I spent a good half hour on your website today trying to find one small bit of information: how much would it cost to upgrade my economy ticket to a first class seat instead? All I could find was convoluted ways to purchase frequent flyer points to upgrade the ticket.
So, I called your customer service line.
It took five minutes to get through the various menus. When I finally managed to speak to a customer service representative somewhere in Bangalore, it took her another 10 minutes to find the simple answer to the simple question. It was a whopping $2500. So, I asked about upgrading to economy plus. Another ten minutes went by, and she still couldn’t find something as simple as a price for a ticket.
I gave up.
Guess what, United? Southwest now flies into Washington Dulles airport. I may be taking them up on that new route.
Love,
Gene Cowan
United still has one daily nonstop from SJC to Dulles; and one non-stop back. Never underestimate the value of a non-stop flight; I’ve tried connections but these days the connections are so tight that I’ve found myself stranded because of late connections, equipment problems, and even crews that don’t show up. Non-stop is the way to go, and United is the only airline that offers one from San Jose…
United customer service has gone downhill sharply in the last 2 years, ever since they started cutting pay of workers and giving their execs “retention bonuses” to keep them working through the bankruptcy. They’re starting even to be snotty to Premier Exec and 1K customers. Luckily, if you have United frequent flier miles, they’re easily transferrable to US Airways (via Star Alliance), which is now merged with America West, and that gives them much improved service to places like Dulles. You may have to connect in Las Vegas, but play a slot or two while you wait.
United used to have two nonstops from SJC to Dulles, but I think they’ve stopped both of those. If you can stand being with the unwashed masses on Southwest, they’ve got excellent fares back east, especially out of Oakland (fewer options out of SJC).
PS: I’ll email you some mittens.
Yeah, having been on a first name basis with the flight crews on those SJC-IAD flights for several years (I once made 2 round trips in a 5 day period…crazy) I know the value of the non-stop. Although from a Frequent Flyer perspective I would usually try to do a connection in Denver on the way east, but only if the weather isn’t bad — to get credit for a 2nd segment towards Premier Exec, as well as the prospect of often being able to shift to 757 (larger first class, better chance of upgrading on the long leg). Connections in Chicago are the worst though… avoid at all costs!
Being under the flight path of planes taking off and leaving from National, I have mixed feelings, but I would like to be able to take a non-stop to San Fran from there. Dulles just seems so far out in the boonies when I can walk to Metro and take a fairly short ride right to the termina, no parking worries or asking friends to take me.
The roaring overhead can’t be any worse than it is (a lot of pilots do not adhere to the rule of staying over the Potomac, so they go right over us in N. Arlington.)
Of course the worth of this would only come if I actually did fly out west some time. It’s been too many years…
TK