Orbitz sent me an email to remind me of an upcoming trip. What they and United Airlines failed to mention was that the flight had been rescheduled. It now departed 40 minutes prior to the originally scheduled time. I immediately called Orbitz to find my rights with United as far as getting to the airport in time.

I live outside of DC and do not have a car. As such, I booked the flight so I could take public transportation, rather than take a $50+ taxi ride. The 9:00 flight would the the very latest I could leave and still make it to the airport. Thus, those 40 minutes made the world of difference.

Orbitz said they could contact the airline for me to see what could happen. After being on hold for a few minutes, Orbitz informed me they could rebook me on another flight. This is where United decided to continue to make everything worse. They tried to book me on a flight that would change my air travel time from 2.5 hours (direct) to 6.5 hours (1 connection). I then suggested they give me a flight that leaves from the other airport in DC that would drop the time down to 5.5 hours. I will be carrying food so time is of the essence. It was a different initial flight, but the connecting flight would be the same. United said this change was not available to me. I kept insisting for a further explanation. After they refused to give it to me a few times, they finally caved in.

While in the process of trying to book me on the flight, the Orbitz representative kept coming back on the line saying they were still in the process. After being on the phone for 53 minutes, I asked her to just call me back. Oribtz was wonderful in calling me back promptly. The only problem is she came back saying United wanted $33 to change the flight since it would be leaving in a different airport. The reasoning was based on the change in the ticket price. I refused and suggested they pay for my taxi instead. Orbitz is still having trouble negotiating with United to even pay for the taxi. I will send an update as it becomes available.

In this whole ordeal, Carmela from Orbitz has been very patient and courteous. She has also been wonderful at calling me back. I hope she can help me work everything out.

A little while later, Alexandros wrote back in with an update:

United decided not to charge me the fee and gave me the flight. It is very strange to me that they would have tried in the first place. I was very patient with Orbitz in the whole process and was even willing to more than double my travel time. It would have been much easier for me if United just paid for my taxi. I was trying to be flexible to ensure I reached my destination. United made the whole process difficult and stressful.

The moral of this story: stay up-to-date on your flight information, and be prepared to spend some time fixing any problems the carrier might cause; with any luck, and a helpful CSR, your perseverance will pay off.

(Photo: Simon_sees)

MyFox Atlanta DC says that Best Buy vice president Armando Alavarez's first class upgrade was revoked last week, after the gate agent saw he was wearing a Puma running outfit. He said he frequently checks his suits and wears more comfortable clothes for the flight. You can see by the photo or the video clip below that his Puma running outfit was in excellent shape.

For those who don't want to watch the video (are you sure? you'll miss Alvarez talking about his Puma running outfit!), MyFox DC says Alvarez wrote a letter to United to complain about having his upgrade revoked, but he hasn't heard back from them. The network says it contacted their customer service department three times but never heard back, either. I'm pretty sure you have to write a hit YouTube song to get United's attention these days, Alvarez; you might want to see if Best Buy can hold a United Hates Puma Running Suits sale or something.

"Man Denied First Class Seat on United" [MyFox Atlanta] (Thanks to Diasdiem!)

After many phonecalls, United informed Steph via email that they will pay $3,174.20 of the claim. They will let Steph know in 60 days whether they are going to continue looking for her gear or not.

"I was a hell of a lot safer tossing myself off a cliff in a nylon squirrel suit. It's awfully hard to base jump with no parachutes though. Thanks United! You're the best!" wrote Steph on her blog.

Here's a video of Steph climbing and jumping off the 400-foot Castleton Tower, in Moab, Utah.

Guitars, the luggage of people with broken guitars, rock-climbing equipment... United seems to have a problem safely delivering valuable baggage, or owning up to its mistakes.

So, next time, if you're flying with a lot of expensive gear, make sure to have it insured, or send it FedEx.

United Loses BASE Gear [High Places] (Thanks to Mark!)

"With Video, a Traveler Fights Back" [New York Times] (Thanks to Alan and Ray!)
(Photo: Doug Letterman)

"Premier Baggage" [United via Best Fares]

"United Breaks Guitars: Song 2" [YouTube] (Thanks to Steve!)

The first song, United Breaks Guitars, has now been played 3,515,357 times on YouTube, become a smash hit on iTunes, and has resulted in Carroll's rather bemused appearance on every major news network in America. Meanwhile, within four days of the song going online, the gathering thunderclouds of bad PR caused United Airlines' stock price to suffer a mid-flight stall, and it plunged by 10 per cent, costing shareholders $180 million. Which, incidentally, would have bought Carroll more than 51,000 replacement guitars.

United's stock, which trades below $4 per share, actually rose after the videos came out in early July. The stock only fell after little things like second quarter earnings were released. The stock has since recovered.

Dave Carroll's videos show the power that a single aggrieved consumer can wield, but we would be very surprised if they had any impact on United's stock—though wouldn't it be great if they did?

Revenge is best served cold – on YouTube [The Times]
PREVIOUSLY: Dave Carroll Says No To Guitar Hush Money From United
United Breaks Guitars

...You probably could have guessed that.

Now, however, the mere threat of Dave Carroll's song seems to scare airlines into action. Canadian musician Kevin Fox tried to get Sunwing Airlines to replace his $2,000 acoustic guitar, but they didn't take action until his wife e-mailed them a link to Carroll's song "United Breaks Guitars." Suddenly, they were quite happy to compensate him for his lost instrument. Though we should take this story with a few grains of salt—notice how they claim that Carroll hopes to get a new guitar out of United, when he wants no such thing.

Airline employees destroying musicians' guitars: worst summer fad ever?

A new riff on the United guitar song story [Globe and Mail]

(Photo: timparkinson)

Update: Transcript!
Thanks to our commenter Alexander Saites, here's a transcript of the video:

Hi, everybody. I'm Dave Carroll, and I'm coming to you from an undisclosed warehouse somewhere in Nova Scotia, Canada, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to everybody in the world who's been supporting United Song One the way you have, which is more than I ever could have hoped, especially after two days.

