United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
So they have to rely on customers to be mature enough to listen to directions.
There's your problem.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
This was upgraded economy.
Do you have a source for that? TFA linked here was ambiguous about that.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Putting a wall there to ensure equal legroom is compromising the emergency exit.
Do you guys have to pay extra for the emergency exit seat? Here whoever buy the ticket first may select that one. Because no overbooking. And somehow our tickets are cheaper.
Edit: and sometimes someone will take a different one and nobody will mind because we don't care and were no barbarians here. I never heard of someone being involuntarily outed of a plane here too.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you guys have to pay extra for the emergency exit seat?
I have never seen that to be the case, but there are other restrictions, like you have to be at least 16 and in good health and able to operate the door in case of emergency.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
And somehow our tickets are cheaper.
Probably because you airline crews make $14/year.
@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
and were no barbarians here
Yeah, if there were you might have to build walls around your house to keep from getting robbed and murdered in your home.
@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I never heard of someone being involuntarily outed of a plane here too.
Maybe your country is not inhabited by entitled little petulant children?
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Probably because you airline crews make $14/year.
@Polygeekery said in Trump bites:
Keep swinging on that joke. Eventually you will hit one out of the park.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Because no overbooking
Do you have regularly empty planes? Or is there overbooking and you're just not aware of it because you've always checked in early and selected your seats?
I've already had this argument with a friend who insisted that Southwest didn't overbook, and I was able to produce links from 2004 to 2017 showing bumped seats.
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What I've learned from this is that Americans are lousy customers, and that has had an impact on lousy customer service trying to mitigate that.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
What I've learned from this is that Americans are lousy customers, and that has had an impact on lousy customer service trying to mitigate that.
You're not entirely wrong.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you have regularly empty planes?
No, you just don't get all of your money back if you don't show up. You won't always get the seat number at purchase time, but you always get it when you confirm your presence one the before on their website.
Tickets bought earlier are cheaper, and we can, but rarely, get an entire flight cancelled.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
No, you just don't get all of your money back if you don't show up.
I suspect that most tickets sold in the US don't refund you anything if you don't show up. Refundable tickets are more expensive. But people do still change their flights. I know I've done that for various reasons even though there was an extra fee.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
we can, but rarely, get an entire flight cancelled.
I find that difficult to believe unless all of Brazil has the weather of San Diego.
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I'm disappointed in how you guys still haven't tackled the largely inefficient boarding schemes in use today*.
*"Okay, first we'd like to invite armed forces and families with small children to board. Next up, Premier Superadvantage Members. Next up, Rewards Lifetime Mileage Supermembers. Next, first class. Next, groups 1-5." And for some reason, I'm always in group 3, 4, or 5.
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
And for some reason, I'm always in group 3, 4, or 5.
You check in at the last possible minute.
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@wharrgarbl FWIW, the JACDEC airline safety ranking, which includes the world's largest 60 airlines, puts the two Brazilian airlines it includes (GOL and LATAM) at positions 53 and 55, respectively.
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@anotherusername said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@wharrgarbl FWIW, the JACDEC airline safety ranking, which includes the world's largest 60 airlines, puts the two Brazilian airlines it includes (GOL and LATAM) at positions 53 and 55, respectively.
Yeah, you can save money by also fielding the aircraft equivalent of Yugos.
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@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you guys have to pay extra for the emergency exit seat?
Yes (extra leg room - anything "extra"* costs more). Last time I flew, I was doing the pre-board online and selecting my seat. The only seats left were ones you had to pay for. Once before, I was able to simply not pick a seat (and then assigned at the gate). This time I was forced to pay extra. Bastards.
(*) As defined by the airline, of course.
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
And for some reason, I'm always in group 3, 4, or 5.
Groups 1 and 2 cost extra.
@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
You check in at the last possible minute.
Are you saying that's why he's not in the first 2 groups? I always show up to the airport more than 2 hours early and always end up in one of the later groups.
E_NO_REPRO
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@antiquarian you are probably right. The wife handles all of that stuff. She probably pays extra so I do not cause a scene and get drug off the plane.
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@antiquarian said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
You check in at the last possible minute.
Are you saying that's why he's not in the first 2 groups? I always show up to the airport more than 2 hours early and always end up in one of the later groups.
E_NO_REPRO
Do you not fly an airline that allows online check-in? I tend to fly Delta or Southwest these days, and they both allow online check-in 24 hours prior to scheduled departure. If you don't take advantage of that, you end up with lousy boarding priority. Not that I really need to, lately, since I'm typically flying for a family trip, which means I have small children with me.
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@antiquarian said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
You check in at the last possible minute.
Are you saying that's why he's not in the first 2 groups? I always show up to the airport more than 2 hours early and always end up in one of the later groups.
E_NO_REPRO
I also usually allow 2+ hours, as security can take a while to clear sometimes. I suppose TSA Precheck is an option, but that's just creating another bullshit inefficient hierarchy.
