Bangkoktraveler Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 A bit of an exaggeration there, isn't it?? I mean, everytime you travel United you have shit stolen, broken or lost? I looked at April's numbers and while certainly not great, only 3.35 people out of 1000 complained to the DOT. Just giving ya shit, BT, but I know how OH feels. I'm not excusing or advocating breaking, losing or stealing luggage. However, it's very disheartening to work for an airline for over 20 years as I did and all I will get when I reach retirement age will not even cover gas for my car in the U.S. per month. All of what OH says happened and more is true and it's frustrating to go out there everyday with a smile plastered on your face while taking verbal abuse and personal threats from our lovely guests. Karma maybe, for some passengers. They ask, "What was stolen? What was broken? How many suitcases didn't arrive?" As for the stolen stuff and damaged stuff, they show me the list of things they don't cover. After reading the list, I find out nothing is covered. As for the damaged suitcases, they claim they were old suitcases so they are not covered. The last suitcase they damaged was a samsonite, it still had some of the original tags on it because it was less then 2 days old. In that case it was covered. They asked me to bring back my suitcase and after I surrendered the suitcase, they sent me a letter asking me to take the suitcase to a repair center. I went to the airport and told them I don't have the suitcase, I told them they have it. They said they didn't. Even if they did, they had destroyed a bunch of the suitcases that were hanging around as junk. On and on and on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Forgot to mention, the airlines cut salaries so fucking low, they now have to hire people they would never have even given an application to in the passed. BT, Not sure YOU deserve it. But you asked for an explanation, and I gave you one. As for breakage, often the fault of the passenger packing stuff they shouldn't have, or packing it improperly. Theft is of course another matter. Also keep in mind there are many fraudulent claims filed. I can fly from Bangkok to LAX without a problem but that shit ass flight from LAX to Arizona - 1 hour away is always a disaster. You say they have been hiring some undesirables? Maybe I should get a job there. The 'extra' benefits seem very good. Do they have any female employees that look half way decent? Maybe I could get a few pokes in while drinking their coffee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 The benefits aren't good anymore either. Sure, you can still fly free, except for the fees, on a standby basis. But with capacity cuts and the high load factors the airlines need to break even, good luck getting a seat. And you can almost forget about being upgraded - those seats go the mileage award program members standing by for them. I know airline employees who haven't used their travel bennies for years. They pay for their tickets like everyone else. When you need to be somewhere, you need to be somewhere. The airline won't cut you any slack for returning late from vacation because you couldn't make it on standby. In fact, it's at the top of their list of firing offenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 When a passenger was quietly waiting the departure of her flight back to Chicago, a United Airlines employee approached her and apologized for setting [color:red]fire[/color] to her bag. Apparently somebody had placed her bag next to the exhaust of a baggage loading truck. The pilot then asked her to come up to the front of the cockpit where she got a good view of a smoldering mess and a man with a hose. Obviously her fault for not packing her stuff in a fire proof suitcase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 When a passenger was quietly waiting the departure of her flight back to Chicago, a United Airlines employee approached her and apologized for setting [color:red]fire[/color] to her bag. Apparently somebody had placed her bag next to the exhaust of a baggage loading truck. The pilot then asked her to come up to the front of the cockpit where she got a good view of a smoldering mess and a man with a hose. Obviously her fault for not packing her stuff in a fire proof suitcase. The passenger wa also charged for cleaning up the mess and was warned if this happens again, she will be arrested. Of course she didn't get compensated for the suitcase as any one could see, it looked like it just got burned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 The other side of the coin is customers who make claims for little scratches on their luggage, what a sensible person (and the airlines) call normal wear and tear. Its laughable, in fact I'm pretty sure I laughed in a few customers faces when they filed those claims. Luggage is meant to be used (though not abused) and any seasoned traveler has well worn and quality luggage. Not that I'm in denial about baggage handlers. When I worked at LAX, I had to meet & assist a VIP pro golfer when he arrived on TWA in transit to NZ. His bags weren't checked through, so I drove him across the ramp to where the Samoans threw (literally) the bags from the cans to the belt that led to the baggage claim carousel, so that we could intercept them. I had him cover one cart while I covered the other. After we got them and were on our way to the VIP lounge, he said, "US, I've never understood how the airlines have been able to break my (hard plastic) golf club cases until today!" No way I should have taken him to that part of the ramp - deffo off-limits to the public. If a trolley ran over his foot and he had to WD from the tournament (of which my company was the sponsor), I'd truly have been fucked. But it was Hale Irwin, and he was no pussy by golf standards. In the lounge, after I took care of his bags and boarding pass, he thanked me and said, "Well, I'm sure you have to get back to your work." Disregarding the possible hint, I replied, "Nah, I'll hang out and have a couple of beers with you." If I ever bump into that guy again somewhere, I'll remind him of that day, nearly 30 years ago, and I'm sure he'll remember it, for one reason