A flight delay and extremely tight connection in San Francisco led to the Global Services treatment for this United Premier 1K flyer. I’ve got to hand it to United Airlines and its Twitter team…you really impressed my wife, and it takes a heckuva lot to impress her…
United Airlines Gives Us The Global Services Treatment In SFO…Wow!
For years I’ve been burned by tight connections in San Francisco (SFO), most recently on the way to Singapore (a story I have yet to share, but will when I return to my Asia trip report). It is simply not wise to book tight connections in SFO because of 1.) morning fog and 2.) runway work almost inevitably leading to delays.
My wife Heidi and I were on our way to Tahiti to celebrate our 10th anniversary and I booked Burbank – San Francisco – Tahiti on United Airlines. I could have left Burbank before dawn and had a 4.5-hour connection to enjoy the Polaris Lounge, but I took the 10:39 am departure instead so that we could take the kids to school and not feel rushed to leave so early. That left only about an hour to connect to Tahiti…no time for the Polaris Lounge…but at least we’d be able to have a productive morning at home.
When we arrived at Burbank a half hour before departure, our flight was still on time, but shortly thereafter a delay of about one hour was announced. It then crept to 90 minutes. Runway construction was blamed.
I reached out to United’s Twitter team to be protected on another flight and was (apparently automatically before they even did anything) rebooked from San Francisco – Los Angeles – Tahiti, with LA – Tahiti on Air France. I was also protected on United’s San Francisco – Tahiti nonstop two days later, since it does not run daily. Honestly, I liked the idea of flying on Air France. I’ve reviewed the Air France A350-900 before, but I review United Polaris business class much more regularly, so this would have been something different.
But every day of this trip mattered – it was only a five-night trip (my wife is a nurse and unlike me, does not have a very flexible schedule) so it would have been a shame to miss out on any part of this trip.
We finally boarded the flight and were set to depart 75 minutes late. We were now due into SFO about 10 minutes AFTER our connection to Tahiti departed, but got a slightly earlier takeoff slot and found ourselves scheduled to arrive 10 minutes BEFORE departure. I messaged the United Twitter team, asking if they could run ConnectionSaver and hold our flight. The Twitter team responded that they would try.
The flight up was uneventful and as we touched down and arrived at the gate, we prepared to sprint to our Tahiti flight in the international terminal.
But it turns out that was not necessary.
An agent in a yellow Global Services scarf was waiting outside the aricraft door with a sign bearing our names. She opened the door on the jetbridge and ushered downstairs, where a Jaguar was waiting.
We then drove over to the international terminal and pulled up beside the 787-8 Dreamliner that would take us to French Polynesia.
While in the car, I received the following text message:
Nevertheless, the agent was running and encouraged us to run too…she took us through a door and up some stairs and we found ourselves in the international terminal. We ran down to our gate and she ushered us onboard and the doors shut behind us…the purser came over with a big smile and congratulated us for making the flight.
CONCLUSION
While it would have been fun to have lunch in the SFO Polaris Lounge, dinner in the LAX Polaris Lounge, and then fly Air France business class to Tahiti, I was thrilled at how all of this played out. And while my loyalty to United was not in question, my wife is now a huge United fan after a great flight to London last summer and now this amazing ground service in San Francisco.
My wife is a nurse and getting time off from work is not easy. Every day matters. Therefore, I am all the more thankful that United saved my vacation to Tahiti and provided such a memorable ground experience for us.
What a great day!
Asked them to run Connection Saver? Isn’t it an algorithm that runs every flight?
Yes, but I figured it would not hurt to ask anyway.
Credit where credit is due. Happy it all worked out.
Did you have any checked luggage? If so, did it make the connection too?
Checked bag made it.
I didn’t thnk they let people check bags within 30 minutes of arrival. Was it because Burbank is a small airport?
The beauty of small stations.
I’ve never once been substantially delayed on an LAX => SFO segment (admittedly smaller sample size of ~10 flights and most evening ones), is Burbank having lower priority part of your problem?
Happens out of LAX too.
Maybe I’m just unlucky, but has happened so many times over the last decade.
IDK if it’s an official thing but IME mainline will take priority over express flights.
IME mainline takes priority over express. IIRC Burbank only has mainline to DEN.
