PaulInTheSky

Checked in at LGA, found out UA303 was diverted to PIT. Would misconnect at ORD to MIA.

I: 'Looks like it's delayed and We would be misconnected?'

Agent: 'Yes sir sorry, there's no flight out of LGA that could get you to MIA tonight, but I could put you to EWR non-stop, and we will taxi you there.'

I: 'That will be an hour of drive with three bags. What if we missed the flight at EWR?'

Agent: 'UA would put you to the hotel.'

I:'Sure? 1K domestic weather no, but I heard 1K INTL weather yes?'

Agent:' I have been working in 1K check-in here I can assure you it will be the case.'

I:'AA/DL is right next to us can you put all three of us to MIA non-stop?'

Agent: 'I can't do that, station manager required delay has to be more than four hours to put to other carriers.'

I:'shouldn't misconnect and forced overnight count?'

Agent: 'We can't do nothing here.'

I: 'Ok can I call 1K desk to see what they can do?'

Agent: 'Yes, please make sure they document anything and we will check you in.'

...

1K desk...

I:'Can you put us to AA non-stop?'

1K desk: 'Certainly we can do that for you and your parents, just that RPU will be sent back to you, and it would be in AA Y. '

I: 'I heard LGA station couldn't put us in and agents said the 4-hour rule, true?'

1K desk: 'Er...Yes, 4-hour is right but if that forces a misconnect and er... overnight, coz you can't get home(MIA isn't but ok), er....we will do whatever we can do protect you, on another airline.

The voice of embarrassment from her....

Now? Off we go on AA non-stop.

Why is UA still giving me the 4-hour crap, making us to get to EWR for another hour when we clearly will get misconnected, forced overnight at ORD, when clearly there are flights on AA and DL?

Nice try UA.

mahasamatman

What UA is really guilty of here is lack of training and fostering an environment where agents often lie to hide their lack of knowledge.

Often1

These things ought to all be simple algorithms which present themselves as rebooking options to an agent. It is easier to "train" software than hundreds of agents and then have those folks move on. As the rules change, it is also easier to reprogram than retrain.

Here, the reroute should have showed the AA option on the agent's screen if it was bookable, as soon as the original flight was delayed. If UA wanted to impose a 4-hour rule, easily done, simply impose that on the original flight.

sinoflyer

Whoever is making local decisions in the LGA station probably directed CS agents to use the 4-hour "rule" regarding Rule 240 to OAL--for whatever reasons that stand to benefit them locally but not necessarily the customer. Seasoned travelers know it's pure bull and can smell it from across the East River.

Personally, I'd roll my eyes, excuse myself, and call UA without putting the phone agent on the spot about what the CS agent had said. That's how this game is played--before, now, and as far into the future as I can tell. There's no need to embarrass any additional person, as long as you got the desired outcome. Besides, because I had been on the receiving end of such convos, I have some sympathy for them.

getagb

If you have the agent's name or description, it might be worth putting in a request for retraining through Premier Voice.

Imstevek

Why are you on UA to do LGA-MIA in the first place?

Kacee

Well that was pointless and potentially counter-productive.

When you ask Dad for permission, you don't tell him that Mom already turned you down.

Explorer789

More like hiring unenthusiastic/lazy workers that will not do what it takes to ensure correct procedures are followed. There's no amount of training and memorization that will allow any agent to be fully prepared for all scenarios.

I'm always sympathetic to someone who says "I don't know, let me check" rather than feeding me bs that is wrong and wasting more of my time. Hope OP reported the agent to manager or 1k feedback line.

1k privileges and RPU.

Houstonflyer2139

But LGA-ORD-MIA? At that point even if the drive to EWR took longer then it did to LGA, I would rather just make the longer drive in order to take a nonstop.
It just seems out of the way to do OP's routing.

xliioper

Actually, it's Rule 24 in UA's contract of carriage and there is no actual obligation to put you on another carrier during IRROP's --

"At its sole discretion, UA may arrange for the passenger to travel on another carrier."

