Wrong Flight Cancellation Notification
Oct 29, 2012, 1:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: CHS
Programs: Lots
Posts: 1,012
Wrong Flight Cancellation Notification
So upon landing at IAH today I get a phone call from United letting me know that my flight 4294 (IAH-SAV) has been cancelled. Now in fairness I did not pay close attention to the details after that so I have some respknsibility but the call never should have happened.
I check the monitors and mobile app and they both show the flight still on time but I've noticed in the past that those can take a few minutes to update so go into the UC and see about getting rebooked via ORD.
ORD-SAV has plenty of availability but to get me to ORD on time to connect there is only one seat that is in first and the UC agent says she can't give it to me because I'm booked in economy but she does put me number 1 on the standby list. So question - is this a new policy? I know several times in the past when I've misconnected and all that's available is first there has been no problem giving me the seat. This has even happened post SHARES so wondering if this was a case of misinformation, new policy, or if agents have been breaking policy for me the last several years.
Anyway, I call 1k desk to see if they can force the seat and shockingly, despite all the hurricane mess I'm only on hold for about 30 seconds before I get an agent (after telling HAL I wanted an agent 5 times, so frustrating thag he doesnt believe me the first time and still thinks he can help out). Good on UA for fixing 1k hold times, credit where it's due and all that. I explain the situation but now there's an economy seat available so no clarity provided. She does her stuff and calls the rate desk, which, that's an unfortunate new development. But only about 3-5 minutes later she comes back and tells me my flight was never cancelled! Turns out flight 4294 has two segments, IAH-SAV and SAV-EWR. It wa the second leg that was cancelled. So yeah, if I had listened to the phone call more closely it probably said the city pair but at the same time, under no circumstances should UA be calling me telling me that a flight I'm not even on is cancelled. And SHARES tricked two agents into believing it was cancelled as well.
So this isn't a major complaining post, it all worked out and I'm more fortunate than a lot in actually getting to my destination today. But just wondering if anyone else has experienced a wrong flight notification or the unwillingness to rebook in first.
I check the monitors and mobile app and they both show the flight still on time but I've noticed in the past that those can take a few minutes to update so go into the UC and see about getting rebooked via ORD.
ORD-SAV has plenty of availability but to get me to ORD on time to connect there is only one seat that is in first and the UC agent says she can't give it to me because I'm booked in economy but she does put me number 1 on the standby list. So question - is this a new policy? I know several times in the past when I've misconnected and all that's available is first there has been no problem giving me the seat. This has even happened post SHARES so wondering if this was a case of misinformation, new policy, or if agents have been breaking policy for me the last several years.
Anyway, I call 1k desk to see if they can force the seat and shockingly, despite all the hurricane mess I'm only on hold for about 30 seconds before I get an agent (after telling HAL I wanted an agent 5 times, so frustrating thag he doesnt believe me the first time and still thinks he can help out). Good on UA for fixing 1k hold times, credit where it's due and all that. I explain the situation but now there's an economy seat available so no clarity provided. She does her stuff and calls the rate desk, which, that's an unfortunate new development. But only about 3-5 minutes later she comes back and tells me my flight was never cancelled! Turns out flight 4294 has two segments, IAH-SAV and SAV-EWR. It wa the second leg that was cancelled. So yeah, if I had listened to the phone call more closely it probably said the city pair but at the same time, under no circumstances should UA be calling me telling me that a flight I'm not even on is cancelled. And SHARES tricked two agents into believing it was cancelled as well.
So this isn't a major complaining post, it all worked out and I'm more fortunate than a lot in actually getting to my destination today. But just wondering if anyone else has experienced a wrong flight notification or the unwillingness to rebook in first.
Oct 29, 2012, 1:48 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Yes, this is a known bug with CO systems. I had a SMF-SFO flight that was paged out through the app as cancelled, although it was really the ACV-SMF portion that was cancelled, and my flight was on time.
I got to SMF and asked if everything was in tact, since I was on the cancelled flight that was reinstated, and they were surprised to hear that. I showed them my phone which showed the cancellation, and they were in shock, and none of them could find any record of the cancellation.
I got to SMF and asked if everything was in tact, since I was on the cancelled flight that was reinstated, and they were surprised to hear that. I showed them my phone which showed the cancellation, and they were in shock, and none of them could find any record of the cancellation.