[fbales]

I (flyer 1 and 2) United Confirmation Code ######) am writing to United Customer Care Center in regard to a travel interruption on February 9, 2013, of United Airlines flight 1420 from Bonaire to Newark, which was cancelled on Thursday 7, 2013 at 2:44 pm. This letter includes details of how that interruption impacted five customers, who were traveling together, that were collectedly un-reasonably burdened by United Airlines cancellation and failure to provide service. The Customers include:

• Flyers 1and 2 United confirmation code ######; flying 1st class on a United Airlines ticket using United Airlines Rewards, with taxes paid on a Chase/United Mileage Plus Explorer card
• Flyer 3 and 4 United confirmation code ######; flying coach class on a United Airlines ticket paid on a Chase/United Mileage Plus Explorer card
• Flyer 5 United confirmation code ######, flying coach class on a United Airlines ticket paid on a personal bank card.

Background Information
These five customers were part of a larger group of travelers (23), who were on a dive trip sponsored by my dive shop. These customers travel each year with our shop to some location for diving. Our dive shop provides all the accommodations, except airfare, which we direct the travelers to book, themselves though United.
I would like to offer that I am a United Mileage plus customer as are flyers 2, 3, and 4. Further we use our United Mileage plus Explorer Card heavily for both our personal purchase but also have a Chase Business Mileage plus Explorer Card. Additionally; this trip was booked in first class using accumulated mileage plus rewards.
The flight
All of whom, booked United Airlines as their carrier, at my recommendation. The flight that was canceled was part of a turnaround flight that originates in Newark (EWR) as flight 1422 that departs at 11:59pm on Friday night, and arrives in Bonaire (BON) on Saturday at 5:26 am. Then leaves Bonaire at 7:00 am on Saturday to arrive in Newark at 10:50 am.
Due to the bad weather expected to hit Friday Night, February 8, 2013, the Flight (UA 1422) form Newark was cancelled, which in turn then caused Flight 1420 to be cancelled.
Cancellation Notice
I received an email on February 7, 2013 at 2:44 pm canceling our flight, due to bad weather in Newark. Of the passengers noted above, one never received notification of the cancelation, and the other did not get notification until 5:30am on the day of departure, more than 50 hours after the flight was cancelled. That difference is just one of many instances where United treated travelers on this flight inconsistently.


Complaint
I am writing to you on behalf of all five persons, where as we were traveling as a group (same vehicle to the Newark Airport), and needed to stay as one. Additionally, I incurred the cost of getting the five back to Newark, using Delta, when United would not book us on flights that were reasonable, even when they did book others from the same cancelled flight.
I understand that weather events are well beyond the control of United. However, United did not afford myself and the four others traveling with me reasonable re-accommodations.
United’s Customer Commitment Policy
However, in reviewing United’s Customer Commitment Policy I note this case, that commitment was broken in several ways, all of which are documented in detail later in this letter:
· Notify customers about travel itinerary changes in a timely manner
§ Notifications were sent via e-mail, which is not a reasonable contact method for person traveling. Especially seeing United sent me text notices of the departure times for the outbound flight UA1422 on 2-1-13
· Flyer 3 and 4 (united confirmation code ######), were not sent an e-mail of the cancelation until 5:30 am on 2-9-13, 50 hours after the flight was cancelled.
§ Flyer 5 (united confirmation code ######), was never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
§ Flyer 6 and 7 united confirmation code ######, were never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
§ Flyer 8 united confirmation code ######, was never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
· Provide services to mitigate inconveniences resulting from
§ Other travelers were provided accommodations through UNITED, without incurring out of pocket expenses, Including being booked on Non Star Alliance Flights, including:
o Flyer 6 and 7 united confirmation code ######.
o Flyer 8 united confirmation code ######.
· Properly accommodate passengers with disabilities and other special needs
§ I requested Felix connect me with some with less of an accent, because I am hearing impaired, That request was not only denied, it was crudely pushed back at me as unreasonable. This is explained later on.
Equal Treatment
Lastly, as a loyal United Airlines customer, booked in 1st class, I thought I would have been subject to at least equal treatment, yet it seems that because I used “earned” air miles I was less important. This really does not make sense to me.


Time Line of Events
The following information is a summary of the effort made by our group, to try and get assistance from United, to be rebooked following the cancellation. More so it provides documentation on how United failed to rebook the group in the same manner as they did for others on United Flight 1420.
Thursday February 7, 2013
After receiving the email notice, I accessed the United website as directed by the email. No proposed rebooking was provided on the site, but rather directions to call united.






