[singa]

Copy of what was sent to United. No response from UAL.

This entire trip was a mess. Prior to the trip, I requested a Region 2 Systemwide Upgrade. When I arrived at the gate in SFO (change of equipment en route to LHR), I checked in at the lounge regarding my upgrade and was told I was the only one on the upgrade list and there were a lot of seats. When the flight was called in the lounge, I went to the gate and presented my boarding pass and was told they could not fulfill my upgrade request. The gate agent mentioned she has at least 20 vacant seats in business. I told her I would not board and sit in economy when there were 20 seats available. I eventually got into business.

Once on board, a flight attendant asked me for my dinner order and recorded my request, along with the other passengers. When dinner was served, she gave me the incorrect selection (this was the same staff who asked for my order to begin with). She came back a few minutes later and put down the wrong item again for a second time. After I finally got her attention, I pointed out the incorrect selection for the second time. She got very flustered and came back with my filet. She mentioned that she had trouble seeing in the darkened cabin. Even my elderly neighbor in the seat next to me agreed that filet and chicken are clearly identifiable even in the darkened cabin. When she put my selection down, she spilled a full glass of red wine all over me. I quickly was trying to get the items off me and she just froze. My elderly neighbor offered her napkins to help. The flight attendant got defensive and was no help at all. She finally took my tray and pushed all of my belongings aside to stop the wine going everywhere. I got up and went to the lavatory to clean up and came back to sit down. A new flight attendant came and asked me if I had eaten yet, I of course explained that I hadn't yet. She brought me my meal. At that time, I asked her to send over the purser. She mentioned that the woman who had spilled the wine on me was the purser. She then went on to explain that no one on the staff liked this purser including the captain. She encouraged me to write a complaint in hopes that this woman might finally stop working these flights. I was appalled at one of the staff bad mouthing her supervisor. The purser did bring me an incident form later in the flight. I filled it out and gave it to one of the flight attendants before the end of the flight. When I arrived at my hotel in London, I noticed my bag with all my prescription medication was missing. When the wine incident happened and I pushed everything away to prevent more damage, my medication bag which was in the seat at my side got pushed under the foot rest of my seat and I didn’t notice it was gone until I was in London city. I called twice a day for 3 days and it was never reported found. I lost about $400 in medication. I also have to go see a private doctor in London at my expense and get new medicine for my stay (about $100 in total).

On my return flight, UA955, on February 26, I made a point of calling ahead to make sure my upgrade request was in the system. I also asked the check in agent downstairs at LHR and she confirmed I was on the upgrade list and that there were several seats. I then went to the RC Lounge where I checked again and confirmed I was on the list. When the flight boarding was announced, I went to the gate where I was told they had no seats because they didn’t know how I would be settling the upgrade. This was a Region 2 Systemwide all along confirmed both on your website and by 3 other staff prior to getting to the gate. After some struggle, I got the last seat in business minutes before the last person got on the plane. I would have gotten a seat sooner if there was not confusion over my method of upgrade. I guess your computer system isn't helpful to your staff at the airports. I don't know how to deal with this. I guess I need to forego my benefits of using the lounges because I need to camp out at the gate when I have an upgrade, otherwise I will lose that privilege too.

The next incident is not a service issue, but it just added to the craziness of this trip. UA 955's cockpit had a fire after push back and taxi and we had to evacuate the plane. I had a 7 hour delay and eventually got home quite late. Normally not a problem, I understand, but it just made what had already happened worse. This is was also the 3rd time in 6 flight and 7 weeks that I was pulled off a United plane due to maintenance. Again, I don’t blame anyone for this, I am grateful the fire happened on the ground and not in the air. It just made a difficult trip even more difficult.

In general, it was a miserable trip due to the disappointing service on United. I feel like I wasted my upgrades. I pay for all my own travel, some corporation doesn’t pay. I managed to achieve 1K for this year and will be again next year. I really wish United didn’t have so many service failures, especially for their top tier fliers. You fly the routes I need and don't have a lot of choice.

I would expect some compensation for this itinerary and also the redeposit of the systemwide upgrades back into my account.

I appreciate a non-canned thoughtful response.

Thank you.

[Inkedadeal]

Good luck with the "non-canned thoughtful response". All of my responses from United are canned. I can even quote them verbatim now.

I, too, am a Premier member on United. Flew them for years, never complained once. The one and only time I complained (items missing from my gate-checked bag) was dealt with nothing short of indifference so far. Still waiting on the Customer Relations call I was promised a week ago. No luck so far.

The good news is that other airlines will often extend elite status to you when you explain this sort of situation to them. I just did so as well.

[Tamara50]

I tried to talk to United people, my son was graduating from the Air Force. The events started on the 2nd at 7:45 a.m., United did not care, the only flight for SanAntonio on the first left without me. I'm on crutches and still am and they did not give a crap. I fell out of a treestand 17 foot and shattered my heel, ankle, and the bones that go to my toes, my pain medicine went to Texas without me. I cried all night from a heavy heart and pain. Noone can ever give the day that I missed back to me. It is gone. NEVER FLY UNITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ma d: