• Flight from Europe to U.S. when I became violently ill prior to departing Europe. Unbeknownst to me, I had acquired a "severe case of Hep. A" virus. I was so ill I seriously thought I was going to die and infact later became life threateningly ill. During my flights home, I was unable to gain comfort and endeavored to garner additional items such as pillows, blankets, fluids, etc. to no avail. When I need flight attendant assistance, after ringing the service bell for in excess of 20 minutes, to no avail, my sister approached a flight attendant whom merely chastised her from my being on the plane. We never received kind treatment that flight. The sensitivity United displayed was chilling, at best. However, I have seen it time and time again, on to others.
• My repeated experiences have been, most especially on transatlantic flights, that United Flight Attendants have an unpublished collective break rule, which keeps nearly all of them in the back hanging out for a good several hours of a flight. And boy, are they unhappy should you gather around to get something. Certainly less so in Business and First, but I have had to serve myself in all classes.
• Most recently and Most Importantly: is my recent disappointment from United. In my endeavor to use mileage from my account and make my annual run to the South Pacific, I spent hours working on flights to/from Sydney, Melbourne, and/or Auckland during the Mardi Gras period. My original efforts to fly business were thwarted, and I was offered one way business and one-way coach, at full business mileage deduction. After finally getting on several wait lists and guaranteeing a reservation in coach (at least I facilitated a res.), I was told to call back and ticket up to/incl the 16th Jan. I called back 7 times, and still had nothing worthy of losing a guaranteed res. On the 16th, I called to ticket. Alas, I had the luxury of finding that my reservation had been cancelled and that no seats were/are available. How thoughtful of United. I now have prepaid party tickets, prepaid hotel reservations, time off, and now no flights.

I have flown so little on United in the past year, that I now qualify for nothing, which will further insure my lack of flying with the airline, as I could not imagine what you are treated like without preferences.

I have seen some improvements, but not enough, nor fast enough. I have actually received a "good customer" comment note from a First Class flight attendant, during Thanksgiving Day, and I awarded her one of United's Customer Service tickets that came in my premier mailing, for EXCEPTIONAL service. Unfortunatley, it is not often I have been able to use them, and I always carry them when I fly United.

Maybe United need reward me with a good customer award and meet the original reservation I had before United waived its hand and got rid of my reservation.

If you have any doubt of what I have gone through with United, I will be more than happy to fax over my repeated mailings, faxes, etc., but you should make sure you have your machine filled with paper. I await the generosity of a response on this most recent and prevalent matter.

It is very unfortunate that United is not responding rapidly enough to their customers concerns. From Seattle to the points I fly most often, United has the best routes, not always the best times. And certainly, the programs, when they work are by far the best. But alas, what you must endure to benefit, when you do.

As I now consider myself fully incorporated into the Untied.Com club for disgruntled passengers, I have forwarded a copy of this request/complaint to their attention.

Thank you for your time in reviewing these matters.

CC: Mr. David Coltman, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, United Airlines
Mr. John Edwardson, President, United Airlines
Ms. Denise Harvill, Director of Customer Relations, United Airlines
Ms. Barbara Seating, United Airlines
Complaints at Untied.Com