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United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2016]

Old Jan 7, 2016, 11:42 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Last year's thread United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2015]

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. I think I deserve something from UA -- whom do I contact?

- 1K/GS: Contact UA via the emails on the back of your MP card.
- Other UA Elites: PremierVoice
- All others (including all non-UA elites): Customer Care

Except for a few cases like IDB and some others, UA is under NO OBLIGATION to provide compensation but in some cases may provide a goodwill gesture.

2. What is the Customer Appreciation website?

If you have been told inflight to go to this site or received a "We are sorry for the inconvenience" card, go to the Customer Appreciation website first before contacting Customer Care.

In some cases you may received a direct e-mail, from the Proactive Recovery Operations Team, making a compensation/goodwill offer with a link to accept.

3. What do I get if UA decides to provide me the compensation/goodwill gesture?

UA's compensation/goodwill gesture generally will be provided in a form of ETCs or miles. Currently, the ETCs and miles offered maintains 2 cpm ratio ($50 ETC =2,500 miles).

4. Should I take miles or ETCs, and which one is better?

It is a personal preference, depending how you use the miles/ETCs.

For those booking international premium cabins, miles are likely to provided greater value than 2 cpm. Miles don't expire if you have account activity at least once every 18 months or have a qualified Chase UA-branded credit card.

ETCs have a 1-year validity from initial issuance and can be used on flights operated by UA or as UA Express ONLY. An ETC might have greater value for many domestic trips. For example, a $100 ETC may be sufficient enough to cover much of the cost of your future trip, its equivalent miles (5,000 miles) does not. And the ETC trip will earn PQDs (no value subtraction), PQM/Ss & RDMs. See Consolidated "Various tips for using an electronic certificate (TCVA & 016)" [Merged] for detail.

5. What recourse do I have other than Customer Care?

You should consider everything with Customer Care is final. However, if you want to push further, you can try emailing UA executives (including the CEO). UA is known to respond customers' emails.

6. What about DOT?

If you believe your concerns may fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), contact DOT via the Air Travel Complaint - Comment Form.

Please note - What the DOT does is to refer your complaint to UA and require UA to respond. DOT does not usually handle your complaint unless your complaint involves in violating DOT regulations.

7. What about if I have been "Involuntary Denied Boarding" (IDB) by UA?

See Is this IDB? Am I entitled to IDB compensation? [Consolidated]

8. What about baggage claim?

Contact Baggage Resolution Service Center

9. What about if I have a EC261/2004 claim against UA?

See Best Practices for Filing EU 261 Claims Against United?

10. What if I get downgraded (traveling in a lower cabin then I was booked)?

See Downgraded from First/Business Class on United (Questions, Compensation, etc.) [2016]
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United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2016]

Old Jan 2, 2016, 11:30 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 92
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2016]

My dad was on UA835 ORD-PVG cancelled on 1/1 due to mechanical; Departed on 1/2 after 22 hrs delay; Hotel was offered but given up since I live in Chicago, thus he was offered $21 airport concession voucher.

I went to united.com/appreciation and was prompted 10,000 miles or $200 cert. He has no status. Was this amount reasonable? Any chance to call and see if they can increase the offer?

I was once on UA199 PVG-LAX cancelled due to mechanical and scheduled on the next day in 2013. I was offered 17500 miles and I took it. So I was quite disappointed with only 10000 miles.
jiangning is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2016, 12:53 pm
  #2  
 
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Location: SEA
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My in laws were booked on that 1/2 UA835 flight, which was delayed for 9 hours. Neither has status anymore. The offer was 6250 miles or $125 ecert offer for both. They were each given a $14 concession voucher as well.
y2chen is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2016, 2:37 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SYD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC, HHonors Silver
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I was on the 1/1 UA839 LAX-SYD, diverted to HNL due to medical emergency. Was booked on an award BF seat with miles, ended up on a JQ Y class between HNL-SYD for an overall ~7hr delay into Sydney (admittedly, a lot better than most others who didn't make the checkin cutoff for JQ and had an overnight stay and a delay of 13 to 22hrs).

