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Slow Demise of Global Services (Yes? No?) ....

Slow Demise of Global Services (Yes? No?) ....

Old Jul 18, 2018, 10:38 am
  #91  
 
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Originally Posted by 5khours
Naw! GE has nothing to do with GS. And going through GS check-in takes you to the head of the pre-check, which typically means you get to cut in front of 2 or 3 people. Saves you a minute or two max.
I often transit through SFO or EWR, at both places the Pre-check line can be absolutely massive. Problem is the TSA STILL lets everyone and their mother into the pre-check line, often first time flyers. The benefit of getting to cut to the front of this line during peak periods is actually one of my favorite bits of being GS... especially when trying to make tight international connections or trying to catch an earlier flight. .
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Old Jul 18, 2018, 3:20 pm
  #92  
Ari
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Originally Posted by 1015-1k
I fully understand all your points. All the above (minus the UC) were generally functioning as perks ("something for nothing" if that's what you want to call it) for many years. I'm simply pointing out that they have declined substantially in the last two years. It's to the point where their "120-hour upgrade processing" is mostly a joke. The service, experience and perks are getting much closer to 1K or lower. Isn't that the topic of this thread??
I agree that 120 hours is a joke on most applicable routes and the perks are just those. Your description of the declining service levels is really troubling and that's what I'm getting at-- their service should be flawless and they shouldn't screw that up but clearly they fail to deliver on numerous occasions.

As far as the topic of the thread, I think that "the 'demise' of Global Services" is the topic and that any and all complaints are valid ones, but if one really hearkens back to the early days of Global Services, one can remember that there was no 120-hour window, there were no automatic 1K MileagePlus goodies (it was not MileagePlus status back then) and there was not even boarding pass notation-- it was just an internal designation with a corresponding high level of service.

If anything, it seems like there is a "regression" rather than "demise" of Global Services back to 'just' a high level of service with the additional perks added in the later years (perhaps a better description than something for nothing) being available sometimes rather than an inexorable guarantee (as they should be and were probably originally intended to be in order to encourage profitable behavior-- T to XN to PN was probably not envisioned to be published online as a GS perk). The only problem is that the "high level of service" is now grossly inconsistent.
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Old Jul 18, 2018, 4:22 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by LordHamster
I often transit through SFO or EWR, at both places the Pre-check line can be absolutely massive. Problem is the TSA STILL lets everyone and their mother into the pre-check line, often first time flyers. The benefit of getting to cut to the front of this line during peak periods is actually one of my favorite bits of being GS... especially when trying to make tight international connections or trying to catch an earlier flight. .
This can be a huge benefit. If you conservatively allocate a half-hour saved each trip out of EWR (which is reasonable since you can't plan time of departure for the airport on the basis of median wait time; it has to be somewhere near maximum or you'll miss half your flights), and you make twenty trips per year that's ten hours. For a high-end NYC professional, who can bill at $2000 per hour, that can be worth $20,000. And if you travel a lot in business/first with a companion, forced saver award availability can also be worth many thousands of dollars (even tens, if lots of international travel).
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Old Jul 18, 2018, 8:38 pm
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
Not sure what OP's beef is.

UA made a mistake, it admitted that it made a mistake. The mistake could have been made for a first-time flyer or someone with a $100K cash spend.

OP has only been GS for 5 years, so he doesn't really know what it was like back before GS was a published status. In those days, a supervisor would have found the empty F seat, written a paper BP, walked the passenger onboard and explained the issue to the FA.
Man, you guys are way too forgiving for an airline that screws up. I walked with my feet a long time go. I know what OP's beef is. Keep savoring UA's screw ups. they are likely to recur.
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Old Jul 18, 2018, 9:35 pm
  #95  
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Originally Posted by globetraveler
I think the issue here is United overall, not necessary a GS thing. Yes, the GS ranks have swelled in recent years, but I think the various issues described in this thread are proof points that UA doesnt have their act together on the passenger experience as a whole.

