17 May 2012
My Dear Colleagues from Continental Airlines,
A simple question for you: what is wrong? What is it that is truly bothering you?
I have been a steady United Airlines customer since 2004 and I grew to love the airline. I also have flown Continental Airlines going back to your SkyTeam days, when I used to receive complimentary upgrades by virtue of my Northwest Airlines Platinum Status.
Like many of you, I was skeptical about the merger. I thought life ...
Last week I was flying from out of Houston and decided to use a soon to be expired Confirmed Regional Upgrade Region 1...err Premier Regional Upgrade I think they're called now... to upgrade my flight since I was scheduled to be on a 767. The plane was a former Continental aircraft with what I assumed to be the (early?) 90s-era BusinessFirst seat. While these seats are comfy enough, they are not as nice as either of the United Business or new Continental Businessfirst seat. However, I ...
A Traditional Costa Rican Breakfast on United Airlines
This is the best breakfast I've ever had on an airplane.
On a recent United-Continental flight from San Josè, Costa Rica to Newark Liberty I scored a last-minute upgrade that landed me in early-morning Bloody Mary bliss. This is the first time I'm experiencing the new United Airlines after the systems officially merged on March 3rd. As an in-flight foodie, I immediately notice the change in flatware: Fruit ...
Read Part I here
As I mentioned in Part I, when I reached SFO Saturday morning to check in for my trip to Philadelphia via Chicago, the agent could not find my ticket. I had been re-booked by a legacy Continental agent the night before during irr/ops and deliberately or not, she had not synced the new reservation—a necessary step in SHARES.
I recited my record locator to the SFO check-in agent and she pulled up my reservation, then motioned for me to walk behind the ...
March 3rd was the big day when United and Continental merged their IT systems. It came and went without a hitch for most.
At first, I thought all was good for me. My EQMs PQMs got transferred over. My lifetime mileage balance was the same, and all of my itineraries were merged. Then as my travel resumed and I began my normal day to day activity, I realized that things were not so unified.
My first hint was my trip to the Red Carpet Club United Club. I got there and gave them ...
I walked into the SFO United Club today, and as usual, I gave them my boarding pass to scan for my membership. Usually this is a two second process, but the agent asked me if I was a member. I said that I was, and she said she needed my Mileage Plus number. I did my best to try and remember my new number, but she stopped me and said, "No... the old one..." I remembered that one.
After I sat down, I logged into the T-Mobile WiFi. Once again, I tried my new number. No go. I tried the old one. Success.
I'm sure there will be similar cases of this over the next couple weeks. It looks like it's not quite time to un-remember that old Mileage Plus number yet!
