It’s always nice to receive compensation from an airline, especially when you have not requested it…
I connect to wireless internet on almost every United flight I take. Unfortunately, the internet often does not work or works slowly and sporadically. United is very good about refunding internet fees when internet does not work, though you must generally request it.
Once in awhile the entire system is off or broken and flight attendants generally apologize after attempting to reset the system a couple times. One of those flights was from Paris to San Francisco earlier this year. I do not even recall the internet not working on the flight and never complain to customer service if it does not. Not because a compliant would not be warranted, but because I want to save complaints for more serious service lapses. I haven’t sent a complaint letter since my Trump inauguration incident in January 2017.
So it was with some surprise I received this letter from United in my inbox:
Dear Mr. Klint:
It has been brought to my attention that the Wi-Fi service on board your April 13, 2018, flight from Paris to San Francisco was inoperable and that the compensation that was offered to you was not processed. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
I have fulfilled our In-Flight team’s compensation offer by issuing you a $200 electronic travel certificate for your use on a future United flight worldwide. The electronic travel certificate number along with the terms and conditions will arrive via email within a few days.
Mr. Klint, as a Premier Platinum member and a Million Miler we truly value your business and your loyalty over the past 17 plus years. We look forward to welcoming you on board a future United flight.
Have a pleasant day and upcoming weekend.
Sincerely,
United Airlines Customer Care
And to be honest, it makes me think United audited my account after all my hidden city ticketing coverage last month to make sure I do not engage in it (I don’t).
But I cannot help but to be impressed. It is a personally written note that recognizes how important internet is to me when I fly. If this proactive letter represents a new era of customer service at United, then United will continue to win customers from American Airlines.
CONCLUSION
Quite honestly, I’d rather have fast and functioning internet on a daytime transatlantic flight than a $200 voucher. But it not a bad consolation prize. Kudos to United for being so proactive.
Have you experienced any proactive compensation from United?
Where is the SWISS update? Just kidding 🙂
$200 for broken Wifi? that makes no sense.
@scott
It does if you consider all the shilling Matthew has done for United the last few weeks. Just look at the flood of posts about how wonderful United is – e.g. about a first class service that hasn’t existed for years , how they’re turning a new leaf, etc. So now they’ve sent him a little payment.
Shilling? I’d say even-handed. I ripped United for the hidden city ticket issue and over 120K read that post.
Say what?? pmUA levels of customer service have returned? Say it ain’t so!
I’m a GS member and had nonfunctioning Internet ORD-SFO. Usually don’t use inflight wifi, but I really needed it this time. When we were in the air, they made an announcement saying this was a known issue. I was most irritated that they didn’t let us know at the gate or while on the ground so I could make alternative arrangements. I wrote to customer care describing this, and only received $50 in compensation, though I lost more productivity than that on board…
I have had this happen twice. It is awesome. But is funny because a couple of times after having serious inconvenience’s on United due to delayed flights, lost luggage etc, and have had so much trouble and had to spend so much effort to demanding receive fair compensation. To then get unrequested compensation, sometimes at a very generous level, seems funny. Once on a flight from ICN to SFO I had miles deposited in my account before we even landed because of issues with the entertainment system. Yet United loses my bag for 45 days and I can barley get anything.
@GS guy, did you cancel your paid subscription to Matthews blog? He’s free to write what he wants and the audience is free to not read it if we wish.
I’ve no doubt that staff monitor travel experiences of bloggers. Airlines, hotels, any travel experiences. They’d be pretty silly if they didn’t. Maybe except for Swiss.
It must be a fine line between making sure bloggers have a good experience , without making it too far removed from what everyone else gets.