United Airlines Fine Print

http://www.united.com/web/format/pdf/Contract_of_Carriage.pdf

Most people will never read this, in fact most travelers don't even know of the Contract of Carriage. Yet its a good idea to become familiar with its content. It contains all the fine print concerning your travel that you most likely never knew or in most cases will never need to know.
For instance did you know that If you are only checking in a single bag for you and your spouse the airline only considers that piece of luggage belonging to a single person. This can make a big difference when your bag goes missing and you are trying to get reimbursed for what was lost.

United Airline Baggage Liability

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/liability.aspx

Copied From United Website

"Baggage liability
Reimbursement for expenses will be based upon acceptable proof of claim. Contact the Baggage Resolution Service Center for more information.
For travel within or between the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, United's liability for any form of damage as a result of loss, damage or delay in delivery of a customer's personal property shall be limited to the fair market value at the time of loss, damage or delay and will not exceed $3,300 USD per customer, except for wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
For international travel to which the Warsaw Convention applies (including domestic* portions of international travel), United's liability is limited to approximately $9.07 USD per pound up to $640.00 USD per bag for checked baggage and $400.00 USD per customer for unchecked baggage.
For international travel to which the Montreal Convention applies (including domestic* portions of international travel), United's liability is limited to 1,131 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) per customer for checked and unchecked baggage. Exchange rates are available online at imf.org.
When checking baggage for a flight, a customer may declare a higher value than the maximum limit of liability. See Excess Valuation for additional details. Note that declaration of a higher value may not be allowed for some items.
Avoid packing high-value, fragile or perishable items in your checked baggage. For domestic* travel, United is not liable for loss, damage or delay in delivery of high-value, fragile or perishable items. See Fragile and Perishable Items for detailed listings of excluded items. For international travel, United's liability is limited as per above.
In the course of normal handling, your baggage may show evidence of use. United is never liable for destruction, loss or damage that results from an inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage. For domestic* travel, United is not liable for conditions that result from normal wear and tear such as:

• Minor cuts, scratches, scuffs, dents and soil
• Damage to wheels, feet, extending handles and items of fragile or perishable nature
• Damage as a result of over-packed bags
• Loss of external locks, pull straps or security straps
• Manufacturer’s defects

* Domestic travel includes travel within or between the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands."

United e-mail list

Do you want your voice to be heard?
Don't know who to contact at United?
Can't seem to find any e-mail addresses?
Well here you go! 


Nene Foxhall nene.foxhall@united.com
Dave Hilfman dave.hilfman@united.com
Thomas O'Toole thomas.otoole@united.com
Sam Risoli sam.risoli@united.com
Hershel Kamen hershel.kamen@united.com
Jonathan Roitman jonathan.roitman@united.com
Mark Anderson mark.anderson@united.com
Robert Edwards robert.edwards@united.com
ekit Mobile mobile@ekit.com
John Rainey john.rainey@united.com
Martin Hand martin.hand@united.com
Jeffery Smisek jeffery.smisek@united.com
Jim Compton jim.compton@united.com
Greg Hart greg.hart@united.com
John Gebo john.gebo@united.com
Gerry Laderman gerry.laderman@united.com
Chris Kenny chris.kenny@united.com
Scott O'Leary scott.oleary@united.com
Michael Bonds michael.bonds@united.com
Anne Seeley anne.seeley@united.com
Mark Bergsrud mark.bergsrud@united.com
James Keenan james.keenan@united.com
Leon Kinloch leon.kinloch@united.com
Frederick Abbott frederick.abbott@united.com

A shout out to Facebook's "United Airlines Wall of Shame" for originally posting this list.

Today as I was scanning the latest complaints to United Airlines on varies Facebook sites I came across this well written letter to United that I received the authors permission to share (thank you!).  Although I do not know his full story, I feel that this letter speaks for thousands of individuals who don't take the time to voice how they have been treated by United. I encourage everyone who has had a poor experience to write your own letter. The more voices that are heard the more chance we have to make a difference.  

 

An Open Letter to United Airlines:

Dear Sirs and Madams,

Thank you for your timely reply to a request from Joo Tim Ong (MileagePlus # redacted) and Michael Baugh (MileagePlus # redacted) for reimbursement related to payment for baggage on Hawaiian Airlines Flight UA70806 on May 20th 2013. Your refusal is quite disappointing since we provided you a receipt showing a zero dollar ($0) charge for two bags on that specific flight. It is even more disappointing considering our frequency of of travel on your airline and our significant use of Mr. Baugh's United MileagePlus Master Card (xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx).

