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United is in the same boat as American, US Airways and Delta and it is a boat that is not very seaworthy. Though United has a strong route structure it does not exactly have a workforce that knocks itself out everyday to keep customers coming back for more, as the complaints in this section show. When you get right down to it, that's the problem. It's hard to see a solution.
Steven of Raleigh, NC August 1, 2008
Steven of Raleigh NC (08/01/08)
On June 4, I bought round-trip reservations on United Airlines website to go from Raleigh to Chicago for my Moms birthday party on July 26 & 27. I made a mistake I actually booked the tickets to come on July 27th and return July 28th. I made this mistake on two of three tickets I purchased. I did not realize I had made the mistake until Wednesday, July 23rd, when I tried to print my boarding passes. I was very upset but it was 100% my fault. I tried calling United to change the flight. I had bought non-refundable, non-transferable tickets and no flight insurance since I was looking for the best price.
On July 23rd, I called United customer service. After over an hour of going through a very complicated phone system, I finally find a human voice. However, the person I talked to was in India spoke highly accented English. He could not easily understand me and I had trouble understanding him. I finally figured out that it would cost me over 750 to make the change. Its 150 penalty per ticket plus the difference in the fare. I decided against it since I could book one-way on American Airlines for 212 per person. I got to my destination without trouble. Had an enjoyable weekend and then tried to use the return portion of my flight. I had not cancelled it.
I knew something was wrong when I couldnt print the boarding pass at the hotel. I arrived early at OHare for my 1 p.m. flight only to discover that my ticket had been cancelled because I did not use the first leg of the flight! The ticket clerk was friendly, but explained she could not do anything. She called her manager who also explained she could not do anything. The second manager called her manager. Their only option was for me was to purchase two tickets at close to 1,000 a ticket. I demanded to speak to the managers supervisor, who finally came after one and half hours.
During this time, I was making frantic phone calls trying to line up another flight. The manager decided to override the system and only charge us a 150 each 300 total penalty and then gave us back the exact same seats we had reserved on June 4. That there was a delay due to mechanical trouble is par for the course. I would appreciate that at least the 300 penalty be waived. I am disputing the charge with my credit card company. I have no idea where the policy came from. I tried to go the website, but still cannot find the policy of unilaterally canceling tickets written in plain English.
300 additional fee, total of over 1,000 in extra airline travel expenses. John of Saint Leonard, MD July 25, 2008
John of Saint Leonard MD (07/25/08)
My brother is the Marine in charge of the war effort in Afghanistan. Our father is dying, and his wife and kids flew home from Japan to see him. They were 18 pounds overweight on the return trip. [United] airlines charged them 654.00.(36.33 per pound) Is this how United Airlines treats Military Hero's families? Now he is in Afghanistan worrying about his finances, thanks to United Airlines. He has served 3 tours in Iraq, and this is first in Afghanistan. The terrorist can't get him, but United Airlines did.
He is worried sick about his family now and is trying to handle this from Afghanistan. He needs to be concentrating on the terrorist and his personnel, not this. I believe [United} will do the right thing; otherwise I would've already gone to the Marine Times, Fox, and government officials to express my opinion.
Military spouse living alone is foreign country is having to use limited income to pay outragous fine. My brother is fighting a war, leading hundres of troops, making expensive calls from war zone to United, worried about his family and finances. Sharon of Warrenton, VA July 24, 2008
Sharon of Warrenton VA (07/24/08)
My husband was recently travelling from Charleston, S.C. to Washington D.C./Dulles Airport. Hw inadvertently left a package under his seat (a gift he had purchased for me) and attempts to call United and log a complaint have fallen on deaf ears and no satisfaction. As a matter of fact, you can't even speak with a REAL PERSON.
My husband returned to the airport the following day and visited the Baggage claim department and United Terminal at Dulles Airport to again receive no satisfaction. He even gave the name of the flight attendant for them to check and see if she found his package. Of course, the constant reply is keep checking but to what avail. United should have been able to trace the owner of the package based upon his seat assignment.
