[Below is United's reply to my letter I sent them in late January. You can read the letter by scrolling to the next post.]
Dear Ms. Parma,
I regret the inconvenience you experienced on your recent travel to San
Francisco.
I understand that you encountered the following:
1. Cancellation of your flight #1247.
2. Delay of flight #6210 to Los Angeles on which you were protected for
cancellation of flight #1247.
3. Rerouted to Oakland for your flight to San Francisco.
4. You had to go through baggage and security check again at Los
Angeles airport.
5. Lost luggage on your trip to San Francisco.
6. Unprofessional reservations representative as per your report.
First and foremost, please accept my apologies that we did not serve you
better. We have no excuse for the poor service you had to tolerate.
You're frustrated with us because we postponed your flight's departure
time more than once. I'm sorry that you experienced this type of
creeping delay. We recognize how important it is to you that we
maintain schedule integrity and we certainly don't want you to be
inconvenienced by flight delays or cancellations. Our goal is to
achieve the highest level of on-time performance whenever possible with
safety as our primary concern. It's unfortunate that in our business
there are so many factors that can impact our schedule such as necessary
equipment repairs as well as situations beyond our control, for example,
weather and air traffic control. Your frustration nonetheless is
understood.
I know that when United fails to deliver the service you anticipate you
doubt our desire to be an airline you can count on. You expect a
dependable and easy travel experience. And be assured that we will meet
this goal as we refine our quality standards and procedures. Your good
comments will help us focus on specific areas that will make your travel
more enjoyable.
I understand that you arrived but your baggage did not. I am sorry.
This frustrating situation you describe happened despite quality control
standards to assure baggage reaches its intended destination. So I'll
forward your good comments to our airport management so they can work to
improve baggage procedures.
Further, United expects our employees to provide courteous and
professional service at all times. It is clear from your email that we
did not meet our mutual expectations and I am truly sorry for the same.
Let me assure you we take this sort of situation very seriously. Please
be assured, your report of unsatisfactory behavior has been given to our
manager responsible for his internal review, so that, this situation
will not be repeated.
You experienced so many difficulties, which we regret, and while I can't
undo the circumstances you experienced, I am issuing you a discount
travel certificate for your future travel for the value of $150. Please
allow 7 to 10 business days for the delivery of the same.
Please give us an opportunity to provide you the service you expect from
United Airlines.
Regards,
Amit Madan
United Airlines Customer Relations
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Dear United Airlines ... Well Done. From DFW to SFO in Just under Two Days
[From a letter I wrote to United Airlines after a tiring journey in early January from DFW to SFO. ]
Jan. 11, 2008
Dear United Airlines,
I recently had a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles experience on your airline. If you’re unfamiliar with the tale, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is an 80s movie starring John Candy and Steve Martin. Martin’s plight to return home for the holidays was stymied by a series of comical and uncanny events. For instance, his plane was canceled due to bad weather. Thereafter, every mode of transportation fails him. In the end, Martin, who portrays a meek and good-humored man, turns maniacal due to his frantic journey.
Which leads me to my recent United trip on Sat., Jan. 6, 2008. Like Martin, I underwent a series of un-replicable circumstances on your airline. But unlike Martin, my experiences were completely real.
Flight 1247 – Non-Stop Flight from DFW to SFO
Scheduled departure: 7:09 a.m. CST
Scheduled arrival: 9:03 a.m. PST
Outcome: Cancelled
My day started at 5 a.m. CST, when my mom drove me to the DFW airport, where I was scheduled to depart on United flight 1247 at 7:09 a.m. to SFO. I payed extra for a non-stop flight to avoid weather delays and erratic (which has become typical) airline behavior. But to my chagrin, the fiasco unravelled anyway.
At 6:45 a.m. CST, I boarded flight 1247 to what seemed to be a pleasant journey. Weather in Dallas and San Francisco were fair. But at departure time, the pilot broadcasted a problem with a light in the cockpit, “Please wait patiently folks while maintenance arrives.” I waited patiently.
Thirty minutes later, the pilot announced, “Folks, I’ve never had this problem before, but it now appears that the laboratories are not working. Stay tuned.” Tuned, I stayed. Subsequent announcements barked less optimism as the pilot and the United crew continued to tamper with the light-cum-laboratory problem. “We’ll hold it,” one passenger barked back. “Give me a plunger and a gallon of drano and let’s move,” spoke another. No one heeded our pleads. In the end, after two hours holding our stead and our bladders, flight 1247 was cancelled.
