United Airlines

MSY-EWR-LIS with an open-jaw return from LHR-EWR-MSY. I must confess I tempted fate here as I didn't want to leave New Orleans too early on a Sunday so I opted for the afternoon flight that would connect in Newark with the overnight flight to Lisbon. It was a short connection window (59 minutes) but I decided to risk it. Big mistake. Once we landed - wouldn't you know it - no available gate. So we waited an additional 40 minutes on the tarmac and then another 10 at the gate waiting for someone to operate the jetway to dock with the plane. I sprint off the plane and we were the last two people on the Lisbon flight. As it turns out that flight was delayed about 25 minutes. Our luggage wasn't so fortunate. When we initially inquired upon arrival in Lisbon they said it had been sent to Frankfurt and that it would be arriving on a TAP Air flight from Frankfurt at 3.25 that afternoon after which it would be delivered to us at our hotel. We left Lisbon the next morning and checked at the airport to see where our luggage was. No idea they said - the last reported location of the bags was Frankfurt. Off we flew to Paris - without luggage. Arriving at Paris-Orly (where there is no United presence) the only help we got was from a French ground services attendant who was nice enough and took our information as to where we were staying (in Normandy) but could offer little else. We spent the next 3 nights in Normandy with no luggage and no one attempted to contact us about it. Four days later finally someone from United got a hold of us and told us our luggage had arrived at London Heathrow. Since that was our final night of the trip we just opted to pick it up at the airport the next morning upon check-in and change at the airport lest we go through the hassle of yet another botched bag delivery. Only when we arrived at LHR we were told that our bags were already sent ahead to Newark on an earlier BA flight. So here we were - at the conclusion of an 8-day trip with no luggage. At least we'd be able to collect our bags once we arrived back home in New Orleans. Our bags never made it from Newark that evening. They'd come the next day they said. Finally at 2 in the afternoon almost nine days after I'd checked in the bag I was reunited with it. In one generation United has gone from industry standard to mediocre to absolute lowest common denominator.

Do not take United flight from Honolulu to Guam. The plane and configuration used is for domestic flights plus there is no inflight entertainment. I fly business first all the time with United. This flight was nearly 8 hours and it was like flying with a 3rd world airline. Food was terrible. An unbelievable experience for an airline that generally does very well.

Business class AMS-ORD-YVR. Check in went very smooth departure with 15 minutes delay due to air traffic control. I was seated in a window seat which was ok but if you want to get out of it you have to bother your neighbor. Flight attendants were quite old no youngsters like on flights with KLM. Food selection and service were good. Also the inflight entertainment was sufficient. With a small delay we landed at ORD. The flight to YVR was not special in business. Snack was below average and seat is medium. Overall satisfying and would do it again for the price.

Flew TLV-EWR-SFO and back flights were on time boarding was smooth crew were pleasant and friendly. Food standard airplane but served hot. Experience from flying with other airlines we came equipped with movies books on our tablets.

Flight from Fort Lauderdale to St Johns with connecting flight in Newark. Left Fort Lauderdale late ran to connecting flight with less than 15 mins to spare flight ended up 4 hours delayed but was never updated online or any departure board. Connecting flight Eventually cancelled because of fog in Newfoundland all though other family members arrived home on Air Canada and Westjet without the fog being an issue. They did give us a toiletry bag to take back to hotel we paid for. No apology but was put on a 6 am flight following morning. Terrible service and flights with no entertainment or compensation.

My wife our 10 month old and myself flew from Columbus Ohio to Richmond VA with a stop in Cleveland. Our plane was late getting into Columbus which made us late for our connection in Cleveland. The next available flight wasn't until 8pm that evening giving us a 9 hour layover in Cleveland and causing us to miss the wedding rehearsal dinner we had planned on attending that evening. However when we reached our destination nearly 10hrs from our original arrival time we found that our luggage was lost. We received the same explanation from customer service while our bags flew from Cleveland to Charlotte to who knows where. On our last evening in Richmond a few short hrs from our next departure time and at 2am in the morning the doorbell rang and our luggage appeared for which I then had to pay another $25 to get it back on the plane for our return trip to Columbus. Just when things couldn't get any worse the ticket attendant at Richmond airport told me that my wife and infant's son were on the same ticket and my wife wouldn't need her own to get through security. We stopped and grabbed some coffee said goodbye to our in laws and stood in line to get through security. Once we reached the front of the line the TSA agent told my wife she needed to return to the ticket counter in order to get her own boarding pass. Unbelievable. So we returned to the ticket counter where the attendant who originally issued us our boarding passes proceeded to tell me it was my fault and my wife's name was not showing up on the reservation. Then mysteriously she found her name and printed the correct boarding pass. Once we got through security and to the gate the gate attendant made a snide comment about being the last one's on the plane and charged us another $25 to gate check our carry on bag-the same bag we carried on for free 3 days earlier. I realize United might have slightly cheaper airline tickets but please do yourself a favor and spend an extra few bucks to fly in peace with all of your luggage. In the end our lost bags cost us an extra 200-300 hundred dollars anyway and the service we received in Richmond was absolutely terrible.

LHR-EWR: sat on tarmac at LHR for 3 hours before being informed the flight was cancelled due to a maintenance issue. United tried to re-book us on a flight 24 hours later and only after considerable effort did they find us seats on a (half empty) BA departure. EWR-HR: Flight was overbooked so without asking us we were "upgraded" to Ec. Plus. The net result of which was I lost my aisle seat for a middle. I would have preferred to stay in Ec but was not consulted before being moved. The check-in staff at both LHR and EWR are easily the rudest I have ever come across. Also United don't have on-demand entertainment (someone please tell them its 2014 not 2004) and the seats are uncomfortable and narrow. Unless there is a massive price premium please take my advice and fly with a different airline.

I recently booked a flight to Denver from Kansas City trip cost was $376 avoiding other airports I wanted a one way flight to and fro. Price went to $925. Then while boarding the flight we have a prop plane. The seats were so narrow and of course no air-conditioning. The flight took an exceptionally long time back and forth from Kansas to Denver. I don't understand the United Airline Magazine says how their improving the flight for the customer. I think its time the execs take a flight cause your badly mistaken.

March flights. We were a party of 6 and it was the first time flying United. We flew from Toronto connecting in Chicago and ending up in New Orleans. First they were an hour late taking off. The pilot said they were contracting out the baggage handling so they were slowly putting one bag at a time on the conveyor. As a result we missed the connection in Chicago. Then 3 (or 4 - I lost count) gate changes and delays. The we boarded then de-boarded. They didn't want to assign seats for 3 of our party even though I had bought and paid for the flights 11 months before they over-book and weren't sure 3 of us would make the flight. Finally arrived in New Orleans 6 hours later than scheduled. Of course we weren't seated together. Return flight - one of our party didn't get a seat at all. Had to take a later flight and all that entails.

Just returned from USA. SYD-SFO-LV-NY-SFO-SYD. Overall very good experience - travelling with 3 others inc 2 Children. Upgraded both international legs to economy Plus - makes a world of difference. Staff on Board were very welcoming (not OTT but very professional). Only gripe was that after a late Arrival NY-SFO it was announced that for those connecting to Sydney Australia that plane was being held (there were about 10 of us) and that we needed to proceed to International Gate 102. We all arrived there as quick as possible only to be told the plane was not going to wait and never was. The delay ex NY was not a UA issue - ground staff at Newark. Anyway - proceeded back to Customer Service desk where a fantastic attendant was very helpful provided us with a comp at the Crown Plaza near Airport and gave us some comfort packs. With 777 aircraft replacing 747 ex Sydney United will get my business again (at the right price).