AustinBear

As my title suggests, I’ve has some recent issues both with incompetence (or lack of training) and just plain rudeness. It seems to be happening more, which is disheartening as I approach my million-mile mark (980K). I find myself thinking, “Is this what my loyalty has earned me?”

Here are some recent examples:

1. Flying on a purchased first-class ticket, misconnection due to mechanical issue. Next flight first class is full. I say fine, just please put me in first if a seat opens-up before upgrades. Customer service says, “No, I can’t do that, talk to gate agent.” Gate agent says, no you were upgraded (I was not), I can’t help you, etc. etc. After about 5 people I’m told, “Sorry, I don’t know how to help you, call and complain after you get home.”

2. I’m at the rear of the aircraft waiting for someone to come out of the restroom. He exits and I take half a step back into the galley. In less than two seconds a flight attendant, seated in a jump seat, says,” Sir, you’re going to have to get your butt out of my face. I’m trying to eat.” I turned and asked, “Excuse me?” in disbelief. She simply turned her back to me, ignored me and ate her meal. I was pretty much left speechless at that point.


3. On Friday, I got on my flight and the flight attendant asks what seat I’m in, I tell her and she offers to put my briefcase in her closet. She says something else I don’t quite hear. I then get to my seat and find someone else’s bag under the seat in front of me, in my foot/leg space. When she comes down the aisle I ask if she knows why the bag is there. She responds with, “Why, do you have a problem with that?” I didn’t know quite how to respond. Despite her response to me (or especially because of it), I’m trying to avoid a confrontation. I just say, “Well, I wouldn’t mind the leg-room.”

We got deplaned due to weather delay. I ended-up talking to the guy whose bag it was. I ask if the bins were full. He says no, she’d been persnickety with him (his words), that there was space in the bin and she’d just taken it from him and put it there because the seat was open. He didn’t get it either and agreed she just was needlessly creating issues for passengers. Why?


I have more examples, but I won't drag you through more.

After all the bad press United got after forcefully deplaning that passenger, it would seem their team should be trying harder. My experience has been the opposite. I have other examples and the bad experiences seem to be outnumbering the good.

I understand it’s a hard job. I understand passengers are getting worse, I see that all the time. I’m sure you do too. But, I’m polite and try to make their jobs easier, not harder, when I can. Why in the world do they want to try and drive loyal flyers away (at least in my case)?

So, back to my question – Am I having a bad streak of luck or are you experiencing the same?

I'd appreciate your feedback. I'm starting to think of making a change. I know it sounds outrageous with me becoming a million-miler in a few more trips. But, my flight experiences are getting worse. I'm a Presidential Plus card holder plus have two more Mileage Plus Explorer accounts for each of two businesses we own. I can do a challenge and just get equivalent cards on AA to replace the current ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to make a rash move. And, I'm sure the grass is not much greener "on the other side". But, I am starting to consider it and that's why I'm asking the question. Doing my research.

boat9781

Bad luck. United is improving from an operational perspective.

See slide 6 from the recent investor presentation.

JetAway

All 3 U.S legacy carriers are like this. No point in moving unless you have other reasons.

ermintrude

The 'other side' for me US domestic is now B6 and AS, but I rarely have a problem with UA on the criteria you mentioned anyway.

Yep

chance_the_napper

I do my best to talk to as few people as possible when flying. Earbuds in the whole time, keep my own bag under my seat, keep to myself.

AustinBear

My gut feeling, too.

AirbusFan2B

I agree with the replies: the US3 are approximately equally mediocre. Hub locations and route networks do differ. So if you're IAH or SFO based, tough to beat UA. Recommend pursuing 1M miles as you then become UA gold for life and, by extension, Star Alliance gold for life. This is asssuming that you'd have a need to fly internationally and be able to enjoy *A benefits on UA's global partners. Reports indicate that most every *A partner's experience vastly outperforms UA. And *A network blows away AA's and DL's partner network.

lhrsfo

Sadly, this is my tactic as well. After years of trying to be nice and engage with UA's staff, I've learnt that the best solution is to avoid all engagement if possible. When my wife asks how they can all be so staggeringly rude, it's the advice I give her also - don't give them the opportunity.