As 1K, I received an email offer for 15,000 miles or $300 e-certs which is think is rather reasonable.

Last edited by benly2; Jan 3, 2016 at 2:53 pm
benly2 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2016, 2:51 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, DL Plat,Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Marriott PP, National EE,Hertz PC
Posts: 678
Originally Posted by jiangning
My dad was on UA835 ORD-PVG cancelled on 1/1 due to mechanical; Departed on 1/2 after 22 hrs delay; Hotel was offered but given up since I live in Chicago, thus he was offered $21 airport concession voucher.

I went to united.com/appreciation and was prompted 10,000 miles or $200 cert. He has no status. Was this amount reasonable? Any chance to call and see if they can increase the offer?

I was once on UA199 PVG-LAX cancelled due to mechanical and scheduled on the next day in 2013. I was offered 17500 miles and I took it. So I was quite disappointed with only 10000 miles.
Interesting, I was on 947 which cancelled on 1/2 due to a mechanical on the inbound and had a 24 hour delay. Automated email came shortly after the cancellation, as a 1K was offered either $200 voucher or 10,000 miles...

Selected the voucher and curious to see it included a release from all liability. Pretty sure the EU261 brochure they handed me at the ticket counter explicitly stated that the EU261 compensation was separate from anything else.
pagotto is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2016, 6:26 am
  #5  
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Posts: 13,811
Originally Posted by pagotto
Interesting, I was on 947 which cancelled on 1/2 due to a mechanical on the inbound and had a 24 hour delay. Automated email came shortly after the cancellation, as a 1K was offered either $200 voucher or 10,000 miles...

Selected the voucher and curious to see it included a release from all liability. Pretty sure the EU261 brochure they handed me at the ticket counter explicitly stated that the EU261 compensation was separate from anything else.
IANAL.

EC261 is a statutory compensation. Any waiver/release can be seen as a measure to go against public policy.

I would rather push for the EC261 compensation instead of the ecert. But I am sure that UA will let you have both.
garykung is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2016, 1:24 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Lincoln, NE
Programs: Marriott , United, Delta, Priority Club
Posts: 151
Mine is a question-- my wife voluntarily bumped and received an $800 voucher to delay leaving from St. Louis to Lincoln, NE, which seems like a ridiculous amount to arrive the same day but she took it. It was Dec. 31 so they must have been desperate for volunteers. Anyway, her flight from StL ended up being delayed and she missed her connecting flight at ORD. They ended up flying her to Omaha instead of Lincoln and it was about 90 minutes late. Do you think I should try for compensation since we had to drive an extra hour both ways to pick her up and get home late, even though she had already been compensated for her voluntary bump?
mclymerne is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2016, 1:30 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Former 1KMM now free as UA Gold MM, former HH D, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 1,121
Originally Posted by mclymerne
Do you think I should try for compensation since we had to drive an extra hour both ways to pick her up and get home late, even though she had already been compensated for her voluntary bump?
Can't hurt to ask as the bump is a separate transaction from the rebooked flights on which she ended up. However, you'll likely only get something if the delay (from the rebooked itinerary) was 3-4 hours (including the delay to drive from OMA to LNK). You can't count the delay from the original itinerary.
bmr12 is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2016, 6:02 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 690
Got a $150 ecert for a mechanically caused ~16 hour overnight delay, and had to write in to customer service to receive that. Also got 2x $7 meal vouchers and a hotel. Really thought an overnight mechanical would work out to more than $150, but apparently not.
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Old Jan 5, 2016, 1:00 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by mclymerne
Do you think I should try for compensation since we had to drive an extra hour both ways to pick her up and get home late, even though she had already been compensated for her voluntary bump?
No one will stop you from asking.

But IMHO, it is a bad idea. The VDB compensation (in any amounts) is to compensate any delays and inconveniences caused as a result of being a volunteer. You can't really blame UA for any further delay, because it is foreseeable that VDB can easily result further delay and the ETC should cover it.

In fact, many VDBed pax are rebooked to alternative airports when available.
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Old Jan 5, 2016, 2:30 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
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IAH - LHR on 1/1. About 30 seats in economy had no in flight entertainment. We were lucky enough to be in a row missing all 3.

