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Remember me ranting about having to do things twice? Well guess what…
I had to call United today to ask why my flight to Paris was credited with the Business class 150% bonus miles, while the flight back was not. I was told—you’ll never believe this, yet you will—that Z class is not eligible for 150% bonus miles. The nice second lady I had talked to on the 11th, I was told, had input that bonus by hand and should not have.
Thankfully, they did not remove the bonus in some sort of childish corporate retaliation.
Taking a deep breath, I asked about the 42,000 bonus miles, and that I was told that Z class does qualify for those miles. Again, the lady today told me it does not.
I told her I was angry, especially after having such bad luck with customer service lately. It was my way of pre-apologizing for asking her this next thing:
Why was my online mileage summary showing me having flown in C class? I had mileage in Q, M, and W classes, but for some reason, my trip to Paris is misleadingly itemized as C class. Q, M, and W are all discounted Economy classes, she told me, but C was full Business class. So why did my summary not show me the horrid, leprosied Z?
Of course, she could not answer, but did suggest I call the complaint line or send an e-mail.
Sigh. The customer is never right any more, I guess.
SAMerican Revolution Expounded Thusly:
This makes me SO MAAAAD!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! Just reading stuff like this makes me want to run down to the bank or dry cleaner or restaurant or cable company or gas station or supermarket and open up a can of customer-done-wrong woop-ass.
Jet Set Ken Expounded Thusly:
Ah, Steve — yes, United Airlines. The sky’s finest … finest example of inept customer service, inconsistent handling, and impossible-to-use frequent flier program. I have enough miles in my account for a couple round trips, but whenever I try to actually USE the miles, there’s some stumbling block. And, yes, I’ve done the whole Z class, C class arguement with them before myself.
I just wish United would die. There. I’ve said it. It’s the most angry, horrible thing one could say, I know. But it’s true. They lure you in with all kinds of fancy schmancy “eat here and earn a zillion miles” and “just fly here and get extra miles” campaigns — okay, so the restos in their dining program are typically pretty good — but then using the miles is another animal all together.
Now, in an attempt to feel better about my sin of anger, I will harken back to my Catholic roots, say three Hail Marys and two Our Fathers, and go about my merry, forgiven way.
Sigh. Not only is the customer never right any more, the customer is the prostitute, the company the pimp.
Steve Expounded Thusly:
Thank you both for helping me to feel my pain. I mean, yeah, who am I kidding that I’m gonna be able to use my miles to go to Australia? Really, when will thatever happen?
Anyway, I now have a choice for my next post. I can do a post about drunk, loud neighbors, the kind who keep you awake from the hours of 2:15am to 4:30am when you desperately need to get some needed sleep. Or I can can take the more positive, Jedi route and discuss my audition last night, for which I have received a call back. Hooray!
Or I can just sit here and fall asleep on my wireless keyboard. Like this:
EIOROB pl[; kghfd hggggggggggggggggggggggg
jon o Expounded Thusly:
United sucks. Had to call them this morning after they changed flight times on me : within 5 minutes the ‘customer service’ rep and his supervisor had managed to blame me, the travel agent (Expedia.com in this case) and the internet in general for a problem that they had created. There were no apologies, no helpful promises, no nothing – just a big finger in the sky and goodbye.
It’s truly hilarious – United spends millions of $$$ on advertising BS and rights to Gershwin songs and yet they don’t even consider the easy answer to attracting more customers – training their CS reps to treat their customers like, well, customers! This isn’t the first time I’ve had problems with United, and in fact if I’d have realized prior to buying the ticket the United was operating my Lufthansa flight, I wouldn’t be flying with them this time.
I second the motion – United needs to die.
bill Expounded Thusly:
United SUCKS the big one. We should get organized, get a real United Sucks effort going and get something done about this. They get worse and worse every month. I especially love the Indian Customer Service reps on the phone that can’t even speak english well enough to carry on a conversation, much less actualy help you in any way.
Steve Expounded Thusly:
Luckily, I have yet to reach an Indian call center when I talk to United. Though it has been a long time. This post is over a year old, and certainly United could have moved their customer “service” call centers overseas in that time.
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