United To Revamp Its Gate Facilities.

shaq · Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:54 am

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...gates-0311-biz-20150310-story.html
Also, they will scent the bridges. They already have a few prototypes of podiums, and the workstations at ORD.
United first started with a new onboard menu, then the lounges menu, and now this. I like the direction United is going.

AA737-823 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:25 am

Having read the article, and considering all the goings on, I just can't get past the fact that they're outsourcing gate agents at city after city- including my home airport, rumor has it- so that they can afford to....... scent that jetways?
Oh, brother.
Save your eau d'toilet and bring back the EMPLOYEES that made your airline WHAT IT WAS.

rugger · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:30 am

Here you go... a free link....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...gates-0311-biz-20150310-story.html

[Edited 2015-03-11 00:31:31]

bgm · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:46 am

Knowing how United likes to do things on the cheap, they probably just send the outsourced gate agent down the jetway with some Febreeze

RyanairGuru · Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:57 am

United is definitely heading in the right direction from a customer service perspective, so this is good to see. The turnaround in just six months has been astounding. If they keep on doing what they've been doing recently they will be a really solid act.

Freshside3 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:25 am

Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 1):

Quoting bgm (Reply 3):

Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 4):

Personally, I don't think customer service was really the issue at UA. It was more about the product and policies.

jfklganyc · Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:00 pm

Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 1):
I just can't get past the fact that they're outsourcing gate agents at city after city

Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 4):
United is definitely heading in the right direction from a customer service perspectiv

Which one of you is right? Because these statements are contradictory.

It's a facetious question. No need to answer.

United787 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:16 pm

One of my biggest pet peeves is someone that complains about an airline but then also complains when the improvements they are making don't exactly fulfill their complaints. Then they make comments like, "I wish United would spend less time and money doing ____ and more time and money doing ____." As if an entire airline with 87,000 employees can and should only concentrate on one thing at a time.

I have been very critical of my beloved airline since the merger, especially of Jeff, but I am happy to see UA continue to improve it's product on multiple levels. For the record, the improvements started for sUA before the merger with the new lie flat business seats. The merger interrupted everything, especially when it came to the IFE. But it is all coming together. If you pay attention to this thread, you can see all of the improvements they are making to just the fleet and how the fleet is starting to become more cohesive. United Fleet Upgrade Status Part 23 (by American 767 Jan 30 2015 in Civil Aviation)

MaverickM11 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:45 pm

Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 1):
Save your eau d'toilet and bring back the EMPLOYEES that made your airline WHAT IT WAS.

Depends...the ORD gate agents seem to go out of their way to make life difficult for pax. Replacing them with automatic boarding and a nice gate area would be a phenomenal step forward.

jetblue1965 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:14 pm

some LGA gates have the new podium design too ... really low table, lacquer'ed white, with arm-supported LCDs ...

if they have spare cash, update the cabin internals of some 757s instead of the gates.

UA444 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:35 pm

Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 4):

Yeah, outsourcing practically all of your ground staff and devaluing your frequent flyer program is great customer service. These people are a joke. Putting air freshener at the gates to cover the smell of garbage won't help. Just more lipstick on a pig and a distraction so they can make further cuts.

[Edited 2015-03-11 08:46:55]

United787 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:52 pm

I love how people on this website love to complain about the customer service on UA, AA and DL. Rarely these days do I ever have any customer service interactions.

I book my tickets online, I check in on my phone or at kiosk, I sometimes check bags with minimal but friendly interactions, I do what I am told at security and never had a bad experience with TSA, I rarely ever have to talk to a gate agent as all the information I need is on a monitor, I scan my boarding pass myself at the gate door, I find my own seat in the plane, I put my own carry-on in the overhead bin, I follow all the rules without being asked (phone, seat belt, tray table, seat back), I order a drink and sometimes buy food without issue, I collect my bags at the baggage carousel without bothering anyone. Done...and it all works very efficiently!

I am starting to think that the people that complain about poor customer service are extremely needy and demanding individuals and they are the issue, who need lots of customer service! I am sure you can find some subservient f/a on a ME3 or Asian airline that will smile and bow to your rudeness...

jetblue1965 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:07 pm

Quoting United787 (Reply 11):

I am starting to think that the people that complain about poor customer service are extremely needy and demanding individuals and they are the issue, who need lots of customer service! I am sure you can find some subservient f/a on a ME3 or Asian airline that will smile and bow to your rudeness...

