I have lost all respect for United Airlines, and will never fly on United unless absolutely necessary. I will state the facts and you decide if United Airlines is worthy of your business.
As you know, my mom has been a patient of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota since December of 2008. Since then, we have been to the Mayo Clinic on three occasions. On the current trip, we have been here since Saturday, and should be going home on Sunday. We were originally scheduled to leave tomorrow morning but my mom's doctor is requiring us to stay until Sunday.
Prior to our departure from Lihue, I purchased seating upgrades to Economy Plus for my mom and I. My mom gets up frequently and needs the extra leg room to stretch her legs and improve circulation. The total cost for the upgrades was $264. This was for 3 of the 4 legs of the round trip (4 legs total).
Yesterday, we found out that my mom's biopsy results would not be ready until tomorrow, after we were scheduled to leave Minnesota. We were forced to change our flights, and were lucky to get flights out on Sunday. When I called United Airlines for seat assignments, I was given seats in the back of the plane. I informed the agent that I had purchased upgrades to Economy Plus (this was reflected on the new itinerary) for the original reservations but she said that those upgrades were not refundable. I told her that I was not asking for a refund, but was asking that my purchase be carried over to the new flights. She said that United's policy did allow that, and if I wanted to upgrade to Economy Plus, I would have to pay the upgrade fees again. I couldn't believe that. I still cannot believe that. After about 20 minutes of mild arguing, it was clear that I was not going to get the upgraded seats, EVEN THOUGH I PAID FOR THEM. I'm curious as to how they record that income. They resold those seats to other people so in essence, they double-dipped. Simply outrageous.
In United's defense, they did send me an email with a $400 credit for a future flight on United Airlines. Of course, only certain flights are eligible and there are many restrictions. I cannot use this credit for a seat upgrades. It makes no sense.
As you can see, I am quite upset at what happened. In fact, I am so upset that I have contacted my attorneys, The Law Offices of Bervar and Jones, and they will be helping me recover my stolen money. It is a good think I have Prepaid Legal Services so I won't have to pay any attorney fees. Why should anyone have to go through this nonsense is beyond me.
There you have it. Maybe I am over reacting but I will not let this go. The airline industry is really laying it on the consumers. Their fees and restrictions continue to rise and the passengers are left with really no choice but to pay. It is not right. It needs to be fixed. Maybe legal action and a complaint to the Better Business Bureau will help a little. Have a great weekend.
Sorry to hear about "the rip off" but it seems the consumers and tax payers are treated worse than animals these days. Seems to me the ways to get back at them is consumers complain and don't give them your business anymore PLUS tell everyone you know about your horrific experience. Citizens, vote those people OUT...and hold them responsible for their actions. We need to speak up and not just GO WITH THE FLOW.
ReplyDeleteMel, I thought the airlines' policy is to accommodate medically impaired passengers? At least that's the way both Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines did it. They would allow early boarding and when available seat the medically impaired passengers up front without charging extra. Thanks for sharing your bad experience so we can learn and check the airline's policy prior to flying. At this point, I think I'd rather not fly period especially if treated that way.
ReplyDeleteWell, after speaking to three employees of United Airlines, one of which was a supervisor, I ended up having to pay another $216 for the upgraded seats. My mom needs the added room and they were not willing to budge. Unbelievable. What a lack of compassion. So, as it stands, I have paid at total of $480 for upgrades to Economy Plus.
ReplyDeleteAs you can tell, I am pissed. I will not fly United Airlines again, and I will be letting everyone know about my experience. In fact, when I get home, I will be writing a letter to the editors of all Hawaii newspapers.
The Law Office of Bervar and Jones is working on this matter for me. We will be seeking full reimbursement from United Airlines. I hope that this will force them to change their policy that allows them to keep money that does not belong to them.
Mel, I think you are right to be pissed off about this. For this kind of a medical situation United Airlines souldn't be charging you the upgrade fee twice.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think the airlines are all probably in financial trouble because of the rising fuel costs. I would say we can expect more breakdown from the airlines in the next year or two and possibly more. For Hawaii this is going to become a bigger issue/problem.
Wow, a $400. credit for future flights. Sounds impressive, but it also reveals how SELFISH Corporations are. Corporations go through the motions to say, "They care" by offering rebates etc. What it boils down to is that they are counting on the fact you won't or can't use it the same way it was intended to be used. It almost guarantees them that they will be able to keep the UNEARNED money they ripped off of you. The PONO way to have handeled the situation was to credit you on the current return flight. Is that asking for too much -- we don't think so.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think in the interest of full disclosure you should disclose your financial interest in Prepaid Legal Servies. I believe it's now illegal for bloggers not to do so.
ReplyDeleteTo the previous writter regarding full disclosure - Mel has been disclosing all on the right side of this page...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification of my disclosure that is clearly defined in my profile. I'm not sure why a previous poster would allege that I did something illegal. Oh well, that is expected when anonymous comments are allowed. I have been with Prepaid Legal Services since September of 2000. This is my 10th year with the company and we have helped hundreds of families with access to affordable legal services, as well as identity theft protection. I am very proud of what we do, and just for your information, upon checking with my attorneys (provided by Prepaid Legal Services at no cost), my actions on this blog are perfectly legal. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeleteA good post on prepaid legal.Thanks for you excellent post.. !
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