threeoh

If you're afraid of getting them in trouble, don't mention the things that might get them in trouble.

Even just "I was having a very bad travel day, I was too sick to travel, and Customer Service Agent Soandso really helped me out and rebooked me for the next day. They were kind and patient in my time of need. They showed me how United can shine." Or whatever...

You don't have to say "Soandso broke all of the rules for me, gave me benefits I wasn't entitled to, and I really appreciate them throwing United's finances under the bus to make my day", even if they did.

lincolnjkc

At least from the conversations I've had with local/regional management (can't say I've talked to anyone from HQ management, and it may not apply across all regions) generally speaking they trust and encourage the front-line employees working for them to find the right balance of customer-friendly and rule adherence. Safety/security rules are, of course, non-negotiable, but they know everything else has wiggle room. Also, many rule-bends leave an audit trail anyways.

Of course there are some things the push that boundary and are best vaguely mentioned if at all (like the agent at a midwestern airport who pushed me (physically) on to a departing flight, just before closing the door, without a boarding pass to save the down-line connection (the inbound AC for my original flight was significantly late...). That got a very generic "Agent such and such was a real life-saver on (date); I really appreciated (his/her) personal attention and professionalism"

Hawkeyefan

I booked an award itinerary for my family for March 2020 and made a change to it, triggering the $75 per change fee. I then realized I wanted to tack on one day to the itinerary which would have triggered a 2nd $75 fee BUT the Customer Care gentleman graciously gave me an one time fee exemption for the 2nd change. I was pleased, not complaining.

Orion67

I am not sure any rules were broken....when I flew originally, I was told at my connection in Denver that 1st class domestic does not qualify for the lounge. No worries as it was only an hour layover, not even worth using up a pass from my United credit card perk. But the return was direct coast to coast and apparently granted me access. Or so I heard. Anyway, they were out a glass of juice and a bit of finger food. But the gesture was appreciated.

jsloan

United Club access is included as part of any ticket that includes a business-class segment on a transcontinental premium service route (EWR-SFO/LAX, BOS-SFO, or vice-versa).

autobahnal

UA28, SIN-SFO, 13Jan
Really, really impressed with everyone onboard...

Shortly after take-off man becomes violently ill. Purser calls for a doctor. Doctor volunteers and is able to stabilize him. Later I found out that she quite literally saved his life. Crew ends up doing the dinner service rather than postponing it, though are short-staffed because 1-2 FA's are helping doctor with ill passenger. We divert to HKG, ill passenger disembarks, and then we continue onwards to SFO, arriving 4 hours late.

Overall journey was 19 hours onboard. Obviously major kudos to the doctor onboard! But also major kudos to the SFO-based crew. Purser kept us well-informed and all of the FA's provided fantastic, attentive service in Polaris throughout the entire very, very long flight. They were even extremely apologetic that the service was slightly slower than usual because some colleagues were helping with the ill passenger. Warm service with a smile and regular offers for snacks/refills, etc. continued until one hour outside of SFO.

Two other interesting notes: 1) Seemed that both SIN-SFO flights diverted this past Monday, and 2) even though our delayed arrival was clearly not UA's fault at all, they still offered compensation to everyone onboard (this was done via email afterwards, though the FA's also told the Polaris passengers individually about it during the flight). Part of this might have been because we had an additional maintenance delay in HKG, but that was relatively brief...the large majority of the delayed arrival was the medical diversion.

IADdelayed

I've written in twice in the last 3 months to complement great crews. UA has conditioned me over the years to expect a certain level of eye rolling, sighing, disappearing acts, etc. from the FA's, so when I'm lucky enough to fly with a great crew, I write in with kudos.

Back in October I was flying home (work trip) BNA-IAD. T-storms had resulted in a ground stop at BNA and the result was of course a mess. When things got going again, our A319 was up gauged last minute to an A320, so I'm sure that crew had no plans to fly to IAD that night.

Yet they were wonderful. Positive attitudes, all smiles, frequent updates. Captain announced they had something like 54 pax who needed to run to connecting flights at IAD, so he would do his best to make up time. And that he did.

Since I was in the very last row of the plane, I had a great view of everything that was going on. The FA's went around to all the connecting pax, telling them what gate their connecting flight would be at, and the best/quickest way to navigate IAD. As I was going home, it didn't affect me, but I could see this greatly affected all those connecting pax and calmed their nerves. Such a simple thing to do, yet so effective! Color me impressed.

Then last month I was severely late to catch an IAD-FRA flight. Late enough that while sprinting to the gate, I decided I didn't care at all if my Polaris experience (my own dime) was terrible, as long as I made it on the flight.

Well not only did I make it, I ended up having one of the best crews ever. None of the eye-rolling, disappearing acts, etc. But warm, genuinely friendly and very attentive. The FA's walked the cabin frequently after dinner (which almost never happens on red eyes), and anyone who was awake, they'd go over and ask if the pax were comfortable, if there was anything they could get them, etc. (And before anyone says it: I know this should be the norm when flying J, but it just isn't - at least not on UA.)

