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