United has been in contact with me, and they have generously, but late, offered us compensation, and I'm grateful for that, but like I said before, I'm not looking for compensation. And if they would chose to give that money that they were thinking I might want to a charity of their choice, I'd be very happy to see that happen. I'd only ask that they'd share that news with us as to where that money went.

I'd also like to mention Ms. Irwig — she was mentioned in Song One, and through many of the posts I read, she may be being treated a little unfairly. And in my experience, she was a great employee, and unflappable, and acting in the interest of the United policies that she represented. So, I think she deserves a bit of a break, and one day, I hope to have a good laugh with her about [aboot] all this, because in Song Two, I feature my dealings with her a little bit better, in a very lighthearted way. So, stay tuned for Song Two, everybody. It's coming very, very soon. Thanks.

"United Breaks Guitars - A statement from Dave Carroll" [YouTube]

RELATED
"United Breaks Guitars"

Update 1: United apparently has seen the video (thanks to Chris!).

Update 2: Now that the "United Breaks Guitars" meme has blown up across the Internet, Dave Carroll has posted a video response addressing the airline's belated offer to repay him.

(Thanks to Melissa!)

Apparently, American Airlines has just added (brace yourself) 12 additional seats to new 737-800 jets from Boeing. How are the airlines able to cram more seats into the same amount of space? They're removing galleys, ordering slimmer seats, and yes... squeezing the rows closer together.

What's interesting is that the seat squeeze means discount airlines now offer more generous seat-pitch then their competitors. You get at least 34 inches of space in each row of a JetBlue A320, including the seat (the seat pitch, in industry parlance). At Southwest, seat pitch is 32-33 inches in 737s. But at American, United, Delta, Continental and others, seat-pitch is standardizing down at 31 inches in domestic coach.

Something to think about when you're booking travel.

Seat Squeeze: Low-Cost Carriers Now Offer The Most Legroom [WSJ]
(Photo:JohnKit)

A few issues come to mind, however, as to why this may not be such a great thing for passengers.

First, United says that the fees are nonrefundable. So if a trip is canceled, that's one more penalty often on top of a change fee. And that's not even getting into what happens when the airline cancels flights. Even if they endorse a ticket to a competitor, will they cover the other airlines fees?

Next, how smoothly is this going to work? For example, will the system always have a record of the prepayment, especially if the passenger doesn't have the receipt with them at the airport.

We'd be fine with the deceptive language only if they agreed to call the new fees a "surprise airport surcharge!"

U.S./Canada checked baggage [United]
Checking bags? Pay online. It's worth it! [US Airways]
FEE ALERT: United & US Airways Raise Bag Fees (except online) [Rick Seaney]
United asks the question: "When is a fee increase not a fee increase?" [Tripso]
(Photo: opacity)

My wife and I had booked a week long vacation from chilly Winnipeg to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina and as much as I hated flying on United, they were the best option for the times we were traveling. I begrudgingly paid the $15 checked bag fee and the wife and I had a nice vacation in the sun for a while. March 1st comes around, and it's time to leave so we head to the Charleston airport and check in to our flight. We take off towards Chicago, where we'll have an hour long layover till we fly to Winnipeg.

This is where the trip gets stressful. We're about an hour outside of Chicago, when out of the blue, my wife suddenly blacks out and goes in to a minor seizure. As far as either of us know, she's got no history of this. So, I'm panicking, and I flag down a flight attendant (Fatima), who without blinking an eye grabs the first responder flight attendant (Ryan D). My wife comes around, feeling sick and panicky and both the flight attendants were extremely kind and helpful, grabbing ice and water and towels to try to keep my wife cool while Ryan checks her vitals. We're given the option to divert the flight from Chicago (how cool is that?) to a closer airport, but we opt to keep flying since the time won't be that different. We land, and taxi to the gate where there is an ambulance and a firetruck waiting, the paramedics come on board and assist my wife and I in leaving the plane. Now is where United really shines. I'm fully expecting to be screwed here, so when there is a United agent waiting at the gate for us, I'm expecting to sign a waiver of responsibility and told to have a nice day. She pulls me aside and tells me that they are going to rebook our flight, for free, for a later flight, or a flight the next day. And if we stay for the next day, they'll put us up at the airport Hilton for the night, free.

I check with the paramedics, and my wife is doing a fair bit better but we still opt to stay the night and fly out in the morning. They rebook us, give us the hotel confirmation number, and we have a pleasant stay for the night. Even checking in the next morning went smoothly, although the people next to us were getting an earful from an aptly named agent: Mrs. Colon.

I just want to let you guys know, and everybody if you post this, that even if United is a horrible company, there are still nice people there, and sometimes even big companies surprise you.

(Photo: So Cal Metro)

Matt says:

United Airlines booked coach passengers in full rows (six across). Unless passengers paid an extra $39 a leg (or $156 for a round trip with one stop,) they weren't allowed to move into the multiple empty rows on the airplane.

Forcing people to sit six across, unlike removing pillows, saves the airlines no money. It simply makes them uncomfortable. I'd assume that it's United's marketing department trying to sell more seat upgrades.

In many respects, I was the airline's worst customer: I had no loyalty to any airline, simply choosing the cheapest route from point "a" to point "b." Now, however, it's going to be the cheapest carrier other than United.

As business travel weakens because of the recession, situations like this are probably becoming more common. We wonder if United will have to rethink its policy as it becomes more difficult to sell expensive "extra leg room" type seats.

(Photo:Zonaphoto)

In order to fly for no extra charge, passengers now have to be able to sit in a single seat, buckle their seat belt (with an extender) and put the arm rests down. If you can't do this, you're going to need to buy another ticket — unless there is already a seat available with another open seat next to it.

