United Airlines review by Christophe

United used to be a good airline company. In the past, if you’d book a coach seat, you would have a carry-on and a check-in bag included, and if you had an extra bag, it was still ok, no extra fee. You would get a free meal, and the entertainment, although it was on the minimalist side (because technology was not what it is today), was properly working (at least, most of the time). Not anymore. Today, well, where do I start? You book a basic economy seat for a price that is proportionally the same as for an economy flight in the past, AND you have to pay for virtually every single thing on top of that. Only one small item allowed with you on the plane (I guess United figured that you might need a pair of extra underwear and socks if you go to the other side of the country) and they will give you a hard time if you bring a second one (like your camera bag, for instance). Which means that, if you bring a small item with you, along with a luggage of carry-on size, they will ask you to check that luggage in and you will have to pay a $25 fee. If you have an actual check-in luggage on top, that will be considered second check-in luggage, an extra $35. If you book a round trip, that’s already an extra $120 on top of your ticket price. Now, note that I am traveling alone. Imagine being in that situation with a family… Once you are on the plane, no meal other than the usual boring pretzels and a glass of cheap soda or juice. Prices for extra food/drinks are, of course, comfortably marked-up (food and drinks that are of questionable quality). I’m not even mentioning the ever missing extra blankets despite the still totally dysfunctional temperature management on the plane. Now, moving onto the entertainment part: extraordinarily, United has managed to make YOU, the ticket payer, use your own electronic devices and ear sets, so they can save thousands of dollars by not having to build-in an entertainment system for your plane section. How amazingly smart is that? Instead, they royally connect you to their internal server (of course, if you want real internet, it’s extra. And not cheap) and allow you to download a ridiculously impractical software plug-in that, if you ever finally manage to download and use it, turns out to be the worst piece of garbage I’ve ever used on a plane to watch a movie. I eventually had to stop the experience. You simply can’t deal with a movie that is so chopped up by the constant disconnections from the server that it becomes literally… unwatchable. By the way, absolutely zero electric or USB plug anywhere around your seat to recharge your devices. Only in selective rows. So, what comes next, United? Paying to use the toilets on the plane? Charging a fee to bring our own device? Another fee to have a reclining seat? Where does it end? How much money can you still manage to save on the back of the customer? Lately, almost every single time I took a United flight, I felt you guys were simply trying to squeeze every dollar out of the customer. I couldn’t wait to get out of the plane. Yes, you can always say other companies pull their own tricks on customers, that you have expenses, that the market is bad, etc… I travel all over the world, and many companies that belong to so-called “developing countries” are better than you and treat their customers better than you do. As far as I’m concerned, From now on, I am going to make sure of one thing: to only put my feet on your planes if I have absolutely no other choice.