itsme110

I don´t fly UA, but if what I have read is true, I´m surprised that some entrepeneur hasn´t put together a small, inexpensive ´dismantle´ kit for sale at UA gates. Passengers could then loosen armrests, take out light bulbs, short out IFEs etc etc. It would seem to me that it could sell for about $20.00 and could be a real money maker. The only problem could be getting the tools through TSA. lol lol lol lol
Have a happy New Year everyone!!!!

dcpatti

I've always wanted to get rich on an infomercial-type product. Off to the patent office! ^

itsme110

You figure out how to get the stuff through TSA, and I´ll look after the marketing. Maybe we need someone on the arrival end to buy back the kits for 5.00, and then we could re-sell them for 20.00. It would work great on turnarounds

aztimm

I flew on a UA flight (SFO-FRA) where the FA's went around the cabin asking if everything was OK. I actually had a burned out (or somehow INOP) overhead lamp, and the FA gave me one of those cards. I think I got a $150 voucher after I entered it online. Of course, SFO-FRA is a little longer than PHX-BOS.

That said, did the OP say anything to the FA during the flight? Was it a full flight? Perhaps the FA could have reseated him/her. If the overhead lamp was that important, there could have been someone else who would have traded. Does the OP have status on US (or *A for that matter)? I wasn't aware they even served food on a PHX-BOS redeye, or any redeye for that matter, but maybe the food was brought onboard?

While UA does give out those cards like candy, I don't know what would happen if you tried to complain after the fact, without the card.

cactus47

Do you not report the problems? The thought never even crossed my mind that I should somehow get compensated for a burned-out light, but I usually tell the flight attendant so it gets fixed.

Tampa JR

I was on a UA flight from IAD to GRU red eye and the reading light did not turn off. Flight crew was great, tried to disable it, then found a courtesy kit with an eye shade for me. Later another FA found some duct tape and wrapped the light so I could sleep. They gave me a skykit card good for a $250 voucher or 9000 MP miles. Sure makes you feel like a valued customer and cements loyalty.

miffSC

I'm going to be flying on a UA MR - I think I need one of those kits to take with me! Believe me, I'll keep my eyes open for broken whatevers.

LufthansaFlyer

Wonder where they keep the toilet paper refills on board. If its all in the bathroom, just go in, flush it all down, then let the FA know its all gone. vouchers for everyone!!!

757guy

Yes, I typically do report them since that's one of the best ways they'll get fixed, but I don't expect compensation for something minor in the scheme of things. I seem to have had more malfunctioning tray tables recently for some reason. Oh, and am I the only one who often has trouble finding one end of the seatbelt? They seem to get lost down in the seats themselves!

Sparrow_Hawk

My mind is boggled on several levels on this one.

No light and there is an expectation of compensation? OMFG!!! and you wonder why they play "Gotcha" with the arcane rules and policies?

I've done more than a little bit of customer advocacy and US Airways is developing a very clear, concise & consistant set of policies as to what they will and will not do by way of compensation. Now you can argue all you like at the policies themselves, However I would argue that all long as the policies are applied equally then you as a customer can make your purchases accordingly.

Clear, Concise & consistant is the first step in developing a good customer service plan. Granted US is often a day late and a dollar short, but they are headed in the right direction. I'll also tell you that when I put LEGITIMATE issues in front of them they are IMO actually quite generous.

But Jesus H Keyrist on a popsicle stick an inop light? Good Lord

dcmike

Ok, I know it may seem like a trivial issue to many, but I read on flights. A broken lamp means you've taken away my entertainment on demand for the next 2-5 hours. It also doesn't seem beyond the realm of the reasonable to expect the plane to be well maintained and the lights in working order.

I'm not the OP, so I don't know what happened in his/her case, but I would ask if there was a free seat from the FA if my light didn't work.

TiredOfTooMuchTravel

So you need to be overcompensated for a problem that the UA staff was able to come up with a solution to in order to feel like a valued, loyal customer???

et_phonehome

I actually did immediately notify the FA, and as I said, it turned out the light 2 seats in front of me was also burned out.

Food was served because I was in first class.

Also, in reply to another poster, I'm 2nd year Silver with US, having flown 35,000 EQM this past year...

Now I'm net expecting some big compensation, but no lamp on a night flight seriously impeded my ability to look through paperwork or read a book the entire flight...

mister880

Did you mention someone had filled in the crossword puzzle? You should have alerted every passenger on that flight that your bulb was burn out. Then go right home and write them for a credit.

Be sure to also write bulb manufactures along with any countries having a huge deposit of tungsten used in "bulbs" to alert them to the harsh suffering / conditions you were exposed to on the flight without a reading lamp!

You should also arrange for some sort of grief counseling / dark therapy to help you cope with the stress of not having a reading lamp bulb.

If the flight was during the winter time you might be able to prove that your natural sleep / winter depression was affected at that your circadian bio rhythm was displaced in such a way that you were able to feel the normal effects of jet lag!

This is now the dumbest post I've ever read! How would you like to have found out your flight had been delayed several hours for mechanical because of a burnt out reading light. I bet you would have thought it was pretty petty if you were stuck sitting in airport over night!

But really about that crossword!

Kevin L.
www.mister880.com
Follow me on Twitter @Leidecker4

aztimm

Did you tell the FA how important the light was? Perhaps they could have assisted a seat swap for you.

So food was served in F on a night/redeye flight (ie left PHX around 11pm-midnight, arrived into BOS around 6am)? Is this something new? I've taken way too many redeye flights in 2010, to both PHL and CLT, and other than the snack basket, no food was served.