Anticipating the cancellation, I had called in to an agent (after being granted cell phone usage) during my wait on the tarmac to reserve the next flight out to SFO, with a short layover in LAX. I scuttled off the plane and beat the crowds to the ticket counter to confirm the reservation (where an angry passenger was disputing the 57-lb weight of her bag). As pleasantly as possible, I booked my new flight time, now scheduled to leave in about two hours.
I collected my bags, watched the line of angry passengers grow, and went through security for a second time (removing my laptop, video camera, Docs knee-high boots, earrings, belt, newly bought water bottle, and jackets). And waited.
Flight 6210 (I think)* – DFW to LAX
Scheduled departure: 12:26 p.m. CST
Scheduled arrival: 2:40 p.m. PST
Outcome: Departed 30 minutes late; arrived 30 minutes late
Around noon, I boarded flight 6210 to LAX. A few minutes before departure, a flight attendant came on, “We’ve got a weight problem here. So instead of kicking you off, we’ll try to reshuffle bags. Stay attentive in case one of your bags is moved.” I stayed attentive.
Forty-five minutes later, with the overhead bins stuffed to the gills, we took off. Holy Mary. I had hope again. With my stomach gurgling from pretzels and water (no ice), we arrived in LA.
Flight XXX* – LAX to SFO
Scheduled departure: 4 p.m. PST
Scheduled arrival: around 5ish PST
Outcome: Cancelled
After de-boarding the plane, I made a B-line to the arrival/departure monitors. My eyes scanned the information: San Francisco, departure time 4 p.m., leave from gate A-61; flight status: cancelled. Wha?. Can’t be. I must’ve read it wrong. At times like this, you go through the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I was in the denial stage.
I gathered my carry-ons and walked to my intended gate, where I side-stepped a line that spiralled around two ticket desks. Perplexed, I grabbed the first flight attendant I could find and asked what my options were. She wisely said, ”Call United. That’s your best shot."
So I did – albeit ironically. The agent I spoke to over the phone – who had a hint of an Indian accent – said that all flights to San Francisco out of LAX were over-booked. “But would you be willing to fly into Oakland instead?” crooned the agent. Hell yes I would. Book it. And so I booked it – scheduled to leave within the hour. Ahh, just in time for cocktail hour.
But then I remembered my bag - last seen at the Dallas airport. “What about my bag?” I asked. The overseas agent said I’d have to offload it. “Offload it?” I questioned. “Offload it,” he confirmed. “Does that mean I need to recheck it?” I retorted. “Yes, you’ll need to offload it.” Damn. Another pass through security. I started untying my Docs.
But first that meant a stop at the baggage office, where I’d need to reclaim and “offload” my bag. So I went to the baggage desk, where the agent told me that the bag had actually been “re-offed” to Oakland. Splendid.
For a third time that day, I went through security (removing my laptop, video camera, Docs knee-high boots, earrings, belt, newly bought water bottle, and jackets). By this time I’d been at the airport, in the air, or on the tarmac for over 10 hours.
Getting through security, I checked the departure monitors. My flight, flight 689 to Oakland, was air traffic controlled, meaning it wouldn’t get out on time. New scheduled time of departure: 5:30 p.m. PST – a mere 2 hours away. Time passed slowly.
Flight 689* – LAX to Oakland
Scheduled departure: 3:10 p.m. PST
Scheduled arrival: 4:30 pm. PST
Outcome: Departed LAX at 5:30 p.m.; arrived Oakland at 7 pm.
Around 5:20 p.m. PST, I boarded flight 689 to Oakland and touched down 90 minutes later, at 7 p.m. PST - 14 hours since my journey started in Dallas.
At this point, I’d lost all faith in my baggage. My gut told me it wouldn’t be in baggage claim, and my gut was right. So I talked to a baggage agent for the second time that day. She said my bag had made it to San Francisco. But not to worry, they’d delivery it to my house in a few hours.
That night, several cocktail hours later, I got a call from United. I was expecting a call from the baggage department, but instead I got a recorded message that told me that the flight I’d been originally re-scheduled to depart on – after the first flight from DFW to SFO was cancelled - was - in a way that went from ironic to truly wicked – cancelled. I put my head in my hands and downed my drink.
