Names

Don't ever name your child the same name as you. It confuses everyone, from doctors to insurance carriers to airlines. USAir and United won't let me check-in online any more, since it can't figure out what to do with Jonathan and me. We both have different frequent flyer numbers, but it is confused. USAir says to call United, and United says to call USAir. A "Pearl Smith" (there's a Indian name...) at United says though she won't take responsibility for what she says, and it is her real name, I should wait in line at USAirways.And she apparently owns United Airlines, as, "there isn't anyone higher than her". I did eventually get her to admit that she lied when she said it was her real name, that it is actually her work name. She also claims that she is the only "Pearl" at all of United, which I suppose might be true, but given all the rest that she said, somewhat doubtful. There is no way to be reconnected back to her, and thus no accountability.

I guess the solution is to just never fly on United again, all these double-booked flights make everything so confusing. Hopefully, we will get to Boston.
Posted by Jon Daley on April 20, 2006, 8:01 am | Read 4431 times
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Also, don't call your child by his middle name instead of his first name; it does provide a nice bit of anonymity at times, but it's mostly a pain because computers don't handle it well.
Posted by SursumCorda on April 20, 2006, 9:46 am
Sometimes it's really difficult to be a good consumer when customer service people have such bad manners.
Posted by serina on April 24, 2006, 7:52 am
We did make it to Boston, and back! When Jon went to the kiosk and it didn't work, the lady came up to handle it. She ended up splitting the reservation, so that Jon and Jonathan were separate. On the way home, Jonathan and I were able to get our boarding passes from the kiosk, but it wouldn't print Jon's. So he went to the line and got that done. They have all seemed to think there is no real solution to the problem. This seems strange to me - aren't there so many people who are Juniors? I would think it would happen all the time.
Posted by joyful on April 25, 2006, 2:36 pm
Dad says it might work better now that Jonathan has actually flown under his own frequent flyer number. It may not have recognized them as separate because Jonathan's was so new.
Posted by SursumCorda on April 25, 2006, 2:51 pm
I am not sure if the frequent flyer number helps. I think they use that to get your name to compare to the existing reservations, ie. you are stored in their system based on name, not based on frequent flyer number, which I guess makes sense, since not all people have numbers.

I think it was United's fault, that they knew the middle initial, but didn't tell USAir.

I think it was sort of funny that she put Jonathan flying by himself and Heather and I together. Seems like the wrong order.
Posted by Jon Daley on April 25, 2006, 3:00 pm
More United bureaucratic foul-ups: Porter still hasn't gotten credit for all his United flights because they can't handle the fact that his reservations were in his first name (required by his employer) and his FF card is in his middle name (which he has always gone by). I can understand, somewhat, why a computer might be confused, but a real person should have been able to merge the two. Not so; not by phone, not in person. They said the only way it could be done was for him to send a letter with proof that he is who he thinks he is and they would change the name on his card -- they can't put him down as both names. But nothing has happened and when he called to ask they said it normally takes two to four WEEKS and will be even longer this time because they are moving to a different state. (And thus are losing their mail?) Hrmph. I haven't noticed that bill collectors allow you to be late with a payment just because you're moving. With his characteristic talent for turning a phrase, his new response to all these problems is "United: We hate to fly and it shows." (Is anyone reading this old enough to remember the Delta slogan?) Well, the next flight is with USAir, so either it will work or he will have another airline to do battle with.

Keep this in mind when choosing names for your children.
Posted by SursumCorda on May 14, 2006, 1:01 pm

Part of our trouble with Lufthansa was due to the middle names, that caused numerous delays due to having a "Jonathan Daley", "Jonathand Daley", "Jonathan David Daley", and Jonathandavi Daley" all registered to fly on the plane.

Posted by jondaley on January 18, 2009, 9:33 am
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