IMRU

I'll miss the agent's ability to do unique things as well. One of the things that keeps me on United is the ability of these agents to help out. A remote agent can't call down to baggage and ask their friend to pull a bag that will "go to your final destination" and retag it so that it goes to your new destination when your flight is cancelled. They also can't do nice things like announce boarding for delayed flights. The fact that we'll get put into a pool with every other delayed passenger seems to me like we're paying a lot of money for a ham sandwich and rarely working espresso machines and bagged urinals.

Airbus_Retard

I wonder if the renovation of the east club at DEN will omit any space for service agents. If they do not provide a customer service desk within the renovated club, this is a pretty clear sign of where United will be going in the future.

mmack

Well, we had our first "Agent on Demand" go-round at SFO UC last evening. Checked into the Club, asked about the wristbands. ( in January they put them on as we checked in, while we showed our QR codes)
Told to go around the corner...Agent there said we had to use "AOD" and upload their QR code. Got an on-line Agent who had NO IDEA what I was talking about: then lost the connection.

Finally another Agent at the Club came up and read our codes and gave us our wristbands. What is going on?? Later spoke with other passengers on our flight to Lihue....all given their wristbands in the Club. Very poor service

nomad420

In many UCs the area where the service desks are have quite a lot of square footage, for example the Rotunda Club at SFO, both DEN clubs, and the UC at CLE. I agree It would seem to me IF they are dumping UC CS desks they would need to restructure many of the clubs.

MBS MillionMiler

Live experience earlier this week: My flight (AGAIN) was canceled (3rd one in 2022). I entered the B6 Club (nearest to my deplaning from my previous flight), said nicely, "Hey, my flight was canceled, they rebooked me for 24 hours later? Can you help?" Sternly and matter-of-factly told "You have to do the app...If you want a live person, go out into the concourse, we can't help you anymore."

Wasn't super happy with that, but did proceed to the concourse where a great CSR gave me an appropriate ETC for my troubles, was given meal vouchers (I sought my own, alternate transportation to my final destination). She, along with what appeared to be a supervisor were very much on my side. They both begged for me to write in, they all think is BS what they've done to the club agents. May fall on deaf ears, but will indeed be writing 1K Voice.

uanj

Anyone heard if the agents will be removed from Polaris lounges as well? it will be a major downgrade if we cannot get documents approved for boarding like the pre-pandemic days.

Magic Pickles

The elusive agent is back at EWR C74 UC!

tarheelnj

I'm in the EWR Club now and went up to the lone agent and asked about this change. She confirmed they want to move live agents out of UC's, but the larger ones may keep one or two. What was interesting is that she said current UC CS Agents are able to bid on working shifts as a Virtual Agent, so we should expect capable agents. She did sympathize that for many of us, that live agent, with the ability to interact live, print out BPs, etc., is the best thing about having the UC membership.

Also noticed that the Club was very crowded - all non-table seats taken - and they were still selling day passes for $59 per person.

segmentslut

I flew through Denver yesterday and was told that United is replacing their concierge agents with the Virtual Kiosks. They will only have live non UAL employees doing credential check at the door. This supposedly has already happened at ORD. I understand that technology is taking over everywhere, but I value the UAL agents that work the clubs. They know me and I know and trust them. I think UAL is devaluing the service they provide and the value of the club. Fees in the club raise and benefits go down. Might be time to stop and not re-new. Maybe that will free up a seat for some of you, as the clubs are way over crowded now anyway..... Scott is taking us down the path of American with the same cost and service cuts... NOT GOOD !!

goodeats21

Noticed that personalized travel assistance isn't listed anywhere in United Club material now, at least that I could find.

United cuts continue...

MrAndy1369

Really? It's still listed here, as of this afternoon, anyway.

goodeats21

Didn't see that one when I was poking around. Good one to monitor to see when they pull it.

Or are they going to consider chat to be personalized assistance. Haha

McTigerFan

Right after UA/Chase gutted the benefits of the Club credit card (ironically now named the "Infinite" card just as its benefits became much more finite), I visited the ORD club during an IRROPS episode. My flight had been scheduled for 830 pm and was now 10 pm. I arrived at the Club around 8. The bartender was shutting things down and turned me away (a little brusquely I might add). Some packaged and dreadful food was laying around on the food counter, I tried some of it and it was much worse than usual. The club itself started making announcements that it was closing at 830 pm. And the customer service agents were gone that night too, a precursor of this new change. The regular customer service line stretched nearly the entire length of the B concourse (a familiar IRROPS site at ORD) and during the few minutes I was in the club, at least 5 people walked up to where the agent counter used to be, stopped in their tracks, shook their heads and walked away grumbling.

I went out to the main concourse, found a bar that wasn't closed, bought a brew and overtipped the bartender out of gratitude that he had actually shown up for work, and scrolled the T's and C's of my credit card to find out if I would get an annual fee pro rata refund if I cancelled the "Infinite" Card now. (the answer is "no" so I left it intact until its anniversary date in June).

As a family, we have switched 90 percent of our spend to American. Similar offerings out of ORD, still have agents in the club, overall club experience is (slightly) better, and on the American club card, your authorized users can use the club when travelling without the main cardmember, a huge benefit for a family with four adult children who travel. The Loyalty Points program at American also helps since business travel is way down for us but we still do a lot of personal travel. But the club experience was the biggest factor tipping the balance. Now our airline spend AND our credit card spend is concentrated on American instead of United. American isn't perfect and certainly had its issues last year while United held things together a bit more, but this constant whittling away of benefits that matter to people tells me that United's new management doesn't really understand its customers very well.

random.parts

And currently (Feb 23/24) selling the annual membership for 30% off using miles. Thought about it since I only get UC on int'l flights, then decided to check this thread first to see if they just had a momentary lapse in judgment and course corrected - seems not.

ryder1650

CS counter was open at SFO rotunda lounge yesterday. They were processing Hawaii wristbands as well.