I and 3 other persons in my family were traveling out of Portland to Burbank via San Francisco in August of 2007 when we arrived to stand in line for baggage check-in, 1 hour prior to flight departure. By the time we arrived at the baggage check in and automated boarding pass dispenser 15 minutes later we were warned that we had missed the flight and would have to check with United Airlines personnel to accomodate us on another flight to get us to our destination. I was informed nothing was available leaving out of Portland for two days! We could try stand by on the next flight out from Portland to San Francisco, but would have to check in our baggage to assure a spot in stand-by. We did not get on, even after checking in with out United Mileage Plus Accounts. Before stand-by was called they were asking for persons to volunteer to give up their seats for the over-booked passengers. It was then I realized all the flights out of Portland had been over-booked for two days.
I was informed at the counter I did not qualify for a refund of the unused fare, even though we were there 1 hour prior to flight departure according to the counter associate. The sign at the beginning of the line state 45 minutes. That was the first contradiction.
After missing the first stand-by and the inablility of United Airlines Representatives to tell us where we stood in the waitlist for the next stand-by 3 hours later we figured we would most likely be bumped for the next two days!
Decided the only way to get home without havig to pay $1200.00 for a chance at another ticket on another airline to get home was to rent a car and drive the long drive from Portland to Burbank Airport where we could pick up our car that was in long-term parking. We all had to be a work meetings the next day and schools.
Upon my return I immediately sent an e-mail to United Airline's Customer Service with all flight information. I received an answer and an attempt to make-good on the contradictory information I was given. They were very sorry and informed that me I would receive a refund for the unused portion of the four airline tickets. I was informed I would see the credit back on the card I had used to pay. I was also given travel vouchers in the amout of $100 per passenger. About two weeks later I contacted the same customer service rep to inform him that I still did not have a refund to my credit card. He replied that I should contact the Refunds Department if I had further questions.
Refunds Department located in India (I asked where they were located) told me that Customer Service did not have the authority to approve refunds...Huh???? They told me that I did not qualify for a refund since I missed my flight, even though I was in line one hour prior to departure (second contradiction).
I insisted and then was told I could speak to a real live person (again in India) in the Customer Service department and that I should request expenses for having been forced to rent a car and extra food. I did not even attempt to ask for the one night in the hotel room. I was denied that because I missed my fllight (3rd contradiction).
I do not want a travel voucher because I do not intend to fly United Airlines again, and I will be cancelling my United Airlines Frequent Flyer account for all 5 family members. I sent another e-mail to customer service re-itering my complaint and pasting the previous e-mails I had received. I still have not heard back and it has been over one month!
It was so disappointing that an airline that was once a flagship of professionalism does not have its departments working in synch. No one has authority to do take care of complaints...meanwhile they keep getting bailouts that I have paid for in taxes!
Hooray for the upstart airlines companies that have figured out what customer service is. I must remember that next time I take a business or personal trip.

United Airlines booked me and my family on an Air Canada flight (off LAX) after they told me my flight was cancelled from Santa Ana airport the day before (literary 4 hrs before the flight) and they forgot to mention that they actually overbooked us on that flight and did NOTHING in the process to help me and my family get to our destination!
After following up with UA - while waiting in line and hoping passengers change their mind last minute so that we can get back home - the UA agent told me she has NO access on the seating availability and I was completely puzzled and frustrated as to WHY they did book us on Air Canada to start with and WHY they chose to tell me my flight is confirmed, etc.
I'll never ever fly with UA again!!!

We were waiting for the second leg of our flight, going from Chicago to Green Bay. A barely audible announcement told us that the flight had been cancelled - no explanation given. After standing in line for well over an hour, we were told that the cancellation was for bad weather (despite sunny skies outside AND in Green Bay) and that they could not pay for a hotel room and could not even promise us a flight out the next day. I was forced to pay almost $300 for a rental car, drive unknown roads for 3 hours at night, and despite a complaint to the FAA and United, never received compensation for the missed flight nor for the rental car. United only bragged about their on time record.

