I am so sad to hear of United Airlines acquisition of Continental Airlines. They claim this will make United the biggest and best airline in the western world. I sadly agree that they may become the biggest but will argue 'the best' for years to come. 

United Airlines Breaks Guitars! The video changed this corporate monster when a destroyed guitar motivated a video that went viral and, in the end, began to cost United big time, right where they could feel it. They ended up making right on that error and the video is still a favorite among musicians the world over. 

You see, the fact is UNITED DOES NOT CARE AT ALL. United doesn't care about customers. United doesn't care about any group of people. United doesn't care about anything but profits and, in hind site, bad press that sticks. 

I have noticed that United invites our servicemen to early seating, in a tongue and cheek statement that makes it sound like they love our military guys. But what I believe was in the news a while back was a scandal that they got busted by the press for treating our service men and woman like crap. It blew up and now they kiss butt because they don't like the bad press. They don't seem to care about anything unless it costs them in a real financial way. Our military travels all over the world in civilian flights = bad for business.

SO - why am I ranting on United Airlines today?

Because I am sitting in an airport, overnight thanks to a complete lack of any customer service. I had to stand in line staring at a sign that said UNITED CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER and I wanted to call an attorney and sue them for false advertising! 

Let me share my day today. I was scheduled to fly from Sioux Falls South Dakota to Denver and then to Orange County. I have flown many times over the past 25+ years and knew we were running close on time when I was dropped off this morning. 

I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked in the door because it was still over 30 minutes out and there was NO LINE at the ticket counter. I struggled to get to the counter with all my baggage and said something like, "What a treat to be running late and have no line today!" The chick at the Sioux Falls Ticket counter said, "Are you on the 150 to Denver?" I said yes as I handed her my ID and ticket. I was handed back my ID and told to run it in the check in thing. I ran it and looked a little tweaked as I realized it wouldn't do anything.

The chick was real SERVICE oriented as she said, "Your not getting on that flight!" I thn got a barrage of crap for not being there 1 hour before departure and was told I was late and going to have to go on standby. 

I argued with her and it was not log before an asian dude joined in and rudly said, "It's your own fault! You were late! You are contracted by ticket to be here 1 hour before departure. You are late and it's your fault!"

I argued that the verbiage they use is "It is suggested that you arrive at least....." depending on the type of flight. I was told it was in the contract and to bad. I was then told I could go on standby for the next flight.

The fee is 75 dollars to go on standby! I have been flying my entire adult musician life and never heard of a 75 dollar fee to go stand by!?!? I was given no other option so I said fine, "I need to get home!"

This ugly (now) little older lady and her side kick Asian coconspirator slowly checked in my bags and left me running for the gate. Now Sioux Falls is a small little airport with 6 gates and often a quick checkin turn around without incidence. 

Today was a very different day. I was at the gate quickly and say my plane sitting there with the door still open cuz the gate guys were in and out. Of course I asked the guy at the gate about seating and he said the flight booked in full. I asked how could it if I was ticketed and confirmed and he said I was too late! "It is not fair to all the other passengers to have to wait for you. I asked if the plane was leaving in the next 1 minute and he said, "You are NOT getting on this flight!" I asked if all the seats were full ad he said YES!

So I then asked why I was charged $75 bucks if he sold my seat and he said it was policy. "You miss your flight and you will be charged $75 to go to standby."

WOW - SO there I sit for 15 more minutes watching my plane before it pulled back and took off. I was pissed! the clock at the ticket counter said 37 minutes when I walked in. The plane left late. AND the jerks sold my seat AND charged me $75 bucks for the privilege of wasting the rest of my day - night and next day trying to get home!

The next flight out of Sioux Falls was a few hours away. I was on standby and went to get some lunch. I came back and was #6 on the standby list! I was -7 minutes late and can't figure out how 5 other people got in front of me. 

United OVER BOOKS FLIGHTS! STANDBY means NOTHING if you are overbooking and screwing your ticketed passengers at some unknown but acceptable percentage rate. 

I missed that next flight out and had to wait another 2+ hours. At this point I went out to the ticket counter and went a bit nuts!

This guy walks out and I say WHO DO I COMPLAIN TOO?? He said he could take my complaint but said, "If it is due to your missing the flight because you were late, that is just the policy! All United flights and Delta and...." I stopped him by saying WHAT IS POLICY? He started to answer with that same pissy tone he started with and I interrupted again and said United used to have a policy about guitars and 17 million views later they changed that policy! I wonder what the history is on this POLICY? I have flown for 25 years and never had a charge for a standby flight or been treated so crappy and not aloud to check in. 

I said, "I wonder what the history is for this "POLICY" and how long it's been in place." He said, "about 6 months, and I don't really agree with some of the fees either. I told him someone better listen to the wording they use because the airports say 'suggested' and no one reads the agreement thing. I think it is all a bunch of BS! And YES - the industry has discussed removing bathrooms and charging for bathroom use! The fees are OUT OF HAND!!!!

SO I complained to him and told him I didn't need a formal file yet because my day was not over yet. I still had to get home; had spent hours getting no where, and was going to BLOG, post, tweet and blast a full regiment of BAD UNITED chants!

The last flight out of Sioux Falls was at 8pm. Almost 7 hours and very rude people doing ? customer service? I sat there and watched 8 available seats move to 2 while my name stayed #1 and the only name on Standby. I got called up and given a seat - what joy!

But then the Denver airport is reported CLOSED due to bad weather. I had little time between flights and was starting to stress. The flight at Frontier announced boarding to Denver and left and our butt-head dude just got on the intercom and said we had no update and he would let us know when we did. 

An hour late and we board the plane and leave for Denver. I thought maybe the flights out would be a little behind too?? We landed in Denver and then sat - for hours! I guess the fuel tower was hit by lightening and there was no gate open. All the planes were stuck without any fuel and couldn't leave the gates!

I thought that mean that our connecting flights might still be here too but somehow it didn't work that way. By the time I got to the gate there was 1 flight still showing to Ontario and I could not get anyone to help me with that. The entire "CUSTOMER SERVICE" line was a hundred people long! 

Now I had been on the phone all day with my girlfriend getting help from her online. She gave my the customer service number for United and I called and had flights booked by some guy in India long before I got to the front of the line but still went up there to confirm and double check.

It would appear some guy in India did a better job than any of the American United Customer Service had all day. He was actually kinda nice too.

WELL - here I am. And Unfortunately it is still not over. I have been at the Denver Airport for over 4 hours now and have a departure set for noon, with a possible 9 am departure on standby. 

I have tons f time. I can't sleep. I am really pissed at United Airlines and told them I would BLOG, post, rant, tweet, and whatever I could do to share how unhappy I was with these faker's. 

Only 6 more hours before the possible departure for Standby! Then we have a noon booked flight that should work for sure. My issue is why those butt-heads sucked so bad in Sioux Falls

So wanted to be home! So wanted to get started catching up.

So pissed at United for treating people like garbage and for killing so much valuable time today and yesterday! 

 United Airlines Sucks!!!