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@abarker said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you not fly an airline that allows online check-in? I tend to fly Delta or Southwest these days, and they both allow online check-in 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.
I should try that some time. They might revoke my club membership, but it will be worth it.
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@antiquarian said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@abarker said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you not fly an airline that allows online check-in? I tend to fly Delta or Southwest these days, and they both allow online check-in 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.
I should try that some time. They might revoke my club membership, but it will be worth it.
I now envision you and @boomzilla as the types who still carry flip phones.
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I suppose TSA Precheck is an option
I've been pre-assigned into that a couple times. It was nice. But you're fucked if you think I'm going to pay for that!
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I now envision you and @boomzilla as the types who still carry flip phones.
I probably still would be - except my current job forced me to upgrade because of 2FA.
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@dcon said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I've been pre-assigned into that a couple times. It was nice. But you're fucked if you think I'm going to pay for that!
$85 for 5 years doesn't seem unreasonable.
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@dcon said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I suppose TSA Precheck is an option
I've been pre-assigned into that a couple times. It was nice. But you're fucked if you think I'm going to pay for that!
I have told this story before, but I was flying back from Austin once when I got selected. This was about the time of the Snowden scandal. When the TSA person told me that I was selected to bypass most of the security I made the off the cuff quip of, "Well, it is obvious that the NSA is not reading my emails."
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I was still allowed to bypass security though, but I am lucky I did not end up in Gitmo.
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
And for some reason, I'm always in group 3, 4, or 5.
It varies between airlines. Sometimes the number is based on how far forward your row number is, some are based on your position WRT the window and the aisle. Obviously, Southwest is based on relative check in time, since there are no reserved seats.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@antiquarian said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@abarker said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Do you not fly an airline that allows online check-in? I tend to fly Delta or Southwest these days, and they both allow online check-in 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.
I should try that some time. They might revoke my club membership, but it will be worth it.
I now envision you and @boomzilla as the types who still carry flip phones.
Shut up, @FrostCat. Actually, my son has the last one in the family. He's not allowed to have a smart phone until he's 14 (the same age his sister got one) for a variety of maturity related reasons. Mostly it's handy for calling him home for dinner or whatever when he's out playing with friends in the neighborhood.
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@dcon said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I suppose TSA Precheck is an option
I've been pre-assigned into that a couple times. It was nice. But you're fucked if you think I'm going to pay for that!
If you flew a lot you'd totally pay for it. Well, I would. Sadly, they started that right about the time I stopped having to travel frequently for work.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
When the TSA person told me that I was selected to bypass most of the security I made the off the cuff quip of, "Well, it is obvious that the NSA is not reading my emails."
Nah, you're just not as unusual as you think you are. :P
@heterodox said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
$85 for 5 years doesn't seem unreasonable.
That being said, unless you fly regularly out of crowded airports, it's probably not worth the bother, come to think of it; time is money. I have it and rarely use it because even in large international airports, it only takes a few minutes to blaze through the regular line. Either I'm just lucky, or security's not really as much of a problem as people make it out to be.
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@heterodox said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Either I'm just lucky, or security's not really as much of a problem as people make it out to be.
Depends heavily on when you get to the airport. I've spent 40-60 minutes at Dulles, but I've also spent 5 minutes.
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@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Depends heavily on when you get to the airport. I've spent 40-60 minutes at Dulles, but I've also spent 5 minutes.
I guess I get red-eyes more often than I think. It's never been longer than 5 minutes for me at Dulles. A 40-60 minute line? FUCK THAT.
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@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
This was upgraded economy.
Do you have a source for that? TFA linked here was ambiguous about that.
I haven't got the article in front of me ( ) but IIRC it mentioned the seat numbers so you could probably figure it out.
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@heterodox said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@dcon said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I've been pre-assigned into that a couple times. It was nice. But you're fucked if you think I'm going to pay for that!
$85 for 5 years doesn't seem unreasonable.
That's $85 I can use for something fun. I'm not saying I can't afford it - but considering the number of times I fly, it's not worth it. (1 or 2 times a year)
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Yeah, joking with the TSA is not recommended...
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@hungrier said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
This was upgraded economy.
Do you have a source for that? TFA linked here was ambiguous about that.
I haven't got the article in front of me ( ) but IIRC it mentioned the seat numbers so you could probably figure it out.
"Michael Hohl, the groom, said he and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, were the last to board the plane.
"According to Hohl, they noticed a man was spread across their row napping when they approached their seats, 24 B and C.
"Not wanting to wake the man, Hohl said they decided to sit three rows up in seats 21 B and C. He said they didn't think it would matter because the flight was half full with multiple empty rows.
"We thought 'not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat,'" said Hohl. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."
"In a Boeing 737-800 like the one the couple was on, United considers Row 21 "economy plus," an upgrade.
