Why is the Mileage Plus Service Center so incompetent?
Jun 28, 2013, 9:09 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: ATL
Programs: UA 3.6 MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,582
Mileage Plus Service Center has been a disaster since a few days before March 3, 2012. The new system is to blame. Many of my TOD flights are posting incorrectly. The new system doesn't allow them to post flights on the same day that you call. They have to remove the entry for the flight that posted incorrectly and then make a written note on paper, come into the office the next day and post it using a different flight number. The new mileage plus system seems to be far worse than anything the SHARES reservation system can dish out. Let's face it, the mileage plus agents have never been the sharpest knives in the drawer, CO's frequent flier system makes it harder for them to service the customer than ever before.
Upgrades using mileage are the worse, they almost never re-credit for cancelled or changes made to reservations and you have to call, call, call. It has taken up to three calls sometimes to get things re-credited or re-posted. I know that their are a lot of complaints but this is my biggest beef with UA.
One other item, ALOT of express carrier flights are NOT posting with class of service bonuses. Especially flights that post as Republic Airlines. I have made 10 calls to get those posted correctly
Upgrades using mileage are the worse, they almost never re-credit for cancelled or changes made to reservations and you have to call, call, call. It has taken up to three calls sometimes to get things re-credited or re-posted. I know that their are a lot of complaints but this is my biggest beef with UA.
One other item, ALOT of express carrier flights are NOT posting with class of service bonuses. Especially flights that post as Republic Airlines. I have made 10 calls to get those posted correctly
Jun 29, 2013, 8:59 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,990
Simple request today. I was scheduled to fly IAD-SFO-ANC, but first a MX then WX made it impossible for me to reach ANC--so I rebooked for July. My flights were upgraded with RPU, and the replacement flights also have R space.
Problem is, my RPUs never redeposited, and the Res desk claims the flights were complimentary upgrades, not instrument upgrades, so they can't do anything.
They transferred me to the MP Service Center. First, the lady says I will get them back after I fly today. "I'm not flying today; the reservation has been changed." Then she says it will "ruin the reservation" for her to give me back the RPUs--she apparently means she would cancel the res (!!) after I try to get her to explain what the heck she's talking about. Then she insists I'll get the RPUs back tomorrow. I said that may be too late to upgrade as the R space may vanish by then. She says that I need to talk to Res because "they have some way to fix it."
I also inquired about a GPU I never got back in April. First she says I was upgraded on DEN-IAD so that counted as GPU use (that was actually a totally separate res--and yes, I'd given her the PNR for NRT-SFO-DEN). Then she says I was upgraded on IAH-NRT, so the GPU was used. I point out that was the outbound, and it's the return I'm trying to get redeposited. She then puts me on hold for 15 minutes and says, "I have to research this more and read about the policy."
Why is the MP Service Center so ridiculously incompetent? I have yet to have a simple interaction with them, whether it's getting back an unused upgrade or getting credit for a flight which the fabulous UA IT system never credited. It's always, "Sir, please wait a couple of days and it will work." (Of course, it never does!)
Problem is, my RPUs never redeposited, and the Res desk claims the flights were complimentary upgrades, not instrument upgrades, so they can't do anything.
They transferred me to the MP Service Center. First, the lady says I will get them back after I fly today. "I'm not flying today; the reservation has been changed." Then she says it will "ruin the reservation" for her to give me back the RPUs--she apparently means she would cancel the res (!!) after I try to get her to explain what the heck she's talking about. Then she insists I'll get the RPUs back tomorrow. I said that may be too late to upgrade as the R space may vanish by then. She says that I need to talk to Res because "they have some way to fix it."
I also inquired about a GPU I never got back in April. First she says I was upgraded on DEN-IAD so that counted as GPU use (that was actually a totally separate res--and yes, I'd given her the PNR for NRT-SFO-DEN). Then she says I was upgraded on IAH-NRT, so the GPU was used. I point out that was the outbound, and it's the return I'm trying to get redeposited. She then puts me on hold for 15 minutes and says, "I have to research this more and read about the policy."
Why is the MP Service Center so ridiculously incompetent? I have yet to have a simple interaction with them, whether it's getting back an unused upgrade or getting credit for a flight which the fabulous UA IT system never credited. It's always, "Sir, please wait a couple of days and it will work." (Of course, it never does!)
Ah the legacy of United Airlines !!! Even Jeff can not turn it until ALL of United personnel have retired !!
Jun 29, 2013, 9:09 am
#18
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,136
I never had problems like this with miles crediting under PMUA (they showed up in 24 hours, tops--and even ORC requests showed up within 48). Yes, I did have to call a few times over CR-1 redeposits which got stuck in limbo--but the agents could tell they'd been used, when, etc., vs. now when they say "the system" shows a CPU was given that day vs. an instrument months ago.
Jun 29, 2013, 10:11 am
#19
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
Considering all of the complaining about the overseas MPSC: consider that there were no overseas res or mileage program centers with pmCO. Although Jeff's now in charge, the frustration of having to deal with overseas call centers that can never seem to handle unusual situations outside of what's been scripted for them is something brought over from pmUA.
Jun 29, 2013, 11:25 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
Considering all of the complaining about the overseas MPSC: consider that there were no overseas res or mileage program centers with pmCO. Although Jeff's now in charge, the frustration of having to deal with overseas call centers that can never seem to handle unusual situations outside of what's been scripted for them is something brought over from pmUA.