No, I don't work for United, never did,not in that line of work, thank god (much as I would like the travel bennies) but as I said explicitly, "some of my best friends..." You've certainly got a hair across something on this point -- no need to look under the bed for conspiracies or troll-leavings. Wasn't even trying to defend anything about United's various lousy records on stuff -- some of which are _explained_ (not excused) by their sheer size. Just think you can make a lot of these points without jumping directly on Sally's head. Unnecessary. Grouchy.

I just read that NY Times article. The most telling thing in there was a comment by Ghramm Atkinson, senior vp of marketing. Quote, "It is difficult to prove the point that we are not lying, but it may be that certain people at the airline may not know what other people know." Fact is I can get faster info on potential delays by checking UAL.com or by using there new paging service (btw that is a good thing they have there) than their own gate agents. Memo to UAL management, in business the left hand needs to know what the right hand is doing. Get it together, and give up the US Airways bit. You're already operating over capacity.

I have all the patience and understanding in the world for airlines when bad weather makes a hash of things. HOWEVER, every time (except once)I have flown United from BWI to ORD, I have been seriously delayed. So unless I am incredibly unlucky with weather EVERY SINGLE time I fly United, there must be something else up. You'll excuse my anger, since my last time was just a few hours ago, when my return to BWI didn't get me home til 2:30 am, just in time to get up at 5:30 am. The delays start the minute you get to the airport, and its the passengers who follow the "rules" who get yanked around the worst. If you show up at the airport the recommended 1 hour in advance, with United (I have not noticed this with other carriers) you are most likely to find no gate agent to check you in. Or, if there is a gate agent and you have the audacity to try to check in MORE than an hour in advance of your flight (you would have been JUST an hour early, but they delayed the flight. . .), the agent will unceremoniously give you the option of WAITING til it is an hour before, or running the guantlet of the main terminal (even though you have one small bag and an e-ticket, which you did so you COULD check in at the gate). When the gate agents FINALLY do start "working" your flight, you get to wait in line all over again. When they FINALLY call your flight (the delay of which is never explained, and creeps silenty -- without announcement -- to a later and later time), no attempt is made to send gate crashers (those apparent dyslexics who can't seem to understand that a call for Rows 27 and higher doesn't include Row 20) to the end of the line. And then you get stuck behind the inevitable delays of the passengers trying to shove their SUITCASES in the overhead bins (how they got through the templates I'll never know). All of this makes the delays all the more annoying. <BR> <BR>So yes, I understand weather, but it can't be weather all the time. I've had it with United, and I mourn the fact that the carrier with which I've had the most luck at BWI -- USAirways --is going to be sucked into that morass.

<BR> <BR>Eva: <BR> <BR>I read your posting and thought for a moment that I had written it. We live in a parallel universe--that is, I fly American through DFW. This is the truth: at least sixty percent of my connections through that place are delayed. From experience, the first thing I do when I get to the gate is to check if there actually is an airplane waiting. Most often, there is not. It appears that United is no different from American, and, I suspect, Delta is the same. <BR> <BR>Any comments from ATL victims?

Gary-ATL is as bad as ORD and DFW. IMO, the whole hub system stinks! Maybe if the flying public put enough pressure on the airlines etc. something will be done. <BR> <BR>As for United-I agree with Michael, the right hand does not know what the left is doing. And Eva-I have been there! Seems like the gate agents take their sweet time to get to the gate at ORD. It seems they all have an attitude problems. I really think they have a problem attracting quality people to work for them and once they hire gate agents they have a poor training program.

Well Mr. or Mrs. trollbuster here I am again and I asure you that I am not a troll. I do work for UA and am proud of it most of the time. I must admit that there have been many times within the past year that it has not been the greatest but I guess that's because we have to deal with people like you!!!! My job is very stressful but I do admit that I have been trained in customer service from long ago and that there should always be a smile on my face. Now I did not smile when one ass (excuse the word but it seems like you would know what that was) threw a telephone at me or the time that the guy tried to grab me by my neck because he missed his flight(by which he later admitted was his own fault) .We are not perfect and no company is but as long as we have to deal with idiots like you there will always be controversy. Have a wonderful day Mr. Perfect. <BR> <BR>To all of you that have given me support on this thread thanks. It will come back to you in the end. Who know that free upgrade could come from me one day. <BR>P.S. Thank GOD that someone has admitted that this really happens at other airlines. The sun does not always shine at AA and DL. We all have our share.

Sally-I think it is rather audacious of you to promise free upgrades to those who are nice to you. Do your superiors at United know you do this? As a former airline employee I am agasht at your unprofessionalism. IMO, you have a pathetic need to be self-important. Get some help dear.

