nevansm

Just want to give an overal heads up and awesome to the crews, GAs and agents of my first trip this year. Everybody had a smile, was very helpful, polite and really seemed like they enjoyed my business and making me happy. It's great to see such great improvement from United. I hope it continues!

[Moderator note: To improve site function, the earlier posts in this thread have been archived through Dec. 31, 2009. That thread is available for research/reading here. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.]

anc-ord772

A lot of folks on the forum talk about the abundance of new elites siphoning away privileges and crowding the skies thanks to the generous DEQM offers, my experience last week reminded me that 1K is still special.

I flew ROC-IAD-LGA Sunday January 3 and was scheduled to take UA 7253 (IAD-LGA/ERJ170) with a scheduled departure time of 9:55pm. My upgrade had cleared ROC-IAD, but was waitlisted for IAD-LGA.

I arrived at IAD to find UA 7569 - scheduled departure time 5:00pm - was delayed until 10:20pm. My original flight UA 7253 was also delayed and newly scheduled for 10:30pm. Based on my experience I thought UA was just getting started adding delays to 7253, so I approached the GA at 10:15pm asked for a seat on 7569. There were between 10-15 passengers waitlisted and 2 empty seats. GA confirmed me in one of the empty seats without adding me to the waitlist ^ and mentioned that we would be boarding very soon. 7569 arrived at the gate around 10:40pm and was cancelled as soon as passengers started disembarking from the inbound flight.

No longer confirmed on 7253 I knew there would be a loooong line at the gate as it was the last flight of the evening to LGA and a bunch of flights into NYC had already gone FUBAR. I roamed the concourse trying to see if any of the RCC’s were open (of course they were not at 10:45pm), and called the 1k line which was unable to help.

Resigned to my certain fate at the gate, I walked to 7253 and I joined the back of a line of 15-20 people with whispers of only a few seats left. Even as a 1k, I felt it was appropriate to wait in line well aware that even if the GA could help me as a 1k, all the seats would be gone by the time he found out.

A few minutes (and a few more people) later and no movement, the GA from 7569 came to help at the gate. A lady standing next to me stopped the GA and said “my travel agent said she got me on this flight, I don’t know what she did, but I am premier so that probably helped” and followed the GA to the counter. As this is happening I am thinking dang! I should be up there! Doesn’t the GA from the other flight remember me?! But I stayed in my spot. About 20 seconds later the GA working the counter yelled out “Where is my 1k passenger?!, if you are 1k raise your hand, there is only 1 of you!” He was talking about me and damn it never felt so good! I raised my hand, the GA told me to come forward, apologized for not having an F seat for me, (mentioning he had called my name several times but finally gave it away) and handed me me a BP in E- ^. The GA told me to wait so he could find a better seat. The look on everyone’s face I was so happy, I didn’t care if I was on the wing and told the GA to stop looking for a better seat. I could hear him apologizing for the seat half way down the ramp! I was one of the last three people to board and the premier who was sure she had a seat never made it. I didn’t get my upgrade, but I was happy I made it home.

UA has my loyalty.

GoPUBoilers

Going to Europe in April and bought H class and upgraded both ways using miles (all segments have already cleared). Outbound itinerary is DEN-ORD-CDG on a 752 and 763 respectively.

Logged into My Itins today and noticed the DEN-ORD portion was switched to a 777. Well guess what? Since my booking class was already NF due to the upgrade, I get to sit in F now on the 3-class 777! I'm so excited! I know it's just over 2 hours, but so what! I chose seat 3J as that had the best reviews on seatguru (3A seems to be blocked out right now)

^^

CMK10

Flying today PHX-LAX-LAS. Requested an upgrade on LAX-LAS at the kiosk, which despite having oven 10 empties and me being the only one on the list, I was waitlisted. I mentioned this at the PHX RCC to the agent on duty and he took it upon himself to solve the problem. He ended up paging me a few minutes later asking me "is a window ok?" I gave him a GTEM cert on my way out.

recreationguru

First trip of the year was IAD/SFO/IAD, NC 777 out and NF 757 back. Both flights were on time and FAs were friendly and attentive. And because I was carting materials for meetings, I checked 3 bags -- and the orange priority tags worked. Food was decent, and the chardonnay on UA 100 last night was fine. Bravo, United!

