United lets employees compensate dissatisfied customers with vouchers for flights

Back in September, new United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz wrote a public letter acknowledging that the carrier wasn't exactly giving fliers the treatment they deserved, and pledged changes were coming. Well, here's one change customers will appreciate: as blogger Brian Sumers reported, the airline is refocusing on its program giving airport employees the opportunity to compensate fliers who have encountered poor service with as much as $125 to spend on future flights.

Though, apparently, not all customer satisfaction has equal priority. These electronic certificates will vary in amount based upon a customer’s elite status with the airline. Top level Global Services and 1K fliers (plus those seated in premium cabins) will receive as much as $125, while non-status fliers in the economy cabin can get up to $50.

As Sumers reports, United has issued examples on situations where a certificate could be warranted, including rude service from a fellow employee, delayed baggage, or simply as an offer of customer appreciation (for example, if someone is willing to change seats so that a family can sit together). The airline has instituted a limit on these goodwill gestures for passengers of receiving them only six times per six-month period.

United told RWV that agents are being reminded of this program customer service program via an internal memo. Spokesperson Rahsaan Johnson said:

"As we focus more on listening to customers and employees, we decided to remind airport coworkers of their tools and provide more guidance on how to address issues in the moment to better serve our customers. The note we posted for airport employees was designed to make it easier for them to solve customer issues quickly."