United Airlines - the Unfriendly Skies

I'll let my letter to United Airlines speak for itself.

July 28, 2005

United Airlines
Customer Relations Department
C/O
United States Bankruptcy Courts

RE: Case Reference # 4243762

Dear Sirs,

I wanted to thank your front line agent staff for the most impressive handling of my daughter’s travel arrangements with United Airline. I realize that your company is currently in the middle of bankruptcy and has better things to concern itself with; all the same I would like to thank the Birmingham ticket agent who followed your company guidelines rigidly and completely. His name is Dave, and his employee number is 19454. I would like to thank him personally for explaining that all passengers, without exception, need to report to the ticket counter within 30 minutes of departure times. My careless daughter had the nerve to show up 29 minutes prior to boarding and was told that under no circumstances would she be permitted to board. She was also told that she could not talk to any supervisors because the rule was firm and there would be no reason to explain these necessary rules any further or take up even more valuable United Airline time; my daughter would have to wait 4 hours until the next flight while the empty seat, the one that was to leave at 8:05am, continued to consume the same amount of aviation fuel as if she had been on that plane.

It is my hope that Dave be awarded in some way, maybe a set of wings to wear on his uniform, the one he needs to wear while serving up hamburgers at the local McDonalds, Whataburger or Burger King. He can explain to those customers the rigid policy of not serving from the breakfast menu after 11:00am and look down at those wings as a constant reminder of why your particular airline needs to disappear from the friendly skies and never come out of bankruptcy.

My daughter talked with another agent of United Airlines, someone named Mary in Customer Relations who refused to give her employee number. I can see that these faithful United Airline employees are only following some very important rules and guidelines intended to streamline customer satisfaction.

Thank you once again


T. Fraser Stern