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United Airlines Announces Changes to Improve Customer Experience

11thEarlOfMar 9y ago
As experienced on United this week: - Hand out warm chocolate chip cookies as passengers de-plane. - If a passenger asks for a couple of decaf coffee pouches, give them 16
- maxxxxx 9y ago
  I love when I ask for sweetener and get a whole pile.
- gist 9y ago
  It's a new broom. Let's see how long that lasts.
draw_down 9y ago
> United commits to: > Limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only. > Not require customers seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk. Isn't that what they claimed the situation was in the first place? I get that they have to make announcements like this because they're in damage-control mode, but, come on.
- MrVitaliy 9y ago
  This time they're "committing"
notyourwork 9y ago
Is anyone else disappointed with the PR turn around? Although unlikely, I was rooting for United to push back and tell the guy to piss off for acting so ignorant. I cannot imagine how mad I would be if I was asked to leave after getting on the plane but once the authorities get involved anyone beyond 10 years old should know it isn't time for a temper tantrum. Kudos for United for improving customer experience but I wish this improvement would come whole heartedly and not simply because of a PR nightmare due to an ignorant passenger.
- draw_down 9y ago
  Uh, no.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- ArchReaper 9y ago
  How's the Kool Aid taste?
- xyzzy4 9y ago
  >I would be if I was asked to leave after getting on the plane but once the authorities get involved anyone beyond 10 years old should know it isn't time for a temper tantrum. So it's fine for police to beat up non-threatening people when they don't comply with a business manager's decision?
- AlexandrB 9y ago
  I agree. We should all kowtow to our corporate overlords, after all we are mere "consumers" not people and we don't deserve any respect.
- UnoriginalGuy 9y ago
  He was literally on the phone to United's call center when the cop pulled him forward while still belted, then sideways into the middle armrest, then mashed his head into the armrest across the aisle causing concussion, broken Nose, and lost teeth. The guy literally had to have reconstructive surgery. Calling United's call center to get a resolution isn't a "temper tantrum." It is the correct course of action in the circumstances. A United Manager should have resolved this situation, not an abusive cop. United should pay for it and the cop should be fired and charged with battery. The passenger did nothing ignorant, and I'm not entirely sure you know what the word means.
  - rl3 9y ago
    >Calling United's call center to get a resolution isn't a "temper tantrum." It is the correct course of action in the circumstances. So disobeying flight crew instructions, then law enforcement instructions, and finally insisting on working your way through first-line support at the company's call center while you single-handedly continue to delay an entire flight is the correct course of action in that situation? The way cops handled the situation was absolutely awful, and in my opinion they should be footing his medical bills. However, it doesn't mean he was justified in his actions. Such actions could even be perfectly understandable in circumstances involving an underlying medical condition (dementia, mental illness, severe hypoglycemia, whatever). How you can suggest it's the correct course of action for someone of sound mind though is puzzling at best. I can't even begin to comprehend the level of entitlement that delaying an entire flight would require.
ghostly_s 9y ago
> Eliminate the red tape on permanently lost bags by adopting a "no questions asked" policy on lost luggage. What on earth does this mean?
- rajathagasthya 9y ago
  > will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy This is what the email for MileagePlus members says.
- gist 9y ago
  This means that just like insurance companies often do they put up roadblocks hoping that someone just peters out and decides it's not worth their time to pursue. At the very least even if they don't you buy time and can use the money (that you would have to pay) for cash flow purposes. This is both in obvious and non obvious ways. One way can be by simply making it hard to communicate with someone who has the authority to solve your problem and keep bouncing you around or taking extra time to respond to claims and even questions.
  - ghostly_s 9y ago
    So they previously were asking you questions, when they failed to deliver your luggage? "Excuse me sir but we must ask, did you leave this item in the care of any untrustworthy individuals since you last saw it?" "Yes...your staff."
    - PhantomGremlin 9y ago
      Yes they were, but not in the way you hypothesize. What they're now saying is they won't make you prove to them that the bag they lost was worth $1500. Do you have receipts for the suitcase itself? Do you have receipts for each item you claim was in it? And then they could and would say: "Hmmm ... those shirts were purchased a few years ago, they're currently not worth anywhere near what you paid for them new." The only problem I see with the new policy is the potential for fraud. At many airports there is very very little supervision of the baggage claim area. So bags can easily be "stolen" from there by accomplices of the passenger. Then it would be easy for the passenger to demand $1500 for a "lost" bag that wasn't even worth $150.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
wfunction 9y ago
Is the $10k still in vouchers? The main problem they had IMO was that $800 was very useless for many people when it was in vouchers...
- ad_tech_ninja 9y ago
  to add - $800 is definitely not enough to merit screwing over a business meeting that may have taken weeks to schedule and coordinate people taking different flights to the same location. sometimes, 800 isn't enough to cover hotel cost for losing a reservation then needing to rebook for a flight the following day.
Upvoter33 9y ago
Rule 1: Never Talk About Fight Club
drak0n1c 9y ago
The greater lesson here is to ensure employees don't make a habit of strictly following computerized procedures such as the random number generator that insisted on this particular passenger's seat. Human dialogue and creativity can provide a better solution to problems like these.