UA may have internal policies for when they put passengers on other airliners, but nowhere is it mandated in their CoC.

PaulInTheSky

The funny thing is, when he said he worked at LGA 1K check-in for so many years, he knew all the rules, what to do and what not to do. Of course, he still had to follow what the station manager told him to do. But really? Already at LGA, while 3x LGA-MIA interline rebooking cost is still more than 3x Taxi from LGA to EWR with three bags? Highly doubt how much knowledge that the agent really has at 1K/Polaris check-in desk.

Yet, the .bomb IT, inconsistent policies between the local stations and 1K desk have just made me fed up with some location station reactions in the event of IRROPs. It's not like UA is even dominating at LGA/JFK except maybe EWR.

Yup, would be trying to do that.

+1 on bolded. That is the reason why I am not happy with how the handle the situation.

Other than what Explorer789 mentions, it's:

1. able to confirm R space upon booking for my parents, not available to confirm from any other EWR-MIA when I booked the flights.
2. My dad+mum have UA MP and mum is 1K comped from my 1MM, while they have no AA/DL FFPs.
3. There will be two less RPUs that I need to scratch my head of how to use for the rest of the year.
4. Weekend G fare, difficult to beat.
5. It would be two dinner services, making my parents a bit more enjoying with the UA *enhanced* meal service. They seldom fly UA, and most importantly my dad could have been able to enjoy the booze.
6. Increased baggage allowance.

I got you, sinoflyer, Kacee, yet, I am more of an idealist/optimist who wants UA to keep making improvements on customer/ground service in different locations. I didn't intentionally try to put 1K desk into the tough spot to admit what LGA station was doing was wrong, but more about trying to refresh my knowledge of whether there was any change on domestic IRROPs due to weather. If she's embarrassed, then she knew there were some bad apples there. I kinda agreed with Explorer789 that had LGA local stations or other stations adopted exactly the same policies as 1K desks do, then we are saving a lot of time going back and forth before even call 1K desk to help. Not being able to accomplish a single thing like just sticking with the same airport and going for most trivial non-stop isn't really making our travel experience easier. I am not based out of LGA, so I forgot what their local station is like. Going through this actually would help me readjust my expectation of whether I can rely on them in the near future.


Actually I would have taken that if we have not already been at LGA. We ubered our way from Upper East Manhattan to LGA already for 30-40min, it would have been bad to go back through Manhattan and then to EWR, even if it's accommodated by UA. If they called me ahead of time to give me option of going to EWR, I would have taken it.

sinoflyer

This is true. I was trained to refer to the old Rule 240 whenever I pushed pax to OAL during IRROPS, even though Rule 240 had long become unenforceable by the time I worked (at DL). It's just much easier to document in the PNR. Either way, although LGA can arbitrary set a 4-hour threshold for "Rule 240," it's still bunk and easily skirted by calling res.

ermintrude

Yep... usually I can tell within say 30 seconds if an agent is reasonably competent. A great thing about the 1K line this year is that even in IRROPS I haven't had to wait more than a minute (I've called numerous times). So HUACA on 1K if ground agents are unhelpful. Perhaps best to look for a GS agent (yellow scarf) - as 1K they should help you.

minnyfly

It looks like you had at least 4 hours to get to EWR, maybe 5+. And you're worried about not making it? I think you're just as guilty as the agent of not telling the whole truth.


No, I think it sounds like the CS person had plenty of training. I think it's more like trying to prevent elites from gaming the system and costing UA money. If they push back, maybe the customer will back off their demands.

anc-ord772

LGA was my home station for 6 years (2006-2012). I found the UA staff (with one exception) to be competent and accomodating. I'm sure it helped that I was there almost every week, and a 1k. Sounds like things have changed.

I was on a rolling delay out of BOS to ORD in June. UA airport agents had no problem putting me on the AA flight when the delay was only 1.5 hours at the time.