[scottgoold]

Dear weary travelers,
After only a short time reading the complaints on this site, I realize we are sheep. We have no power; we pay our money -- in good faith -- and yet are at risk of being treated like animals in holding pens.

My wife and I were approaching our 10th wedding anniversary. As we had been students when we married, we couldn't afford a honeymoon. We've been working for years to put a package together. Unfortunately, we selected United Airlines to be our partner.

In April 2008, we purchases tickets to Hawai'i for December 24, 2008. I received an email from United immediately after making the purchase and didn't hear from them again until Dec. 23rd. They emailed us that we could check-in and get our boarding passes. When I did, I found all our reservations had been changed.

I tried to correct this through United's phone reservations. Yet one only talks to people in India or the Philippines. I have no issues with these people; they are decent, hard working individuals. Yet neither side could understand the other. Second, the phone connection kept dropping and I would have to spend another 30 minutes getting back through their complex queue. Less than 12 hours until our flight, I was told by United to "take it or leave it." Of course, cancellations would cost us penalties -- and our hotels and other arrangements were now locked in. To cancel would cost us thousands of dollars. No options. United freely took our money, but they refused to honor our "contract." They did with us as they wished.

We had to leave much earlier; we were scheduled to arrive much later -- so much for the champagne toast I had planned at sunset for my wife. We would be lucky to get in at all. When we arrived from ABQ in LAX, we found we could not depart. The plane to HNL had to come through Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, New York, Denver, Seattle -- and Mars (yes, the planet). Just kidding on that last one, but you get the point.

United didn't have a plane for us in LA. It was high season; weather across the country was terrible; yet United expected to get all their planes through all of this drude while capacity was highest. This is where they put all of us at risk. They system is overpacked. People try to save $$s on luggage so they take too much on the plane. Up and down; up and down; under pressure, there are bangs and slips during cargo loading. There is ice on wings, yet they push these planes to the max to save a PENNY! Then, they throw you on board. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

We didn't make our connection from LAX to HNL. We were late, very late, but so were hundreds of other people. Finally, United decided to add another plane to the system -- hours too late for our $450 per night hotel, which we still had to pay.

While the outgoing flight was a disaster, the return was worse. When United rescheduled my flight, again without permission or any type of notice, they allowed 43 minutes between the HNL to LAX and LAX to ABQ flight. I complained at the time -- no options, take it or leave it. I called Customer Relations many times. They told me they could do nothing in advance of the flight. I would have to call back afterwards. No help from United! Yet each person I spoke with told me we would have no problem making the connection -- United's promise!

On the return and during taxi on the runway, United notified us they misloaded the baggage -- another safety issue, yet finally caught it (lucky this time). So we had to return to the terminal -- there's goes the 43 minute window. Yep, we missed the connection.

We were herded to United's counter to work out arrangements. They again did it for us... how nice. We arrived (late) at 6:19am after flying all night. United, so graciously, offered us a flight to leave LAX at 4pm that evening and get us to ABQ around 6pm. Just a tiny, tiny TWELVE hour delay. I said NO!

The agent said take it or leave it. I said neither and I want to speak with your supervisor. Her supervisor gave us the same offer. Take it or leave it. I said no, so she said "move along, I want to help the next customer." I refused to move. She called more supervisors and the police.

No, I'm not violent. I'm not someone who cusses in such situations or makes threats. The police loved us. They respected us for standing our ground. United brought more supervisors. After some time, they offered to send us to SFO, allow us to sit in the Bay Area airport for a while, and get us home at 4pm. Just a TEN hour delay. Again, I said no. When they said take it or leave it, I told United supervisor, Mr. Steve Stargen, to please get our bags.

At this time, my wife bought us tickets on Southwest that would have us home in two hours. I asked Mr. Stargen that United buy this ticket for us -- as a courtesy to stranded passengers. He refused.

Keep in mind that along the way, United personnel told us over and over that the "customer is their number one priority." You've heard this as well. If that were true, United would have purchased the ticket for us. But we all know that people aren't United's number one priority, money is!

It's all about money to them. You are a number and a value. They do not care one tiny bit about you as a human being. Yet we keep flying. We have limited options, as most airlines operate the same.

I have been writing to Ms. Kathy Wood, United Airlines Customer Relations. She first told me that I had no rights -- that United didn't need to notify me of a change to our contract; then United should if they make a change over 90 minutes (our was in excess of 90 minutes). She seems confused over the policy, but apologized for our inconvenience. She initially told me we were only 12 minutes late and that was no big deal. She admitted later to the error, as United's system confuses even her. We were over an hour late -- this is why we missed the LAX to ABQ connection.

Keep in mind these are generally people like you and me who just want a job so they can feed their family. We should not blame them. We live and work in a broken system -- because the system is focused on rewarding share holders who have stock in corporations rather than caring about each other.

You have a choice. You can do nothing and then one day you will be writing a complaint after having your ten-year vacation turned into a nightmare or you can get involved. We have a new president; the rules can be changed!

Why are we hiring the good and decent people in foreign lands when Americans need work? We, taxpayers, are currently paying for United's failures as we support their pilots after United defaulted on their obligations to these hard working Americans. We all know the heroics of Chesley Sullenberger, US Airways pilot, who saved his crew and passengers. We have many heroes in America, but this is lost on bad systems...

These bad systems are created by top executives who take home millions and receive huge bonusese each year. Yet what do you get? They take your money and you get a ticket to a nightmare.

As a final insult, the good Ms. Kathy Wood keeps offering us more coupons on a future flight on United. Are you serious? After all this, United expects us to take another chance. We paid nearly $1,000 per ticket and Ms. Wood offers around $400 to try again. Why? I don't live for money; I want memories, good friends and a quality life. I'll pay for a reasonable chance to make my own road. I don't ask for a handout -- only for a fair return for my hard earned money. I'm sure you agree. You can reach me at www.scottgoold.org

I am going to work on this, hopefully in a class action lawsuit. United stranded 1,000s over the holiday. I saw many people with tears in their eyes. They hadn't slept and wouldn't sleep for a long time. Their nightmare was just beginning. We were fortunate to have Southwest Airlines available as an option.

In unity...
Scott