The next morning, my bag still hadn’t arrived. Over the next 24 hours, my husband and I called five different agents, all who gave conflicting stories: that my bag hadn’t been processed, that my bag was on its way, that my bag was processed at 5:20 a.m., that my bag was processed but missing, and that my bag should be picked up at SFO. Finally, 28 hours later, an exhausted driver kindly and unapologetically delivered my bag.
Flight 86 United
And thus, my journey ends – nearly two full days after a simple 3.5-hour non-stop flight between two major airports in good weather began. So you tell me, was it worth the $325 dollars?
Even if I’m not compenstated for this nefarious experience as I should be, even if you don’t at least write back to apologize for your airline’s blunders and my inhumane experience, even if you don’t send me that $50 voucher which one of the agents promised me over the phone (and a part of the story I left out), and even if you never read this completely factual yet unbelievable story, you should at the very least reimburse me for the two water bottles I had to buy and so soon throw away at security – in a non-recyclable receptacle at that!
The price comes out to around $7.50.
*Flight numbers are subject to error. United was unable to track my itinerary due to so many blunders.
Sincerely,
Jenny Parma
1837 Oak St. #7
San Francisco, CA 94117
Jan. 11, 2008
Dear United Airlines,
I recently had a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles experience on your airline. If you’re unfamiliar with the tale, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is an 80s movie starring John Candy and Steve Martin. Martin’s plight to return home for the holidays was stymied by a series of comical and uncanny events. For instance, his plane was canceled due to bad weather. Thereafter, every mode of transportation fails him. In the end, Martin, who portrays a meek and good-humored man, turns maniacal due to his frantic journey.
Which leads me to my recent United trip on Sat., Jan. 6, 2008. Like Martin, I underwent a series of un-replicable circumstances on your airline. But unlike Martin, my experiences were completely real.
Flight 1247 – Non-Stop Flight from DFW to SFO
Scheduled departure: 7:09 a.m. CST
Scheduled arrival: 9:03 a.m. PST
Outcome: Cancelled
My day started at 5 a.m. CST, when my mom drove me to the DFW airport, where I was scheduled to depart on United flight 1247 at 7:09 a.m. to SFO. I payed extra for a non-stop flight to avoid weather delays and erratic (which has become typical) airline behavior. But to my chagrin, the fiasco unravelled anyway.
At 6:45 a.m. CST, I boarded flight 1247 to what seemed to be a pleasant journey. Weather in Dallas and San Francisco were fair. But at departure time, the pilot broadcasted a problem with a light in the cockpit, “Please wait patiently folks while maintenance arrives.” I waited patiently.
Thirty minutes later, the pilot announced, “Folks, I’ve never had this problem before, but it now appears that the laboratories are not working. Stay tuned.” Tuned, I stayed. Subsequent announcements barked less optimism as the pilot and the United crew continued to tamper with the light-cum-laboratory problem. “We’ll hold it,” one passenger barked back. “Give me a plunger and a gallon of drano and let’s move,” spoke another. No one heeded our pleads. In the end, after two hours holding our stead and our bladders, flight 1247 was cancelled.
Anticipating the cancellation, I had called in to an agent (after being granted cell phone usage) during my wait on the tarmac to reserve the next flight out to SFO, with a short layover in LAX. I scuttled off the plane and beat the crowds to the ticket counter to confirm the reservation (where an angry passenger was disputing the 57-lb weight of her bag). As pleasantly as possible, I booked my new flight time, now scheduled to leave in about two hours.
I collected my bags, watched the line of angry passengers grow, and went through security for a second time (removing my laptop, video camera, Docs knee-high boots, earrings, belt, newly bought water bottle, and jackets). And waited.
Flight 6210 (I think)* – DFW to LAX
Scheduled departure: 12:26 p.m. CST
Scheduled arrival: 2:40 p.m. PST
Outcome: Departed 30 minutes late; arrived 30 minutes late
Around noon, I boarded flight 6210 to LAX. A few minutes before departure, a flight attendant came on, “We’ve got a weight problem here. So instead of kicking you off, we’ll try to reshuffle bags. Stay attentive in case one of your bags is moved.” I stayed attentive.
