After United Airline‘s online systems assured me as of 7pm that my 8:40 flight from Boston to DC was only 45 minutes late, I arrived at the airport to be told by the unhelpful person behind the counter that they’d actually cancelled the flight that afternoon. (I’d also checked with a living person over the telephone.)

But that’s just your usual traffic snarl. Kafka didn’t step in until I said that the subsitute flight they wanted to put me on at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon wouldn’t work, but I still wanted to fly back with my ticket on Monday. Fine, said the unhelpful telephone support person, but that will have to be repriced up as a one way fare.

Ah, yes, that’s how to develop customer loyalty! [Tags: marketing united_sucks airlines travel kafka whines]

I was supposed to join a bunch of folks I really like, talking with NPR about social media. But it looks like I may not be able to get there until late afternoon tomorrow, at which point I assume it’s not worth my going. (Disclosure: It’s pro bono consulting.) Too bad. I was looking forward to it.

Categories: Uncategorized dw