[windstarcorp]

I arrived at the last minute to board my United Airlines flight to Denver. The filght had been booked a month in advance. The flight bording was supposed to be from 7:39AM to 7:49AM and I walked to the gate at 7:49am. As I was approaching the gate from the concourse I noticed that there was no attendent at the gate or anywhere around. I waited at the gate by the window and the plane was sitting at the gate, flyway still attached, and the ground crew and pilots saw me waiving at them.Finally after about ten minjutes the attendent came back to the gate and told me I was to late to board. Then she used to raido to tell the flight crew that the count was off and started shuffleing paper work. The plane is still sitting attached to the gate and door open. Then after about 5 more minutes the plane was pushed back and left. The attendents attitude was Sorry, Don't care. and she went back to the office. I missed my flight to Denver and an important meeting.
ASk for a refund and was told no refund. The service levels for airlines has got to be the worst ever and someone related on another website that the airlines are bottom of the barrel even below used car sales people and Berny Madoff.

I work in the computer software industry and don't usually fly. The good side for me and any others in the service business and I hope will be the undoing of the airline industry is the web. We now routinely work with customers one on one around the world via the web nd don't have to travel on the airlines. The more companies use this type of technology the less flight needed. I personally now would love to see all the airlines fold up and new companies start up based on real customer service.
I called our bank to contest the credit card charge based on not receiving the services oaid for. My company and myself do a lot of business with this very large back and I let them know if they let the charge stand we would move our business to their competitor and we do a lot of business with them. AS for UA. I'll tell all in the future of my experiance and suggest they find another airline to travel on.

[The_Judge]

Well done. You are completely in the right here and should certainly be entitled to your money back. I think your method of choice to get your money back is exactly the way to go. Best of luck!!

p.s. You are doing the right thing also by posting this in multiple areas of this board. Better exposure that way.

[airplanegod]

Agree 100%, the boarding stops at 7:49, but if you arrive at that time, or if the plane is still sitting there, you should be able to board. UA was wrong, and SHOULD refund you. Good Luck!

[Gromit801]

IF he arrived in time. Your watch said 7:49, the agents computer terminal might have said 7:50.

Once the flight is closed, it's closed, and the agents are at that time locked out of the system for that flight. Not like running to catch a bus at the curb. Paperwork, manifests, and weight and balance have to be finalized. So even if the bird is physically still sitting there, it's as good as gone from a boarding point of view.

If the system locked the agents out at 7:49, you might want to check your watch. Computer time is synched with the internet.

Now then, why did you wait until the last minute to wander over to your flight? Don't you think you should have been sitting there at the boarding area at least half an hour prior to the announced departure time? Was the flight that unimportant to you?

Like blaming the place kicker for losing the game in the last 30 seconds, what was the rest of the team doing for an hour?

[windstarcorp]

I was held up because the interstate was close for two hours due to a major accident involving 4 trucks and 2 cars. My phone is also internet based for time. United has only one person working the gate and she left early according to two other passengers who were waiting on another flight. Because there were only a feew people that boarded the flight when she did not see anyone else in the gate area she left the gate and went to the aircraft early.You may be an airline employee or ex employee but I'm a controller and know the FAA regs all to well.

United is one of the most complained about airline ever and if you take the number of compliants per thousand and consider that Delta has more only because it flys ten times as many filghts that would put united at the top by a large margin.

The day United fails will be a great day for the US consumer. That day is coming soon. United is developing a huge rep. for bad service it's just a matter of time.

My next move is to file leagle action here where I live and bring them to court to explain their reason to a jury of 12 people who can award compensation and love to do so when they are presented with all the facts and all of the complaints about UA that have been filed.

[The_Judge]

Originally Posted by windstarcorp

I was held up because the interstate was close for two hours due to a major accident involving 4 trucks and 2 cars. My phone is also internet based for time. United has only one person working the gate and she left early according to two other passengers who were waiting on another flight. Because there were only a feew people that boarded the flight when she did not see anyone else in the gate area she left the gate and went to the aircraft early.You may be an airline employee or ex employee but I'm a controller and know the FAA regs all to well.

Being a controller has no bearing on whether you know the rules for what an airline's boarding policy is. This is not an FAA regulation but a policy that differs between airlines.

Originally Posted by windstarcorp

United is one of the most complained about airline ever and if you take the number of compliants per thousand and consider that Delta has more only because it flys ten times as many filghts that would put united at the top by a large margin.

Your logic here makes no sense whatsoever. The reason they break complaints down per thousand is because airlines like DL and WN have such huge boarding numbers that this way it can be graded equally among airlines. If you don't understand this, that is a scary thought.

Originally Posted by windstarcorp

The day United fails will be a great day for the US consumer. That day is coming soon. United is developing a huge rep. for bad service it's just a matter of time.

The only people this will be a great day for is the upper management. Stockholders and the U.S. consumers will benefit greatly by paying much more on other airlines caused by a HUGE loss of available seats.

Originally Posted by windstarcorp

My next move is to file leagle action here where I live and bring them to court to explain their reason to a jury of 12 people who can award compensation and love to do so when they are presented with all the facts and all of the complaints about UA that have been filed.

I hope you do and best of luck in this endeavor!

[Gromit801]

Originally Posted by windstarcorp

I was held up because the interstate was close for two hours due to a major accident involving 4 trucks and 2 cars. My phone is also internet based for time. United has only one person working the gate and she left early according to two other passengers who were waiting on another flight. Because there were only a feew people that boarded the flight when she did not see anyone else in the gate area she left the gate and went to the aircraft early.You may be an airline employee or ex employee but I'm a controller and know the FAA regs all to well.

Neither. I do not now work for an airline, nor ever have in ANY capacity. I love that about people who won't take responsibility for their problems, anyone who disagrees MUST be in cahoots with the airlines.

Being an FAA controller is no more relevant to knowing how an airlines works, than a dispatcher in Denver knowing what went on in the cab of a locomotive: You might have an idea, and that's all. Being a very frequent flyer, I would wager I possibly know more about airline boarding and check in policies.

That your route was closed due to an accident is certainly not your fault, NOR is it the airline's fault.