Totally inept 1K phone agents
Mar 16, 2017, 11:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: NJ, USA
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 671
Totally inept 1K phone agents
Itinerary EWR-MCO-EWR March 10-14.
Due to storm warnings, on Sunday the 12th, I decided to change the return from Tuesday to Monday the 13th. Got notification that Monday night flight got cancelled. Called and requested return segment of MCO-IAH (14th) IAH-EWR (15th). Checked the reservation on the United app and picked seats for myself and my daughter on both segments.
Monday evening, I called 1K line to see if I could get on an earlier flight for the IAH-EWR portion.
1K-Agent1:
Said flight 991 from MCO-IAH for 3/14/2017 was cancelled. I was perplexed as I had not received any such notification and the flight was less than 24 hrs. away. Was only given a 6:30 AM out of MCO connecting via FLL (my original flight 991 was at 6:40 PM !!!). The agent insisted it was due to weather (MCO-IAH had no weather issues).
HUCA. 1K-Agent2:
Said the same thing – flight 991 from MCO-IAH for Tuesday was cancelled. Only gave me an option of taking a connection MCO-CLE-IAH.
HUCA. 1K-Agent3:
The third agent looked at my itinerary and immediately pointed out 2 things:
1) The agent who initially changed my MCO-EWR to MCO-IAH-EWR had never ticketed the change (which is why I did not receive any notifications)
2) The flight 991 from MCO-IAH was NOT cancelled. It was 991 from EWR-MCO that was cancelled. The previous 2 agents did not pick up on this and gave me wrong information repeatedly and insisted I change my itinerary due to this cancellation. I am glad I did not do so and trusted my instincts.
This third agent then went ahead and ticketed my itinerary and helped fix everything. Took close to 1.5 hrs and severe anxiety to fix this. This could have become a major headache had I not trusted my instincts.
If this is the expertise of agents that man the 1K line, heaven help folks calling regular line. I wrote to 1KVoice. I'm not looking for any compensation. I just would hate for this to happen to someone who is not savvy enough to know they were being lied to blatantly. Need I say I am furious?
Due to storm warnings, on Sunday the 12th, I decided to change the return from Tuesday to Monday the 13th. Got notification that Monday night flight got cancelled. Called and requested return segment of MCO-IAH (14th) IAH-EWR (15th). Checked the reservation on the United app and picked seats for myself and my daughter on both segments.
Monday evening, I called 1K line to see if I could get on an earlier flight for the IAH-EWR portion.
1K-Agent1:
Said flight 991 from MCO-IAH for 3/14/2017 was cancelled. I was perplexed as I had not received any such notification and the flight was less than 24 hrs. away. Was only given a 6:30 AM out of MCO connecting via FLL (my original flight 991 was at 6:40 PM !!!). The agent insisted it was due to weather (MCO-IAH had no weather issues).
HUCA. 1K-Agent2:
Said the same thing – flight 991 from MCO-IAH for Tuesday was cancelled. Only gave me an option of taking a connection MCO-CLE-IAH.
HUCA. 1K-Agent3:
The third agent looked at my itinerary and immediately pointed out 2 things:
1) The agent who initially changed my MCO-EWR to MCO-IAH-EWR had never ticketed the change (which is why I did not receive any notifications)
2) The flight 991 from MCO-IAH was NOT cancelled. It was 991 from EWR-MCO that was cancelled. The previous 2 agents did not pick up on this and gave me wrong information repeatedly and insisted I change my itinerary due to this cancellation. I am glad I did not do so and trusted my instincts.
This third agent then went ahead and ticketed my itinerary and helped fix everything. Took close to 1.5 hrs and severe anxiety to fix this. This could have become a major headache had I not trusted my instincts.
If this is the expertise of agents that man the 1K line, heaven help folks calling regular line. I wrote to 1KVoice. I'm not looking for any compensation. I just would hate for this to happen to someone who is not savvy enough to know they were being lied to blatantly. Need I say I am furious?
Mar 16, 2017, 11:31 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
If you think that is bad, you should try AA's new crop of pmUS EXP agents.
I'm both 1K and EXP and while some agents have issues, IMO 1K agents are far better than the mostly clueless HP/US agents now answering the EXP line.
I'm both 1K and EXP and while some agents have issues, IMO 1K agents are far better than the mostly clueless HP/US agents now answering the EXP line.
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 16, 2017 at 3:29 pm
Mar 16, 2017, 11:35 am
#3
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
That's a rough experience.
But to be fair, I don't think UA set out to blantently lie. The agents gave bad information. But I doubt it was part of their sinister plan to lie!
There's also a chance that things were fluid throughout the weather issues. Flight 991 from EWR to MCO was cancelled. It's possible that ops originally cancelled the continuing MCO-IAH flight, as the equipment wasn't going to be there. But ops then realigned things so that another plane could be used for 991 MCO-IAH.
I'm not trying to make excuses. But I do know that when weather goes south, things shift rapidly.
But to be fair, I don't think UA set out to blantently lie. The agents gave bad information. But I doubt it was part of their sinister plan to lie!
There's also a chance that things were fluid throughout the weather issues. Flight 991 from EWR to MCO was cancelled. It's possible that ops originally cancelled the continuing MCO-IAH flight, as the equipment wasn't going to be there. But ops then realigned things so that another plane could be used for 991 MCO-IAH.
I'm not trying to make excuses. But I do know that when weather goes south, things shift rapidly.
Mar 16, 2017, 1:10 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
To be honest the 1K agents (and the others I suspect) don't always have the most up to date info. Numerous times when I'm delayed I have more knowledge of my options than the agents do.
Mar 16, 2017, 1:25 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
Absolutely. 1K desk is already not that awful, but good lesson from this story is to always check the latest version of eTicket number.
Mar 16, 2017, 1:30 pm
#8
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
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Mar 16, 2017, 7:45 pm
#9
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It's possible that ops originally cancelled the continuing MCO-IAH flight, as the equipment wasn't going to be there. But ops then realigned things so that another plane could be used for 991 MCO-IAH.
I'm not trying to make excuses. But I do know that when weather goes south, things shift rapidly.
I'm not trying to make excuses. But I do know that when weather goes south, things shift rapidly.
Mar 16, 2017, 7:54 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Premier 1K 1MM; AA Plat Pro; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Platinum; Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,529
1K call line or not I find UA agents to be generally under informed. Part of it is bad training and the other part is just lack of caring. Know your options and have your facts when calling. I've had similar problems with agents when making changes to award tickets (often the online system gets an error so I'm forced to call). HUACA is your best friend. Be nice and just say I'm good and move on...
Mar 16, 2017, 9:19 pm
#11
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Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 130
I am pretty sure that there are not any dedicated 1k agents or for any other level ,for the past couple of years UA call numbers I believe give you a phone answering priority ,who you get it something of a lottery ,maybe where it goes or the time of day increases the probability of you getting a more experienced person but that is about it
Mar 17, 2017, 7:30 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,595
I am pretty sure that there are not any dedicated 1k agents or for any other level ,for the past couple of years UA call numbers I believe give you a phone answering priority ,who you get it something of a lottery ,maybe where it goes or the time of day increases the probability of you getting a more experienced person but that is about it
