Comments on: United Airlines sucks

By: Chuck Sumner

Chuck Sumner — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:12:00 +0000

i quit flying united years ago. when jet blue came on the scene, and then virgin, to hell with united

By: FrankofAmerica

FrankofAmerica — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:18:00 +0000

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/how-airline-ticket-prices-fell-50-in-30-years-and-why-nobody-noticed/273506/

By: FrankofAmerica

FrankofAmerica — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:17:00 +0000

next time:

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/02/united_airlines_expands_its_2995_baggage_delivery_service_to_36_airports_including_cleveland.html

By: FrankofAmerica

FrankofAmerica — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:08:00 +0000

poor baby – shoulda put all your stuff in carryon

By: Cigarsam

Cigarsam — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:16:00 +0000

Those dicks lost my 12 year old daughter once after I had paid their unattended minor fee for the service of SPECIFICALLY looking after her. They had no idea if she was on a flight to DC (for some reason) or still in Denver. All due to a similar scheduling screw up.
I got a $100 voucher for use within the next 3 months. Yeah, that went to waste.

By: dethbird

dethbird — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:13:00 +0000

If you can’t airline, please go into a new line of business so we don’t keep confusing you for a competent member of USA capitalism

By: Ken White

Ken White — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:43:00 +0000

…and we haven’t even gotten to the part yet where since its merger with Conti we now have United as a shiny new monopoly, which soon will be joined by the other newly minted twin monopoly – American-USAirways. Watch airline fares! They are about to zoom into outer space. It has already begun. My take with United is that fares have jumped maybe 40% since their merger (that’s what monopolies do). And service? Forget about it, it will be a forgotten word. Already is. It’s like Obama has taken over the airlines, but this time there will not even be Obamaphones for the folks. This time it will be pay more, shut up and get in line. Do you want to drink water on board? That will be $5 a cup please. Get my meaning! It’s coming to an airport near you real soon, and airline passengers already get screwed everytime they fly. It’s gonna become totally insufferable in short order.

By: wysinwyg

wysinwyg — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:54:00 +0000

The market is also FSM. Very few people realize Adam Smith was a dedicated Pastafarian.

By: Andrew S.

Andrew S. — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:36:00 +0000

No, KCI (or KCIA) is what people who use the airport call it. MCI is what people who work at the airport call it. I have never heard anyone say, “Well, wish me luck. I’m flying out of MCI on a United flight to CHI before we head home to ATL. They’ll probably lose my luggage.”

By: showme

showme — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:41:00 +0000

And I know people in KC call the airport KCI, but it is actually MCI.

By: LowerHater

LowerHater — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:34:00 +0000

One little tip on booking travel from the USA to Europe. If the there is a code share (ie. one airline owns the place, but several airlines sell the flight as their own) on your itinerary, always book with the European airline.

Example: For flying from SF to London, there is a 5:30PM flight that is operated by United, but you can buy the ticket at the same price from United or British Airlines (as a BA flight).

If the flight is delayed or cancelled for any reason other than weather, as a European carrier the BA flight is covered under EU passenger rights and you are entitled to rebooking AND compensation. If you are in the midst of a multi-leg journey, you get accommodation money. If the delay is more than 4 hours, you get $700.

If you are on a non-European (ie. US carrier) flying TO Europe, you are entitled to rebooking and nothing more; (unless you were bumped due to overbooking). The airline can at their discretion, give you something.

I found this out in small claims court when US Airways stranded me in Philly, between SFO and Paris. The flight was cancelled due to staffing issues and we were rebooked on the next days flight. In court the judge pretty much said, US Airways had no requirement to do anything but get me there. The airline lawyer told me I would have been take care of on a European carrier.

By: Daniel Höllisch

Daniel Höllisch — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:46:00 +0000

Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Convention

By: Calvin Reames

Calvin Reames — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:21:00 +0000

How is it that an experienced traveler does not keep necessary items with them on the plane.

All airlines suk! Duh!

