United Airlines just blew away my Aruba trip

[D1andonlyDman]

I had been ticketed to travel to Aruba in the beginning of May, using 35K of United Miles. Fortunately, I had not yet booked my hotels.

This morning, I got a automated phone message from UA advising me to call about changes to my flight. Well, it turns out that United now only flies into and out of Aruba once a week - on Saturdays. Previously, they had 3 flights a week, and I was on one of the mid-week flights. End Result, UA had no alternative routings to offer, and my only option was for them to cancel my trip and refund my miles (and the small amount of money I was also charged for taxes and fees). I had come very close to having booked a non-refundable hotel stay, which, thankfully, I had not yet done, because I was low-balling my Priceline bids due to the poor economy, so I had not yet bid the amount that I knew it would take to get a Hotel room.

The story has a happy ending: I just used my refunded miles to book a trip to Kauai and the Big Island instead, and got a better deal on Hotels than I would have in Aruba in any case. Hopefully, UA won't stop flying to Hawaii in the next 2 months as well.

[Seat13F_AC_CRJ]

Your post is probably better suited to the UA than the Caribbean forum. It is nice to hear you were satisfied with the happy ending, but you might have tried to negotiate flights on another carrier with UA if you were really set on seeing AUA.
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13F

[D1andonlyDman]

Truth was, I was actually having 2nd thoughts about Aruba, given the persistence of the high hotel prices I was seeing. So I was glad to use the refunded miles for Hawaii instead, where I got some great deals including the Hapuna Prince for $105 a night via Priceline).

[slawecki]

you are indeed very fortunate. i would not to go to aruba unless paid. aruba is a bake in the sun with other bakers.

i think big island, particularly the east side, is absolutely wonderful. horrendous ride from east coast, but worth the trip, and worth the expense. the west coast is quite attractive and has many baking beautiful sites for those of that ilk.