We understand your desire do distance yourself from the policies and fees of your corporate partners (blaming Hawaiian Airlines for charging us a fee that you said in writing would not be charged). However, we remain confused by your choice ahead of time to promise in writing that there would be no charge for the baggage. It smacks of premeditation and fraud. For that very reason, when all is said and done, this is not about fifty dollars ($50) in baggage fees. It's about lost trust; It's about a corporation's choice to adhere rigidly to policy rather than cultivating and preserving good will with loyal customers. This choice is not only sad, but all too common.

So, here now is our response to United Airlines decision not to refund fifty dollars ($50) in baggage fees we firmly believe were wrongly charged.

> We will no longer fly United Airlines under any circumstances. We will choose other airlines for our personal and business travel, even if your competitor's flights are more expensive and even if their schedules are less convenient.
> We will email you and Mr. Jeff Smisek an itinerary of our travel plans, including the price we paid for the tickets on your competitor's airline, each and every time we book a ticket that we otherwise would have booked on United Airlines.
> We will post a message on social media (as we have posted this message) every time we book a flight on a competitor's airline and share it on www.facebook.com/unitedairlines. We will include a brief message with these postings explaining why we shunned United Airlines for more expensive and less convenient flights.
> We will immediately stop using Mr. Baugh's United MileagePlus Master Card.

We do not expect you to rescind your fifty dollar ($50) business decision. We actually don't expect you to respond to this email at all. What is customer service compared to loyal adherence to policy? What is the loss of two customers compared to the thousands of others who won't complain, who will pay even when they were told in writing there was no charge, who will file like sheep on to your planes time and again. For us, it has been worth the fifty bucks to stand up and say "enough." Take the money. We'll take our business elsewhere.

Sincerely,
Dr. Joo Tim Ong
Mr. Michael Baugh.

CC JeffSmisek@United.com

United Airline Customer Commitment

http://www.united.com/web/en-us/content/customerfirst.aspx

Take a look at United's Customer Commitment.

Our United Customer Commitment

We are committed to providing a level of service to our customers that makes us a leader in the airline industry. We understand that to do this we need to have a product we are proud of and employees who like coming to work every day.
Our goal is to make every flight a positive experience for our customers. Our United Customer Commitment explains our specific service commitments so that we can continue a high level of performance and improve wherever possible. The commitment explains our policies in a clear, consistent and understandable fashion. We have detailed training programs and system enhancements to support our employees in meeting these commitments, and we measure how well we meet them.
Welcome on board United Airlines!

Advise about lowest available fares

Notify customers of known delays, cancellations and diversions

Deliver baggage on time

We work hard to get your checked bags to you on time. If your checked bags are delayed or misplaced, we will make every reasonable effort to deliver your bags within 24 hours. If you have expenses resulting from a baggage delay and are eligible to receive compensation, we will compensate you for reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket expenses. If your bag is lost, we will reimburse you for any fee charged to transport that bag.

Allow reservations to be canceled for a certain period after purchase

Provide prompt ticket refunds

Properly accommodate passengers with disabilities and other special needs

Meet customers' essential needs during lengthy tarmac delays

Treat passengers fairly and consistently in the case of oversales

Disclose travel itinerary, cancellation policies, frequent flyer rules and aircraft configuration

Notify customers about travel itinerary changes in a timely manner

Ensure responsiveness to customer complaints

We respond quickly to our customers’ complaints. If you have a complaint regarding our services or our product, we want to hear from you. Information about where to direct your written complaint is on our website; on all E-ticket® confirmations; and is available upon request at each United ticket counter and boarding gate in the airports we serve. We will acknowledge written complaints within 30 days of receipt and we will send a substantive written response within 60 days of receiving your written complaint.

Provide services to mitigate inconveniences resulting from cancellations and misconnections 

 

I think that United needs to go back to the basics and remember their commitment to their customers. 

Want to know more about experiences on United Airlines?

Check out these Facebook pages:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Airlines-Sucks

https://www.facebook.com/BoycottUnitedAirlines

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-United-Airlines

and of course Uniteds own page

https://www.facebook.com/unitedairlines

A boycott is started

Join with me in a week long boycott of United Airlines, August 25-31, 2013.
The object of this boycott is to hold United Airlines accountable for the incredible lack of customer service in all fields. From lost baggage to discrimination of passengers.

My hope in a week long boycott is that with enough people joining in United Airlines will work on improving their operations and treating their customers with the respect they deserve.

Please share this boycott with everyone you know. The more people who join the more power we have!

You should be aware that I am organizing this boycott in response to the handling of my luggage which was lost on April 8th and I still have not received, or offered compensation for as of today.

I encourage everyone to join me in a week long boycott of United Airlines for the week of August 25th-31st, 2013.