Leaves me in great spirits and hopeful for a 2010 with many more Magic Moments than Tragic Moments!

And we'll see shortly -- two more transcons this month.

mckerrow

I was on UA891 LAX-NRT on January 14 and sat at 17H (777, E+). After the first meal was served, one male flight attendant brought me a cake (I guess that was the dessert from business class meal) and asked me any drink I'd like to have. He talked to me by calling my last name and thanked me being 1K. I was quite shocked. He also asked why I didn't apply upgrade. Well, my ticket is non-upgradable for SWU, and 17H is good enough for me (there was a equipment change). I noticed this male FA also gave cakes to few passengers (I bet they are all 1K) who sat close to me. It's really a nice touch ^

AZjohns

ZRH-TUS
Here’s the story and I’m sticking to it:

Wife joined me for a week while I was on business in ZRH this past week. She left this weekend while I still had a couple weeks here. Somehow I booked her return flight as an L fare (didn’t do it intentionally). I found this out last week when I called the 1K line to ask if I can sponsor an SWU on it. They said I couldn’t on that fare but was nice enough to put her in an E+ emergency exit seat (way cool in my book)!

This morning I went with her to the ZRH airport and decided I should ask again with the counter agent. So when at the desk I explained I screwed up with the L fare and simply asked if there was any way my wife could use one of my SWU’s. The agent did some clicking on the keyboard and said there were two C seats left but had to ask the supervisor. She disappeared behind the wall for a minute then reappeared and said “we can do it”!

Needless to say my wife was as happy as could be (she doesn’t get to fly too much) and it was a great way to send her off back home. So I made sure to get the agents name and ready to fill out one of my employee recognition cards I got with my package.

Here is the bottom line. I’m a new 1K, but when I got my job last year I knew I had to make a decision on which airlines I was going to use to get status. I am so happy I made the right decision with UA. In this past month as a new 1K, they have done above and beyond with my bookings and upgrades and just many other things in general. BUT when they bent over backwards to make my wife happy today, then it just doesn’t get any better in my book and out of all the perks they have given me, nothing will replace what they did for my wife!

No, I’m not a UA cheerleader yet, but my pom-poms are on order

pigx5

Nice to hear your story and glad that your wife enjoy the SWU.

Just want to make sure that once you send the form to the company, the agent and the supervisor won't lose their job since they didn't follow the rules.

AZjohns

Oh no, I'm not that dumb. Just a general "very nice and professional" type comment

rch4u

Breaking company policy and allowing someone to upgrade a non-upgradeable fare is not supposed to be a 1K "perk."

CCIE_Flyer

Sure, but if no one was waitlisted for those available seats, I fail to see the problem. If there were - regardless of status - I would say this was wrong. If I'm flying 25k miles/yr on UA, then some 1K's wife shouldn't be sitting in my upgrade seat. But we don't know those such details so I would assume that the seats were unclaimed and that UA did the right thing by engendering some long-term loyalty from a 1K.

PATRLR

Did they deduct the SWU?

AZjohns

You know, I was thinking someone was going to come out of left field and feel that way. I guess I will keep my experiences to myself and not share them here to assure nobody gets butt hurt.
But I'm glad others here have shared theirs stories regardless if it's legal "perks" or not. It has helped me a lot on knowing the gray areas (glad it's not all black and white).

Yep, I think.... guess I should check

nzpilot

+1 ^

PSUhorty

So many of us b**** & moan about UA’s employees not bending a bit and using some common sense resulting in an unhappy customer. Now, here is a case where an employee actually did bend a bit and made two peoples’ day.

I say, ‘Bravo, United.’