Which is sad, as I feel that on pretty well all other metrics, UA had improved considerably.

Flying Machine

Perhaps its the Summer Travel Season?

AustinBear

I think I may simply use others more, including the two you mention.

One, I'll be a MM so I'll have a status min.

Two, I get so many more miles with my CC's that flying miles don't add-up that much (comparably). Between personal and business cards I can get 30k or more miles in a month.

Three, direct flights on others just reduce likelihood of hassle.

Funny. Me too. But, I have to go the the bathroom sometimes (see my item 2) and do need to sit in my seat (see my item 3).

Yes, in the end, I'll probably just suck it up. With the 1M mile a few months out there will be benefits when traveling with family. My wife will also be Plat (or whatever I am at the time) so we have a (small) chance of all 3 of us getting up front. And, yes, we don't travel much overseas but do a trip every two years or so. Business class upstairs in a 747 on Lufthansa (DEN to FRA) was certainly nicer than the UA trip in same class back. Much nicer.

And, because I'm a legacy Presidential Plus holder I have lots of FPQM's I can use (42k) to maintain a higher status than my travel allows if I spread around my flying a bit (direct flights on JetBlue, Virgin, etc.). I earn about 2,500 of those per month.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Two of my pet peeves on airlines:

1) Boarding process, if I'm in a forward coach aisle seat and people are oblivious to fact that their over-the-shoulder bag is whacking every half of the seated aisle passengers on their way back.

2) Uncaring butt placement. I know airlines are tight places, but one can still be aware of where one's butt is (and whose face it might be in). Putting it in someone's face while they're seated (and especially eating) is annoying. And don't say there was nowhere else to point it. Brief exposure to butt-in-face is understandable, but some people are oblivious to others.

Yesterday I was exposed to both. The PoS in the coach aisle seat across from me had no problem standing and putting his rather large rear in my ear while his row mate made her way to lav and back, and while I was trying to eat my 1Kburger.

sinoflyer

Indeed, it's often the ignorant or inconsiderate offender (or both) who finds themselves in disbelief when someone they agitated pushes back. Another peeve of mine is a pax wearing a full backpack who turns around or even just slightly pivots their shoulders when in the aisle. Often the offender can't comprehend how they are intruding on a seated pax's space when they only see plenty space in front of them.

demkr

While I think the soft product can use susbtantial improvement, I've noticed positive changes from the customer service and reliability front in the past month or two on my end. I think it's a YMMV issue.

That being said, on all US carriers, it seems the flight attendants can get visibly annoyed when passengers go to use the lav. Sorry, but until the "seatbelt sign is on" for 30 minutes after takeoff + long taxi time nonsense stops, FA's need to be a bit more understanding that pax are going to have to use the lav when that sign turns off. It's not the end of the world to have to wait an extra minute or two to start service.

Ber2dca

If this is the first time you've come across FAs on UA who don't care about your concerns, react annoyed when asked something and get surly easily, I'd say it's more a case of you having had extremely good luck before. I've flown UA for several years now and this has been the one constant. Not that all of them are like that, but I've seen at least one on every single trip (and not in interactions with me either, but as a bad sleeper on planes and non-user of IFE, I see a lot of things).

Delta FAs in my experience are perhaps a bit better (tho still not as service-oriented and professional as I deem desirable) tho that impression might be down to luck on my end.

AustinBear

@oil-trash and sinoflyer - If your posts were directed at me... To clarify, I was in the center of the aisle with my rear facing the rear. If my rear was near her face, she was facing to the aisle and leaning in (which I think was the case). And, no, my rear is not large.

She had plenty of room to move away from the center of the plane and sit in the jump seat nearer the window.

@Ber2dca - Not the first or second or tenth. Many more. And, I understand it's "par for the course." But the frequency, in my case, seems to be increasing. Those were just a few examples.

Perhaps they are just getting more wound-up in response to an increase in ready to be mad customers? Or again, I've just had a streak of bad luck. And, I think it's also just the world today.

I think many of us would agree we see that more and more (e.g., road rage, phone video at the ready so we can post our rage to the world).

I really just posted to gauge what others were experiencing to try and get some "expert input".

Thanks for all the replies. It's helpful.