United needs to empower their employees to do the right thing, which they claim they have (and I realize the deep challenges here), but this is where many of the problems reside. Theres a pervasive legacy mindset that doesnt allow UA to get out of their own way.

Some Random Examples:

- No lounge access for GS? You have a customer spending $100k/yr yet you dont offer comp United Club access? This is an embarrassment and a great example that UA just doesnt get it. Who is making this decision?

Non GS related:

- UA Y buy on board domestically is terrible. Pizza, burger or sandwich? No thanks. Cant you offer some salads etc for those who want to eat healthy?

- Streaming entertainment sucks. DL has seat back which I much prefer- so much easier- gives you flexibility.

- UA is still taking delivery of non Polaris seats on Dreamliner's? Again I respect supply chain considerations here but why would you continue to take delivery of an old product that will ultimately stay with you fleet for years??

- Recent meal reduction fiasco in F? They corrected course here but again, who is making these passenger focused decisions?

Maybe if an exec who was making all of these decisions went through a real day in the life as a real passengwr and encountered the amount of friction there is in the UA experience they would make some changes.



Agreed, we need to drain the swamp.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 3:35 am
  #96  
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Originally Posted by globetraveler
I think the issue here is United overall, not necessary a GS thing. Yes, the GS ranks have swelled in recent years, but I think the various issues described in this thread are proof points that UA doesnt have their act together on the passenger experience as a whole.
This, x1000.

Back when I was Premier Executive, I was pleased with the fact that UA acted proactively at times, and I got the occasional UG. Then when I moved up to 1K, for a short time, I 'lived well" in my flying life. Then the merger happened, and before too long, 1K was diluted, along with the entire service experience. While GS is still the top of the hill, UA's new normal means that hill is no longer as tall as it once was.

These days I fly primarily *A partners because I have been relocated, and the difference is stark. My flight experience on *A partners has been far better than it was on UA before I moved. Which is pretty sad.....
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 6:44 am
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by physioprof
This can be a huge benefit. If you conservatively allocate a half-hour saved each trip out of EWR (which is reasonable since you can't plan time of departure for the airport on the basis of median wait time; it has to be somewhere near maximum or you'll miss half your flights), and you make twenty trips per year that's ten hours. For a high-end NYC professional, who can bill at $2000 per hour, that can be worth $20,000. And if you travel a lot in business/first with a companion, forced saver award availability can also be worth many thousands of dollars (even tens, if lots of international travel).
My family and I have barely used cash to pay for a vacation in years. The wife and kids are currently in China, where they flew in Polaris style thanks to a cheap fare + 6 GPUs. I'll be joining them saturday or perhaps later (due to free changes to reward tickets) on a first class Air China / United itinerary... all on "saver" fares. I estimate that we get roughly $50,000 in "premium travel" value / year as a result of the loyalty. For me, being based in CLE there aren't many other airlines I could use that would get me the same bang for buck in terms of perks.

A few days ago, I was transferring via IAD and got to skip the moon buggy due to a nice Mercedes transfer.

As far as the perks I get from GS, I am quite happy. Yes, there are areas for improvement*, but as far as United goes... it is as good as it gets.


*Pet peeve is that GS is effectively boarding group 3, after the loads of wheelchairs + strollers etc. Would make more sense to let the travel ninjas aka GS board first. We'd be out of the way, settled and sipping a bloody mary.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 1:20 pm
  #98  
 
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Originally Posted by LordHamster
*Pet peeve is that GS is effectively boarding group 3, after the loads of wheelchairs + strollers etc. Would make more sense to let the travel ninjas aka GS board first. We'd be out of the way, settled and sipping a bloody mary.
Heartily agree! I have often thought the same myself. I assume it is not a regulatory requirement since other airlines board those groups in different orders.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 1:41 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by BeanTownBoy
Heartily agree! I have often thought the same myself. I assume it is not a regulatory requirement since other airlines board those groups in different orders.
Agree too, though these folks also take disproportionate real estate in the boarding area and clearing them out before the lice creeps in is also probably not a bad idea in my view.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 2:06 pm
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by LordHamster