I really do hope these thank you notes get forwarded to the crews and their supervisors. They should know that pax notice and appreciate them.

lincolnjkc

Awesome crew on UA418 CLE-ORD this afternoon.

Form the two FAs working in front one remembered me and we had some fun during boarding ("if we keep seeing each other like this people are going to start talking" )

The other FA came up to a passenger across the aisle as boarding finished and discreetly said "Ms. 2F? I wanted to congratulate you on reaching a million miles today and *I* sincerely appreciate your loyalty"

Real class act and we haven't even left the ground yet...

DCA writer

I saw that UA was automatically waiving change fees on the SFO-BCN nonstops it had scheduled for the MWC trade show and had then canceled after the show itself canceled. So I thought I’d call to see if I could get the same waiver for the IAD-BCN itinerary I’d had to scrub. Answer: no problem, with the only caveat being that I’ll have to call in to use the travel credit from the old booking to ensure the change fee doesn’t reappear.

cricketer

One of the best FA's ever today, on an E175 from DFW-SFO in F. She was cheerful, friendly, clearly loved her job, and spent the entire flight making sure everyone in the cabin was happy and satiated, without ever once being intrusive. I felt as if I had my own personal FA. My email to 1Kvoice basically asked them to first re-instate 3 class international first class and then put her in charge of the service!

Aussienarelle

This was not really United but United Express. UA 5793 SAN-LAX on February 13 on one of the small planes. The FA was the most fun FA - I think he was confused that he was not working for WN.

I was actually quite tired and the GA had tried to give me and another pax a hard time about checking our carryon at the gate after we both informed her our carryon fitted in the overhead she insisted that anything with wheels would not fit. We both tried to tell her we caught this plane and knew they would fit. We both ended up taking the green tags and then ditching them as walked onto the plane and guess what - yes the carryon for both of us fitted in the overhead.

So after the gnarly start with the GA, the FA was such a refreshing change from many of the FAs, although must say the FAs who work for United Express/Sky West are some of the nicest in the bunch. And yes I wrote on the survey I was sent and specifically called out the FA as going above and beyond. :-)

Seby12

EWR-SFO today.

Purser bumped me from E+ to PremiumPlus about 2 min before pushback. She told me that United needs to make as many friends as they can during this difficult time. She also wanted to give me a chance to try the seat.

jsloan

I agree. Someone should tell the people making the decisions higher up in the company, though...

MojaveFlyer

Flew LAS-EWR-BOS yesterday, returning a few days early from a long vacation (my son joined us when his school closed down and I was able to get a $300 rt for him as well). Very helpful TA in LAS, very apologetic for lack of Premier line. We were on three different PNRs and my son was in the back of the plane. Wife and I had already been upgraded but I asked about moving my son to E+ in light of our status. She went one better and got him on the upgrade list as "gold companion" and then proudly showed us her screen showing him at the top of the list with many empty F seats. Perhaps she was grateful that my wife had helped her previous customers in Spanish, but she was really sweet.

Our LAS-EWR flight had lie flat seats, to the delight of the family who had never flown them. I haven't flown F in a while and told son how excited I was to be getting the hot nuts. The meal was so-so but the Vegas based FA very kind, and we chatted about how this compared to 9/11. I'm a MM flyer and been with UA for many years, and my Gold status isn't worth much any more, and M+ miles are close to worthless, but at a stressful time (there was a lot of concern about getting out of LAS due to ATC issues when CV showed up in the airport tower) I felt strangely happy to be in a decent domestic seat in a familiar travel environment.

I heartfully thanked both those employees and I wish them the best through these stressful times.

There were a scad of idle planes parked on the tarmac at EWR and it was quite strange to be in such a normally busy airport with it being mostly empty.

Aussienarelle

Shout out to the great check-in agent at MSY last night.

Caught a Lyft from the FQ. Done it many times. Should have been the usual 20-30 minute ride (app confirmed a travel time of 30 minutes). So 4pm (per app) arrival for 5.10pm departure and 4 25pm bag cutoff. Car slowly crawls towards me and instead of usual u-turn as also indicated on app driver decides to go down to a circle. We finally get on the freeway and it is stopped and app tells him to take a different route and I insist he follows the app which he does but only time as after that he decides he knows better. I start to stress as my arrival time indicated moves from 4pm by 5 minute increments until we are at 4.20pm. Driver then says never been to the "new" Airport so I direct him (looking at signage!). Driver informs me as i get out of the car to allow 60 minutes from FQ to MSY! This is a true statement if going to the airport with him.

Get to checkin at 4 35pm trying to work out how to rearrange my schedule for today if I miss the flight.

Great checkin agent asks if I am going to IAH, I respond yes he says he will take the bag and it is the bag they have been waiting for (checked in the day before) and please hurry to the gate.

Bag and I both arrive home.

I realize the checkin agent could have refused to take my bag as was 10 minutes after the cutoff and so grateful to him.