Beginning at 2:57 pm I tried to reach united but was faced with continual call failures, numbers not allowed to be called from Bonaire, and similar difficulties

• 2:57 pm 1-800-864-8331. Call failed. Number on United site
• 3:01 pm 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 3:02 pm 1-800-421-4655. Call failed. I tried this number because it is printed on my United Chase, Mileage Plus Explorer card
• 3:02 pm 1-614-248-2161. Same as above
• 3:09 pm 001-599-717-7747. Call failed. This number was provided by the hotel and the best number to reach the United Customer Service desk at the Bonaire airport.
• 3:09 pm 599-717-7747. Same as above.
• 3:15 pm 001-281-553-7725 United reservations (number provided by hotel front desk), 50 minute wait time for customer service (63 minute total time on phone). Spoke with Roman, minor difficulty understanding him, due to poor connection). Roman offered:
  • Next United Flight direct to Newark is February 16, 2013 (7 days later). I expressed that staying here for 7 more days was not a reasonable request.
  • Offered a United Flight from Caracas Venezuela but he could not make arrangements to get there. He did not realize that the 86 miles between Bonaire and Caracas is water.
  • I asked about United Flight401 to Houston connecting to Newark on United Flight 1427. He offered to book us on the flight, not in first class. I confirmed that we would take that flight, not worried about 1st class. But need to get my three traveling companions on the flight also. He said he would processes us on the flight, but we need to get him the confirmation numbers for the other in order to book them.

I offered that I was working on that and could he please look up their names and at least hold the seats. While I was talking with him, we were disconnected.

• 4:20 pm 001-281-553-7725 United reservations (number provided by hotel front desk), 40 minute wait time for customer service (49 minute total time on phone). Spoke with United Customer Service Agent Jesus. First problem was trying to restate the previous work being done by Roman. Jesus offered:
  • Next United Flight direct to Newark is February 16, 2013 (7 days later). I expressed that staying here for 7 more days was not a reasonable request.
  • Offered a United Flight from Curacao to Newark but he could not make arrangements to us to
  • I tried to list options to be checked including:
    • UA 401 to UA 1427 No seats available on UA 401 (we learned latter that, from another agent that there were 5 seats available on UA 401)
    • UA 401 to UA 275 Same as above
  • He suggested Aruba to Miami then to Newark But could not book the connection from Bonaire for us.
  • I again asked about Delta to Houston, and he told we couldn't have those seats because my tickets had been booked with airline rewards miles. Asked for a supervisor, was immediately disconnected.
• 5:11 pm 1-800-421-4655. Call failed. I tried this number because it is printed on my United Chase, Mileage Plus Explorer card

• 5:13 pm 1-614-248-2161 Called Chase International Assistance, seeking their help they suggested the United 001-281-553-7725 number
• 5:23 pm 001-281-553-7725. After waiting 38 minutes (total time on call 53 minutes), we were connected to Anna. Anna searched for United flights and could only come up with flights from Curacao to Newark. But couldn't get us from Bonaire to Curacao.
  • She also offered a KLM flight to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Newark with an arrival on Tuesday. Which did not make any sense to me since KLM is a DELTA Sky Team Partner
  • We asked about getting us on the Houston flight (UA 401), but it was sold out. However, as stated above we learned latter (details below) that it had 5 seats open and left Bonaire on February 9 at 8:30 am with seats open.
  • We asked about putting us on Delta Flight 662. She said she could not put us on a non-Star Alliance Member flight. I offered that you just were willing to put me on a KLM flight which is not a Star Alliance Member; they are part of Sky Team with Delta.
  • We advised Anna that we had another passengers showing us that United just booked them on the Delta Flight 662, including:
    • Flyer 6 and 7 United confirmation code ######. Who was booked by United onto Delta flight 662 to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Newark on Delta flight 680.
    • Anna said she needed approval for that so we asked for her supervisor to get approval
  • Felix the supervisor got on the line we briefly explained our request. I had a hard time understanding Felix due to his heavy accent, poor cell connection, and my physical handicap of hearing loss, which even with hearing aids makes it difficult to understand some accents.
    • As I tried to explain our desire for the Delta flight Felix would not stop talking to hear my request. Told me major snow storm hit area. I offered I understood that and all I wanted was to put these five people onto a flight, since all the other flights just don’t make sense please put us Delta flight 662 to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Newark on Delta flight 680. Like Untied did for other people.
    • I was having a very hard time understanding Felix, so I asked if I could speak with someone with less of an accent as I was having difficulty understanding him.
    • He told me no he speaks perfect English and offered that other people have bigger problems. He would not book us on Delta and we could wait until February 16, 2013 United flight 1420 or find our own way out. My wife got on the phone and tried to talk with him since I was having problems communicating with Felix. He told her that she was “being difficult” and we would have to “take it or leave it” (the options he gave) and “figure it out on your own” and hung up.