As experienced on United this week: - Hand out warm chocolate chip cookies as passengers de-plane. - If a passenger asks for a couple of decaf coffee pouches, give them 16

maxxxxx 9y ago
I love when I ask for sweetener and get a whole pile.
gist 9y ago
It's a new broom. Let's see how long that lasts.

draw_down 9y ago

> United commits to: > Limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only. > Not require customers seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk. Isn't that what they claimed the situation was in the first place? I get that they have to make announcements like this because they're in damage-control mode, but, come on.

MrVitaliy 9y ago
This time they're "committing"

notyourwork 9y ago

Is anyone else disappointed with the PR turn around? Although unlikely, I was rooting for United to push back and tell the guy to piss off for acting so ignorant. I cannot imagine how mad I would be if I was asked to leave after getting on the plane but once the authorities get involved anyone beyond 10 years old should know it isn't time for a temper tantrum. Kudos for United for improving customer experience but I wish this improvement would come whole heartedly and not simply because of a PR nightmare due to an ignorant passenger.

draw_down 9y ago
Uh, no.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
ArchReaper 9y ago
How's the Kool Aid taste?
xyzzy4 9y ago
>I would be if I was asked to leave after getting on the plane but once the authorities get involved anyone beyond 10 years old should know it isn't time for a temper tantrum. So it's fine for police to beat up non-threatening people when they don't comply with a business manager's decision?
AlexandrB 9y ago
I agree. We should all kowtow to our corporate overlords, after all we are mere "consumers" not people and we don't deserve any respect.
UnoriginalGuy 9y ago
He was literally on the phone to United's call center when the cop pulled him forward while still belted, then sideways into the middle armrest, then mashed his head into the armrest across the aisle causing concussion, broken Nose, and lost teeth. The guy literally had to have reconstructive surgery. Calling United's call center to get a resolution isn't a "temper tantrum." It is the correct course of action in the circumstances. A United Manager should have resolved this situation, not an abusive cop. United should pay for it and the cop should be fired and charged with battery. The passenger did nothing ignorant, and I'm not entirely sure you know what the word means.
- rl3 9y ago
  >Calling United's call center to get a resolution isn't a "temper tantrum." It is the correct course of action in the circumstances. So disobeying flight crew instructions, then law enforcement instructions, and finally insisting on working your way through first-line support at the company's call center while you single-handedly continue to delay an entire flight is the correct course of action in that situation? The way cops handled the situation was absolutely awful, and in my opinion they should be footing his medical bills. However, it doesn't mean he was justified in his actions. Such actions could even be perfectly understandable in circumstances involving an underlying medical condition (dementia, mental illness, severe hypoglycemia, whatever). How you can suggest it's the correct course of action for someone of sound mind though is puzzling at best. I can't even begin to comprehend the level of entitlement that delaying an entire flight would require.

ghostly_s 9y ago

> Eliminate the red tape on permanently lost bags by adopting a "no questions asked" policy on lost luggage. What on earth does this mean?

rajathagasthya 9y ago
> will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy This is what the email for MileagePlus members says.
gist 9y ago
This means that just like insurance companies often do they put up roadblocks hoping that someone just peters out and decides it's not worth their time to pursue. At the very least even if they don't you buy time and can use the money (that you would have to pay) for cash flow purposes. This is both in obvious and non obvious ways. One way can be by simply making it hard to communicate with someone who has the authority to solve your problem and keep bouncing you around or taking extra time to respond to claims and even questions.
- ghostly_s 9y ago
  So they previously were asking you questions, when they failed to deliver your luggage? "Excuse me sir but we must ask, did you leave this item in the care of any untrustworthy individuals since you last saw it?" "Yes...your staff."
  - PhantomGremlin 9y ago
    Yes they were, but not in the way you hypothesize. What they're now saying is they won't make you prove to them that the bag they lost was worth $1500. Do you have receipts for the suitcase itself? Do you have receipts for each item you claim was in it? And then they could and would say: "Hmmm ... those shirts were purchased a few years ago, they're currently not worth anywhere near what you paid for them new." The only problem I see with the new policy is the potential for fraud. At many airports there is very very little supervision of the baggage claim area. So bags can easily be "stolen" from there by accomplices of the passenger. Then it would be easy for the passenger to demand $1500 for a "lost" bag that wasn't even worth $150.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

wfunction 9y ago

Is the $10k still in vouchers? The main problem they had IMO was that $800 was very useless for many people when it was in vouchers...

ad_tech_ninja 9y ago
to add - $800 is definitely not enough to merit screwing over a business meeting that may have taken weeks to schedule and coordinate people taking different flights to the same location. sometimes, 800 isn't enough to cover hotel cost for losing a reservation then needing to rebook for a flight the following day.

Upvoter33 9y ago

Rule 1: Never Talk About Fight Club

drak0n1c 9y ago

The greater lesson here is to ensure employees don't make a habit of strictly following computerized procedures such as the random number generator that insisted on this particular passenger's seat. Human dialogue and creativity can provide a better solution to problems like these.