Spokesperson Robin Urbanski Janikowski told MSNBC, "If there is another seat on the airplane that is next to an empty seat, we will re-accommodate our guest in that seat and there is no charge."

Here's the official word from United:

For the comfort and well-being of all customers aboard United flights, we have aligned with other major airlines' seating policies relating to passengers who:

are unable to fit into a single seat in the ticketed cabin;
are unable to properly buckle the seatbelt using a single seatbelt extender; and/or
are unable to put the seat's armrests down when seated.

Any customer ticketed on a United or United Express flight and meeting one or more of these criteria must either purchase a ticket for an additional seat, or purchase an upgrade to a cabin with seats that address the above-listed scenarios. The seat purchase or upgrade must be completed for each leg of the itinerary. If a customer meeting any of the above-listed criteria decides not to upgrade or purchase a ticket for an additional seat, he or she will not be permitted to board the flight.

This policy applies to tickets purchased on or after March 4, 2009, for travel on or after April 15, 2009.

Please understand that we care a great deal about all of our customers' well-being, and we have implemented this policy to help ensure that everyone's travel experiences with United are comfortable and pleasant.

A few more details. The extra seat will be charged at the same rate as the first seat, but if there are no more seats available the passenger will be required to rebook on the next United flight that has seating available. If the passenger doesn't want to do this, they'll be given a full refund.

Your extra ticket will come with extra baggage allowances, so if you'd checked two bags and paid a first and second bag fee— you'd be charged two first bag fees instead.

Carry-on limits, however, are the same.

Passengers requiring extra space [United Airlines] (Thanks, Bob!)
(Photo:So Cal Metro)

I recently took a business trip to Shangahi, China (an incredible experience). On my flight home (United Flight 0858) March 6th, 2009 I had a layover in SFO and then another domestic flight to JFK. After a 13 hour flight I was eager to get off the plane and breathe but in my haste left my iPhone on my seat.

I lose/leave stuff a lot so I have developed a habit of constantly checking my pockets for my things. As soon as I left the secured area, (before having to re-enter the security zone for the domestic leg of the trip) I realize my phone is not with me. I go back through security and to the gate the plane will be departing from in a few hours. There is no attendant at the desk and my connecting flight is boarding.

I pick up the courtesy line and try to contact a United rep but I am greeted with an incomprehensible telephone robot. I have a friend with me with a 4 hour layover and he offers to try to recover my phone.

I board my flight land in JFK and use a payphone to contact my friend. He informs me that United found the phone (which was confirmed by multiple employees). They took it from the plane into their lost and found. Unfortunately, it took them more than 3 hours to complete this process and my friend could not retrieve it. No worries, I'll just get it back through their lost item claim process...right?

WRONG!

The United SFO Lost and Found consists of a voicemail box (where you leave a message desperately pleading for your item back) and an inbox which I assume also is completely unmonitored. So far I've left several voicemail messages (2 per week) and multiple e-mails. I've contacted the general SFO lost and found and there is nothing they can do for me.

I don't want to get into blame game (as I am the creator of this situation) I just want my property returned to me after they acknowledged they had it. This will be my third iPhone that I've lost or destroyed and I honestly can't take another hit. I want my phone back, they said they have it, and I have no idea what to do.

Jason, maybe it's time you ask Graham Atkinson's office to help you. At the very least, they should be able to find a human to answer your questions—unless they're disconnecting that too in a couple of weeks.

If you end up buying a fourth iPhone, you might want to consider buying a case for it that can be strapped to your body. (That should prove amusing at the security gate.)
(Photo: snappybex)

Unlike so many of our airline stories, Alan finally managed to get his $150 back, but only after he escalated it to Dennis Cary, the Chief Customer Officer at United. Alan writes,

[Denis Cary] emailed me back saying someone would contact me. The next day, someone called me back and offered to refund the fee. Oddly enough, they indicated that no fee should have been applied (as the original agent indicated).

I applaud United for doing the right thing in the end, but its seems ridiculous it took such escalation. Hopefully, people can learn from my mistake, and just email Dennis Cary directly.

Here's the email Alan sent to Cary. Maybe if you run into a similar problem with United's reps in the future, you can follow his advice and achieve some resolution.

From: Alan
To: Cary, Dennis
Subject: United Airlines Dispute - A Loyal but highly unsatisfied customer

Hello Dennis,

I write to you contemplating my next steps in my quest for fairness in a dispute with United Airlines.

Since taking my post as a consultant 3 years ago, I have spent many of my days flying on planes, several with United (Premier Member XXXXX). I have largely been satisfied as a United customer, frequenting the airline with my project team when the route so takes us. After amassing miles on United, I decided to take a personal trip with your airline to Toronto in January 2009.

I was excited to use my miles to take my significant other to my home town of Toronto. I was flirting with several different potential travel dates, and as such, was very cognizant of the need for a ticketing option which was refundable. On January 8th 2009, I called United Airlines Mileage Plus (I was intending to use United Airline Miles) to inquire about booking 2 tickets. Given my concern about cancellation, I peppered the agent with questions about potential fees – I am a frequent flier, thus (somewhat) aware of what to ask. The agent told me in black and white, that I would be charged no fees if I cancelled my ticket(s) within 24 hours. I then again, explained to the agent I may cancel the ticket, and then reconfirmed that there would be no fees in that event. I booked the ticket using Rewards miles on January 8th 2008 in the morning

According to two United representatives, there was to be no fee when I cancelled my ticket.

