I have been a member of the mileage plus program for United Airlines for years and have enjoyed many flights as well as spent thousands of dollars on their credit card to get more miles. I had accrued over 195,000 miles but because I had a hip replacement this last year and the economy kind of got me so I haven't been able to take time off -- I didn't use the miles. That's usually OK if you do some activity on your account every two years, it keeps your miles from expiring.
However, I didn't realize it was only 18 months and when I logged on to my account this evening, they had taken away my 195,000 plus miles --
I WAS ONLY LATE SIX DAYS PAST THE 18 MONTHS!!! I immediately called them, thinking there must be a grace period or some reasonable solution. But here were my choices: 1. pay them $400 to get my miles back 2. Take out a Chase credit card (that I don't need) and pay $200 for the card to get my miles back or 3. Fly somewhere in 90 days and I can get my miles back.
If I wasn't 67 and just had hip surgery and will be getting knee surgery and wasn't poor, those things would be fine. But I think it's really unconscionable to ask that of a long time member with no grace or flexibility at all. Being treated this way by United Airlines makes me want to tell all of you to fly any other airline but United and watch those miles carefully.
I have talked to the customer service center at Mileage Plus and even a supervisor there and they were no help at all. There was no grace period or flexibility at all to help their customers. I have sent an email to their United Airlines headquarters at
[email protected] but have not heard anything back yet.
The first response I got yesterday from United was a "cookie cutter" canned response of the same options I listed above. I shot back my response that it would be nice if they read my letter. Within hours I did get a more personal response that asked for documentation of my surgery. I got that immediately and sent it out early this morning. As of that time I have heard nothing back from them so I just sent a note asking for when I could expect a response. Thanks to you all for your support. Keep the message out there demanding that United be customer service oriented rather than rigid and greedy. If they keep their miles they won't have to honor them.
So it was last Friday morning when I gave them the information they asked for and nothing -- not even a confirmation they received my documents, even though they had been responding in a timely manner! So I've now written twice asking for a response to my documentation. Whatever happened to customer care? LOL
I'm not sure who they hire to work what they euphemistically call "customer care" - even though they asked for medical documents, it's as if they can't read an entire letter and get a whole picture of my situation. So they denied my request for special consideration because I might have been able to fly sometime in the last year and a half and I could have done something, like transfer points to keep the miles alive. They are also insisting I have been receiving regular updates as to the status of my United account, which I have not - I probably haven't gotten an email from them in over a year. So they keep finding reasons to say no and it is so frustrating because they are taking one tiny part of what I am saying and refuting it rather than look at the whole picture -- older lady on disability, dealing with hip degeneration, surgery and recovery over the last year, who just didn't focus on her United account due to trying to survive!~~ And, if like the other airlines, they gave you 2 years to add an activity, it wouldn't have been a problem. But here we are and they are really very rigid and hurtful. Again, I recommend you fly other airlines that give you more time to use your miles and also may have better customer service and problem solving.
