Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Say It Ain't So, Joe

In this blog, and on AirlinesAndDestinations.com, where I am a contributing editor, I have weighed in about United Airlines, a once-great carrier that is struggling to turn itself around.

Now comes travel-business writer Joe Brancatelli, who runs the lively, punchy Web site JoeSentMe.com,with a post today on United's continuing problems with its reservations system. I'd say say it ain't so, Joe, but it is so, and worth repeating.

From an e-mail that Brancatelli sent out to his site's members:

"Well, surprise, nothing's changed. The airline's phones are clogged and the waits continue to last for upwards of two hours. That's if the system doesn't just hang up on you. The super-elite lines are answering faster, but then you face long, long holds to get your problems fixed - if they can be fixed. The United.com Web site was down and/or nonfunctional for several hours yesterday (Monday 26 March). The upgrade situation is still inexplicably broken. United continues to offer no timetable for when the data transmission they originally claimed was nearly flawless will be fixed. It continues to offer no apologies and no make-goods, even for its best customers. As I said last Tuesday, it's time to book away. No airline is worth this kind of grief.''

I couldn't agree more. Outside the Commonwealth of Independent States - i.e., Russia and its former (kinda) satellites - United (aka Misery Air) is the worst major airline in the developed world when it comes to customer service.

And getting even worse.

No comments:

Post a Comment