Ticket confirmation number: XXX Ticket number(s): XXXXX,XXXXX

I called back on January 8th in the evening, and cancelled the ticket, and was told (by a different agent) there would be no fees. On January 15th (in the morning) I checked my Debit card statement, and noticed a $150 charge from United. I called United immediately, and spoke to several agents. The 3rd agent I spoke to told me the fee was a ‘non refundable processing fee' but offered to provide an Airline Voucher for the amount (150). I stated this was unacceptable, as United had assessed this fee without my consent. I was then directed to the Customer Relations department, as I was told that they could potentially provide a refund. In Customer Relations I spoke to Navneet Kaur, and then her supervisor Vandana Sharma. Vandana was very pleasant, and was largely in agreement that it appeared United had mislead me. After placing me on hold several times to ‘exhaust her options', Vandana told me there was nothing to be done. The fee was ‘non refundable' and ‘valid' and that United was ‘not on my booking phone call' and thus could not verify what the booking agent did or did not do. I continued to explain to the Vandana that a United representative has essentially lied to me, and United had then taken my money under false pretenses. Vanada acquiesced that it appeared United was not standing behind its agents, and betraying a loyal customer. I was then told, by Vanada "We are at an impasse. United will not refund the fee"

United Case Number: XXXXX

After dealing with this difficult and emotional situation, I was unsure of my next course of action. I then filed a fraud dispute with Citibank. With Citi Rep Debbie (ID: XXXXX) on the phone (Feb 18th 2009), I called United to further inquire about the charge. The United rep who answered the phone was nothing short of hostile. Debbie then began in a line of questions to aid in my cause dealing with a fraudulent charge. Debbie first asked if the initiative was new, the agent stated the charge was a new initiative at United. Debbie then inquired as to whether customers had been notified of the change, and the United rep said "No" – Debbie asked whether the change was in writing, the United Rep said "No"

According to a United representative the fee charged to United customers is not in writing, and customers were not notified of the potential fee (even after I asked several questions to several reps before booking my tickets).

Unfortunately, despite my filling with Citibank , Mastercard International has not taken up my cause. Regardless of Mastercards mishandling of this issue, I am well aware that fraud has occurred. United agents have without question lied to me and taken funds without my consent. I except that some (if not all these calls) are documented and could be used as evidence to support my claim. Moreover, I have a Citibank representative (Debbie) who was on the phone with me when a United representative informed us of the unfair and unacceptable business practices relating to my claim.

The callousness of United in dealing with my claim has been not only disappointing, but disturbing. As a management consultant, (not to mention a general consumer) I am well aware of the proper value of ethical business practices. I can hardly comprehend that several United agents have lied to me, and that United is unwilling to stand behind their employees.

Truthfully, I would not expect any business to purport that lying to its customers is OK - I hope this situation can be rectified.

If you are not able to help resolve this issue, I suspect I will explore legal action and every other avenue I can to add visibility to this egregiousness.

Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, I await your response.

Cheers,
Alan

(Photo: piston9)

"[The pilot] said, 'Do you see that over there? That's your luggage,'" Tadel recalled. She looked out the plane's window and saw a man with a hose and a big plume of smoke.

The pilot and flight crew were exceptionally nice to Tadel, actually: the pilot went down and retrieved her medicine from her smoldering luggage, and the crew upgraded her to first class.

Sadly, the rest of United ignored Tadel's reimbursement claim for the past two months. She finally contacted the Chicago Tribune for help, and when they contacted United, the airline promptly made an offer. They also said they had only just now received the customer's claims and were already working on it when the newspaper called, which sounds suspiciously lame.

"Luggage burned; passenger frosted" [Chicago Tribune] (Thanks to Kerry!)
(Photos: jaqian and Arria Belli)

Among them, United Airlines is starting to pay greater attention to its planes, after scoring last in a J.D. Power and Associates survey of airline customer service in 2008 and tying with Northwest Airlines for the lowest consumer ranking of its aircraft interiors.

Starting last fall at O'Hare, United overhauled both how it tackles dirt and stains on its jets and how often it does so, a process it has since rolled out to 13 other cities.

American Airlines, which along with United dominates flights out of O'Hare, has seen passenger complaints about dirty planes fall by 40 percent since it stepped up its cleaning last year, said spokesman Tim Smith.

At a time when airlines are scrambling to attract passengers, ridding an aircraft cabin of grime is a business necessity. Cleanliness "absolutely" affects passenger loyalty, said Jack Smith, senior vice president for customer service with AirTran Airways. "People don't normally return to a restaurant if they think it's dirty."

The Chicago Tribune thankfully realizes that it's ridiculous to blame the airlines' customer service woes on dirty planes. Citing "jaded travelers," the Tribune acknowledges that the clean up might just be a coverup to distract from addressing "deeper underlying service problems." You think?

It's great that the airlines are cleaning their planes and all, but maybe, just maybe, they should spend more of their time focusing on actual customer service issues. If they need ideas, we have plenty of stories about United and American that will hopefully inspire them to clean up their act.

United, others get serious about clean planes [The Chicago Tribune]

Thomas writes:

First, it's important to know that every year for the past 6 years I've flown from New Orleans to Denver to visit my parents for Christmas. The past couple of times we've been using United. This year, same as always, we made our ticket reservations almost 3 months in advance. We scheduled a flight to leave New Orleans for Denver at 6pm on December 24th. We get to the airport at 4:30pm and the adventure begins. The United check in area is abandoned but the self check in terminals are open, I put my debit card into the machine and it brings up my reservation and tells me that my flight left at 2:00pm. I ask an airport employee and he tells me to call United and fishes a ticket with phone numbers from behind the counter.

At this point I call my friend who I had drop me off and get him to park and let me see whats going on. I call the phone number in English I find on the ticket jacket and after navigating through their menu system get in touch with an agent. The agent tells me that they can get me on a flight for 6am today*Christmas*. I tell her I've got my parents coming to pick me up and I don't know how I'm going to get to the airport at 6am, I live about an hour from the airport. She tells me that's all she can do, but I can talk to a supervisor, but he won't be able to do anything either. She puts me on hold for about 5 minutes. My parents call, I can't answer because I'm on hold. She picks up, tells me she's transferring me now, then puts me on hold again. 20 minutes pass, my parents call again twice while I'm on hold. My Friend sends me 2 text messages asking whats going on. I have to hang up to get my friend to come and get me back home and tell my parents not to drive 2 hours to the airport to get me.