Listen person xxxx get off your high horse and stop being surprised. You apparently have not been with us for a while. We do comp UG's all the time sometimes we have to we need those seats because they oversell the cabins so badly sometimes. It's also very good PR in a time of need. But if you are a former airline employee you would know that. And you of all people should know that we need to stick together not to be putting eachother down on an open forum like this. DEAR!!

If you can't take the heat Sally get out of the kitchen! Even though you work for the UA, you are nothing but an attention seeking neurotic who has a pathetic life!

Nonsense! I can't believe the crap being thrown at Sally. Good thing you've spent your life with the public, Sally, otherwise you might believe everyone is as bad as that. Just remember the multitudes of quiet, unmemorable, nonconfrontive ones -- who don't throw brickbats for the sheer joy of being a pain.

SF-For those of us who fly regularily on business, we have encoutered our share of rude and obnoxious gate agents, not only from United but from the other carriers as well. Gate agents are disdained with good reason. I have nothing against Sally, but I am puzzled as to why she would post on a hostile thread against her employer. United has a bad reputation and on-time record, and alot of people are just plain fed up with the treatment they have received on United.

I am sorry I stumbled upon this conversation. I have a fear of flying and I will be flying United (I have e-tickets) from BWI to LA in August. After reading all that has been said, I may just skip my niece's wedding and stay at home. Is there anyone that has had a good/reasonable experience with United? Should I switch airlines? Overreacting?

<BR>Cindy ([email protected]), latest post: <BR> <BR>Skip a wedding? Yes, that's overreaction. It's very bad out there, but most of us who have responded travel WAY too much for work and experience delays that you'll only have if you experience really bad luck--like me. Just go...they have a lot of airplanes. <BR>

Cindy-First of all I would get a paper ticket. That way you are covered in case a flight gets cancelled. If you are flying east to west, you should be ok. For some reason, United seems to take better care of their passengers on the longer routes. If you do encounter rude employees etc. get their names and write when you get back. As far as being afraid to fly, statistcally you are safer in an airplane than driving to the airport. IMO, the domestic carriers including United have a good safety record, it's just their on time record and customer service that needs work. Relax and everything will be fine!

Cindy: <BR> <BR>I'm in Balt. right now...just flew in from LAX yesterday, and I had no problems. Yes, the gate people were a bit rude, as were the flight attendants (one actually muttered under her breath, although you could still hear her since I WAS under her breath "come on people, let's close these bins and let's get going." Not a horrible thing to say, except that she sounded like the last thing she wanted to do was to help passengers and just wanted the entire flight over with) but you just ignore them and move on. I learned a long time ago not to let it get under my skin. If you do, you let it eat you up for the whole flight, and the person who pissed you off is still blissfully pissing people off at the gate.

The flight attendant didn't say anything I haven't been thinking everytime I see someone trying to shove way to big a suitcase into way too small a bin, and keeping us on the ground.

The ordeal is over. Two more odd things happened. <BR> <BR>On the outbound flight where we had already suffered two cancellations, we finally got a puddle hop from Dulles to Indianapolis to connect to Denver. The gate agent couldn't figure out how to change our tickets, so he just tossed them to us without boarding passes and said, "Just get on the plane." We got on, and they only had three seats for our group of five people. Stood there sweating in the aisle while the flight attendant cajoled others into surrendering their seats for $300 boarding compensation. How can a gate agent make a mistake like rushing people onto a plane that doesn't have seats for them? <BR> <BR>Second weird thing was on return flight. They announced that the flight from Denver was delayed because the windshield was broken, and they weren't sure they could fix it. They were going to give us another plane that would arrive in 2 hours. So we ran to another gate that had a plane leaving in one hour. Guess what? About 30 minutes later, they announced that, um, this other plane also had a broken windshield that couldn't be fixed. So what is this? Did United receive a bad batch of windshields, were other planes throwing up a lot of rocks, or could they just not get their, um, story straight? <BR> <BR>Get this: I have another United flight to San Diego in three days. <BR>

Cindy-Hope you got that gate agent's name. If you did I would write a letter to the head of Customer Service, the CEO and the NTSB. United has been getting by with this cr** for too long. <BR> <BR>And for what it's worth, I was stuck in O'Hare for over 3 hours for a "Baggage problem." What the heck is that supposed to mean?

Didn't have a single problem from LAX to Baltimore and Philly to LAX last week. Guess they key is not to get stuck in a hub.

<BR> <BR>Actually, L.A. IS a United hub.