No more free call in Japan
May 17, 2010, 6:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Tokyo Japan
Programs: AC 75K,SQ*G,Marriott PLT,HH GOLD,IHG PLTAMB
Posts: 388
No more free call in Japan
UA reservaiton in Japan stopped free call service on May 14. New numbers are 0570-064-777 or 03-3817-4411.
Last edited by l etoile; May 17, 2010 at 8:32 am Reason: phone numbers for 1K and GS removed per tos
May 17, 2010, 6:37 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NRT-ORD-LHR-KUL
Programs: UA-GS, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,112
Last edited by l etoile; May 17, 2010 at 8:33 am Reason: phone numbers removed from quote per tos
May 17, 2010, 7:36 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tokyo
Programs: DL Diamond, ANA Platinum
Posts: 1,532
How is the Japan Call Center anyway?
I always just use Skype to call the US lines.
I always just use Skype to call the US lines.
May 17, 2010, 7:59 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 523
If you speak Japanese, the Japan call center is awesome, because, well, it's in Japan 
.
If not, I'd imagine it would be hit or miss, but still likely preferable to the ICC....
.If not, I'd imagine it would be hit or miss, but still likely preferable to the ICC....
May 17, 2010, 8:19 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NRT-ORD-LHR-KUL
Programs: UA-GS, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,112
^ I tried them twice in the last couple of years and even though I speak some Japanese I had to hang up and call the US number.
May 17, 2010, 8:20 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 344
The Japan call center is AWESOME. I always get a person who speaks both Japanese and English, and I've even been able to talk to technical staff about problems! Probably my favorite call center in the world!
I call from either my cell phone (paid for by work) or my company phone (also paid for by work) or once in a while, Skype (also paid for by work, but toll free to call the States). You actually DO have to call the appropriate local office to ticket locally in a currency -- the exception if if you have a paper voucher, you can ticket through United Japan in yen and they'll convert for you.
BTW, I just got my Leaders Review (United Japan magazine) in the mail today -- anyone else just get theirs, too?
I call from either my cell phone (paid for by work) or my company phone (also paid for by work) or once in a while, Skype (also paid for by work, but toll free to call the States). You actually DO have to call the appropriate local office to ticket locally in a currency -- the exception if if you have a paper voucher, you can ticket through United Japan in yen and they'll convert for you.
BTW, I just got my Leaders Review (United Japan magazine) in the mail today -- anyone else just get theirs, too?
May 17, 2010, 10:16 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,294
It's sorta crazy how many customer service numbers outside the U.S. aren't toll-free numbers. Could you imagine any major business not having an 800 number for the U.S.? Probably has to do with the relative cheapness of phone calls in America, but still, you'd think that wouldn't be the case anymore.
May 17, 2010, 12:53 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,458
It's sorta crazy how many customer service numbers outside the U.S. aren't toll-free numbers. Could you imagine any major business not having an 800 number for the U.S.? Probably has to do with the relative cheapness of phone calls in America, but still, you'd think that wouldn't be the case anymore.
May 17, 2010, 2:24 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,294
Actually, as cheap as airfares have been in the US in recent years, I'm surprised that the airlines have kept their toll free numbers. Plus, most people have unlimited long-distance on cell phones (nights/weekends) and many have unlimited long distance at home. Of course, with the advent of the web, I'm sure that call volumes have gone down dramatically over the past decade.
May 17, 2010, 3:21 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: TPE/KHH/LAX
Programs: JL Diamond, CX MPC Silver, OW Emerald, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,144
The Japan Call Center in Japan is much better than the Japanese Call Center in HNL. Many HNL agents are probably nisei or sansei (2nd/3rd generation Japanese-Americans) who speak Japanese with a strange accent or use a lot of English words in their Japanese. Many of them also have some "UA matron attitude" and are not as friendly as the agents in Japan. Saying this, they are still much better than most UA agents in the US who call themselves "Miss/Mrs XXX"
May 17, 2010, 3:27 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Great call center for 1K in Japan but it's not open 24x7.