On the way back home I call United again. This time I get a man with an Indian accent. He tells me the same thing as the previous person. I ask if they can at least comp my parking so I don't have to foot a $100 parking bill since I'm probably going to have to bring my car to the airport since it would be very inconsiderate to ask someone to bring me to the airport at 4am on Christmas day. He tells me to talk to their customer care people. He can't transfer me, I have to call another phone number. I get a guy with customer care on the phone, another Indian accent, and he tells me that they can offer me a 10% discount on a later flight. Or a $25 credit on a later flight. I tell him this isn't acceptable, I want a parking or a partial refund to cover parking. He tells me no can do, oh and it is company policy that customers should check their flight info 24-48 hours before their flight and they weren't responsible for the fact that I never got a phone call or email that my flight information had been changed. I have found no reference to this anywhere, in fact the ticket sleeve says that reconfirmation of my reservation is not required. I hang up on the guy and call an agent to get my flight changed to 6am. My friend volunteers to take me to the airport while we're heading back home.

If this was all there was then it would be worthy of a post I think, but it gets worse. At 3:45am the next day I'm heading to the airport. We get there, get through security and are at the gate an hour before the flight. Their computer is broken and they only have about half the passengers seated at 6am. United apparently doesn't assign seats until you get to the terminal. They start manually assigning seats at this point. My wife is with me, she's stressed out and has been trying to keep me from getting too angry with the situation. We get called to get a seat about 10 people from the end. I get assigned a seat, 11E. She sees that there are more people than seats and tells me and my wife to stand to the side while she gets some people seated who's names she called while we were waiting and then proceeds to not deal with us and seats another passenger. I specifically heard a customer get assigned a seat 11F AFTER she assigned me 11E. At this point there were 3 people standing there and I was the only one with a seat assignment. She went on the airplane to see if there were extra seats somewhere, wtf?, she came back out and said "you two don't want to be split up, huh?" then gave the third person my seat. I get told nothing for another 20 minutes, we're standing here waiting to see what the hell is going, I'm obviously pissed off but trying very hard not to take it out on the agent. Eventually, 2 more agents come down and ask do we A, want to spend 7 hours by flying to Chicago, then to Colorado. B, want to spend 8 hours flying to Los Angeles then Colorado. or C. sit in the terminal for 7 hours then fly 3 hours to Colorado. My wife has issues with travel so we'd rather not spend 7+ hours onboard a plane. And here we are, sitting in the New Orleans airport for another 6 hours waiting for a plane to come.

Last night I was pissed off most because of the agent on the phone who put me on hold long enough for her call center to change over to India so she wouldn't have to deal with me. Today, I'm most pissed because they woke me up at 4am, out of spite? They did give us a pair of travel vouchers and a free lunch at a restaurant here in the airport, but somehow this doesn't make up for not waking up in Wyoming this morning or the stubborn refusal to do something as simple as cover parking and then telling me this is my responsibility for not checking on my reservation.

(Photo: zonaphoto)

And let's not forget the exorbitant booking fee for using miles for one of our tickets. The actual FLIGHT was only $280 round trip per ticket, but with the booking fee TO USE THE MILES TO PURCHASE A TICKET, we wound up paying over $500.

When Dean tried to convert the two tickets into travel vouchers, the airline charged him another $300. And that, readers, is when the airline killed off one of their better customer relationships.

For a trip that requires two roundtrip tickets priced at $280 each, or $560 before taxes, United managed to tack on over $800 in additional fees:

Dean doesn't have a permalink to his post—it's just up on the "News" section of his front page—so we're reprinting it below for posterity:

There seems to be a trend with me lately - it seems that, without fail, if I am on the phone with United Airlines, it's going to end in me cursing them out.

First, let me point something out. I used to be a devotee to United Airlines. For years, when we had trouble flying on American or Delta or *shudder* Southwest, United was always there as our rock - flights were usually smooth, we got decent service, and life was good. We signed up for frequent flier cards, (Even got a free upgrade to First class from L.A. to Chicago once) and I got a credit card that would give me bonus miles with them. I also had sort of a soft spot for them in my heart, given that my Grandfather worked maintenance for them for most of his life in San Francisco. After his memorial, I wound up taking a bunch of his old United memorabilia home with me, and I'm always going to treasure it, no matter what.

But coincidentally, that particular flight was where the love affair started to go south. See, it was around June, and it was when they started adding on fees for the second checked bag - which we didn't know about until we got to the gate, of course. I understood, to a degree - fuel prices were at an all-time high, and the airlines had to make up for the difference somehow. But I do clearly remember mentioning to the gate agent that "Heh... you KNOW those fees aren't going to go away when fuel prices come down again." How right I was.

Now, of course, fuel has dropped to the lowest price it's been in YEARS, and have they removed the fee? HA! They went one step further... because in early October, we booked a flight home so we could spend Christmas with our families. During that phone call, I discovered that not only had they added a fee for the FIRST checked bag (WHO flies without checking at least ONE bag?!) but they had increased the pet-in-cabin price from $85 per direction (It had previously been $75 the year before) to ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS per direction. Considering we'd be taking Selphie both ways, that adds up to MORE than the price of a ticket - just for the privelege of putting a dog carrier under the seat in front of us. And let's not forget the exorbitant booking fee for using miles for one of our tickets. The actual FLIGHT was only $280 round trip per ticket, but with the booking fee TO USE THE MILES TO PURCHASE A TICKET, we wound up paying over $500. The pet-in-cabin charge would be paid at the gate, of course. And don't forget the roughly $80 extra we would have to pay just to check our bags. This was the first instance where the phone call ended in extreme profanity.