Usually those who are over-entitled ... paying 3cpm to India and expecting J level service.

masseybrown · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:08 pm

Scent the bridges ... you can see why UA never offers a good F Class product.

ckfred · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:18 pm

Scents is nothing new. If you walk into any large Las Vegas casino, you will notice a scent of some kind. Paris smells like being near a river or body of water (although my wife claims that Paris, the casino, smells far better than Paris, France).

MaverickM11 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:19 pm

Quoting United787 (Reply 11):
I am starting to think that the people that complain about poor customer service are extremely needy and demanding individuals and they are the issue, who need lots of customer service! I am sure you can find some subservient f/a on a ME3 or Asian airline that will smile and bow to your rudeness...

it's really the same people all the time foaming like Pavlov's dog. Outsourcing! 757s! Dropdowns! Devaluing loyalty! Same people, same song and dance--every UA thread.

Quoting MasseyBrown (Reply 13):

Scent the bridges ... you can see why UA never offers a good F Class product.

DL's scent is called "calm", or is their F terrible too?

adamblang · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:33 pm

Quoting United787 (Reply 11):
I am starting to think that the people that complain about poor customer service are extremely needy and demanding individuals and they are the issue, who need lots of customer service! I am sure you can find some subservient f/a on a ME3 or Asian airline that will smile and bow to your rudeness...

Given current technology – rebooking through the website or app when there's a cancellation, bag tracking notifications – the only time you need to talk to an agent is when something is going really wrong. Your bag is lost. There are no acceptable alternate itineraries. So customer service reps only get to deal with the worst problems with the least options to make a customer happy. *Or* you have customers who, by the nature of standing in lines to talk to agents when they don't need to, have already given up on having an easy experience so they're starting their interaction out from a bad place. Also hard for a customer service person to get a smile out of that situation.

CHI787ORD · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:35 pm

The new boarding areas/seats at ORD look sleek and great. Good that UA is rolling this out at one of their two largest hubs first, and one where nearly every premier status member passes through.

My only complaint is that people are using the workstations as actual tables to eat their food at, but that's something UA cant control.

shaq · Wed Mar 11, 2015 5:16 pm

I really like the idea of the scents in the boarding bridge. A&F is one of my favorite clothing brands and I really like the scent they use in the stores.
The workstations and new podiums are also good things. Sadly, I dont think Im passing through LGA or ORD to try them

AA737-823 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:14 pm

AS usual, the bashers and the fanboys can't find reasonable middle ground.
My statement was simply that it makes no sense to outsource the great people they have here in ANC, and then turn around and blow cash on something silly like smelly jetways.
I've had good interactions with employees, and bad ones. Cest la vie.

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 12):
Usually those who are over-entitled ... paying 3cpm to India and expecting J level service.

Not by a long shot.
There's a reason that those of us who travel internationally - even in economy - will chose a Star Alliance partner for longhauls over United every single time.
United's own management admitted last summer that they have no idea why anyone would pay for GlobalFirst.

Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 15):
DL's scent is called "calm", or is their F terrible too?

Newsflash- Delta doesn't HAVE an international first class.

jetblue1965 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:26 pm

Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 19):

United's own management admitted last summer that they have no idea why anyone would pay for GlobalFirst.

With their very mediocre GF product, I would have no idea too. The only thing GF offers is better bed padding, the soup course, occasionally quieter lounges, and all aisle access. But GF is really below the global standard of what paid F should look like

heck ... even their JV partners NH and LH/LX are milesssssssss ahead of them. And I'm speaking from the point-of-view of a UA PremierPlatinum.

UA444 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:04 pm

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 20):

It could be a world class product if they chose to make it so. They say there is no difference between C and it's their own self fulfilling prophecy.

The current management team has no intention on actually competiting and investing in a product they long ago didn't want in the first place.

tommy767 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:29 pm

I was at SFO & ATL recently and they redid some of the gates to match the model they are showing. Certainly an update from what was there before but as a passenger it's something I could care less about.

The one thing they REALLY need to do stat is add GDS to the gates at EWR & IAH. I believe they are working through installations at EWR right now.

usflyer msp · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:48 pm

IMHO, while nice, this is all just lipstick on a pig. Until UA can reliably get me to my destination on time (my biggest peeve with them) they will still remain the crappiest of the US-based airlines...

milemaster · Wed Mar 11, 2015 7:56 pm

Looking forward to walking down a scented jetbridge to hop on a 3.5 hour CRJ flight. It's a new airline!