Flight attendants handed out united.com/inflightresponse cards. Offer was $100 e-cert or 5k miles when we went online. None of us have United status.
zerovector is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2016, 5:57 pm
  #11  
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Posts: 92
Originally Posted by y2chen
My in laws were booked on that 1/2 UA835 flight, which was delayed for 9 hours. Neither has status anymore. The offer was 6250 miles or $125 ecert offer for both. They were each given a $14 concession voucher as well.
LOL, we saw 835 was delayed on 1/2 and guessed the compensation amount might be 6250 miles. Bingo!
jiangning is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2016, 11:31 pm
  #12  
mkr
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Posts: 1,334
What amounts of Customer Care compensation does 1K voice give?

I recently sent an email to 1K Voice to document a problem and make a suggestion to send on to the appropriate UA department to improve operations for the future. I did not request any compensation, I just wanted to try to improve procedures.

I got a response within 24 hrs. and they also gave me Customer care compensation of 6250 miles.

Is there some kind of standard amount UA Customer care hands out?

Did they give me this because I was a 1K, or would they have done this for others as a standard?

Do they also have discretion to hand out e-certs?

If so, is there some kind of standard amount for the e-certs?

Could I call them back, thank them for the miles, but request an e-cert instead? I have more use for an e-cert than the miles. I can get 8250 miles for 3 $25 car rentals with Hertz, so I would rather have an e-cert than the 6250 miles.

How does UA value these Customer Care compensation miles?
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Old Jan 8, 2016, 12:20 am
  #13  
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Join Date: Jan 2011
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Posts: 3,319
Originally Posted by mkr
I recently sent an email to 1K Voice to document a problem and make a suggestion to send on to the appropriate UA department to improve operations for the future. I did not request any compensation, I just wanted to try to improve procedures.

I got a response within 24 hrs. and they also gave me Customer care compensation of 6250 miles.

Is there some kind of standard amount UA Customer care hands out?

Did they give me this because I was a 1K, or would they have done this for others as a standard?

Do they also have discretion to hand out e-certs?

If so, is there some kind of standard amount for the e-certs?

Could I call them back, thank them for the miles, but request an e-cert instead? I have more use for an e-cert than the miles. I can get 8250 miles for 3 $25 car rentals with Hertz, so I would rather have an e-cert than the 6250 miles.

How does UA value these Customer Care compensation miles?
I got 10k miles for a complaint about a trifecta of 1. broken IFE remote, 2. expired yogurt served and 3. late bag at carousel
helvetic is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2016, 12:32 am
  #14  
mkr
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Posts: 1,334
Originally Posted by helvetic
I got 10k miles for a complaint about a trifecta of 1. broken IFE remote, 2. expired yogurt served and 3. late bag at carousel
Did you request compensation, or simply document your problems and 1K voice sent you the 10,000 miles without your asking for compensation?

I have read from other posts about UA having a "compensation guide". Is this guide something that is published that we on Flyertalk can read?
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Old Jan 8, 2016, 6:17 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,842
Originally Posted by mkr
I recently sent an email to 1K Voice to document a problem and make a suggestion to send on to the appropriate UA department to improve operations for the future. I did not request any compensation, I just wanted to try to improve procedures.

I got a response within 24 hrs. and they also gave me Customer care compensation of 6250 miles.

Is there some kind of standard amount UA Customer care hands out?

Did they give me this because I was a 1K, or would they have done this for others as a standard?

Do they also have discretion to hand out e-certs?

If so, is there some kind of standard amount for the e-certs?

Could I call them back, thank them for the miles, but request an e-cert instead? I have more use for an e-cert than the miles. I can get 8250 miles for 3 $25 car rentals with Hertz, so I would rather have an e-cert than the 6250 miles.

How does UA value these Customer Care compensation miles?
From my experience, UA values these at .02 a mile. If you would write n and suggest that a $ amount would serve you better, they will probably exchange the 6250 miles of a $125 ecert. Let us know if it works out for you.. Safe Travels
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