By: DisQusSux20130303

DisQusSux20130303 — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:16:00 +0000

You know the new FAA regs in the US, if you’re bumped from a flight by Airline incompetence (oversold, overworked staff, too-late-to-land-at-airport (I’m looking at you San Diego!), you should get a sweet $1,300 check cut right at the gate for you. Plus your makeup flight, hotel, whatever.

By: glittalogik

glittalogik — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:04:00 +0000

That’s ok, we can tell if you’re going bald before you can :D

By: Egan Budd

Egan Budd — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:07:00 +0000

My experiences with air travel over the last 3 years have led me to believe that it is the most unreliable form of travel. Do yourself a favor next time you travel and if you can take a train or a bus next time, at least you’ll get to your destination within 24 hours of your original estimated arrival time.

By: JH

JH — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:58:00 +0000

I am always baffled how just about one of the most expensive services all people buy — we’re talking minimum a few hundred and maximum a few thousand dollars — comes with no customer service. In fact, it’s more like “F you and deal with it.” Guess it’s because they know they have us over a barrel so there’s no incentive to do anything right.

By: db

db — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Cory travels with Aeropresses and coffee grinders, which I think would cause consternation in his carry-on.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Pretty much. My yoga students named me the Boy with the Million Dollar Legs.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:17:00 +0000

My ribs touch my hips.

By: OtherMichael

OtherMichael — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:54:00 +0000

Do they go all the way up, baby?

By: Dave Sneddon

Dave Sneddon — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Having been stranded in various countries, and lost many bags over the years I can without question say that the worst airline I have ever flown was AVIANCA. My one and only flight with them – they ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing in Spain. This was, of course, during the time of Franco and we were informed in broken English by the nice man with a machine gun that we were h’allowed to stay on the plane and not h’allowed to get off the plane. Then the eventual landing in Madeira took 4 touch and go attempts to get down. Granted the airstrip in Madeira at the time was too short for a plane that size but watching the large German tourist across the aisle bleeding out his ears made me decide never to fly with them again. Oh yeah, and they lost my bags – never got them back.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:41:00 +0000

Bummer,

Don’t look for any better with DELTA. I’m a firefighter and DELTA wanted to charge me $1500 to delay my departure date by one day for treatment of a burn i sustained in a fire. Thinking this was some sort of misunderstanding I went all the way up their customer service food chain. Results = Time Lost + Consternation.

I bought a ticket on American for < $400.

DELTA sucks too

By: min amisan

min amisan — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:14:00 +0000

As a sufferer of Short Man Syndrome who must cede advantage to taller folk in every other aspect of life, I confess I wallow in schadenfreude whenever I see you guys on airplanes.

By: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Last time in Toronto I went to Chinatown to hit the Chinese wholesale restaurant supply stores. On the way back the luggage people asked if I had anything in my luggage and I said “Yeah. there’s a bunch of meat cleavers in there.”

By: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:39:00 +0000

I got bumped from a flight “because it was too full.” The next day at work I saw a coworker who’d been on that “overbooked” flight and he told me it was half empty.

By: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:38:00 +0000

I like when they cancel the flight “because it’s snowing in Chicago, so it’s not our fault!” and someone whips out their phone and say “No, it’s 52 degrees in Chicago!” Of course, that makes no difference. .

By: BillStewart2012

BillStewart2012 — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:06:00 +0000

The exception is if you’re carrying a gun (and a starter pistol is enough of a gun for those rules, even though you don’t need a permit for it.)

In that case, you have to have hard-sided lockable luggage, they inspect it with you, and it’s locked and accounted for the entire trip. It’s the standard approach when you’re carrying lots of expensive cameras or electronics.

By: bobcorrigan

bobcorrigan — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:44:00 +0000

Dear Invictus,

Thank you for your reply.

My optimism has everything to do with consistency of service. I’ve never had UPS “break” my clothing, or lose it, or even damage it. I have, however, experienced the unwanted inconvenience, expense, and frustration of airline-related luggage loss. It works for me.

Best,

bob

By: marilove

marilove — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:14:00 +0000

LOL are you freakin’ serious?