I had paid for the extra legroom of an exit row seat when my flight was booked and had a proper boarding pass etc.

When I got to my seat, there was a United employee who was flying to IAH for his next assignment in my seat.  In fact six of the twelve exit row seats were non-rev passengers. 

After ignoring my first three attempts to get his attention, he was using the strategic look away and pretend you don’t see him mode,  I finally got his attention and advised him I thought he was in my seat. 

He told me to find another seat as he was there first and he wasn’t moving.  (This is on a full aircraft)   When I asked to see if we were double booked in the same seat he refused to show me his ticket saying he didn’t have to. 

After contacting a flight attendant, the flight attendant, went to the gate agent and had the gate agent sort out the seating.  Once The on-duty FA went to the gate agent the crew member being shuttled left my seat and went into the back galley area.  I figured my rude guy was was probably a supervisor because no one wanted to get involved, and they removed another shuttling employee from exit row across the Aisle and made a seat for my rude guy.  Upon being reseated he commented “There are you happy now.” 

During the flight I noticed all the employes kept their electronics on, ignored the fasten seatbelt sign, passed their cellphones around with the active crew members showing pictures and so forth.

It was quite a party.  The remainder of the flight was incident free.  I am used to passengers being rude, stressed out etc or in some cases ignorant of the correct seating etc. but I have never been treated rudely by a uniformed employee active duty or not.

I guess the quality of Continental service we had grown accustomed to is gone.

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Please note, even though I could rightfully demand
reimbursement or other forms of remuneration, I am not asking for
anything.  No credits, cash, or
miles.  I would rather that United
investigate and correct my allegations.  United
had safely gotten my family, friends, and colleagues, safely to and from our
destinations.  If that is the level of
service that United Airlines aspires too, then you have achieved that and
customer service is irrelevant.  However,
if United aspires to commitment, responsibility, and wants to provide a solid
customer experience, then pleas take note of the following and consider taking
the opportunity to enhance the customer experience at BTV.

Very specifically, BTV employees a female supervisor (and I
apologize for not knowing her name, but with the small staff at BTV, there
can’t be too many female supervisors who a slightly shorter than average with
dark hair).  During numerous encounters
with this supervisor (at the check-in counter), other BTV employees (of United),
customers, and agents of neighboring airlines (US Air and Jet Blue) have
commiserated with me regarding this individual. 
They regularly use a derogatory term generally applied to female dogs to
describe her and her attitude. 

Following are descriptions of “recent” interactions with
her:

·        
I purchased “Premier Travel Plus” on September
25 (receipt #0164060308111) for my October 2 flight, BTV-IAD-BRU, Conf. #
XSXPZY, Ticket number 0168677585545. 
Aside from the added leg room from the plus seats, and the use of the
United club at IAD, one very significant reason I wanted the service was for
the free second bag on international travel. 
I had close to an 11 hour layover at IAD and another 5 hour layover at
BRU (for onward travel to VNO).  I needed
two pieces of luggage to bring certain home repair items to VNO and did not
want to overweight one piece of luggage or have to have any carry-on (due to
the long lay-overs).  When I arrived at
the check-in, the supervisor told me the second bag would be $100.  I showed her the receipt and told her I was
entitled to two bags for international based on the Premier Travel Plus.  She acknowledged that she saw the Premier
Service on the computer, but absolutely refused to look up the terms of the
program or take the second bag.  Again,
she acknowledged that I had purchased the service, but refused to check the
second bag for free.  Luckily, the second
bag, though fairly large, was accepted at the gate as a carry-on.  Unfortunately, I now had the potential of
lugging this baggage through long layovers and international terminals.  The supervisor’s refusal to provide a service
that I had paid for and her refusal to even look up the service benefits is
completely unacceptable.  As a side note,
after pulling the bag behind me at IAD for five hours , I left the secure area
of the airport and went to the check-in counter again…  the IAD representative immediately recognized
the Premier Service and promptly and respectfully checked the bag, apologizing
for the poor service at BTV.

·        
On the same itinerary noted above, for my return
trip, on Oct 17, I had a roughly 6 hour layover at ORD (AMS-ORD-BTV).  In what I consider extraordinary service, it
only took me 18 minutes to clear passport control, pick up my bag (which was
already on the carousel by the time I cleared passport control… which is the
extraordinary part), clear customs, and re-check my bag.  Unfortunately, that’s where the good service
ended.  At BTV, my baggage did not
arrive.  I as told, at roughly 1030PM, to
go to the UA ticket counter and talk to the rep there for the claim forms.  I, with four other clients, waited 45 minutes
at an unmanned desk, in a deserted airport, after 23 straight hours of travel,
for someone… anyone, to even acknowledge that we were lined up and waiting, let
along set up our claims.  After knocking
in the doors, looking for a live person, and even getting a baggage handler to
try to find someone… NO ONE showed up. 
At 1115PM I completed a lost luggage form, wrote on the top that I got
tired of waiting for someone, and left it on the ticket desk.

