United Merger Woes Continue as Airline Amasses Most Complaints, Delays
United Airlines’ merger with Continental has not been trouble-free, and now it appears the carrier has the complaints to prove it.
United Changes Early Boarding for Families
United: Most Complaints in March 2012
According to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, United topped the list for most complaints for March of this year. The complaints were made by consumers to the Department of Transportation in writing, by telephone, via e-mail or in person. Note: The DOT has not determined the validity of the complaints, and the numbers do not include safety complaints which are handled by the Federal Aviation Administration or security complaints which are handled by the Transportation Security Administration.
The worst airlines for complaints are as follows:
|
Airlines – Worst for Complaints March 2012 |
Number of Complaints |
|
United |
260 |
|
US Airways |
73 |
|
American |
71 |
|
Delta |
65 |
3 Airlines Tie for Least Complaints
On the opposite end of the scale, regularly scheduled airlines with the least complaints in March of 2012 were Alaska, Hawaiian and interestingly, United Express with five each, while Virgin America also did well with six complaints.
Complaints about Flights and More
Most of United’s complaints fell in the realm of what government statisticians refer to as scheduling, ticketing and boarding followed by a general category called flight problems which includes misconnections, cancelations and delays.
Oh, Those United Computer Glitches
United: Worst On-Time Arrival Rate
Delays also loomed large for United in another category, as it had the lowest on-time arrival rates for reporting airlines – just 77.4 percent compared to an overall on-time rate of 82.2 percent. The best on-time rate belonged to Hawaiian with a record of 92.5 percent.
United Troubles with Website Integration
One problem for United that appears to be an ongoing one is the integration of its website with Continental’s. According to The Los Angeles Times, passengers aren’t the only ones who have at times been confounded by the new site. United said it has been a “challenge” to retrain longtime employees on the new system, and more training is expected for employees who continue to struggle.