Now, of course, we're MOVING BACK to California. We no longer have need for a flight from Austin to Sacramento. So, I decided to call United and see if it would be possible to convert the tickets into travel vouchers that we could use at another time. Certainly, said the reservations agent! There's only a fee of $150 per ticket to do so.

THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS?! FOR YOU TO PRESS A FEW BUTTONS AND CHANGE SOME INFORMATION IN A COMPUTER?! Needless to say, that phone call did not end in a civil fashion. I don't care if these people aren't personally responsible for these fees. They're representatives of United, and as such, they deserve to hear what I have to say. Take your fees and shove it.

And so, here and now, I officially renounce United Airlines. Call it whatever you want. A denouncement. A boycott. I don't care - the long and the short of it is this - I will never willingly fly United again, and I would urge anyone to whom customer service is important to boycott them as well. And not just United - I pledge, here and now, to never fly on another Star Alliance airline, either - domestically, this means no flying on US Airways. (Not exactly a huge loss) And I'm going to keep this up until United elects to rescind their fees for the first and second bags, and until the silly fees like $175 for a pet-in-cabin go away. But I'm not silly enough to think that the actions of one man are enough to get something done. That's why I'm calling on you guys.

I'm sure I'm not the only one furious with United Airlines for the treatment I've recieved - I'm sure many, many others have had the same experiences. Tomorrow, I will be writing up an actual, paper letter and sending it off to United, and I encourage you to do the same. If you feel so inclined, their mailing address is as follows:

Customer Relations
WHQPW
United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666

Whether the fees go away or not is immaterial. I'm just pissed that United has $500 of my money that I'm never going to see again, and they're holding it hostage unless I pay an ADDITIONAL $300 to make use of it sometime in the next year. And so, I'm going to throw in my one profanity in this entire post - I say this so that people like my mom who don't really care for profanity can stop reading now.

Fuck you, United Airlines. You just lost a devoted customer.

Real Life Comics (Thanks to Arthur!)
(Photo: Getty Images)

Reader Aaron forwarded us the following email from United announcing that "Premier Executive" frequent fliers would now be able to board before... um, you know. Those other passengers.

Beginning November 12, our Premier Executive members and Star Alliance Gold guests will board before Seating Area 1 customers through the Economy Lane.

The new boarding order will be as follows: Global Services, 1K and customers sitting in United First will continue to board first through the Red Carpet Lane, followed by our United Business customers. Our Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold members will then be invited to board.

After all of our most-valued guests are on board and getting settled, the regular boarding process of seating areas 1 through 4 will begin.

We strive to consistently reward you, our premium customers, for your loyalty. We hope that as a Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold customer, you enjoy this added benefit

There's just something a little creepily desperate about this email, don't you think?

At least they haven't yet resorted to fear. The next email will probably read, "After all of our most-valued guests are on board and getting settled, the remaining passengers will proceed to the physical challenge portion of the boarding process, after which a King or Queen of Coach will be crowned and the losing passengers will subject to his or her cruel whims for the remainder of the flight. Also: there will be no snacks."

(Photo: afagen )

Most Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They've also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you're bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket... with their own website?
2. United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They've done away with snacks and are selling "snack boxes." Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you're munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there's the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to "stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,".."if available."
   
3. (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta's other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you're thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta's snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.

Least Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn't charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you'll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don't charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don't charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
   
2. AirTran: AirTran has fees but they're lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
   
3. JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class "extra legroom" seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.

If you're looking for an easy way to compare fees, check out this excellent PDF from the folks at SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com.

(Photo: Jenna Belle )

Here's Noah's letter:

I had read your articles on United Airlines for a while now, but always thought "that couldn't happen to me". In fact I've had positive United experiences over the years. Nevertheless, this current situation has me recanting any nice thing I've said about them. Here's the quick version:

1. Girlfriend and I are trying to make Thanksgiving holiday travel plans. I have a pair of vouchers for United, a $100 and $200, from a previous airline error where United stood up and took responsibility. We wanted to apply both of these vouchers for the single ticket, from Seattle to D.C.

2. The United website bizarrely does not let you enter voucher codes. You get a message telling you to call their reservations department and read numbers to them. As we'll soon see, this is not a foolproof system.

3. I call the reservations department and speak to a nice fellow. I tell him the information on the flight I want and tell him I have two vouchers I'd like to apply. He says that two vouchers cannot be used on a single ticket. Fair enough, but I ask for an exception in this case. It never hurts to ask, and sure enough the gentleman puts me on hold for a few minutes, then comes back and says he can allow both vouchers to be used for the ticket. The process involves physically mailing the vouchers in(scary!), but they're not doing me any good in my apartment. I give him the credit card info to be charged, which he says will occur at the price quoted when United receives both vouchers. Both are mailed in.

4. A week later the credit card was charged, $100 higher than the price originally quoted. It was obvious only a single voucher was used. Annoyed but not overly so, I call customer service and explain the billing error.

5. No luck. Each person, supervisor or otherwise, goes through the same dance. They were very sorry for the misinformation I was given, the offending reservation agent will be swiftly disciplined, under no circumstances can two vouchers be used, and the credit card will not be credited the difference. Disturbingly, each department I speak with(reservations and customer relations) says the other department has the authority to make the change, but it comes to the same effect as no one does. I suggested that if policy prevents two vouchers from being used at once, they cancel the flight and issue a single $300 voucher. To this a supervisor lightly laughed, said the ticket was "confirmed", and could not be canceled or altered in any way without incurring heavy fees.

6. Undeterred, I fired off an EECB to four high ranked United executives. I talked about "rare missteps" and "working together", because after all, I had liked United and I presumed they liked me. The response came back not from any executive but from customer relations, again apologizing that the original rep had given me the wrong price, again saying he would be disciplined, again saying vouchers could not be combined, and (again) saying I was screwed.