As a loyal United customer I was stunned. I fly United whenever possible. I book group dive trips and we fly United/Continental. I refer people to United Airlines all the time and cant believe that a United customer agent just told me to “figure it out on my own".

• 6:41 pm 570-499-1898. Called friend in United States, had him research flights for me, and book them using Expedia. Total time on phone 25 minutes
  • Over the phone, he was able to locate the United flights, but could not book the seats on United 401. While seats were visible though Expeida, they could not be selected. So We switched to Delta,
  • With limited seating, and weak cell service, we chose to book all five seats under one booking. Thus the five of us were booked on Delta flight 662 to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Newark on Delta flight 680.
  • This is the exact same flights that Flyer 6 and 7 were booked on by delta. See United confirmation code ######.

• 7:32 pm 1-614-248-2161. Called chase to confirm that we did get charged for tickets approved and that we didn't get double booked since we tried to first to book on delta's website

Friday February 8, 2013





Hotel staff advises that united is sending a “recovery flight"

• 8:04 am 1-800-864-8331. Call Failed. Called United to find out about recovery flight
• 8:29 am. 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 8:31 am 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 8:32 am 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 8:33 am 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 8:34 am 1-800-864-8331. Same as above
• 8:34 am 1-800-421-4655. Call Failed. Called Chase, to see if their Customer Care Staff could help.
• 8:37 am 1-800-421-4655 Same as above.
• 8:40am 1-800-421-4655. Same as above.
• 8:40 am 1-614-248-2161. Chase International Transferred to United. United call center disconnected
• 9:54 am 1-800-421-4655 Call Failed. Called Chase, to see if their Customer Care Staff could help.
• 9:55am 1-800-421-4655 Same as above.
• 1:07 pm 1-614-248-2161. Same as above.
• 1:08 pm 1-800-421-4655 Same as above.
• 1:08 pm 1-614-248-2161. Called Chase, they transferred me to United. Wait time was short only 40 minutes. (total time on Call 50 minutes) Spoke with Robert whom could not confirm any recovery flights. Could not locate any open seats off island, until February 16, 2013. I inquired about getting refunded for the Delta flights, he suggested filing through website.

Front Desk of Hotel advises United Customer Service Agents on Bonaire, called and have 5 seats open on the United 401 flight to Houston.

• 7:54 pm 1-614-248-2161 Called Chase, they transferred me to United. Wait time was 50 minutes (total time on call 64 minutes) Spoke with Lisa said she could see the seats but couldn't book us into them. She also did not understand why the previous agents did not book us on the Delta flight. She put us on hold to speak with her supervisor Jeanie. She and Jeanie both came on the line and offered:
  • They didn’t know who Felix was, but they were very sorry that we were treated that way.
  • They can see seats on United 401, but cannot seem to book us onto the seats. But even if they did, they do not have seats form Houston to Newark (However, we spoke to people on the Houston to Newark flight at 1:30 pm that confirmed there were open seats).
  • There was no reason why Felix couldn't book us on the delta flight. She suggested that since we had seats and a way home it may be better to keep those seats, and then request a refund of the Delta flight costs through Customer care.

Later we talked to 3 other couples who United booked on the Delta flight, that we had to book on our own two of those travelers are:

• • Flyer 6 and 7 united confirmation code ######
  • Flyer 8 united confirmation code ######

Saturday February 9, 2013
While waiting at the airport in Bonaire for our Delta flights (2:00 pm), flyer 3 (United confirmation code ######), used the free Wi-Fi to check e-mail and discovered that United had emailed at 5:30 am that they were on the United flight 401 to Houston with connection to Newark for a same day arrival.
We spoke with travelers on united 401 and both connecting flights to Newark. They indicted at UA 401 had 5 open seats. And that there were some seats on the connections.
Saturday feb 10, 2013
On arrival in Newark, we went to the United Customer Service desk, and where we spoke with Jimmy Antor. Mr. Anotr, was very kind, listened to our story, offered his deepest apologies for how we were treated, especially how Felix spoke to my wife. Mr. Antor, apologized that he could not resolve the problem for us, because it needed to go through the United Customer Care office, for post flight complaints. He provided us with the website, and encouraged us to provide as much details as possible as to the trip.
Mr. Antoer was a true gentleman, he even went as far as to personally address my wife and apologize for how was spoken too, which to me was very kind.


