hostility in the most serious airport situations. Let's face it, forcing a pax to sit in the airport because of a missed connection that is UAs fault while a plane goes out with empty seats just because it doesn't have the right fare buckets at time of departure is outrageously hostile behavior even by sCO standards. They're just pulling back from an extreme.