7. I write a cathartic letter to the Consumerist.

I know some people would give up at this point, but my girlfriend and I are not wealthy people. $100 is not chump change to us. Also problematic is United having no accountability for outright lying to me about the price of an airline ticket. Confusion I can understand when two vouchers come in nominally against policy, but that does not give them the right to simply charge a credit card for more than the price quoted and hope no one says a thing. A call for clarification would have taken 60 seconds, and after no one would be in this mess.

Strangely for this kind of situation, United has admitted fault every single time I've interacted with an employee on this issue. They simply don't think their fault extends to, you know, doing something about it. Why in the world would I care that the ticketing agent is going to be disciplined, and why are you telling me about your company's internal employee policies anyway? I want the price we agreed to when I gave you two vouchers and a credit card. Take some responsibility for your agent's mistake. At the time anyway, he represented United Airlines, and was relied upon as such. Sigh.

Noah didn't give up after sending this letter to us. He kept corresponding with United until eventually they offered to refund his $100.

Noah says:

After receiving [another] letter and sending my response, I received a call today from an assistant to the VP of United. She again apologized for the employee's error and offered to refund $100 to the credit card, to match the price originally quoted. She did claim it was against policy, but "I had put in so much work" that it seemed fair. Well, whether it was the EECB or name-dropping consumerist.com, United eventually stepped up and did the right thing. Thanks for being such a good ace in the hole.

Congratulations, Noah!

For more information about launching your own EECB, click here.

(Photo: Travelin' Librarian )

The snacks, which include "fresh sandwiches, salads, snack boxes or snacks, depending on the length of flight," will be complimentary for travelers in Business Class and cost coach fliers from $6 for "shelf stable items" to $9 for fresh items such as salads or sandwiches. This price increase will go into effect in October, about a month after United discontinues free snacks in coach. Previously, Business Class customers got free warm meals.

Are you going to pay $9 for a United Airlines sandwich?

United Airlines to Charge Up to $9 for Snacks [WSJ]
United Tests Food Choices in Business and Economy (Press Release) [MarketWatch]
(Photo: pwrplantgirl )

The adjustments are outlined in an internal United Airlines memo that was distributed to flight attendants Monday and obtained by The Chronicle. The changes are all in the name of the "cost reduction and revenue-generating opportunities" United is focused on, the memo reads.

"In the wake of high fuel prices and a challenging economic environment, we must continue to examine every aspect of our business and find new ways to improve our day-to-day operations through efficiencies that still meet our customers' expectations," reads the memo, titled "Catering Changes Provide Value and Options."

"These are difficult but necessary changes," said United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski, in Chicago. "We are looking at everything we need to do to offset fuel prices, which are still skyrocketing."

The memo also says that United plans to do away with complementary meals from Washington D.C. to Europe.

"We'll monitor customer feedback," said Urbanski. "The industry is changing."

Since they're so interested, we think you should let them know how you feel about this change. Is "buy-on-board" food a good way to offset fuel costs without raising fares?

United Airlines to drop free snacks (Thanks, Ari!)
(Photo: So Cal Metro )

• Holding $5,000 in tickets from a family for six months, then telling them the day before that the flight has been canceled;
• When confronted with the fact that the flight hasn't been canceled, telling the family that the reservation has been lost;
• Finally admitting that they've bumped the family from the flight and were lying about the cancelation and the lost reservation;
• Offering replacement seats on multiple planes and days, splitting the family up on different flights and depositing them at different islands;
• Offering to get them there 5 days into a 7 day vacation, part of which was scheduled to spend time with a family member who was dying in a hospice in Hawaii;
• Refusing to write a letter on the family's behalf so that they can collect their insurance payment on the house they rented but never used.

How could United mess up a trip so badly? The mother who arranged all of it, Anita Cabral, suspects it has to do with the bottom line:

Cabral has a theory for this shabby treatment: fuel prices.

Between January and June, as the oil industry mounted its historic shakedown of consumers, the price of those tickets tripled. The folks who paid the most got to fly.

The columnist who wrote about the Cabrals' problems said he called United directly for a response, and was never called back.

"Bad airline stories are nothing like this" [Sign On San Diego] (Thanks to Randy!)
(Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas)

When my family were ticketed for an overseas flight at Boston's Logan International, the clerk processed our tickets but then asked an unexpected question: "Would you like to upgrade to seats with more legroom?" When I asked how much that would cost, he responded "$231." I declined, since my flight was being paid for by my employer and the upgrade would have come out of my pocket. After a moment of discussion with another clerk, he processed our tickets. We received our tickets and proceeded to the gate for the first leg of our flight.

While waiting for the weather to clear at Dulles to continue our trip, I was attracted to a display from United Airlines that was playing on an LCD TV at the gate. United was showing off their "Economy Plus" seating option, which featured additional leg room in a specific section of the plane, in this case rows (Boeing 777) 17 through 26. (See http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/United_Airlines/United_Airlines_Boeing_777-200_2.php) I pulled out my boarding pass to check my seat assignments, and my entire family was seated in Row 18, within the "Economy Plus" area, even though I had declined to pay the additional fee.

At this point, I recalled the short conversation between the two clerks at Logan, which I had not paid much attention to at the time, but now made sense. My clerk asked the other clerk what "they are supposed to do when the traveler declines." The other clerk replied that "the company makes them ask, but if they say no he just books them anyway."

It is now clear to me that Economy was already full, and that additional Economy passengers were being seated in Economy Plus, whether or not they paid to upgrade, which means that the poor schmucks that were booked and ticketed weeks earlier (I made reservations only twelve days prior) for Economy Plus likely paid an upgrade price for the privilege, where I did not. Or, other passengers like myself who were being seated in Economy Plus anyway were subjected to an attempt by the airline to gouge us out of a few more bucks. That sure doesn't seem right to me.

Best Regards,

Joe S.

Economy Plus Page [United]

The cancellation seems legit—the plane simply won't be there when it's scheduled—but because United is calling it weather-related, they don't have to compensate Jonathan or find him a seat on another carrier.