As you may have guessed, I have had a major issue with United Airlines as of late. In fact, United Airlines has made an awful family tragedy even worse for me.

My name is Matt Kent and I currently live in Chicago, IL. I graduated college in 2008 and just over 1 year later, cofounded a small education and brokerage business. I have been working incredibly hard to build ever since, taking home very little pay as I try to make this venture successful. This summer I was on a mission trip in Buffalo, NY where we where we repaired over 50 houses for an economically depressed community. On the final day of that trip I received the terrible news that my grandfather had passed away. The funeral would be held on Long Island, NY in a couple days, so instead of taking my group's bus back to Chicago, I decided to spend the 12+ hours of travel heading straight there. Of course this was a nerve-racking situation, but I eventually made it out there to be with my family.

As it turns out, the funeral arrangements were made for the following Wednesday, which happened to be the same day I was supposed to fly United Airlines to Tampa, FL for a summer 4th of July vacation. I immediately realized that I was not going to make this flight out of respect for my grandfather and our family so I called United Airlines to see if they could help me out. This is where things got really bad...

The United Airlines representative calculated the cost of transferring the ticket to fly out of Kennedy, LaGuardia or Newark airports. They informed me that this would cost anywhere from $460 - $700. Of course this was out of the question so I asked if I could give up my ticket from Chicago to Tampa, allowing them to keep the money I paid for it and resell it (major win for them). This way I would still take the return flight home with my significant other who was going to take her flight from Chicago to Tampa on the allotted day. They were quick to inform me that if I did not check into the Chicago flight, I would automatically lose the return trip. I felt like I had been kicked in the chest. I was already facing a tough situation, and all United Airlines could tell me was that if I could not make a flight out of Chicago on the very same day that we were to bury my grandfather in New York, I was out of luck.

This situation told me that United Airlines would rather have me take my business elsewhere than work with me to their benefit. In other words, they turned their back on a person in need and instead of helping, United Airlines, chose to lose me as a customer forever.

Thus, after 4 hours on the phone and every angle tested, I had no choice but to book additional tickets from New York to Tampa and then from Tampa to Chicago. I paid $380 for this trip (obviously not with United Airlines).

I have had a very pleasant stay in Tampa and as I sit in the airport now reflecting on this situation, my girlfriend sends me a text message stating that at least 1/3 of the seats on her flight were empty. She will arrive in Chicago at around 5PM, but instead of being with her, I will sit in this airport, then in Charlotte and arrive home around 11:15. United Airlines incompetence as it pertains to this situation has not only cost me almost $400 extra, but will force me to travel 9 hours (instead of 3) on the final day of my vacation.

At this moment, I advise family, friends and acquaintances against flying United Airlines for any reason. This situation was unpredictable. Things happen, but if my situation is any indication, United Airlines cannot and will not work with you.

As a business owner, I understand situations like these. I understand my responsibility to take care of my customers especially in situations like this. This was handled irresponsibly, but I do believe that businesses can right their wrongs and will be sure to update this post if any measures are taken, but in the mean time, please consider this situation when booking your next vacation.

I arrived at LAX for flight 163 to Honolulu on June 14 at least two hours before the scheduled departure. Yet my bag has been lost. It is now 24 hours since I put my bag in the care of United, and no one knows where it is.

United's bag tracking website continues to say United has no idea where it is. When I call the lost bag office number, I get Manila. When I call customer service, I get India. In both cases, the United reps use false names, their accent is so heavy and the telephonic connection so unclear, they are hard to understand. The most I got out of the lost bag unit yesterday, from a rep who said his name is Cepak Adav, was that there were no more flights that afternoon from LAX to HNL -- which was absolutely untrue since there were at least three more flights from LAX to HNL on the afternoon of the 14th.

So here I sit, my bag -- which contains important documents as well as dirty clothes -- is God knows where. And United appears to have done little to get it back to me.