Wow, after reading many of the posts... (UA pilot post)
Apr 17, 2017, 9:50 pm
#61
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: AA Gold, Enterprise PLT, Marriott Gold
Posts: 604
Well stated OP. Sadly too many people forget they are catapulting through the air at easily 600 miles an hour 30-40k feet in the air, getting to somewhere in a fraction of the time it would take to drive. We live in a society for a reasonable cost you can wake up and be on the entire other side of the US in 6 hours or less (depending on where you are at).
I get it, things can be improved, at times airlines mess up, but the industry is scrutinized by the general public far more than it should be. Go take a train or car, and you most likely won't be where you're going anywhere close to the same time.
Yet it seems all people want to do is complain about weather, maintenance, etc. Things can be better sure, but it's taken for granted for sure.
I get it, things can be improved, at times airlines mess up, but the industry is scrutinized by the general public far more than it should be. Go take a train or car, and you most likely won't be where you're going anywhere close to the same time.
Yet it seems all people want to do is complain about weather, maintenance, etc. Things can be better sure, but it's taken for granted for sure.
Apr 17, 2017, 9:51 pm
#62
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
I'm sorry gang, but I originally joined FlyerTalk, as I wanted to learn more about the perception the flying public had about airlines and flying in general. I figured along the way, I could pick up some information that would help me do a better job as a recently promoted captain. But wow, so many of you come across like spoiled brats. Yes, airlines make mistakes, and yes, policy and customer service can always use improvement, but wow, the amount of anger from some of you, over often trivial things is very sad...
And to those who refer to the traveling public who don't fly often as kettles, come on, if you were so damn important, you would be flying private aviation, not pontificating over how important you are because you fly more often than someone else, and complaining you didn't get a PDB on a flight.
I appreciate those who fly frequently, and who help pay the bills at my airline, and always try to assist any way I can in providing good service, but many of you, especially some of our most frequent travelers need to grow up, and get over yourselves. Oh, and try and be respectful to each other too, most of the threads on this forum are ripe with name calling and hostility.
It's just a damn airplane ride, sit down, make the most of it, be thankful you got to your destination, go home and live your life....
Welcome to FT
Apr 17, 2017, 10:03 pm
#63
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,760
This could be an interesting discussion but EVERYONE needs to take a deep breadth and dial down the comments to be consistent with the FT Rules.
Particularly
It has been a difficult past week and many discussion have gotten heated. So instead of massively editing this thread or deleting it, let's call a truce (take a mulligan) and have a civil, respectful discussion by ALL (and no further inappropriate comments by anyone).
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Particularly
Abusive or disruptive behavior or content
12.1 Friendly, Respectful and Welcoming
FlyerTalk is a community and is intended to be a friendly, helpful and collegial place.
Please post in a friendly, respectful, welcoming manner. 'Snarky,' unfriendly posts will not be allowed. If you don't have something constructive to contribute to a thread, please do not post.
Unhelpful posts, such as "Do a search" or those that merely comment on the worthiness of others' posts or threads are neither friendly nor welcoming and will not be allowed. If you can't be helpful or contribute substantive content to a thread, please refrain from posting.
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If you have a difference of opinion with another member, challenge the idea — NOT the person. Getting personal with another member is not allowed. Personal attacks, insults, baiting and flaming will not be tolerated.
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If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle. Please also see Rule 22 — When you believe someone has violated the rules.
12.3 Disruptive or repetitive posting
Posts that are inflammatory, inciting or unnecessarily provocative are not allowed.
12.1 Friendly, Respectful and Welcoming
FlyerTalk is a community and is intended to be a friendly, helpful and collegial place.
Please post in a friendly, respectful, welcoming manner. 'Snarky,' unfriendly posts will not be allowed. If you don't have something constructive to contribute to a thread, please do not post.
Unhelpful posts, such as "Do a search" or those that merely comment on the worthiness of others' posts or threads are neither friendly nor welcoming and will not be allowed. If you can't be helpful or contribute substantive content to a thread, please refrain from posting.
12.2 Avoid Getting Personal
If you have a difference of opinion with another member, challenge the idea — NOT the person. Getting personal with another member is not allowed. Personal attacks, insults, baiting and flaming will not be tolerated.
FlyerTalk is a diverse, multi-cultural community. Expressions of prejudice or discrimination in any form are not permitted (such as those concerning race, nationality, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc).
If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle. Please also see Rule 22 — When you believe someone has violated the rules.
