Buckdany

Just got this in my inbox today. Couldn't find anything about it with search. Looks like they will select 500 folks to participate and contribute.

Buckdany,

As a MileagePlus member, your perspective is very important to us. That's why we're extending an opportunity for you to join our new United Insights Board—an ongoing, customer-focused dialog where you can play a part in shaping United's products and services.

This select group will weigh in on a number of topics, ranging from the United onboard experience to the way we interact with you online, and more.

We're partnering with a top-flight market research firm, Communispace, to help guide the conversation. To ensure a diverse set of insights, we ask that you first answer a few questions. If selected, you will receive a formal invitation from Communispace with next steps.

RockinRon

I participated some last year and quickly lost interest. They sent an email last week that if I didn't login they would remove my membership. You can have my spot, I wasn't impressed and didn't feel like I had any real impact.

PaulMCO

Sounds like the Old UA Community Space - re branded.

Akulashark

I was told I was going to be invited to this. It never happened.

Now, I just book on UA and Fly on DL and double dip. Happened alot this year.

transportbiz

Originally, the UFC (United Flyers Community) had a good amount of back and forth from United customer experience employees and members of the board. There was a direct interface, even with live chats with SVP level employees, and an obvious desire to learn what flyers needed, and where United fell short. After the merger there was an attempt to keep the UFC going with new employees overseeing who had come from Continental, and adding members to the group who were from the Continental side as well. When, it became obvious none of the changes that were being made resonated with anything even close to something we will like, United decided to pull the plug on the UFC, and rebrand it as the UIB (United Insights Board). Along with that rebranding, the focus became one of posing questions to things that had already been decided, to try and gauge just how pissed off customers will be, so they can expect it. There is zero interest on the UIB to make the airline better based on interaction with those who fly United. Most of the time you won't even be responded to, and all of the time you will not be appreciated for the time and effort you put into the board. Most of all, there is certainly no interest in learning where United is falling short, rather the opposite: please do not tell the emperor he has no cloths.

wpr8e

1) you signed an NDA so you shouldn't really be spouting off like this.
2) The UFC turned into FT#2. Constant complaining by the same 5 people.
3) You clearly don't get the the intent of the forum. They never intended the UIB to be a two way street and they said that upfront. It's for UA to listen to it's customers. Not a place to debate.

UA-NYC

Just *love* all the complaining by people complaining about complainers

Maybe, just maybe, there's a reason why that's the trend with attitudes towards UA these days...

spin88

complaining about those complaining also avoids the key issue, which is how many "complainers" fly United less/not at all, and the fact that for everyone who takes the time to "complain" about 50 other people just stop flying UAL.

UAL underperformed Delta by $1.5B in passenger revenue in 2013 (compared to what it would have had if it matched Delta's passenger revenue growth since Jeff took over). That is a lot of "complaining" and those who just left turned into lost $$$$s to UAL.

wpr8e

If this site, and the Insights Board has taught me, is you can't satisfy everybody all the time. And some folks will never be satisfied. They are incapable of accepting change and would rather whine and moan then accept that life changes, and either you deal with those changes, or you become a grumpy old man.

At the end of the day, it's still a fraction of the community and turns into the repetitive drivel that just gets ignored by objective thinking members and by the company in question. The biggest problem is the complainers tend to dominate the conversation since they always have something negative to say or "spin," with just enough of a grain of truth to justify a position. This same group have horrible memories and by-pass the terrible days of old for fond memories of rose colored days gone past which never actually existed. Anyone who counter-balances a negative opinion is dog-piled by team negative as an apologist. Discussion over. Self fulfilling prophecy intact.

Eastbay1K

The thing is that it could be a useful, productive, and interesting program. I spent 2 years on the AS MVPG Advisory Board and it was a great experience. Of course, it was much smaller, but there was, at times, vibrant and respectful discussion of what we liked, didn't like, what was working for us, some of us, none of us, etc. Of course, they seem to pick members that are capable of constructive criticism (and not just whining rants), and have some understanding of the practical realities of running an airline these days (i.e., you know we have to make a profit).

LaserSailor

Well, you put that pretty well IMHO, but I don't think its quite that bleak. You can quickly identify who are the embittered old fat white guys (I resemble that remark) and use the ignore button to get rid of their posts and still learn the tricks of travel here.

I play on 5 fora on diverse topics, moderate on 3, and this is the only one where I have to use the ignore poster button. I feel that part of your pain.

Darlox

Wow... so the one thing I'm going to take a guess at is that you've never been in Marketing or Public Relations.

Rule #1: Perception IS reality.

The purpose of this kind of group is not to change reality -- sometimes that's impossible. The purpose is to change perceptions, or in the worst-case, at least contain the fallout enough that negative perceptions do not become the majority opinion.

Yes change is scary, but successful companies with really GOOD PR and Marketing firms tend to bury their hand grenades inside of chocolate bon-bons... the customer has swallowed it and liked the taste long before the detonation occurs.

UA has been, without question, a complete and miserable failure in this regard. Their tactic has been to try and bury or prevaricate on bad news, and have offered little or nothing to soften the blow to customers. Perception is reality. The whining grumpy old men should be what UA _is_ listening to... if not to remove the source of irritation, then certainly to find ways to lessen the whining!!

wpr8e

Don't get me wrong, this site has proven to be invaluable on many topics and with tricks of the trade that are not exploitative in nature and/or intent. But it takes a strong filter and a large time commitment to weed through the soil to find those nuggets.

I think another aviation related site with a blue background grappled with these same issues, and has managed to get back on track. The insight and industry expertise are invaluable but used to be buried with high school novices and axe to grinders. They've somehow righted that ship.

You should change that to Fallacy #1. Repeated mantras don't necessarily equate to reality.

Rule#1: YOUR perception is YOUR reality.

Rule#1a: YOU might be delusional.

I read these repeated kvetchfests and I really wonder if I'm flying the same airline. I primarily fly from EWR and LGA. I connect, I deal with weather, and delays, United Clubs, international and domestic crews, etc. Just over 200,000 miles last year. Events happen. That's life. Does it suck. Yes. Did these 'events' always happen. Sure did. Does life move on, do I have free will, do I control my destiny. You betcha. Be an adult and do something about it.

If UA is not treating you right, move on. You'll be happier, the UA flyers on this board will be happier, and maybe honest discourse will reappear here.

transportbiz

Dang! I thought in post #9 you'd proclaimed the "Discussion over."

Darlox

I must admit, I'm having a difficult time figuring out what your beef is... Certainly FT used to be more of a Love-In than it is these days, and I too would love for the universe to re-align in such a way that it was full of happy excited travelers sharing good news! But the Insight Board (and UFC) were created specifically to get feedback from the community on ideas floated by management.

If those ideas generate significantly negative feedback, I'm not sure how that's more the fault of the invited participants, than the fault of the distasteful ideas floated by management? If you want positive feedback, inject positive news. Or go really whole-hog and just gerrymander your membership so that you're only soliciting feedback from yes-men... that'll be a nice, civil discourse.

Last I checked "being an adult" did not involve rolling over and letting "events" steamroll over top of you...