MaverickM11 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:42 pm

Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 19):
Newsflash- Delta doesn't HAVE an international first class.

I assume he's talking about domestic/regional F, since no one is talking about international 3 cabin F.

Quoting UA444 (Reply 21):
The current management team has no intention on actually competiting and investing in a product they long ago didn't want in the first place.

It's come quite a long way from what it was. UA F was a league behind most other *US* carrier J, never mind F.

jetblue1965 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:49 pm

Quoting USFlyer MSP (Reply 23):

IMHO, while nice, this is all just lipstick on a pig. Until UA can reliably get me to my destination on time (my biggest peeve with them) they will still remain the crappiest of the US-based airlines...

PMAA mainline has roughly same on-time rates as UA, and AA Envoy is the worst regional, so PMAA side of things is actually the "crappiest" by that metric.

northwestEWR · Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:36 pm

Quoting USFlyer MSP (Reply 23):

IMHO, while nice, this is all just lipstick on a pig. Until UA can reliably get me to my destination on time (my biggest peeve with them) they will still remain the crappiest of the US-based airlines...

Quoting milemaster (Reply 24):

Looking forward to walking down a scented jetbridge to hop on a 3.5 hour CRJ flight. It's a new airline!

United's problems are not stinky jet bridges or lack of automation. This is like repainting a burnt out old car and selling it as something different.

United needs to change their policies that take away the gate agent's abilities to make a difference in customer service. That would be a huge step in the right direction. Having them spray Febreeze in the bridge while giving them even less control and ability to help folks is just confusing. I don't want another damn kiosk.

rampbro · Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:27 pm

I really hope this scented jetways thing doesn't catch on. On top of it being a waste of money and probably very difficult to accomplish on a consistent basis, I do enjoy the olfactory experience of the jetway. This is the only part of the airport that actually comes into contact with an airplane - why does it have to smell like a mall?

777fan · Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:44 pm

Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 8):
Depends...the ORD gate agents seem to go out of their way to make life difficult for pax.

How so? The last few times I've been through ORD (including this week), the gate agents have been just fine. In fact, I've noticed as of late they've ramped up delay/flight status communications to pax in the gate areas and in each instance have done it quite professionally.

Quoting UA444 (Reply 10):
Just more lipstick on a pig and a distraction so they can make further cuts.

Wow, when you fly UA, do you have to check an extra bag to carry all of that negativity and cliches?! Seriously, what do you want from them? I'm presuming also you're not a shareholder, because if you were, you'd quite possibly could see the merit in cost efficiencies. Also, take a look around the rest of the industry and note that practically every FF program has been devalued over the last 18-24 months. Again, what else do you want?!

Quoting tommy767 (Reply 22):
ATL

I flew through ATL about three weeks ago and noticed the circular seating arrangements with outlets, but couldn't get past the rest of the concourse rehabbing (no ceiling tiles) and the stench of stale booze from the bar cart near T-15!

777fan

SunsetLimited · Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:49 pm

Man, United can't do anything right as far as this site is concerned (with very limited exceptions). I've been flying the airline fairly regularly for the past few years, and I have nothing bad to say. Maybe it's just good luck, but all of my flights have been on time, and the service on board and at the airports has been very good to excellent. This coming from someone who flies Y only. I never had status, never will, and honestly I don't care about any of that. The airline has treated me well, and I'm going to remain loyal if at all possible.

yeogeo · Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:20 am

The video link from the OP shows an American check-in area while the voice-over refers to the United improvements: they're really on top of their game at WGN!

I'm proud of United. It seems their really putting their backs into improving the experience. I fly them regularly and have noticed the improvements.

Maybe one day there'll be some other whipping boy at A-net... I hope to live to see it!

yeo

northwestEWR · Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:24 am

To call everything negativity and bashing isn't entirely fair. Yes I'm glad United is making changes for the better. I just think their time could be easier and cheaper spent doing things that would make a bigger difference.

kgaiflyer · Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:39 am

Quoting bgm (Reply 3):
Knowing how United likes to do things on the cheap, they probably just send the outsourced gate agent down the jetway with some Febreeze

Nothing can beat CLT where all the jet bridges smell either like (a) barn-board or (b) animal nests. They need Febreeze *extra strength* for pets.

[Edited 2015-03-11 17:58:54]

United1 · Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:42 am

Quoting northwestEWR (Reply 32):

To call everything negativity and bashing isn't entirely fair. Yes I'm glad United is making changes for the better. I just think their time could be easier and cheaper spent doing things that would make a bigger difference.