12.3 Disruptive or repetitive posting
Posts that are inflammatory, inciting or unnecessarily provocative are not allowed.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Apr 17, 2017, 10:29 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Washington DC and Denver CO
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy Titanium/LT Gold
Posts: 379
Apr 17, 2017, 10:35 pm
#65
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SLC
Programs: United Gold, Hilton Silver, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 768
For what it's worth, I've been flying with United for many years, sometimes as an elite, and other years only occasionally. 99% of my experiences have been very positive. In cases where things have gone wrong, I've found customer service to be very helpful and they've gone out of my way to accommodate me.
I've found that the service and attitude I get from the United employees largely reflects my own attitude. I've met too many customers who somehow think the FA and GA staff are giving the poor service, when the issue is really with the "DYKWIA" attitude of the customer.
I've found that the service and attitude I get from the United employees largely reflects my own attitude. I've met too many customers who somehow think the FA and GA staff are giving the poor service, when the issue is really with the "DYKWIA" attitude of the customer.
Apr 18, 2017, 12:02 am
#66
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Being around here for quite some time now i honestly can only shake my head in disbelieve that your initial post and this response in particular is the opinion of someone several hundred people trust their lives to on a daily basis.
Your initial post is full of generalization and the further comments on who is footing the ticket price only can imply that all seated in row 0 are a spoiled, elitist, arrogant and overly self confident bunch - see, I can do this as well. Luckily the world is completely different, and most people in that row I had the opportunity to speak with were not of this kind, and I hope you also do not belong to this species I outlined above.
In fact the current situation with United warrants the complaints put forward here on most parts, and if you had read substantially more than the on post dealing with the events on UA3411, you certainly would have noticed that people here have a tendency to distinguish whiners from valid complaints - just see one of the many threads where people ask for other's opinion regarding a situation they just encountered. Seeing all this criticism around one's employer might be hard to accept, but instead of condemning the messenger it might be a good idea to take up the criticism and see what you personally can do to improve the picture of your employer with the traveling public - sadly your initial post is detrimental to achieving this.
That all said, welcome to flyertalk! You will find a very civilized community for most part of time that is passionate about their travel and look for ways to improve on this with every mile they fly - and help others to achieve alike!
Greetings - Dirk
Your initial post is full of generalization and the further comments on who is footing the ticket price only can imply that all seated in row 0 are a spoiled, elitist, arrogant and overly self confident bunch - see, I can do this as well. Luckily the world is completely different, and most people in that row I had the opportunity to speak with were not of this kind, and I hope you also do not belong to this species I outlined above.
In fact the current situation with United warrants the complaints put forward here on most parts, and if you had read substantially more than the on post dealing with the events on UA3411, you certainly would have noticed that people here have a tendency to distinguish whiners from valid complaints - just see one of the many threads where people ask for other's opinion regarding a situation they just encountered. Seeing all this criticism around one's employer might be hard to accept, but instead of condemning the messenger it might be a good idea to take up the criticism and see what you personally can do to improve the picture of your employer with the traveling public - sadly your initial post is detrimental to achieving this.
That all said, welcome to flyertalk! You will find a very civilized community for most part of time that is passionate about their travel and look for ways to improve on this with every mile they fly - and help others to achieve alike!
Greetings - Dirk
Apr 18, 2017, 12:15 am
#67
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LAS
Programs: 1K---2,909,450 BIS miles
Posts: 214
Talk about "Spoiled Brats". Stranded customers were all over the system every day for months, causing the company to eventually go bankrupt.
Many of the posters on this forum will NEVER forget how we were treated by the uncaring 3 & 4 strippers, who were NOT flying the planes when they were supposed to and could care less about the folks in the back!
What goes around, comes around, and now that the heats turned up we are getting chastised by the same guys/gals that screwed over us back then.
Last edited by MY-OTHER-BROTHER-"TED"; Apr 18, 2017 at 12:21 am
Apr 18, 2017, 12:43 am
#68
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, Bonvoy Titanium & LTP, HH Gold, Accor Silver, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 2,349
For what it's worth, I've been flying with United for many years, sometimes as an elite, and other years only occasionally. 99% of my experiences have been very positive. In cases where things have gone wrong, I've found customer service to be very helpful and they've gone out of my way to accommodate me.
I've found that the service and attitude I get from the United employees largely reflects my own attitude. I've met too many customers who somehow think the FA and GA staff are giving the poor service, when the issue is really with the "DYKWIA" attitude of the customer.
I've found that the service and attitude I get from the United employees largely reflects my own attitude. I've met too many customers who somehow think the FA and GA staff are giving the poor service, when the issue is really with the "DYKWIA" attitude of the customer.