At approximately midnight, already home,
some 45 miles away, I receive a phone call telling me that my luggage was at
the airport and that I abandoned it there. 
Since I left it, I would need to get it as they would not deliver
it.  Getting nowhere with the agent, I
ended the call and resolved to call in the morning.  Tuesday morning, being unable to get a number
for BTV, I called the claim service and found out that the BTV staff never
recorded/entered  the lost luggage claim
I filed.  I also found out that my
luggage had arrived on an earlier flight. 
I was on the 730PM flight, but my luggage was put on the 415PM
flight.  When that flight arrived, the
BTV staff took and stored my bag for my arrival.  However… there was NO ONE at BTV when my
flight arrived to give me my bag.  What
is a reasonable time to wait in a deserted airport by an empty counter with no
sign of life?  45 minutes was my
limit.  I did not abandon my bag, UA
failed to give it to… or to have someone there to give it to me. 

The claim agent filed the claim and, after
what I explained, (see above) agreed that UA would deliver the bag to me.  He told me that he sent a priority message to
BTV directing them the deliver the bag. 
Roughly four hours, I had not heard from BTV and decided to call the
claim line rise to that expectation with commitment and a true sense of
responsibility.”Manager’s phone (802-863-2206) and NEVER had the courtesy of a
return call.  Much worse, I called a
second number…  A woman answered the
phone, “United Airlines”.  I simply said,
“Hello, this is Mark Andrysiak, I am calling to follow-up on a lost bag.”  At that point, the woman HUNG UP on me
without a word.  Three subsequent calls
to the number (802-863-6035) went unanswered.

It appears that the staff at BTV NEVER
attempted to set up the delivery of my bag. 
In my view, someone there had a temper tantrum and was adamant  that I must pick up my bag… even after
apparent direction from the UA claims agent to deliver the baggage.  This appears to be very vindictive
unprofessional business practices… all because I wouldn’t wait another 45
minutes, on top of 45 minutes I already waited, without ANY sign of life at
BTV. 

·        
On September 11, we brought the sister of our
adopted daughter to BTV for her return flight to the UK.  Inga is a Lithuanian national traveling on a
Lithuanian-EU passport who legally resides, currently, in London.  Inga had just completed a two week with our
family as, she was reunited, for the first time, with her sister, whom we
adopted, in 16 years.  They were
separated shortly after birth and had searched for years to find each
other.  The reunion was fantastic, until
we arrived at BTV and had to deal with the above noted supervisor. 

Upon check-in, the supervisor asked
for Inga’s passport, as required, and after studying the passport and reviewing
her computer,  said, “she needs a visa,
give me a copy of that.”  My wife and I
explained to her that some 15 years ago, Lithuanians needed Visa’s to travel to
the USA, UK, and other western countries. 
However, since Lithuania joined the EU, visa’s were no longer needed and
that Inga was free to live in any EU country that she wanted.  Her UK registration papers were in the UK, on
record, as required, by the UK.  She did
not need those papers to enter the country, they were already there.  The woman said that she wouldn’t issue the
boarding pass because she wasn’t authorized to go to the UK.  Her computer was telling her so.  We again explained that NO visa’s were
required and that either her computer was wrong or she was misinterpreting what
she read.  We “discussed” this situation
for another ten or so minutes, holding up the rest of the passengers checking
in.  We even told the supervisor that is
she was correct, Inga could still enter the UK for six months without ANY
paperwork, other than a passport.  By
this time, Inga was reduced to tears and the supervisor showed no remorse for
her refusal to issue the boarding pass.  The
supervisor was insistent that Inga could not board.  We insistent that she was wrong and demanded
that she call someone familiar with UK entry laws.  She refused to do anything but read her
computer.  We were at a stand-off.  After a few minutes, she looked again at her
computer, read a few lines, then issued the boarding pass.  No apology. 
No explanation for the change.  No
comment what so ever.   As a side note,
Inga arrived in the UK, presented her passport to border control, and was
admitted without question or delay.  The
UK had her residence authorization right on their systems, exactly where it
should be.

I understand the heightened
scrutiny needed for travel on Sept 11. 
However, I doubt this situation was caused by 9/11.  It, in my opinion, was caused by the
supervisor’s lack of understanding passport rules (understandable, since I’m
sure not too many Lithuanians who live in the UK pass through BTV) AND her
refusal to try to find a solution or seek help. 
She caused Inga to cry and did not even acknowledge it.  BTV gets a lot of international travel
(French, Canadians, many many Brits during ski season, and many eastern
Europeans and South Americans (again ski season).  If she treats all foreigners like she treated
Inga, she will only foster the tern “ugly American” overseas.  She needs to show compassion and, even more
so, show an interest in resolving a problem, rather than causing a problem.

