United Airlines sass warning

[Montrose]

I know this has been mentioned in previous threads but I thought I'd share my recent experience of last weekend.

I flew back to EZE after a couple of months in the USA on United Airlines. As others have mentioned, when I arrived at the airport to check in they said that I HAD to have proof of onward travel or Argentina would deport me. I argued with them as I knew this wasn't true but they wouldn't budge (and were pretty rude). Finally I agreed to buy a refundable ticket (for a whopping $2,000!!) that I told them I was going to cancel immediately, but they didn't care about this.

Then, JUST as I was getting my card out so I could get on the damn plane, someone comes wandering out of the back room with a rule book in their hands and says "Oh... I guess we are just supposed to advise you that you should have proof of onward travel. I guess we can't require you to buy a ticket".

I was pretty pissed, as I knew that the idiot checking me in was just following her orders, but there seems to be a woeful lack of correct information as to what their procedure ACTUALLY is. During this process I had 5 people all arguing with me telling me that they are not required to advise me at the time of ticket purchase of this policy of THEIRS and that it is up to the traveler to know the rules of their destination country. Which, HAH, I happen to know just fine.

Needless to say, I will not be flying United again in the future.

 

[sketchyblueeyes]

hey - i know that some airlines in the US actually DO require you to have proof of onward travel. What I've done in the past is buy a changeable buquebus ticket to uruguay - that way, i don't run into any trouble leaving the USA and i already have a nice cheap buquebus ticket ready for a visa run

 

[Montrose]

I don't mind if an airline wants to have that policy for itself, but United did not mention anything about this when I purchased the ticket, and when I pointed that out to their staff they told me that they don't have to let the traveler know anything- that it's up to the traveler to know the rules of their destination country. The issue here would be that this is not a rule of the destination country at all but a policy of the airline, and if an airline wants to have that policy they should make it clear before the ticket is purchased.

The Buquebus ticket is a good idea though, but I still won't fly United again. Apart from this issue they are still a pretty crappy airline

 

[starlucia]

Since this seems to be a policy only some airlines uphold, does anyone have experience with one-way tickets on Lufthansa? I'll be flying from Madrid to Ezeiza in September, with no sort of onward travel booked. Does anyone know whether airlines accept bus tickets in this situation? I might do the refundable airfare thing just for peace of mind, but figured I'd ask for some anecdotes first

 

[sketchyblueeyes]

I don't know about lufthansa, i do know that other US airlines have accepted bus tickets for my boyfriend

 

[luismarcos]

i just change the dates on a previous eticket from aerolineas from about 7 years ago, and just print the thing up...that always does the trick for airline workers who are just covering their asses

 

[John.St]

I flew back to EZE after a couple of months in the USA on United Airlines. As others have mentioned, when I arrived at the airport to check in they said that I HAD to have proof of onward travel or Argentina would deport me.

United Airlines has merged with Continental Airlines.

Their president is
Jeffery A. Smisek (*)
President and Chief Executive Officer, United Continental Holdings, Inc.
(847) 700-4000
[email protected]

His bio: http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-govBio&ID=204741

United Airlines World Headquarters
77 West Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Telephone: (312) 997-8000

Needless to say, I will not be flying United again in the future.

Tell him - he doesn't know how UA/CA customers are treated, but unless he is completely useless, he sure is interested in finding out what they keep hidden from him.

(* Executives should only be contacted when your letter or email has not been acknowledged within six to eight weeks)

- ignore it, I once had problems with staff at a lower level in an American company. I wrote directly to the CEO and he made things happen on the double. I received a letter of apology from a vice president, problem solved immediately and preferential service for months following the incident.

I assume something like this was said later when I ordered: "Careful, that's the *sshole who complained to old Jeffery and the VP was p*ssed of because he had to apologize".

 

[John.St]

Since this seems to be a policy only some airlines uphold, does anyone have experience with one-way tickets on Lufthansa?

Last time I arrived on Lufthansa on a return ticket EZE-Frankfurt-EZE - no problems. Lufthansa obviously knows the Argentine rules, United doesn't.

Edit: It's a good idea to have a number ready for your entry visa, they sometimes ask: use LA5720 - Santiago de Chile to Madrid. /edit

 

[Montrose]

starlucia-

United said that ANY kind of proof of travel out of Argentina would have been fine for them, so you should be ok with a bus ticket or something.

John St- I might write, it was really annoying to be told that I'M the one who doesn't know what's going on...

 

[John.St]

John St- I might write, it was really annoying to be told that I'M the one who doesn't know what's going on...

Of course you were - I would have exploded, leaving the UA staff to clean my blood and guts from floor, ceiling and walls

Tell the Continental Airlines/United Airlines' CEO what's happening in his company, their lousy customer handling. If he is interested in his company, he'll get , p*ssed off and kick some *ss.

Be very polite and correct in your letter: Dear Sir, I have had a most unfortunate experience ... but do write him a letter.