Forty-five minutes later, with the overhead bins stuffed to the gills, we took off. Holy Mary. I had hope again. With my stomach gurgling from pretzels and water (no ice), we arrived in LA.
Flight XXX* – LAX to SFO
Scheduled departure: 4 p.m. PST
Scheduled arrival: around 5ish PST
Outcome: Cancelled
After de-boarding the plane, I made a B-line to the arrival/departure monitors. My eyes scanned the information: San Francisco, departure time 4 p.m., leave from gate A-61; flight status: cancelled. Wha?. Can’t be. I must’ve read it wrong. At times like this, you go through the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I was in the denial stage.
I gathered my carry-ons and walked to my intended gate, where I side-stepped a line that spiralled around two ticket desks. Perplexed, I grabbed the first flight attendant I could find and asked what my options were. She wisely said, ”Call United. That’s your best shot."
So I did – albeit ironically. The agent I spoke to over the phone – who had a hint of an Indian accent – said that all flights to San Francisco out of LAX were over-booked. “But would you be willing to fly into Oakland instead?” crooned the agent. Hell yes I would. Book it. And so I booked it – scheduled to leave within the hour. Ahh, just in time for cocktail hour.
But then I remembered my bag - last seen at the Dallas airport. “What about my bag?” I asked. The overseas agent said I’d have to offload it. “Offload it?” I questioned. “Offload it,” he confirmed. “Does that mean I need to recheck it?” I retorted. “Yes, you’ll need to offload it.” Damn. Another pass through security. I started untying my Docs.
But first that meant a stop at the baggage office, where I’d need to reclaim and “offload” my bag. So I went to the baggage desk, where the agent told me that the bag had actually been “re-offed” to Oakland. Splendid.
For a third time that day, I went through security (removing my laptop, video camera, Docs knee-high boots, earrings, belt, newly bought water bottle, and jackets). By this time I’d been at the airport, in the air, or on the tarmac for over 10 hours.
Getting through security, I checked the departure monitors. My flight, flight 689 to Oakland, was air traffic controlled, meaning it wouldn’t get out on time. New scheduled time of departure: 5:30 p.m. PST – a mere 2 hours away. Time passed slowly.
Flight 689* – LAX to Oakland
Scheduled departure: 3:10 p.m. PST
Scheduled arrival: 4:30 pm. PST
Outcome: Departed LAX at 5:30 p.m.; arrived Oakland at 7 pm.
Around 5:20 p.m. PST, I boarded flight 689 to Oakland and touched down 90 minutes later, at 7 p.m. PST - 14 hours since my journey started in Dallas.
At this point, I’d lost all faith in my baggage. My gut told me it wouldn’t be in baggage claim, and my gut was right. So I talked to a baggage agent for the second time that day. She said my bag had made it to San Francisco. But not to worry, they’d delivery it to my house in a few hours.
That night, several cocktail hours later, I got a call from United. I was expecting a call from the baggage department, but instead I got a recorded message that told me that the flight I’d been originally re-scheduled to depart on – after the first flight from DFW to SFO was cancelled - was - in a way that went from ironic to truly wicked – cancelled. I put my head in my hands and downed my drink.
The next morning, my bag still hadn’t arrived. Over the next 24 hours, my husband and I called five different agents, all who gave conflicting stories: that my bag hadn’t been processed, that my bag was on its way, that my bag was processed at 5:20 a.m., that my bag was processed but missing, and that my bag should be picked up at SFO. Finally, 28 hours later, an exhausted driver kindly and unapologetically delivered my bag.
Flight 86 United
And thus, my journey ends – nearly two full days after a simple 3.5-hour non-stop flight between two major airports in good weather began. So you tell me, was it worth the $325 dollars?
Even if I’m not compenstated for this nefarious experience as I should be, even if you don’t at least write back to apologize for your airline’s blunders and my inhumane experience, even if you don’t send me that $50 voucher which one of the agents promised me over the phone (and a part of the story I left out), and even if you never read this completely factual yet unbelievable story, you should at the very least reimburse me for the two water bottles I had to buy and so soon throw away at security – in a non-recyclable receptacle at that!
The price comes out to around $7.50.
*Flight numbers are subject to error. United was unable to track my itinerary due to so many blunders.
Sincerely,
Jenny Parma
1837 Oak St. #7
San Francisco, CA 94117
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