[Anonymous]

[splinter49]

Why does United insist on charging passengers a $25.00 charge pp. when the website does not work and even when the operator I talked to could not make the booking and had to ask for help.
As a first time user of United website I was not impressed and I would not recommend to fly United.
I am gold status in One world and silver status Star Alliance,. a potential FF lost to United.

[IanFromHKG]

Gold in oneworld? No such thing, splinter49. That could mean BA Gold (top tier), CX Gold (middle tier) or heaven knows what else.

Perhaps you would get better service if you tried status-matching into United’s programme? http://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/mileageplus/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=TB8230

Either way, I would have thought a complaint to United would be more helpful than a post on here – you don’t mention having already tried that

Also either way, given you have mid-tier status in *A and some sort of status in oneworld, perhaps you would be better off trying to concentrate your business on one alliance to reach top tier status, at which point you may receive better treatment from partner airlines – it certainly works for me as a CX top-tier member as I get significantly better treatment from the other oneworld carriers I use (BA and AA – the latter are particularly deferential!)

EDITED TO ADD

I note you are a first-time poster. I and the other regulars all like to see fresh blood on the forum, so I hope you will not be disenchanted and will become a regular poster. New insights are always welcome. However, it would be better if you told us a little more about your other experiences with United – perhaps do a flight review? However, if your only goal is to have a mild rant and try to dissuade others from flying United (which appears likely from your statement “I was not impressed and I would not recommend to fly United”) then I have to tell you that regular flyers – and most of us are – don’t get overly excited about people complaining of a single negative experience and a recommendation that as a result we should all boycott an airline…

[pdtraveller]

BA also charge when their web site cannot do what you need, for example open jaw. Bizarrely split cabin bookings are not chargeable! No rhyme or reason.
Only Gold card holders can have these charges waived.

[IanFromHKG]

pdtraveller (and splinter49) – to develop my earlier point, I had an issue last year with a BA booking which I could not resolve online and had to make the necessary changes over the phone. An explanation to the telephone agent that I had been unable to do this online and that I was a oneworld emerald (top-tier) member resulted in an immediate waiver of the fee

[splinter49]

Ian thanks for the advise and yes I have contacted United but still awaiting an answer. And I am Gold status with Qantas, but the points I used where on United and we fly BKK-INC-BKK . The points I have with one world are for a ticket (j class) BKK-AMS-PER

[MartynSinclair]

I too think I crazy to make a charge for phone bookings when the web site is down, but I presume the charge is made as the operators have no authority under any circumstances to over ride the charge, unless there is a gold card or similar in tow.

I must say however, that VS recently waived a £25 change fee when I swopped a flight recently – very nice of them..

[pdtraveller]

Ian. As emerald these charges and most others are waived however as a silver card holder I can attest that BA will not waive charges when their systems are unable to provide the service, other than when there is a fault. Open jaw is not a fault it is a limit on functionality and chargeable. Split cabin ( out F back J) is also an issue of functionality and not chargeable….. Go figure!

[IanFromHKG]

pdtraveller, I will have to take your word for that, BUT – given that every time I try to book anything on ba.com they give me separate prices for outward and return, if you want to do an openjaw wouldn’t it be possible to book two singles? Or does that affect the pricing (I honestly don’t know)?

[BA744fan]

I recently had to make a booking over the phone because my credit card kept being bounced at the authorisation screen.

After a lot of pleading and explaining why I was having to book over the phone, I finally got the booking fee waived, but it took so long the call probably cost more than the money I saved.

[Author]

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