I suppose the easiest way to improve the results of internal customer service metrics is to simply stop taking data. It's kind of like the Bush administration.

"According to United, United has not received a single complaint in four years! You simply cannot fly a better airline."

"In other news, United forgets to check its mail."

No customer service would be better than the current level of service United has been providing. The last time I had to deal with them they tried to blame *me* for the fact my luggage went missing. And this is despite the fact their own employees put the luggage tracking tags on my suitcases.

Yeah, I'm going to bet that the level of customer satisfaction actually improves after this. United is the carrier I most actively avoid if possible.

Guess I'll be canceling United. Anybody want to buy some United frequent flyer miles?

didn't we already read this here at the consumerist? maybe it was somewhere else.

i do wonder if they are going to allow their frequent flyers to complain over their line, or are they going to shut that down too?

In some weird, ass-backwards way, this is the fault of the consumer. When flying was a lot more expensive than it is today, customer service was pretty decent. Nothing cost money on flights except for liquor. And hot meals on every flight above 3 hours were expected. But the never ending demand for lower prices brought cutbacks in everything, and customer service went out the window.

A few months ago, I used some frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class on a United flight. For the first time in well over 10 years I felt like a human being on an airplane. It brought back memories, specifically of when I flew with them in the late 80's...in coach.

I suppose the one thing that we can be thankful for is that despite all the corner cutting, flying is still pretty safe.

@youbastid:

The fault is with deregulation, not the consumer.

The old airlines were effectively a cartel. We've traded the expensive classy travel of yesteryear for flying (albeit still safe) cattle cars.

@youbastid:

It might also be interesting to see a graph of airline executive compensation, years with firm, positions held, since the 80s.

That was also my big decade of travel, and except for the occasional hiccup I enjoyed it. These days it's like riding Greyhound with long lines. (Comparing with a couple 1k mile trips I made in the late 70's. Ow, flashback.)

@nbs2: It was here, but it was one of those posts without a headline. Just click the "United Airlines" tag above to find it.

@Beerad: I would agree, it is easier for them to look up the issue when you submit the complaint including all the flight and ticket info. Talking to someone in India when you are upset does nothing, at the very least helping them resolve the issue will help you.

Simply have the calls routed to the offices of the senators or State Representatives that represent the customer's state or district.

Wait a few days and watch the fun begin...

Utterly disgraceful...

@Gilbert: Usually I'm really annoyed by the political references on here, but that one was pretty solid. "Your unemployment insurance ran out? Well, you're no longer unemployed!"

What if you don't have E-mail?

United: Thank you for calling United Customer Service, may I assist you in booking a flight?

Customer: Hello, I would like to file a complaint about a recent flig..

United: I'm sorry, but all complaints need to be submitted via E-mail to complaints@united.com

Customer: But I don't have an E-mail address. I don't even have a computer!

United: Hmmm, lets see here, well my customer service manual doesn't have that option, let me see what I can do you you. [Music on hold] Ok, I have checked with my supervisor and we have come up with the following solution. Go to your local Best Buy and purchase a Sony laptop computer. Next, call Comcast, and tell them that you would like high speed internet service.
Sony, BestBuy and Comcast are all excellent companies with excellent customer service support. As a bonus, each of these organizations are United partners, and you can earn a voucher for 10% off a bag of peanuts on your next United flight (bringing the price of a large 1 ounce bag down to the low price of $8.50).

Once you are able to get online, e-mail your complaint to complaints@united.com.

Is there anything else i can help you out with today?

Customer:[silence]

United: Thank you and have a pleasant day, and thank you for flying United.

@youbastid: The airlines don't lower prices to altruistically allow more "commoners" to fly. It's competition. The charge more for things that should be free because they are poorly run and greedy.

Are you saying only rich people who can afford first class deserve to be treated like human beings.

@TCinIowa: I agree. Weird though it sounds to my capitalist ears, the truth is the competition is not always your friend. Fly on a European or South American (state-subsidized) carrier, and you WILL feel the difference.

And once upon a time, phone service was so cheap you hardly noticed you were paying for it. Ma Bell, we didn't know what we lost in you.

