blueman2

Not sure this fits this thread, but I was pleasantly surprised with United customer service recently. I had sent an email to the general UA CS site regarding how UA handled a missed connection due to UA flight delay. I has asked that they be more accommodating in allowing use of OAL in these cases where the delay is > 3 hrs. My request at the airport was turned down rather rudely. Not only did CS reply, but they also called me several times at both of my numbers to talk to me and learn more. I have never had any sort of follow up in the past when I made suggestions. Nice to see.

zombietooth

^This smacks of the old UA way of doing things. It's good to see that things like this still occur.

I have had my share of UA agents meeting me on arrival from a delayed flight and running and/or driving me to the gate to save time. A couple of times, I have been led into tunnels underneath the tarmac to cut the distance. Every time this has happened, I have been very impressed.

Viking547

After a decade of 1K status I finally got one of those coveted pilot signed business cards. A hand written card from the captain thanking me for my loyalty. Really awesome gesture. He was also really communicative at the beginning explaining details about the flight, etc.

The purser also went to someone in the cabin and personally wished them happy birthday before takeoff and asked if there was anything she could do to make his day special. Best crew I've had in a long, long time.

HoyaSFOIAD

Currently sitting on 1456 SFO to EWR. Captain Ray McConnell came back to J and personally thanked everyone for their business. Slightly delayed cause of catering but is helping he FAs out meantime. Very nice touch that is a small gesture and really makes a difference.

malgudi

Posting for a friend who isn't on FT ... she got her first CPU ever and is super thrilled Her SFO-ORD flight was switched to a 77W from 772, resulting in an additional 32 upgrades.

CappuccinoAddict

I love that! I've only had that happen once, on GRU-EWR. That was also one of the best crews I've had on UA, with one of the FAs proactively offering wine tastings pre-Polaris and providing copious refills of garlic bread! I think when the captain and is enthusiastic and proactive, it resonates with the whole crew.

HoyaSFOIAD

Quick follow up to my post from 1542 last night. The catering delay ended up delaying departure by over an hour. Frustrating but it happens. When whatever was missing was finally loaded one of FA's came power-walking up the aisle complaining very loudly to the purser that "this lady in the back {complained aggressively} about how we were delayed for catering." The purser looked horrified, essentially dragged him into the galley and in very hushed tones clearly told him to zip it. A few minutes later she emerged and very tactfully apologized to those of us who heard the first FA complaining. FA's are people just like the rest of us, tempers will rise and they'll need to vent. If a passenger hears it's pretty unprofessional but I think overall this was handled extraordinarily well by the purser. Situation defused with a lot of grace.

dc89

Bless the FA on my flight BRU-EWR today who noticed that everyone else on the plane decided that because I was the only person seated in the bulkhead and I'm relatively easy to climb over, the bulkhead was now an aisle, no matter if them climbing over me meant kicking me, waking me up from my nap, stepping on my belongings, etc. She installed the bassinet to deter people and checked on me a few times to see how well it was working. (Not that well, but it wasn't as bad as a LHR-EWR flight last year that was full of kids who were running laps over my feet...)

swiftaw

which aircraft type/row?

FlyingHoustonian

Amazing crew and CSR team last night at IAH. Super kudos.

Was on the 7:40pm IAH-PHL flight which was MX delayed for an AC issue then the plane was not flyable. From the beginning Capt. Gordo McQueen came up, kept everyone updated, then said it was unacceptable the plane was so hot and he was going to get us all off and cool then work to get an alternate aircraft.

He asked everyone to wait around the gate are and the CSRs and Capt McQueen and the first officer spoke with everyone and kept giving updates. Finally a spare aircraft (A320 from LAX) was found, and we ended up leaving about three hours late; but the CSRs brought a cart over with water, colas, and snacks and the Captain stayed with us, kept talking to Chicago on the phone, and kept making announcements to keep us updated. All the pax appreciated it.

It was a great way to handle the delay and you had over 150 pax calm and as happy as could be considering the delay; many commenting on how nice it was to have information and updates. So instead of a youtube video of a gate full of angry pax, you had everyone handling it as best as could be expected and no one mad, upset, screaming, or fighting.

On the flight Captain McQueen personally filled out his business cards with a personalized note of thanks for our patience and promising to do better in the future and thanking us each for choosing United. (Those of us in first all got them, and some 1Ks in the back.) FAs were great also.

As a pilot myself and former Air Force Aviator I get that weather happens and planes break and such-it was the calm and helpful manner of the crew and CSRs that really made the delay as bearable as possible.

It only takes a minute to get on the horn and update people, but it really makes a difference.
Big time kudos to United staff.

findark

Gah! I wish I could get advance notice (~48hrs) of these swaps.. I have a mind to hop on one sometime.

lotemblizej

May 16 UA Taipei to SFO. Amazing last experience on UA 747 upper deck with 2 FAs who were so attentive it made it feel like a private jet. One told me she had 33 years with UA and had 'grown up' on the 747. Icing on the cake was being able to do a same day change in the air after we took off and pilot told us we would arrive early into SFO. Wifi worked, stars aligned and I got home to ultimate destination of IAD several hours early. UA did too many good things for me not to laud them.

dc89

767-400, row 28.

CappuccinoAddict

I was also on that flight! I'll throw in a positive experience; one of the flight attendants in J (not the ISM) came around and said to all the passengers, "It was a pleasure to serve you today." That's usually something other airlines do in first class!

SFO28L

Had a great experience yesterday on an LAX-SFO flight. With work at both of these airports there have been plenty of delays of late and our scheduled plane was about 20 min late into the gate. The gate agent was communicating with the passengers from the minute the aircraft door was open through the boarding process. This was at gate 71A, which has sort of a strange layout with only group 1 and 2 lanes. She had those groups lined up and everyone else seated, people followed directions. There were multiple reminders to have boarding passes out and no ID for boarding. She told us about 15 minutes before boarding what time she would start. We started boarding at 11:05 for an 11:22 pushback on a full 738. The door was closed and we pushed at 11:20.

The pilots communicated about delays in takeoff and how it was affecting our arrival. We had an uneventful flight with a fast taxi into T3, takeoff to parked in 56 minutes. All aspects of the crew were friendly and efficient. I wish every flight was like this.