To make matters worse, upon arriving home he found his aviator sunglasses had been removed from his suitcase and his eyeglass case left in the suitcase empty. Nothing is safe anymore either on the airplane or within the airline services provided i.e., baggage.
Loss of package 200, loss of sunglasses 200 - total loss: 400 plus aggravation, frustration and time spent trying to locate my property. Najam of Providence, RI July 9, 2008
Najam of Providence RI (07/09/08)
My family; my self, my wife and my 4-year-old son were to travel to Kauai Island, Hawaii on June 17, 2008 which we booked 6 weeks in advance. Flight UA 477 out of TF Green Providence was delayed 2 hours because of 'late arrival due to weather' per the airline. This delay did not affect any other airline from Chicago except the United flight to Providence and the flight to Chicago. We missed our connecting Flight UA1 from Chicago to Honolulu because of these delays. United representatives told us no other flight could get us to Honolulu for the next 2-3 days. They offered no alternative routes or fares and told us they were not liable as this was because of weather.
Unfortunately, this was a business trip for my wife who was to attend a medical conference in Hawaii. When we argued they did give us an alternate booking on a waiting list out of Chicago but neglected to tell us that there was overbooking on all flights with very long wait lists. OVERBOOKING In Chicago we spoke with United representatives again-per the United representatives there were no seats out of Chicago to Honolulu for the next 3 days because of overbooking. They gave us the option to go to Los Angeles and from LA and maybe catch an early flight out to Hawaii the next day-(on a waiting list).
The first flight out of Chicago to LA we were on a waiting list and were offered three separate seats which we could not avail as we had a four-year-old child with us. The United representative (Flight Attendant) here was very rude to us and told us off for delaying them they asked us to step out of the way as we were in the way of legitimate travelers. Our suitcases arrived badly mangled in LA. As nothing inside was damaged we did not report this as this was the least of our problems.
En route to LA on flight 941 we were asked to move from being seated together to separate seats to accommodate a couple with a child not much younger than ours. With all Hawaii bound flights overbooked out of LA We were stranded there the 17th and 18th of June and arrived in Lihue on June 19th-3 days late. On the last leg of our journey LAX to Lihue airport Hawaii-I left my cell phone in the front pocket of my seat-united staff refused to help me find it. On arrival home on June 23rd I called United and they told us United were in no way liable for the inconvenience as the delay was weather related and we were not eligible for a refund as we continued traveling, got to Hawaii and returned with them. The person I spoke to told me: We only give free tickets to passengers who willingly give up their seats.
United gave us three travel vouchers good for 200 each good for travel on United expiring in one year. I also got a coupon for inconvenience for changing our seat on 6/17/08 on Flight 941 to LAX-I do not know what that is worth. I am writing as my expenses for 2 days stay and cancelled reservations were in excess of this coupon amount. I also felt the ordeal suffered by my family including missing 2 days worth of conference time in Lihue was worth more than the amount United compensated us for. United also never admitted to making an error and never once told us we deserved better service. My wife and I paid ~ 3600 to United for the return tickets. We arrived home with damaged luggage and lost items. Heikki of Koje-City, OTHER July 7, 2008
Heikki of Koje-City OTHER (07/07/08)
Last year me and my wife had RTW tickets with UA/EK in first class. At last leg from Dubai to Bangkok our tickets could not be verified by EK and I had to buy two one-way tickets. Later on UA admitted that this was their fault. No refund or any compensation has been received. I have sent, God knows how many, e-mails to UA but every time the reply is that the case is under investigation and please be patient. I have now been waiting nearly one year, and still no action. Mean while the subject tickets have become non-valid (I think so?). What can I really do? They seem just to ignore this.
New one-way tickets (2 pcs.)from Dubai to Bangkok (Emirates First Class) worth approx. USD 2000-2500.
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