"After sitting, Hohl said a flight attendant approached and asked if they were in their ticketed seats. The couple explained they weren't and asked if they could get an upgrade, but instead they were told they needed to return to their assigned seats.
"Hohl said after complying with the flight attendant's demand, a U.S. marshal came onto the plane and asked them to get off.
"The couple cooperated and got off the plane without incident, but they still don't understand why."Or, just read the article. ;)
Which, if I had done also I would not have assumed they tried to sneak in to first-class.
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@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@heterodox said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Either I'm just lucky, or security's not really as much of a problem as people make it out to be.
Depends heavily on when you get to the airport. I've spent 40-60 minutes at Dulles, but I've also spent 5 minutes.
Yep. And it's about the same (with the same wide variations) at DCA or BWI.
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I'm disappointed in how you guys still haven't tackled the largely inefficient boarding schemes in use today*.
Because it's not.
Even if it doesn't look like it, there's an essence of random thrown in there, and random boarding is the most efficient.
They've tried back to front, window to aisle, and nothing is faster.
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
Or, just read the article.
Ah, yes, so must have been economy plus.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
The overhead bin is the worst. Especially since it's now the main luggage storage place instead of where you put your jacket. But...people wanted cheap tickets and so baggage now costs .
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I'm disappointed in how you guys still haven't tackled the largely inefficient boarding schemes in use today*.
Because it's not.
Even if it doesn't look like it, there's an essence of random thrown in there, and random boarding is the most efficient.
They've tried back to front, window to aisle, and nothing is faster.
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
Mythbusters did a segment on that. I think that was the same conclusion they had. (Too lazy to look - it's Monday.)
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
You need to look for the limiting factor. In this case it is probably the morons that make up our society.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
You need to look for the limiting factor. In this case it is probably the morons that make up our society.
As best evidenced by the WHARRGARBL getting off the plane.
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@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
The overhead bin is the worst. Especially since it's now the main luggage storage place instead of where you put your jacket. But...people wanted cheap tickets and so baggage now costs .
I'd argue that it's also a luggage place because airlines lose my luggage and I need a guaranteed change of clothes in case I sit next to a kid that can't control a cup of soda.
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@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I'd argue that it's also a luggage place because airlines lose my luggage and I need a guaranteed change of clothes in case I sit next to a kid that can't control a cup of soda.
There have always been some worrywarts like you but the abuse of the bins didn't start in earnest until the arrival of baggage fees.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
My theory is that it has to do with race conditions with the overhead bin.
You need to look for the limiting factor. In this case it is probably the morons that make up our society.
These same morons also seem to be invariably seated in front of me when the plane arrives, so everyone tries to stand up while it takes the cows in front a half hour to get their overhead bags and then saunter off.
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@boomzilla said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@xaade said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
I'd argue that it's also a luggage place because airlines lose my luggage and I need a guaranteed change of clothes in case I sit next to a kid that can't control a cup of soda.
There have always been some worrywarts like you but the abuse of the bins didn't start in earnest until the arrival of baggage fees.
Refresh my memory: was it 9/11 or "fuel prices" that led to that? Or both?
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@Groaner said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
These same morons also seem to be invariably seated in front of me when the plane arrives, so everyone tries to stand up while it takes the cows in front a half hour to get their overhead bags and then saunter off.
This is one reason I like to have an aisle seat: so I can stand up sooner to stretch out a bit before I'm able to walk off. But I'm a few inches shorter than you and it's only on regional jets (or smaller, I suppose) where I can't actually fully stand up.
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@Polygeekery said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@wharrgarbl said in United Airlines: the airline we love to hate, but we can't agree on why:
@loopback0 They are responsible for failing to solve it in a friendly way, and that's all that I care in this event.
They tried to remedy it in a friendly way. They asked for volunteers and offered to compensate them for the inconvenience.
They let the people on the plane. First strike. They didn't offer them real money just fucking vouchers, if it's true what people are saying here. Second strike.
Sure, they didn't drag the guy out, but they caused the situation by letting him on the plane.
Also, America sucks. This whole bumping thing is fucking awful. I'm not sure it's even legal in Poland or anywhere in Europe to do such a thing, but even if it is I never heard anyone being treated this way.
Plus, all of you seem to be missing one thing: people will be far more willing to comply and accept the voucher for the bump if they're outside of the plane. Once they're in the plane they already feel as if they are already traveling. Another thing is, when the question if someone would like to be bumped for x amount of $ is directed to the crowd and not to directly to a person, less people will be willing to take the offer, because they could feel like they could be perceived as cheap people whose time is not worth much.
So, UA fucked up, they fucked up big that they let the people onto the plane. What followed was the worst case scenario, sure, but the size of the fuckup is such that I wouldn't want to travel with them. I wouldn't want them to put me in a situation where they're asking me and people around me if we'd care to GTFO and then getting nervous that they're going to be choosing people involuntarily so they could just throw me out.
It's a shitty thing to do. They should fuck themselves.