I have had a difficult time even focusing on things. I sent United an email a few weeks after his death, but months before his ticket credit was to have expired. I received a standard automated response that they would get back to me within 10 days on my refund request.
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The merger between Continental Airlines and United Airlines, which became official at the beginning of this month, is the airline combination passengers would like to unravel the most, a new poll shows.
A survey of more than 400 readers taken this weekend found 36 percent wanted to undo the Continental-United combination. It was trailed closely by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines (30 percent), American Airlines and TWA (19 percent) and America West and US Airways (15 percent).
Readers had plenty to say about the mergers, too.
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In their push to become the biggest airline on the planet, Continental Airlines and United Airlines wasted no time posting a merger website this morning. Maybe they should have considered hiring an editor before they did.
Now, I realize that no one is accurate 100 percent of the time, and that I’ve had my fair share of corrections. Feel free to let loose with the people-who-live-in-glass-houses-shouldn’t-throw-stones comments.
Then again, I’m not at the top of the airline food chain, either.
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It’s no secret that the airline industry has seen better days. But how bad is it this time?
Not as bad as the mainstream media would like us to believe, according to airline analyst Robert Herbst, who publishes the Web site Airlinefinancials.com. And not so good that we shouldn’t be cautious with future bookings, he adds.
In the above chart, you’ll see a few first-quarter numbers for the major airlines as they compare to pre-bankruptcy. None of the airlines are in serious danger of coming close to the dreaded red bar.
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For those of you who think a well-worded complaint is the fastest way to a free ticket, I have some bad news: The airlines are on to you.
Consider what happened to George Yen. He found himself locked out of his Mileage Plus account after United Airlines took issue with his frequent complaints.
Yen says the grievances — and the miles he was awarded as a result — are justified. When he flies on United, he says, “I usually experience lots of problems — delays, baggage issues, cancellations.”
But the way United handled his loyalty account was anything but justified, he says.
United placed my mileage plus on an audit, and since October I have been unable to utilize any of my miles. I have more than 100,000 miles due to credit card offers (since I have a United Airlines credit card) and I fly with United often.
They have held my account on this status for months now and I have been calling customer relations, Mileage Plus customer service again and again. They recommended that I deal with Mileage Plus Audit or the Mileage Plus Fraud Line.
What doesn’t seem fair is that I can continue to accumulate miles but not use them.
These miles should not be frozen. I emailed and called customer relations more than a dozen times, and most of the agents are not even located within the U.S. or give me much more information in regards to this matter.
I asked United about Yen’s case. It is unclear why the audit took so long, but a representative told me that Yen’s entire account wasn’t frozen — only the miles that were being audited. What’s behind the audit? The letter he received explains almost everything.
Since your Mileage Plus enrollment last year, you have engaged in a number of communications with various United departments. Our employees have attempted to satisfactorily resolve your various issues. Unfortunately, it appears that you have engaged in conduct that causes us great concern.
During this last year, you have contacted us well over 200 times concerning alleged disservice issues. As discussed in my phone conversation with you yesterday, the frequency of your contacts with us is very disturbing in light of the fact that you have only flown with us for the last 6 months.
Accordingly, we have completed a historical review of these contacts and have concluded that a majority appear to be directed toward securing goodwill compensation in the form of entitlements, i.e. certificates and miles for future travel and upgrades. Our review found that although you flew only 24,891 actual miles in 2008, you contacted us to obtain mileage compensation of 68,500 miles, numerous upgrades, and $5,125 in dollar off certificates.
Our review also found that you were provided with significant compensation due to your initiation of contact with us numerous times over the same issues. Quite frankly, much of this compensation was offered without our knowledge that you had already been appropriately compensated. These entitlements went well beyond the point of providing you with reasonable compensation for your alleged disservice issues with our company.
I have therefore adjusted your Mileage Plus account by the 68,500 miles credited originally and by 40,000 miles for the duplicate dollar off certs you have obtained and used for your tickets. Your account is now out of audit status and available for web use.
Mr. Yen, we have endeavored to address all your concerns in good faith. However, given the amount of compensation requested by you as well as our concerns about the validity of many of these, I must respectfully advise you that any future abuse will result in the closure of your Mileage Plus account and cancellation of any accruals. While it is regrettable that we have to take this position, it is necessary to preserve the integrity of the Mileage Plus program for the vast majority of the members who participate in accordance with the program rules.
OK, then.
So both sides agree that Yen did a fair amount of complaining, and received miles and upgrades from the airline as a result of questionable service.
Yen says the airline froze his entire account and took months to respond to his query (actually, that it didn’t have a meaningful response until he contacted me). United says it didn’t freeze his whole account but confiscated a vast majority of the miles it gave him because they went “well beyond the point of providing [him] with reasonable compensation.”
Who to believe?
Is Yen a serial complainer? I don’t know. He seemed pretty reasonable in our email exchanges. But 200 complaints in six months seems like a little much. Was United justified in removing nearly all the miles? I don’t know. Something tells me that a few of those complaints were probably legit.
Bottom line: Don’t overdo the complaining. United’s audit was triggered when it found more goodwill miles than miles actually flown. If your frequent flier account is leaning in that direction, watch out.
