[Molly]

This is a seriously horrid airline! Let me share my story, broken down into the various problems I experienced.

A flight delay in leaving Denver (cause: ‘late arrival’ explained as 'your flight is delayed due to late arrival', apparently referring to mechanical trouble and not to weather) meant 11 people missed the Sydney flight from SFO. All of us were told ‘there are no hotel rooms available in all SF or surrounding cities. You can have a toothbrush instead and sleep on the airport floor’. When I asked for this to be stated in writing, United staff refused to do so. They then found hotel rooms for the 5 of us who asked for the statement in writing. All other passengers without flights were not given rooms (because they did not make a fuss), and there were about 200 more from other flights. As arrangements were made for us 5, another staff member kept telling the others, ‘don’t give them anything’. Another staff person at the desk told me I was ‘not a nice person’ because I did not believe there were no hotel rooms to be found anywhere in SF or near the airport, even though I expressed this contrary belief very mildly (and it was obviously not true, since he himself found me a hotel room).

The replacement flight required I spend exactly 12 hours at LAX the next day, with an early start due to immigration rules. I objected, since that meant only a few hours sleep and an uncomfortable day before another long flight. ‘Your problem’, I was told. At 2.00am I phoned the United reservation desk, who agreed this was an inefficient arrangement and instantly changed it to leave via NZ for Sydney (I've got to acknowledge these phone staff were helpful), but without having to spend any time in LAX or anywhere else. I did have to spend 24 hours in SF.

United staff at SFO then refused to reroute my baggage on my new ticket (for revenge regarding the hotel room, I believe). They said it was my problem and I had to sort it out myself. I did, around midnight, adding another hour of exhaustion to a very trying day. However, the baggage person was helpful – the problem was the queue of people with missing baggage.

United staff at SFO told me to catch a shuttle to the hotel even though it was midnight already. I waited an hour. No shuttle arrived. I searched for airport staff to help, and finally a bus driver told me the shuttle didn’t run that late. At 1.00am I caught a regular taxi, since there was no other option. Hotel staff said ‘United knows there is no shuttle that late. They use this hotel all the time. We tell them this repeatedly. Don’t use United in the future if you can help it’. I do not exaggerate this last point.

United staff in SFO gave me a dinner voucher for the evening of the missed flight, but the hotel said there was no food, no drink or anything to be found in the hotel at that hour (not even vending machines!), and that United knew this. I had to buy all my own food the next day.

Overall, I am appalled by United’s treatment of me and many other passengers. Are there ways to complain? I have looked on the website and there is no apparent contact. My travel agent is trying to complain but can't get a response. There is a very fancy ‘commitment’ statement on United's website, but every sentence is contradicted by my recent experience. Air NZ finally got me back to Australia, and their service was superb (their safety video is hilarious) even though they too had mechanical delays in the NZ stopover. But finally I’m back, and I will be doing my utmost to avoid United forever.

[saketome]

This is my letter to United Airlines that had them promised me $100 voucher for my next trip with them - REALLY?! Like we would ever use them again.

Juan was first held on his original flight in LAX on the plane on the tarmac for over 2.5 hours. He missed his connecting flight at SFO.

At SFO, Juan watched ground crew give vouchers out for meals and hotels, yet when he was next in line - he was told that "we do not give vouchers". Juan was repeatedly lied to from one ground crew member to the next - no assistance for getting him on any other flight - as he watched others be booked. He was booked on a couple flights and then he watched as the two flights he was supposedly booked on got canceled. He was told "act of God" - not air traffic control or anything mechanical. He was told to take a shuttle to any hotel - but then found out all hotels were booked due to conventions. This ordeal (a 4 hour trip) turned into over 24 hours of hell at SFO. And would have been over 3 days had Radish not found a flight for Juan out of Oakland (see below).

When I contacted Customer Relations (#1)- I spoke to Brian first who told me vouchers will be given at the UA counter at the airport. As just mentioned - a lie - to get me off the phone?

When I contacted Customer Relations (#2) - I spoke with Hugo who gave me the same information - again a lie.

EVERY time I called Customer relations - I was put on hold for 45 minutes or longer.

I spoke with Radish (United Airlines Customer Relations) (#3) - who then arranged a flight on Alaskan out of Oakland. I was on the other line with Radish as he was making the reservations. He came back on the line to tell me that the reservations were complete for Thurs July 14 at 810p on #349 - PER RADISH - YOUR AGENT - but it was up to me to get Juan transportation to Oakland from SFO.
(I found a limo service because there were no taxis available due to conventions in town.) That cost me $105. When Radish told me he was transferring me to the Alaskan ticket agent - we got cut off. I called Alaska Airlines - amazingly didn't get put on hold - and finished the transaction which cost me $535 (Alaska confirmed). Radish had told me I would be reimbursed - yet another lie?! At least Radish was helpful enough to find another flight at an airport 20 minutes away - Oakland amazingly was not having the "air traffic control" issues you claim to have been the problem.

Ron at UA Customer Relations (#4) - confirmed the Alaska flight.

I then spoke with Eve Coronado - Customer Relations (#5) - who at first confirmed the complete refund for the Alaska flight - then back pedaled after talking to her "supervisor" and told me I would get $238.57 sent to my e-mail. I never did receive that either.

I should not have to research your own rules - but I guess I need to remind you of your Rule 240 -


United Airlines SCHEDULE IRREGULARITY Schedule Irregularity means any of the following irregularities occurring on the date of departure: Delay in scheduled departure or arrival of a United Airlines flight resulting in a misconnection, or Flight cancellation, omission of a schedule stop, or any other delay or interruption in the scheduled operation of a United Airlines flight, or Substitution of equipment of a different class of service, or Schedule changes which require rerouting of the passenger at departure time because prior notice of such schedule change had not been given such passenger prior to the passenger’s arriving at the airport for check-in on the original flight. When a passenger will be delayed because of a schedule irregularity involving a United Airlines flight, which for the purposes of this rule … flights exceeding 2 hours … United Airlines will transport the passenger without stopover on its next flight on which space is available in the same class of service as the passenger’s original outbound flight at no additional cost to the passenger. If United Airlines is unable to provide onward transportation acceptable to the passenger, United Airlines, with the concurrence of the passenger, will arrange for the transportation on another carrier or combination of carriers with whom United Airlines has agreements for such transportation. The passenger will be transported without stopover on its (their) next flight(s), in the same class of service as the passenger’s original outbound flight at no additional cost to the passenger.


A $100 "voucher" was then promised (I thought you didn't do any vouchers?!) and is an insult! After such an experience - I will never use United Airlines again. I want a refund (as promised and as stated in Rule 240) for the cost to me that it took to complete YOUR contract.