Outside of giving some control back to the gate agents what exactly do you want UA to do...they seem to have a fair number of projects going on right now all of which make a fairly sizable difference.

revamping the soft and hard product in the clubs
installing power ports both onboard and at the gate
installing WiFi/Streaming video
beta testing the new website
domestic catering revamp
international catering revamp (later this year)
replacing 50 seat RJs
growing mainline

northwestEWR · Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:45 am

Quoting United1 (Reply 34):
Outside of giving some control back to the gate agents what exactly do you want UA to do...they seem to have a fair number of projects going on right now all of which make a fairly sizable difference.

That's exactly what they need to do. Give their agents the ability to improve the situation for their customers and they'll keep flying UA.

It's not even the ability--the agents know how to do it, they'll just get yelled at (or worse) if they violate a ridiculous and un-customer friendly policy.

maxamuus · Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:09 am

Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 15):
DL's scent is called "calm"

United's scent smells like hundred dollar bills and is called "greed"

airzim · Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:46 am

Quoting northwestEWR (Reply 35):

Quoting United1 (Reply 34):
Outside of giving some control back to the gate agents what exactly do you want UA to do...they seem to have a fair number of projects going on right now all of which make a fairly sizable difference.

That's exactly what they need to do. Give their agents the ability to improve the situation for their customers and they'll keep flying UA.

It's not even the ability--the agents know how to do it, they'll just get yelled at (or worse) if they violate a ridiculous and un-customer friendly policy.

Don't you work for Delta?

If true, how do you know about the United flying experience? I suspect you're not a UA road warrior.
Secondly, why do you care?

Careful what you write in other threads. Your identity is a dead give away

United1 · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:06 am

Quoting northwestEWR (Reply 35):
That's exactly what they need to do. Give their agents the ability to improve the situation for their customers and they'll keep flying UA.

It's not even the ability--the agents know how to do it, they'll just get yelled at (or worse) if they violate a ridiculous and un-customer friendly policy.

There are a few things that pmUA agents were used to being able to do pre merger that are no longer (for various reasons) able to be done. I wasn't at all familiar with pmCO so I can't say if that's a CO holdover or something new. As a passenger however I have haven't found UAs current policies to be all that customer unfriendly and the vast majority of their staff bend over backwards to help out when needed.

One thing that I have noticed about this board is that 95% of the negative comments on here don't match up to what I experience in the field. So either I am extremely lucky or there are a lot of people on here with expectations that are unreasonable or very active imaginations.

[Edited 2015-03-11 20:08:52]

northwestEWR · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:20 am

Quoting airzim (Reply 37):

I spent most of 2013/2014 as a gate agent for United and have travelled with them extensively. I worked with a lot of great employees and customers but it was extremely frustrating not to be able to do some of the things that would've helped my passengers. We all loved Global Services customers because as long as you commented into their record that you overrode a rule for a GS customer--you could pretty much do what you wanted. That opens up a lot of flexibility when trying to accommodate customers during summer thunderstorms for instance where the entire system becomes a mess.

B727skyguy · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:22 am

Quoting United787 (Reply 11):
Rarely these days do I ever have any customer service interactions.

Is all this lack of personal interaction in our society really a good thing?

.
.
.
I recently flew UA. Their gate area reminded me of flying on WN. UA now queues up their passengers like cattle just like WN. They had five queues with numbers corresponding with zone numbers. Passengers had to queue up behind the appropriate number before the plane even arrived. I'm not saying it was necessarily bad. It just reminded me very much of flying WN.

SunsetLimited · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:29 am

Quoting B727skyguy (Reply 40):
I recently flew UA. Their gate area reminded me of flying on WN. UA now queues up their passengers like cattle just like WN. They had five queues with numbers corresponding with zone numbers. Passengers had to queue up behind the appropriate number before the plane even arrived. I'm not saying it was necessarily bad. It just reminded me very much of flying WN.

1/2 for F/C/GS, etc.
3 for Window
4 for Middle
5 for Aisle

It seems to work well. From what I've witnessed a full 739 (the UA aircraft I fly the most) can be boarded in about 15-20 min.

seat38a · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:57 am

Quoting B727skyguy (Reply 40):
I recently flew UA. Their gate area reminded me of flying on WN. UA now queues up their passengers like cattle just like WN. They had five queues with numbers corresponding with zone numbers. Passengers had to queue up behind the appropriate number before the plane even arrived. I'm not saying it was necessarily bad. It just reminded me very much of flying WN.