or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 When a passenger was quietly waiting the departure of her flight back to Chicago' date=' a [b']United Airlines[/b] employee approached her and apologized for setting [color:red]fire[/color] to her bag. Apparently somebody had placed her bag next to the exhaust of a baggage loading truck. The pilot then asked her to come up to the front of the cockpit where she got a good view of a smoldering mess and a man with a hose. Obviously her fault for not packing her stuff in a fire proof suitcase. The passenger wa also charged for cleaning up the mess and was warned if this happens again, she will be arrested. Of course she didn't get compensated for the suitcase as any one could see, it looked like it just got burned. Sounds like bullshit to me. For 1 thing, how would the pilot know it was her bag? ANyway, plenty of airlines, choose another one if you hate UAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 When a passenger was quietly waiting the departure of her flight back to Chicago' date=' a [b']United Airlines[/b] employee approached her and apologized for setting [color:red]fire[/color] to her bag. Apparently somebody had placed her bag next to the exhaust of a baggage loading truck. The pilot then asked her to come up to the front of the cockpit where she got a good view of a smoldering mess and a man with a hose. Obviously her fault for not packing her stuff in a fire proof suitcase. The passenger wa also charged for cleaning up the mess and was warned if this happens again, she will be arrested. Of course she didn't get compensated for the suitcase as any one could see, it looked like it just got burned. Sounds like bullshit to me. For 1 thing, how would the pilot know it was her bag? ANyway, plenty of airlines, choose another one if you hate UAL. I am generally stuck with UAL from LAX to Arizona. The ticket is comingled with the airline I use from LAX to Bangkok. Sometimes I think the problem stems from what UAL has for years told me that they will match prices with the other airline if I would book the whole flight with them. I have never had problems with the other airline, just UAL, so I never took UAL up on the offer. Granted the problem might not be all UAL's fault. Airport employees and TSA may have a part, possibly a major part in this problem. If that is the case, UAL should get after the other parties to clean up their act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 When a passenger was quietly waiting the departure of her flight back to Chicago' date=' a [b']United Airlines[/b] employee approached her and apologized for setting [color:red]fire[/color] to her bag. Apparently somebody had placed her bag next to the exhaust of a baggage loading truck. The pilot then asked her to come up to the front of the cockpit where she got a good view of a smoldering mess and a man with a hose. Obviously her fault for not packing her stuff in a fire proof suitcase. The passenger wa also charged for cleaning up the mess and was warned if this happens again, she will be arrested. Of course she didn't get compensated for the suitcase as any one could see, it looked like it just got burned. Sounds like bullshit to me. For 1 thing, how would the pilot know it was her bag? ANyway, plenty of airlines, choose another one if you hate UAL. The BS was all on UAL's part. Link ... The pilot told Tadel her smoldering luggage would not be allowed on the plane. She nodded in agreement. The pilot went down and fished her medicine out of the smoking bag. When she returned to her economy seat, an apologetic crew member upgraded her to first class. For more than two months, Tadel said, that was United’s last act of kindness. When she arrived at O’Hare International Airport, what remained of her belongings were stuffed into a much smaller bag and placed at baggage claim. Tadel opened it to find a hodgepodge of clothing and undergarments. A pair of jeans was pockmarked with burn holes. A blouse was charred and crumpled. Her turtleneck sweater was splotched with black soot. The bulk of her belongings, roughly two-thirds of what she had packed, was simply gone. She said that on Dec. 2 she spoke to a customer service agent, who took her information and told her she needed to file a claim form. Tadel said she went online Dec. 4 and filled out the form. She also submitted a detailed list of clothing and incidentals that were damaged or missing. She estimated her loss at $3,300. The Chicagoan said she also sent a hard copy of the form to United’s claim office the same day. Weeks later, the airline then sent her a FedEx slip and asked her to send the damaged clothing back. Tadel said she took pictures of the clothes, then sent them to United on Jan. 8, along with a third copy of her claim form. After waiting three more weeks for United to respond, Tadel reached the end of her rope. On Jan. 29, she e-mailed What’s Your Problem? “I have sent numerous e-mails, called several different numbers … sat on the phone for hours hoping someone can help me,†said Tadel, 25. “I have left many voice mails and yet still I have no response from the company.†Tadel said she wanted closure. “I just feel exhausted by the whole experience,†she said. “At first the whole situation seemed very unrealistic and almost a joke. However, it is not a joke. The airline set my luggage on fire and I am left feeling put out.†The Problem Solver called United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski on Jan. 30. Four days later, a United customer service representative called Tadel and told her the airline was going to dry clean the clothing that survived the fire, then get back to her about the final resolution. The next day, someone from the airline called again and offered to cut her a check for $3,000. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 WOW...what an ordeal! I have had items broken, stolen and what not. I filed claims with TSA and they replied, "...TSA refuses to pay...". OK, if TSA does not want to pay for the items that they steal and break...then stay the fark out of my baggage!!! Airlines, same-same. Not fun to fly the "friendly skies". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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