[ckleng]

Current tactics by aircarriers put the chance of getting to destination at high risk. Aircarriers appear to be using the management technique of 1) fewer planes, 2) overbooking and 3) multiple hubs to maximize passenger miles and profits.

I would advise all passengers to; 1) avoid traveling on Holidays, 2) Avoid destinations that are having events, most major US cities, 3) Short duration Trips less than a week, 4) Medical emergencies or funerals for loved ones and 5) Any event that if missed would cause pain and suffering of others who want to see you in person.

In my case the airline could not get me to destination for a 3 day weekend until the last full day (Sat) and evening at that before the need to return to origin (Sun).

What triggered this was a late plane out of Tampa which caused me to not be able to get my connection flight out of the hub in NY Thursday evening. The airlines stated they may be able to get me out the next day on standby but the chances were slim. due to full flights and hub connection unknowns They could however gaurantee a Saturday am flight through not one stop but 3 hubs and arrive in the early evening.

This broken hub connection caused me to miss a Friday business meeting at the destination and to forfeit the Hotel deposit/fee ($800 + dollars) for Quarter Fest in New Orleans. However I did manage after a 35 minute discussion with the prime carrier of the Star Alliance to get a refund for the flight. But He was sure I could get on the late plane and make the connection. If I had proceded with his direction I would land at 7:35pm and the connection would take off at 7:25pm. Now I'm an engineer and the only way to make up the 10 minutes would be to travel at military fighter at say a speed of 600 ++mph. So a 1 & 1/2 hour flight may only take me 35 to 45 minutes which is a lot faster than the typical 300 mph. Both the travel agent (AMX) and I were able to finally convince him that physics is physics and the time could not be made up.

Another twist to this flight was that Star Alliance had me flying USAir, Delta, and United. And I had to change terminals in New York. SO I would have had to leave and re-enter security...if this was the caes I would need a really fast plane were talking 1000 + mph to make that connection.

Of note the Travel agent (AMX) was very helpful in that she spoke the same English as the Carrier folks. Both were offshore in India. I was able to get a flight refund to be given back in 45 days...are they getting float on this. Hey they had already taken my money before the trip.

So bottom line is that carriers are running 1) minimal planes, 2) overbooking, and 3) lots of connections. Danger here is traveling on a network that tight and with the chance that it fails then the collateral damage is high...i.e I can't get to my destination and I encur lots of other expenses that will not be reimbursed. Should have gotten the travel insurance.

But hey the good news is that USAir is no longer charging $1.00 for coffee..yes its free...life is good.

Air Travel is a miserable experience and appears to be getting worse.

[Corbel]

air travel can be a pain in the neck. but i have to travel on holidays (part of my job), i have to fly out of a major airport (RFD, doesn't have many flights so i have to go to chicago at times). best time to fly...tuesdays first flight of the day to where ever you are going

[ckleng]

Thanks. Recommend Lean thinking by Womack and Jones to see why we are in the current state. Only thing not of concern by management is the paying Customer.

[ckleng]

Just wanted to let travelers see the formal response from the STar Alliance folks. Yes Maybe they are right and "Safety" is all important so with that in mind I'll take their advice "STAY SAFE AND NOT FLY"...oh and I didn't want to waste any more of my time so I didn't take the survey...remember stay safe and don't fly...

Thank you for your email message addressed to Ms. Pamela Coslet, former
manager of United Airlines' Customer Relations Department. We
appreciate you sharing with us the problems you encountered on April 16,
2009 when you were expecting to travel from Portland to New Orleans. We
regret to hear that you missed a meeting and had to forfeit a hotel
deposit.

United and the United Express carriers work hard to minimize flight
problems. Of course the safety and well being of our passengers must
always be our first priority so some delays or cancellations are
unavoidable. Flight irregularities of any kind do cause major
inconveniences for our customers, we realize, and we certainly don't
question the feelings of frustration that can arise as a result.
Unfortunately, our industry is vulnerable to a number of challenges that
can, and do, affect our operation on a daily basis. Inclement weather,
mechanical problems, industry regulations and air traffic situations
issues all affect our ability to meet our on-time performance goals each
day. In some instances, we're not the cause, yet we acknowledge it's our
responsibility to be part of the solution. From what you describe, we
failed to meet your expectations for providing good service. I
apologize.

Your feedback is valuable to us, and I will share your helpful comments
with the appropriate management to be used to drive additional customer
initiatives and service improvements. We'll work hard to provide you a
smooth, trouble-free travel experience when you next travel with us.

Regards,

XXXXX XXXXXX
United Airlines Customer Relations

In order to serve you better, we would like to collect your feedback on
your experience with us today. Please click on the link below to access
our short survey.

[jimworcs]

Yeah, the old response, thank you for telling us how crap we are. We treasure your comments and will use them to laugh hysterically at your misfortune and, if it was particularly funny, post it on the staff notice board. As we only pay $5 per hour, this is a very economical way to amuse our otherwise stupid, surly and downright nasty employees. We hope you will give us another opportunity to rob you blind for atrocious service and leave you stranded alone in an airport at 2 am, with a voucher for $2, redeemable at any outlet, all of which are sadly closed.

[The_Judge]

I loved the response...."former manager." She wised up, eh??