There is no rule that you have to stand in the line. You can wait till the very end to board. It really comes down to the ones who don't want to pay to check their bags and try to get space in the overhead compartment. Your more than welcome to sit till they call the final boarding call. You seat whatever whatever will still be waiting for you when you board unlike at WN where its first butt on the seat gets it for the flight.

seat38a · Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:07 am

Quoting United1 (Reply 38):
One thing that I have noticed about this board is that 95% of the negative comments on here don't match up to what I experience in the field. So either I am extremely lucky or there are a lot of people on here with expectations that are unreasonable or very active imaginations.

Last year we flew United for the first time. For all the flying that my family has done throughout my life, they were all with other airlines. We flew from MSY to LAX last year and after reading ALL the negative comments on here. WE EXPECTED THE ABSOLUTE WORST. The actual experience was a complete 180 from what we were expecting.

The flight was 100% full in both class and it was also:

On Time
Flight Attendants WERE FRIENDLY. (PS the older female flight attendant was courteous, well groomed and knew her job.)
Ground Crew WERE FRIENDLY
Free Movie Via Overhead Screens
BOB Meals / Free Beverage / After Dinner Coffee Service / Water Runs
Coach Seats Were Coach Seats (You get what you pay for.)

What more could you ask for??????

This May, were flying from ORD to LAX in First Class. We'll see what the whole enhanced meal in First is all about.

airplaneboy · Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:18 am

Quoting B727skyguy (Reply 40):

Quoting United787 (Reply 11):
Rarely these days do I ever have any customer service interactions.

Is all this lack of personal interaction in our society really a good thing?

.
.
.
I recently flew UA. Their gate area reminded me of flying on WN. UA now queues up their passengers like cattle just like WN. They had five queues with numbers corresponding with zone numbers. Passengers had to queue up behind the appropriate number before the plane even arrived. I'm not saying it was necessarily bad. It just reminded me very much of flying WN.

What is there that's cattle car like about organized boarding? WN has the most organized boarding, versus the other airlines with zones and passengers rushing the gate area...

cvg2lga · Thu Mar 12, 2015 5:30 am

Quoting B727skyguy (Reply 40):
UA now queues up their passengers like cattle just like WN. They had five queues with numbers corresponding with zone numbers

Whatever keeps people out of the hallways and from crowding in front of the gate/jetway.

Tchau

DA-

cosyr · Thu Mar 12, 2015 2:52 pm

Is there any place that has some pictures of the concepts? Maybe the design firm that is helping them with it? Does anyone know who that is?

The video from the Tribune just shows the AA ticketing area.

nyc2theworld · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:21 pm

On one of my trips through ORD I took a picture of a concept gate.

2015 United Airlines Gate Concept at ORD

adamblang · Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:44 pm

Quoting cosyr (Reply 46):
Is there any place that has some pictures of the concepts? Maybe the design firm that is helping them with it? Does anyone know who that is?

Sorry for the poor framing. Not getting run over by travelers and avoiding stares for being the weirdo taking photos of an airport gate is difficult sometimes.

B4:

B8:

B10:

[Edited 2015-03-12 08:47:31]

cosyr · Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:26 pm

Looks wise, I love it! Modern, welcoming and fresh.

Couple questions, if anyone has observed them in action? I'm curious how the cluster of group 3, (or 4 if I'm misunderstanding which side you stand on?) works in terms of flow? I could imagine a triangular mob, elbowing their way to the front in a tense situation.

How does it work for late arriving Premier's, do they still have a blue carpet lane, or do you just go through your designated # and hope to jump ahead?

I think the swiveling monitor is a great touch, both for ease of customer service, and a subconscious level of transparency, removing the implication that passengers aren't allowed to see information. I would be a little concerned about the lack of division from hot headed, irate customers. I have seen my fair share of bumped or otherwise unhappy fliers, reach over the tall desks and make aggressive gestures at gate agents out of frustration

. Without the height of those counters, some passengers in moments of poor judgement, (or high levels of inebriation

), could turn an heated conversation into a physical threat to the employee easier. It's possible that they more inviting nature might reduce the number of people that get to that stage, but hopefully no harm comes from the remaining few who do.

I'd be curious to see the long term changes to people's behavior if they do not have the high counter to lean on. Will that make already tired passengers more unstable, or will the forced upright stance urge people to remain more professional?

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