I bought tickets on United for my friend to fly from Boston (BOS) to Chicago (ORD) leaving last Friday and returning today. On the way out she was delayed nearly four hours due to mechanical and paperwork problems. At this point I was already expecting some form of compensation as a loyal United customer for years.

Yesterday United calls to say her returning flight has been canceled. She was supposed to leave at 8am to get a half day of work in, but apparently the next available United flight leaves at 1pm. That won't work, I explain, and ask for the ticket to be endorsed to another carrier that can meet our schedule. The customer service rep responds that the cancellation is weather-related and therefore not eligible for endorsement.

This sounded pretty fishy - a flight canceled a day in advance due to weather? I first check other United flights in the morning and hers is the only one canceled. How could that be if there’s bad weather? The rep explains the weather's earlier in the morning; the plane couldn't make it to Chicago for her flight. Same problem - only the one flight in from Boston was canceled. In addition, flights on other major carriers were all still scheduled. So at this point it's not weather in the early morning either.

I finally get a supervisor who explains that the bad weather was yesterday night, and United canceled a flight to Boston which would have positioned the plane to head to Chicago early today and finally back to Boston for our flight. To verify this new story I checked the FAA's airport status site, which said there were only delays of up to 45 minutes in Boston because of thunderstorms. And again, other United flights and carriers were making it into Boston, albeit with substantial delays. Doesn't sound like a forced cancellation to me.

United's claim to weather isn't the usual and understandable problem, then - storms between the endpoints during the flight. Nor is it even weather for the flight inbound, which is a bit of a stretch for me; if the skies are clear I feel it's up to the airline to find a plane. If other carriers can fly the route, it's not weather. United’s claim is bad weather the day before that seems to have selectively impacted them. No way does weather - which may not even have been cancellation-worthy - the day before, two flights before, justify this cancellation. I’ve heard stories of airlines stretching what counts as a weather-related delay / cancellation before, but this is a whopper.

Jonathan asks, "How would you suggest approaching an airline in future when they claim weather is a factor when you feel it isn’t? How would you frame a request to United for compensation? And what compensation do you feel it would be appropriate to ask for?"

Jonathan, you might want to try calling the FAA's hotline to ask them if there's any sort of regulation about this. You should also escalate this up to the executive level and demand some clarification about United's official "weather cancellation" policy. Finally, you may want to try contacting the travel writer/advocate Christopher Elliott at www.elliott.org—this is the kind of topic he might know more about, or he might be able to ask an airline representative on your behalf.

Readers, any suggestions? Do any of you know whether there's a statute of limitations on blaming weather for canceled flights?

(Photo: Getty)

If your flight is canceled or you're given a wrong connection, the airline might have to put you on another flight for free, even if it's on another airline. Airfarewatchdog blog has put together a handy table to help you tell which airlines follow these procedures, and to what degree. They also have links to the contracts of carriage for the airlines that have them posted online. Handy to check if you're covered before booking, and also good to print out and bring with you to the airport just in case you need to invoke your rights and the airline employee has forgotten their own policies.

Rule 240 Revisited [Airfarewatchdog Blog]

An Open letter to All Airline Customers:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers. Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

They've sent you an EECB... how will you respond?

Airlines: Curb oil speculation [CNN]

Forbes Traveler's 10 Most Annoying Airline Fees

1. Checked Baggage: $10-$100
American Airlines now charges $15 for the first checked bag. Ugh.

2. Talking to Real People: $10-$25
"It costs $20 to book through a representative at American Airlines, and US Airways charges $15—the same as discount airlines JetBlue and Southwest."

3. Seat Preference: $10-$20
"United Airlines' Economy Plus plan is unique: For a $349 annual fee, one member and his or her companion are seated at the front of economy section whenever possible."

4. Rewards Redemption: $75-$100
Expect to pay this fee if miles are redeemed without "sufficient notice," and because you can't redeem the miles through the website, get ready to "pay for the convenience of booking through a ticket agent."

5. Curbside Check-In: $2-$3+
Remember, this fee doesn't include tip.

6. Traveling with a Child or a Pet: $10-$100 and up
"Delta recently doubled its [unaccompanied minor] rate to $100 and Continental upped its charge to $75 on direct flights and $100 on trips with connections."

7. Changing a Reservation: $30-$200
"United Airlines has hiked its ticket-changing charge from $100 to $150. "

8. Paper Ticket: $50-$70
"Delta charges $50 to customers who still want a physical copy of their ticket."

9. Airport improvement: $4.50-$20+
"...the airport-improvement fee has one short-term impact: It makes your ticket more expensive."

10. Fuel Surcharge: $30-$300
"Fuel now accounts for 40 percent of a ticket's price, and surcharges are regularly $65 each way on most major carriers. "

For the full article and slide show, click here.

Annoying Airline Charges [Forbes Traveler]

(Photo: Travelin' Librarian )

"What happened was a human error that resulted in us taking off the fuel surcharge on all domestic flights," said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United.

Airlines file their fare levels three times a day in the U.S. to Airline Tariff Publishing Co., the U.S. air-fare clearing house. United's 12:30 p.m. eastern time filing was incorrect, the airline said. The next chance for Untied to file air fares was 8 p.m. eastern time.

Buy now! Tell a friend! Sorry, United!

United Drops Fuel Charges, for a Day [Wall Street Journal]

From the AP:

Continental is also still in discussions about an alliance with AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and British Airways, said an official with knowledge of those talks. That person also was not authorized to discuss the matter and requested anonymity.

The official said it would not be unusual for Continental to be considering alternatives, but that the British Airways-Continental-American talks are progressing and don't appear in jeopardy.

Nasty, airlines. Nasty.

United's Tilton to give Parker a shot at top job-FT [Reuters]
AP source: United, Continental in alliance talks [AP]
(Photo: Zonaphoto )