Just last week, for example, we had a 6 hour delay out of LAS. Half the plane was connecting to an international flight (mostly to Europe it seemed). The gate agents were phenomenal in dealing with the delay - they patiently and smilingly worked through every situation. The majority of the passengers were also unfailingly polite and very relaxed. I only saw two couples get flustered - and perhaps it's notable that they were both apparently SFO based. Plenty of expletives and cursing about how slow and incompetent the agents were. Alternative facts, I suppose.
I'll caveat by saying that I'm not naive enough to think that there are no flaws out there. That's the case with *any* organization at scale.
Apr 18, 2017, 12:54 am
#69
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SFO sometimes
Programs: UA 1K, AA gold, A3 gold
Posts: 1,634
It wasn't very trivial during The Summer From Hell", my good Captain. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/bu.../31united.html
Talk about "Spoiled Brats". Stranded customers were all over the system every day for months, causing the company to eventually go bankrupt.
Many of the posters on this forum will NEVER forget how we were treated by the uncaring 3 & 4 strippers, who were NOT flying the planes when they were supposed to and could care less about the folks in the back!
What goes around, comes around, and now that the heats turned up we are getting chastised by the same guys/gals that screwed over us back then.
Talk about "Spoiled Brats". Stranded customers were all over the system every day for months, causing the company to eventually go bankrupt.
Many of the posters on this forum will NEVER forget how we were treated by the uncaring 3 & 4 strippers, who were NOT flying the planes when they were supposed to and could care less about the folks in the back!
What goes around, comes around, and now that the heats turned up we are getting chastised by the same guys/gals that screwed over us back then.
Apr 18, 2017, 12:55 am
#70
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,293
And welcome aboard, despite the brashness of your intro, we don't all bite around here. Unless provoked.
I too love the 757. They'll be missed.
Apr 18, 2017, 12:58 am
#71
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
Programs: DL DM, 5.7 MM, UA 3.1 MM, MARRIOTT PLATINUM, AVIS FIRST, Amex Black Card
Posts: 4,479
UA needs to "think"! UA has shown themselves as a fool over the past week with PR. I guess Chicago as the HQ is not working? Perhaps bring it back to Mission Control - Houston? This is 4 headlines that make UA look bad in one week.
Come on? Hire some people that know what to do? Just a thought.
Come on? Hire some people that know what to do? Just a thought.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:05 am
#72
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SFO sometimes
Programs: UA 1K, AA gold, A3 gold
Posts: 1,634
That comment sums it all up. You have a service company promoting people with that kind of attitude just because they spent enough hours sitting at the front of a metal tube that is mainly flown by a computer. Entitled goes both ways.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:16 am
#73
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
Programs: DL DM, 5.7 MM, UA 3.1 MM, MARRIOTT PLATINUM, AVIS FIRST, Amex Black Card
Posts: 4,479
I plant myself in a UA seat at least once a week. Give me a break. I thank UA for safe service in the "friendly skies". That is it.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:22 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Well if you do decide to stick around here, head over to the BAEC sub-forum and your perpsective on United flyers (a la "spoiled brats") might change! 
Apr 18, 2017, 1:31 am
#75
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brunei
Programs: Enrich Sapphire. Kris Flyer Silver.Le Club Accorhotels,Starwood.
Posts: 2,201
Well stated OP. Sadly too many people forget they are catapulting through the air at easily 600 miles an hour 30-40k feet in the air, getting to somewhere in a fraction of the time it would take to drive. We live in a society for a reasonable cost you can wake up and be on the entire other side of the US in 6 hours or less (depending on where you are at).
I get it, things can be improved, at times airlines mess up, but the industry is scrutinized by the general public far more than it should be. Go take a train or car, and you most likely won't be where you're going anywhere close to the same time.
Yet it seems all people want to do is complain about weather, maintenance, etc. Things can be better sure, but it's taken for granted for sure.
I get it, things can be improved, at times airlines mess up, but the industry is scrutinized by the general public far more than it should be. Go take a train or car, and you most likely won't be where you're going anywhere close to the same time.
Yet it seems all people want to do is complain about weather, maintenance, etc. Things can be better sure, but it's taken for granted for sure.
What does this have to do with weather, maintennance, etc~?
This is how the whole UA nonsense blew up. Whatever else people have commented about (negative comments) about UA are their opinions, experiences and feelings about how badly the airline abuses its position as a domestic and international airline and business.