Impact on the travelers
I have more than 4 hours of cellular time, at $2.00 per minute, trying to get five travelers back to their homes, because United cancelled a flight. However in talking with the two people above (******* and *******) United was willing to rebook them on Delta and it took them on average 45 minutes to do so.
These five customers were not treated with the same respect, courtesy, and accommodations as many others who were on cancelled United flight 1402. One traveler flyer 5 (UA confirmation code ######), still has not received notice of the cancelled flight. We have all had to sleep in the Atlanta airport, each have incurred the cost of the delta flight $558.60





Each person experienced costs outside of normal inconveniences, which were directly related to United’s refusal to provide them with the same accommodations given to others. Those acts are as follows:

• Flyer 1 and 2 (united confirmation code ######).
  • Deltas airlines flights $558.60 each, total $1,117.20
  • Delta Airlines check bag fee, $25 each, total $50 (Chase united explorer members who had 1st bag checked free on united)
  • 254 minutes I spent trying to get these rebooked ($318)
• Flyer 3 and 4 (united confirmation code ######)
  • Deltas airlines flights $558.60 each, total $1,117.20
  • Delta Airlines check bag fee, $25 each, total $50 (Chase united explorer members who had 1st bag checked free on united)
• Flyer 5 (united confirmation code ######).
  • Deltas airlines flights $558.60 each

In addition to the monetary damages, these travelers were treated like outcasts by United. As to the reason, I can only assume that the comment from United Agent Jesus, that “we couldn't have those seats because my tickets had been booked with airline rewards miles”, is why we were not treated the same as the other customers.


Closing
I understand that weather events are well beyond the control of United. I also believe that in reviewing the time line of events, you will find that we were more than diligent in trying to obtain booking for the group though United. We spent hours upon hours of our vacation time sitting in a room on hold, only to be left to our own resources to get safely back home.
I also understand that United is committed to providing reasonable re-accommodations during such events. However, in reviewing United’s Customer Commitment Policy , I note this case, that commitment was broken in several ways:
· Notify customers about travel itinerary changes in a timely manner
o Notifications were sent via e-mail, which is not a reasonable contact method for person traveling. Especially seeing United sent me text notices of the departure times for the outbound flight UA1422 on 2-1-13
o Flyer 3 and 4 (united confirmation code ######), were not sent an e-mail of the cancelation until 5:30 am on 2-9-13, 50 hours after the flight was cancelled.
o Flyer 5 (united confirmation code ######, was never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
o Flyer 6 and 7 united confirmation code ######, were never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
o Flyer 8 united confirmation code ######, was never notified by UNITED of the cancelation
· Provide services to mitigate inconveniences resulting from trip interruptions.
§ Other travelers were provided accommodations through UNITED, without incurring out of pocket expenses, Including being booked on Non Star Alliance Flights, including:
§ Flyer 6 and 7 united confirmation code ######.
§ Flyer 8 united confirmation code ######.
· Properly accommodate passengers with disabilities and other special needs
§ I requested Felix connect me with some with less of an accent, because I am hearing impaired, That request was not only denied, it was crudely pushed back at me as unreasonable.
Lastly, as a loyal United member, booked in 1st class, I thought I would have been subject to at least equal treatment, yet it seems that because I used “earned” air miles I was less important. This really does not make sense to me.
I can provide support documentation for all of the travelers flight arrangements noted above, but of course I’m sure that the confirmation codes will provide that for you. Additionally, I can provide copies of phone records, the Expedia bill for the five passengers (all were booked as once group on my Chase United Explorer Plus Card), and the receipts for the checked bags.
As I look at the customer satisfaction survey DELTA just e-mailed me, I am still trying to find a way to believe that what happened to my group with United was just a very bad set of circumstances, and that United really does care about its loyal customers.
Would someone be kind enough to call me and discuss how we can correct the mishandling of these travelers, and what we can do prevent this in the future? I take 20 plus travelers once or twice a year on group dive trips. I always direct them to United for their air travel, and need to know that I can still do so in the future in good faith.

[jimworcs]

You were treated appallingly. Please let us know the outcome. I am surprised you are willing to consider flying with them again in the future.

[fbales]

yes, i am turly stunned. As for beign willing to fly with them again, I guess its just being an optomist. Im hoping that what happened was jsut a very bad turn of events.

Im hoping that United looks at this and sets it right, buy refunding (cash) the costs we incurred. Not looking for extras. Just to be back even.

[fbales]

Wow,
I thought that I woudl be left on our own,. But United REALLY took an intrest in what had transpired and reached out to our group. they resolved our problems and we are all extremely pleased with how United responded

[jimworcs]

Wow..... What did they do to recompense you?