*Pet peeve is that GS is effectively boarding group 3, after the loads of wheelchairs + strollers etc. Would make more sense to let the travel ninjas aka GS board first. We'd be out of the way, settled and sipping a bloody mary.
Actually I'm good with military boarding before me.. But I hate the fact that they let kids board. Especially those parents that are bringing kids that are like 5-10 yrs old board. Infants in mom's hand, sure, go ahead of me...
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 2:12 pm
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by twkidM3
Actually I'm good with military boarding before me.. But I hate the fact that they let kids board. Especially those parents that are bringing kids that are like 5-10 yrs old board. Infants in mom's hand, sure, go ahead of me...
Ironically, for all the years that I was childless, CO used to allow kids to pre-board. Then they eliminated the kids pre-board announcement for a while... during which I had kids. Literally as soon as my youngest turned 2, they revived the children under two pre-board. Now, even with GS, I STILL am stuck. I guess I need to wait till I'm a grandparent.

I'm fine with Military first as well because:
1. There are almost never any on my flights
2. When there are, they are super fast & efficient.
3. Because they deserve it IMO.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 2:30 pm
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by LordHamster
Ironically, for all the years that I was childless, CO used to allow kids to pre-board. Then they eliminated the kids pre-board announcement for a while... during which I had kids. Literally as soon as my youngest turned 2, they revived the children under two pre-board. Now, even with GS, I STILL am stuck. I guess I need to wait till I'm a grandparent.

I'm fine with Military first as well because:
1. There are almost never any on my flights
2. When there are, they are super fast & efficient.
3. Because they deserve it IMO.
For what it's worth -- and this is one datapoint -- today at SFO gate 88, the agent was reading off her screen, and announced, "First we will board passengers with disabilities, our Global Services members, then military, and finally families with children two and under." And that's how she did it.

This would be different putting GS as #2 vs #4 in the pre-boards. Of course I agree GS should be #1 for the reasons mentioned above. Any other experiences recently?
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 2:44 pm
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by wxguy
For what it's worth -- and this is one datapoint -- today at SFO gate 88, the agent was reading off her screen, and announced, "First we will board passengers with disabilities, our Global Services members, then military, and finally families with children two and under." And that's how she did it.

This would be different putting GS as #2 vs #4 in the pre-boards. Of course I agree GS should be #1 for the reasons mentioned above. Any other experiences recently?
Officially, military comes before GS... at least I suspect that's got to be the rule given the automated announcements at EWR go in that sequence.
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 2:49 pm
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by LordHamster
I often transit through SFO or EWR, at both places the Pre-check line can be absolutely massive. Problem is the TSA STILL lets everyone and their mother into the pre-check line, often first time flyers. The benefit of getting to cut to the front of this line during peak periods is actually one of my favorite bits of being GS... especially when trying to make tight international connections or trying to catch an earlier flight. .
A minor point perhaps, but anyone, GS or not, can solve this problem at SFO via CLEAR. Sadly not an option at EWR, I know...
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Old Jul 19, 2018, 3:59 pm
  #105  
 
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Originally Posted by Starman
A minor point perhaps, but anyone, GS or not, can solve this problem at SFO via CLEAR. Sadly not an option at EWR, I know...
I went through CLEAR/pre-check at SFO this morning at 0430, before the GS reception opened. True, CLEAR lets you bypass the line for the ID checker, and I was past that point in seconds escorted by the CLEAR agent. But the queue *between* the ID checker and the X-ray machine was about 20 long! The WTMD seemed super-sensitive this morning; my belt made it alarm, and I've worn the same always-beep-free-belt for hundreds of flights. Taking off the belt removed the alarm.

On topic for this thread, the GS reception (and UC!) should open earlier, given the number of pre-dawn departures out of SFO.
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