Questions and Answers

Took a long weekend to visit West Bay in Dorset (aka Jurassic Coast). Beautiful weekend of walking and seafood.

As to the flight, round-trip was 777-200 with United’s obscene 2-4-2 in business. The seat map showed a lot of empty business seats but United seemed to be on an upgrade binge. By the time the doors closed every business seat was filled. Next to me, a Brit who spent the whole flight trying to cough up a lung. Service was OK, food OK. Biggest kicker was NO fast track for customs. Customs ended up taking ½ hour.

On the return, the United club in terminal 2 was really quite nice. I was pretty impressed. A bright open space with a long bar against the big windows, showers available, individual toilet cabins, decent buffet, free bar WITH real bartenders.

But on the return flight, things turned a bit surreal. The load was very light with United’s geriatric crew……only United’s best in age and width (imagine getting bumped by these wide hips every time the FAs walk by).

A gentleman across the aisle arrives toward the end of boarding but not real late. He has a nice suit jacket and asks FA walking by about hanging his jacket. She tells him someone will be right with him. Minutes go by, same FA walks by, he asks to hang up his jacket. She takes it and puts it on the small hook at the seat and says someone will be there “in a few minutes, they’re busy”.

This poor guy, FAs walking back and forth, no help. Same FA as before now distributing newspapers, he asks again. And she says “I’m the chef, it’s not my job, I’m the chef. I’m the chef.” Yeah, she actually said it 3 times. Who knew United had chefs onboard?!?!

He says “Well, I’m the customer and the customer is justing asking for my jacket to be hung up”. She says “Yes, you’re the customer and I’m the chef”. He says something about poor customer service and she says “Well I’m not customer service. Do you want someone from customer service? I can get her from the jet bridge.”

This sounds made up but it is FACT. And here I though United was trying to turn things around. No wonder no one likes flying US carriers. How can you treat your premium customers this way?

This is day in day out on UA. I would not say all are like this but I am not at all surprised.