bring back the e-fare prices!

A mail I sent to United yesterday…

Regarding your weekly E-Fare emails, they’re one of the few pieces of corporate spam that I enjoy reading because of the possibility they contain within.

As I open the mail, my mind wonders, “Where might I travel this weekend? Peoria? Rapid City? Bismarck?” The E-Fares have opened my mind to visiting much of middle America, real America.

Fly-over states no longer… Nay, more like fly-to states!

Unfortunately, the format of the E-Fare e-mail has changed recently. No longer are the prices listed. And I consider this to be as great a loss as economy-class meals.

(Well, maybe not; losing out on economy-class meals was actually a net plus as it helped cut my sodium intake by 5000%.)

But seriously, I think including the prices in the E-Fare email is important. I might not be willing to visit Springfield, MO at $90 each way, but for $80, I’m in! Show me, baby!

By not listing prices, you force me to visit your web page and actively search for a DEN-SGF booking, which as we all know, no one in their right mind would ever do.

So please don’t make us stoop to such levels, and include the prices in your E-Fare mails.

Thanks! And I’ll see you in Albuquerque next week!

-Alex

And they responded within 24 hours! Predictably drab corporate speak, but it did come from a real human being.

Dear Mr. Chiang,

Your concern regarding the format of weekly E-Fare emails is understood.

I understand how important is for our customers to view the price of promotional offers. Please know that I have shared your feedback with our Website Administrators Team for their information and internal review.

As a Premier Associated member of our Mileage Plus Program, you are especially important to United and we look forward to serving you soon.

Regards,

Puneet Narang
United Airlines Customer Relations