I have flown United a lot in the past years, but I am now in the process of switching over to other airlines. Rarely have I had such an overwhelming sense of corporate greed as when I fly United. In the past few decades, meals have disappeared, and fees have increased across the board (the most annoying being change fees and baggage fees). While I have not had any bad experiences with the staff, who usually do their best to serve the passengers courteously, the services offered by United are generally dreadfully cheap. No complimentary wine is offered with meals on international flights in economy class. On domestic flights, they won’t even give you a bag of peanuts or any other snack. Only overpriced items for purchase are available.
The United Club lounges are also sub par. While most other Star Alliance airlines (e.g. Air Canada, Lufthansa) have an open bar and offer a nice assortment of foods (soups, salads, etc…), United offers only a couple of cheap beers and house wines for free… the rest must be purchased (and is overpriced). And forget about food in the lounge, except for cheap cheese, crackers, and carrots. The food & beverage selection in United lounges is so inferior to other Star Alliance airlines that it is hard to believe they are in the same “league.”
But worst is United’s greed and obvious interest… not in their customers, in for their customers’ dollars. Recently there has been a devaluation of United MileagePlus Miles. Now it’s not enough to earn Miles, they have introduced “PQDs” – premium qualifying dollars, and the threshold to reach premier status is now increasing across the board next year. As if this weren’t enough, miles will now be accrued not according to miles flown but according to dollars spent (resulting in still less accrual for most flyers).
The only advantage I see in these policies is that at least United is making it abundantly clear what it is REALLY interested in: our dollars.
This will be without me, however. Customers can only stand so many slaps in the face. Since United is more interested in my dollars than in my loyalty, it has now lost both.
I hope you will reconsider your policies, United. If you decide to reverse your greedy policies and return to genuine customer service, I will be glad to reconsider flying with you.
In the meantime, goodbye.
