December 27, 2001

United Airlines Sucks

I get to the airport and begin standing in line for the United Airlines counter -- the only ticket line in the airport -- to check in for my flight to Chicago and then onto Boise. Delta has no line. US Air has no line. Continental has no line. United...has a line.

So, I'm in the aforementioned line when I look at the departure board behind the counter only to see that my flight to Chicago has been cancelled. "The aircraft was damaged in Chicago," the counterwoman said.

The last couple of times I've been on flights that have been cancelled, Delta Airlines called to inform me of an inconvenience. Does United? NnnnNOOOOooooooooooooo. I wouldn't be writing about it if they had.

Moving on . . .

So I find out that the first flight to get me to Boise is a flight that sends me on a virtual tour of the country, zig-zagging around my beloved homeland for nine hours. The flight leaves in the morning at 6:45. First, I fly to Dulles, Va. Dulles? Yes, Dulles. Then, in a more logical turn, I get on another plane and fly at least in the correct direction -- west -- to Denver, Colorado. And finally, after yet another change in planes and O.J. across another airport, I fly to Boise (that's Boy - see), Idaho, to get there around 2 p.m.

It's not over yet . . .

So to add insult to injury, I parked my truck in the long-term lot thinking I wasn't going to be back to it for several days. I asked if the airline would pay for parking since they turned me away because of my cancelled flight -- not that they neglected to call and tell me that I didn't have to come down to the airport or anything like that. Do they? HELL NO! The same counterwoman in a not-so-convincing tone: "I'm sorry, we don't pay for parking." So I got stuck paying $2 to park at the airport for 45 minutes only to find out that I had to get right back in my truck and drive home.

Hey United. I WANT MY $2!!!!!!!

- Rich