(And yes, I know we get different phone service now, but that's a technology shift later. My point is just that not every monopoly/cartel was a gouger; in some industries, somehow, it worked.)

I can see stories of people holding airports hostage, or reports of guns in airports rising. When you remove one form of communication to a company, the last way a person can complain will be at the ticket counter, do they realy want to encourage people to have another reason to be irate at the airport.

United: Sir, u'll have to email customer service to resolve ur lost luggage

Passenger: I would but my laptop is in the darn suitcase u lost.

United: That Sucks, so do you still want the email address?

@Rachacha:

Or go to the library....

Your parade: I rained on it.

Ever used this call center? This was the one in India. Little training, little actual decision making capability, and little actual help.

The email will be routed to the US call Centers. IF you work the system you probably will get more help.

What you lose is some hapless call-taker to vent on.

@plyhard13: No. That's the opposite of what I'm saying.

They lowered prices because of competition, but it was "commoners" demand for lower prices that set off the bidding war. People don't give a shit about what they're buying, as long as it's the cheapest. It's the same reason Wal-Mart is America's golden calf.

@Preyfar: Did you perchance put medication you needed shortly after arrival or your keys in your luggage? If so, then you are definitely to blame - those items cause checked bags to leap from the plane or baggage cart somewhere before your destination.

That might be a tragedy if anyone on their complaint line actually spoke a word of English.

@starrion:

"Your parade: I rained on it."

+1, will be stealing that to make a LOLcat, thanks.

www.untied.com says it all on how good this company is...

@Preyfar: But did you have PICTURE PROOF of their employees putting the luggage tracking tags on your suitcases???

@Gilbert: Reminds me that Dilbert's boss once saved the company money and improved customer satisfaction metrics by changing tech support's phone number and not telling any of their customers.

@TCinIowa: I'd rather fly in an affordable cattle car than a pricey, classy mode of flight, or have the government subsidize my flight. And if it is a cattle car to you, it is a sardine can to me, at 6'9".

At least for anything domestic. If I were flying overseas, an upgrade would probably be worth it.

@youbastid: If I can drop a couple hundred dollars on a cramped flight and be served pretzels and half a can of tomato juice and be somewhat uncomfortable for a couple/few hours and take 5 trips versus something priced so that I can only make 2 or 3 trips, sign this commoner up for the former.

If you can figure out a way to offer commoner pricing for royal treatment, you'll be rich. In the meantime, I'll keep flying Southwest and not look back.

Well, at least they're making it official. [/sarcasm] Hey, no skin off my nose--I stopped flying United a couple of years ago.

Good lord, what an awful move. I'm sure it saves money, but at what real cost?

@plyhard13: Funny you should mention it. I went back and forth on the inclusion of that reference.

@MaytagRepairman: Precisely.

Not that it really matters since they are generally not very helpful. I recently had to deal with United when one of their employees accused my mother of kicking their ankle, which lead to her being stranded in a foreign country since United refused to have her as a passenger and would not discuss the issue.

Their response? Offer of frequent flyer miles, or a pair of e-upgrade vouchers. Really helpful there United!

Fine by me - I've always had a better response from my written complaints with airlines than with just calling to complain.

@jgonzz: days? Minutes at best...

in a short amount of time, somebody here will post the "executive assistance" help line's number... you know they will have one! keep your eyes open people!

@Preyfar: To be fair, United has acknowledged that they can't handle luggage worth a damn....That's why they partnered with Fed/Ex for door to door delivery of your bag, for about $179 each way!

[www.sfgate.com]

On the flip side, I got to the checkin counter at MCO literally 25 minutes before my Southwest flight (someone backed into me in the parking garage, thus, I was delayed)...and understandably, my bag didn't make it to ORF on my flight. Turns out that they accidentally put a transfer tag on the bag, so it stayed on the aircraft...

So..what did Southwest do? Instead of telling me that I'd have to drive to the airport and pick up the bag since I late-checked it, the rep. explained that since it was on the same aircraft as I was, the late check is irrelevant - she admitted that it was their fault for not taking the bag off of the plane.