·        
Last July, my 94 year old father came for a
visit.  While he is still physically
active, he is showing early signs of dementia and memory loss.  He is still very much self-supportive, but
needs help with new situations and unfamiliar surroundings.  In preparing for his trip, I told my sister
in Chicago that she should request a gate pass so that she could accompany him
through security and get on the right flight at ORD.  The gate agent immediately issued the pass
for her and my father ultimately had a great flight out.  When I brought my father to BTV, the same
supervisor as noted above, refused to issue me a pass to walk my father to the
gate.  She said he looks healthy enough
and doesn’t appear to need support.  I
explained that physically, his condition is better than most 60 year olds, but
mentally, in unfamiliar situations, he is easily confused.  Further, his concept of time is questionable
and while he could easily sit at the right gate to board a plane, any delay or
any issue could cause him to panic and cause problems.  This woman absolutely refused to give me a
pass siting no reason other than “he looks fine to me.”  

I brought him as far as I could… up
to the TSA agent checking ID and boarding pass. 
Told my dad what to do…  Walk to
the conveyor, take off jacket and place in plastic bin.  Take off shoes and belt and place in
bin.  Empty pockets.  Carry-on on the belt and then wait for TSA to
ask you to walk through the metal detector. 
Every instruction went in one ear and out the other.  No sooner did he get to the screening area when
he got confused and started to panic.  It
was sad.  It was a lost kid who couldn’t
understand one instruction.  Luckily,
some other passengers were able to help him through the process, but not before
humiliating and angering him.  Once in
the waiting area (separated from the rest of the airport by only glass at BTV)
he saw me standing behind the glass and couldn’t understand why we were
separated.  The other passengers, God
bless them, were trying to help as best they could, but he was totally
confused.  I returned to the UA ticket
counter and once again pleaded with the supervisor for a pass so I could sit
with him until on the plane.  She just
told me it was impossible for her to do and that she had other work to do.  A US Air rep at the next counter heard all
that was going on, called me over, and gave me a pass, referring to the UA
supervisor in a very derogatory manner and indicating that she saw this type of
activity from her all the time

After I got to the boarding area,
my father immediately calmed down.  I
bought the couple (other passengers) a cup of coffee as a thanks, and then sat
quietly with my father.  He boarded the
plane without issue and flew to Chicago, where he met my sister already at the
gate, having received the appropriate pass, without hassle or question, for the
ORD ticket agent.

The supervisor needs to understand
that she is not a doctor and cannot judge people by appearance.  While my father was physically fit, mentally,
he is starting to have problems.  She has
to understand that when people request help, it is her job to give it, not
judge others.

In summary, related to BTV, I actually dread having to go
through the check-in process there as I’ll more than likely run into this
supervisor.  I need to go to ORD in a
couple of weeks and am seriously considering going 70 miles out of my way and
flying out of MHT just to avoid the woman. 
This shouldn’t even be a consideration. 
This supervisor needs to be trained in customer service and needs to
practice good customer service.  She may
rule the roost in BTV, but it is only hurting UA’s image.

On a couple of miscellaneous points, UA overall has an
opportunity to pay better attention to details. 
A few observations…  On my flight
from IAD to BRU (noted above) I was in seat 21G (or whatever the window seat is
there).  When I opened the supplied blanket,
it reeked of mold… enough to water you eyes. 
At least the flight was fairly warm. 
My audio jack was shorting out, making it difficult to listen to a
movie.  At least it was a night flight
and I was able to sleep.  At the UA Club
at IAD, I think it was concourse F (I could be wrong), you had a couple of
dispensers for crackers, trail mix, nuts, etc. 
Knobs to release the contents were broken on two of the containers.  The nuts were almost gone, while the trail
mix and crackers were full… meaning that they had been in that condition for
some time.  On a recent flight from IAD
to BTV (Portland-IAD-BTV), the seat I was assigned to was broken… missing the
seat cushion.  This was a known condition
as the was physically roped off.  The
flight attendant said just take any seat. 
I had to move three times as the plane filled up.  Felt like a homeless vagrant.

All of this combined suggests an airline in decline.  I hope that is not the case.  The very first time I ever flew was in 1969
as a kid and it was on a UA stretch 707 from ORD to LAX.  I remember the flight, the service, and the
awe of flying (heck, I was just a kid). 
From that day, I always liked UA. 
 As I got older, I watched a
number of airlines fold and go out of business, watched UA go into bankruptcy,
and watched funny little upstarts like Southwest and PSA try to redefine
travel.  The industry is hurting and cuts
need to be made to stay in business… but there is one thing that is free…
Client Service!  You could jam more seats
onto a plane, stop serving meals, charge for luggage, etc., and have the public
accept it better if client service is good. 
Give me a grouchy flight attendant, a dictator-like supervisor, a broken
plane, and you set yourselves up for a complaint.  If someone tells me something with a smile, I
am far more likely to ignore a mundane problem. 
Your BTV supervisor IS a problem and she needs some serious
reeducation.  Please look into the issues
I’ve brought up here.

Sincerely,

Mark Andrysiak

Premier Member #0001168xxxx

PO Box xxxx

Montpelier VT  05601

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