My mother had the worst flying experience in her entire life - thanks to United Airlines. She was 10 minutes early before boarding ended, heard no announcements while waiting for the next 10 WHOLE MINUTES. When they called a verbal 'final call' she walked up the agent and was denied entrance. They were like oh you're too late. Ok, if she was late, then why didn't you close the door before she walked up to you? What was the point of saying 'Final call'. You should have just shut the door and showed her the watch.
You would think that would have been enough of a nightmare. To be turned away from your flight because the agents were too slacked off to make announcements.
She missed all her connecting flights; her baggage is still in Heathrow; her backup connections PREPARED by United were not even in the database of the new airline - Kuwait Airways. She stood there for ages where all 3 airlines involved (United, Kuwait Airways, and Eithad - the original carrier) ignored her. She spent hours trying to talk to somebody - but guess what? Nobody cared. Finally someone took 5 minutes off their coffee break to call up United in O'hare and take the damn information they should have fed to the system and put it in themselves.
There are so many stink holes to this entire story, that you just won't believe. Right after slamming the door on her face in Chicago, United put her on a next flight that was horribly overbooked - where passengers were paid more than 800 dollars, free hotel nights and food to give up their seats. This move smells extremely fishy to me. If ama was really so late, and there was really nothing they could do - why try to ship her out so fast? They could have easily have called her back the next day. But I think they screwed up. I think they overbooked on her flight and when she arrived, they pretended it was so late that she couldn't have boarded. I think they actually gave her seat away inside, they knew it, and hence that although an elderly woman is showing up at the last minute, they were pretending to stick to the rules. Ami wasn't late to the airport, she got her boarding pass 2 hours ahead of the flight time, she wasn't stuck in security, she was 10 minutes early before the door shut SITTING IN THE RIGHT FREAKING GATE where the flight WAS SCHEDULED. There were NO announcements made of boarding until that 1 'final call' announcement.
There is another side to this strange story. Whereas my mother was 10 minutes early in the gating area, and was just standing around for announcements (of course this was a mistake but would you really slam the door on the face of passenger who had been in the right gate for 10 minutes?) - there was another Indian family who boarded their parents, asked the take-off time, went to get a snack and came back to find the door shut on them. They had their elderly, frail parents inside. And they were outside. While the door was shut on my mom's face, when she was standing in front of the agent - these guys missed the door closing by 30 seconds of 1 minute. The poor guy explained to several people that they needed to let them board because his parents were not informed, his father was a heart patient, and the medicine was in a carry on that was loaded in the cabin.
You know whatever you may be - late or not - United's constant denial to help, apologize, or even plain listen to these two people smells sheer overbooking disaster. The higher-up manager even went as far as to threaten the Indian guy that he would make his next connecting flights difficult. The man looked straight back and asked 'Are you like threatening me?'
It was RIDICULOUS. It was PATHETIC. I've had an incident where mh and I, finding out we were in the wrong terminal, raced to meet our flight at the right place. We were shooed in by Delta (who were curt but doing everythign in their power to get us seated and put our stuff on the plane) - with 4 minutes to spare take-off time. After the plane took off - nearly 25 minutes into this whole fiasco of the door closing - the senior manager relaxed and suddenly became a better listener. Of course, because the plane had left by then. In his own words he acknowledged that the agent should not have slammed the door if the passenger is standing in front of the door. He said he would look into the video cameras - but of course we had to 'email' United Airlines first.
I've been filing complaints with United and Eithad since yesterday. Eithad got back within literally 5 hours and said that we needed to take up what United did with United. United sent an automated response which said they needed 5 business days to respond. On their website, it says that they will follow up in 30 days.
The more I've looked on the net, the more I'm floored. United Airlines is I think the only airline that has an independent complaint webpages - made by ex-passnegers treated badly by United. Check out www.untied.com which contains ludicrous flying nightmares that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25083833/
and is it no accident that this top viral video of last fall bashes United? Check it out:
4 comments:
:D ..hehe.. sorry abt my laUghing; Ur Mum really had a bad tym thERe!
Post ws cool.. I wOnt b flying wd em, if I evr gEt a cHance to ;)..
I was actually thinking of this video you've linked to while i was reading your post. I thought I'd tell you about it just to see at the end that you already knew.
but anyways, sorry to hear the trouble your mother had to go through. Flying can be such a pain sometimes.
@Rain - thanks.
@Abdu - Thanks, but I really think flying United is one gamble I will avoid from now on. Good luck to those who willingly buy a United ticket.
Ouch United sounds horrible. I'll keep this in mind if we ever have the option of flying them when (ever) visiting the states
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