The next morning, the bag shows up at my doorstep along with a $60 LUV voucher for my "inconvenience"...not bad considering I only paid $45 for the ticket!

@legwork:

Considering that even the highest paid airline CEO...ever...made less than 1 cent/passenger...I fail to see your point.

United Airlines spokesperson Robin Urbanski says the company did research on the success of the feedback line and concluded that "people who e-mail or write us are more satisfied with our responses."

Why is that? Is it because people will give up faster than if they had a live person on the phone? Is it a cost cutting measure? May we see that research report?

Last time I had a nightmare flight on Virgin, I wrote the company after not being able to find a number to call and they wrote back - So sorry, it's not our fault, have a nice life. Then I wrote to my Congressman and two government agencies, one of which creates the customer complaints statistics that everyone reads about.
Well gee whiz bang, I get a partial flight reimbursement check from Virgin shortly after my Congressman contacted them.

@AbiraDawgie: I don't know about the threats of violence, but I had pretty much that experience 3 years ago with British Airways. Plane breakdown caused my flight to be late to London but just in time to make the connection - except gate crew sent a bunch of us to the wrong terminal. Plus there were a lot of other communication bumbles. BA crew at the ticket counters and the gates refused to take a complaint and said those could only be received through their website.

I don't fly too often, but NEVER British Airways again. They've totally lost me.

Personally, I use Southwest Airlines. They handled my luggage great. I flew home from Vegas and my bags were on a different plane. They apologized and told me they would deliver it to my house in IL. I told them I was headed out again in 2 days and they said no problem and rushed my bags home.

God forbid you get to talk to a human in real time and hear a human voice.

@johnmc: Or a wedding dress, funeral clothes or the ashes of a loved one (which you shouldn't check anyway). Bags have a tendency to delayed when you have short connections to once in a lifetime events, it's as if they know that you really need the stuff more than anything.

After working for an airline, I know to always carry on.

Always.

@AbiraDawgie: Baggage claims will still be taken at the airport, they aren't allowed to close baggage service down completely at your destination in favor of email complaints. In small airports there are times when no one is available for baggage service, but as a general rule, DOT requires that you be able to make a claim upon arrival, in person. If no one is available from your airline, you can make a claim with another carrier available and they will do so as a courtesy and forward it on to your carrier (sometimes they'll solve the mystery themselves, deliver the bag and then charge the faulted carrier).

God I hated working baggage service.

@Yossarian: It's called Virgin America.

Future headline: "UAL complaints down 100% from last year"

I worked as a cashier for a few years, loved it, but some customers could get pretty mean. I'd never met them before, had nothing to do with their personal life, but some of them decided that I was the root of all evil and needed to have that taken out on me.

This might do them some good from the other end of it. People tend to be more straightforward and objective via email, but people seem to think screaming in a worker's face will get results. Might work for some people-but not for me.

Having worked for a successful European airline's call center, I can actually say that United is making a good decision. When some people call in to complain, they feel entitled to rant and rave at you until your ears bleed. Those specified agents are there to write a report about your complaint and see if there's anything they can do to help you. It's not in the agent's job description to be mistreated as a human being when a customer is upset with the airline's service.

Now notably, most customers are not like that, and most people who do complain really do deserve compensation for what they've been put through. When a customer emails or writes to the airline, they have the chance to stop, think about what bothered them, and explain the situation in a seemingly calm manner while still conveying their disappointment. This usually results in an agent reading the complaint, empathizing with the customer, and then offering a possible solution to the problem with compensation. However, when a customer calls in to complain, feeling (sometimes rightfully) pissed off, they might let their emotions get the better of them and make the situation worse.

@CapitolStorm: Good to know!

Even at large airports there may not be someone around to make a baggage claim to - a few weeks ago in IAD there was no-one from United for at least an hour when half a plane's luggage went missing.... there was someone in their baggage complaints room, but she wouldn't talk to people. Eventually they opened up a little kiosk nearby with other staff. I can understand baggage claim being one of the worst spots to be, but making people wait around longer doesn't make them more happy, United!

@B: You know you can use them on other *A partners, right? I'm using mine on ANA then dumping the card.