Happy 10th anniversary! The old traditional gift would have been a metal ( tin or aluminum ) and United did deliver. Good on them.
Matt is this something 1k members can request on tight connections? Or was it just a favor they gave you? I’m 1k and missed a connection in FRA last week (they closed the door *early*) so wld be good to know.
I don’t know…and to be fair, I cannot rule out they gave me the blogger treatment. Who knows…but I was in constant contact with the Twitter team during the delay, which I always find to be very responsive and kind.
Now, the same thing happened on an LAX-SFO-SIN flight earlier (will write about it soon), and the flight was not held and left early…so I’m not sure if I was simply fortunate or if it was all the algorithm and had nothing to do with me.
Being 1K myself… why twitter vs 1k phone line or if in the air why not chat function in United app? Just curious if I ever need to reach out.
I find the 1K phone agents are great, but limited in what they can do. For some reason, the Twittter team seems to have a pluse and connection to other departments.
Thanks. Good to know.
SFO-SIN is also daily/double daily and at crew time limits so the return flight is likely greatly impacted with a late departure
Like you said, SFO-PPT is not daily so they probably have ample crew rest and the plane will layover longer than a double daily flight.
You were so stressed that you stopped to take pictures of you running to the gate. This is giving delusional influencer behavior.
I can’t help myself.
lol
I was thinking the same thing ha ha.
Congrats on 10 years!
I had this experience yesterday as a 1K in ORD. There was a GS on the same two flights as me so I guess they lumped me in with him. Very cool experience. My connection wasn’t as tight so seemed to be driven to give me a unique experience.
Happy Anniversary!
And well done to United. They’re doing a better and better job of getting the little things right (that are big things for customers) that don’t really cost much but mean a lot.
Congratulations on the anniversary and wish you a great trip. Being a GS since inception, I often take the benefits during irregular operations for granted. I am glad United treated well. Thanks for being such a loyal UA customer.
I have a fun GS ground transport and Tahiti story too on United. I was taking my wife to Tahiti as well for my wife’s 50th (Nov’19). Got the GS Mercedes to the Polaris Lounge, was met with a signed card from the United Polaris team in SFO, plus a nice dessert and bottle of champagne, then the topper – I was asked how I wanted to handle the “cookies”??? I didn’t know what that was in reference to. The agent said they they were catering enough cookies for the entire flight to honor my wife’s bday! Amazing. Went to speak with the captain and we agreed that he’d wait until after dinner/dessert and then come out of the flight deck to announce to the airplane her birthday. Couldn’t wait. She nodded off after eating and some champagne. She awoke and was so pleasantly surprised to hear the announcement and to be personally served by the captain and then received a round of applause from the whole plane. We also stayed at the same hotel the first night in Tahiti before going to other islands which allowed us to see the crew again and thank them again for their service and recognition. My wife was lucky we did the trip when we did since covid was not too far behind, which meant that I got to spend my 50th at home (no bucket list trip). A+++ for the United SFO team!
We stayed at the IC Tahiti as well the first two nights…with our crew!
Fantastic. Must have been a very thrilling few minutes from being greeted by the GS agent to going outside, getting in the car and zipping over to the international gate.
I have a twitter account that I never use, but will start becoming more familiar with it to see if it can help me when flight plans don’t work out well.
Wow that’s amazing congrats!!!
If you got this treatment I just have to imagine the economy passengers with equally tight connections and no status probably received none of the above and had to queue up for an hour to rebook. Just to balance this all out.
I wish my wife were that easily impressed.
Really? When has Delta had a car waiting for you?
About a year ago I had a tight connection from IAD through DEN to my home town in MT and it was between Term B and A. Just outside the plane they met me and we took off in Jaguar just below the jet bridge and got dropped off right by the gate with only a short flight of stairs needed. I’m also 1k. Nice experience!
I has this happen to me in January as a 1k in DEN. My connecion wasn’t even tight! Got escorted to and depositied into a United Club by the Jaguar and 2 very friendly GS agents. Got the text informing me before landing. I must have been added to the “if resources are available, surprise and delight these customers who are in need of some love” list after several complaints to the 1kvoice email due to poor experiences connecting in DEN over the past year. (I try to write at least 2 if not 3 positive emails calling out great service for every complaint I submit).
It’s something I could get used to! 😉