farbster

Here's the deal...My inlaws are Singapore getting ready to get on their cruise. Got an email today from United saying that their flights changed. Of course it is probably too tight for them getting of their cruise in HKG. Website for cruise says they get in to HKG at 8am. Flight is now at 10:30am ON MARCH 6TH.

Does anyone have experience getting a supervisor to override the lack of saver fare availability for flights that show standard availability?

Right now they're on CA108 from HKG-PEK @ 10:30am and connect on UA898 to IAD. Coach on the CA flight and 1st on the UA flight.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I'm guessing I could cancel their flight home and get the points/taxes credited back if an alternate can be found?

I have about 500k UR points, plus 170k AA points. Mother in law has 131k MR points and I have 153k MR points if that helps.

No status across any airlines.

Mods - please feel free too move this if necessary.

TIA! FT Rules!!

amolkold

If it's a schedule change, call United and explain the situation. United can open Saver level on their own metal to make up for the schedule change.

There's a 12:30pm flight out of HKG to SFO, an 11:25am to EWR, and 11:10am to ORD. If getting to the airport is an issue, I'd go with the SFO flight, but that means more time in domestic F to IAD. EWR/ORD would have shorter domestic connections.

I haven't flown UA out of HKG in a long long time but if they fly F, they should be able to Fast-Track through security as well ... HKG has a UA Global F lounge, so one would think that they have other amenities for F passengers.

farbster

I had called UA and asked them to open up the saver fare and they said they couldn't. I"m going to call back and try to talk to a supervisor.

The flight that was changed was the CA flight, so not sure if they'll take much pity on me.

I was able to call AA and get them to hold for me HKG-ORD on CX806 in business for 2 pax @ 55k each plus $75 close in fee + $35 tax. I have the points in my AA account and the flight leaves at 11:50am which is much better. The flight connects on a regional jet to BWI and that would save one limo ride home in any event.

Any thoughts on the comfort of CX806 in business? I'm betting the service is better than the service in UA first. The total ticket was 140k points plus tax per pax, so I guess if I cancel I'd get back 70k and spending only 55k/pax on CX seems like a steal (even if it is biz and not 1st).

Would there be expedited security in HKG on a CX flight in biz?

Thanks for the help!

amolkold

ORD is served with a 77W, so they'll have the newer business class product, which has been raved about. I would go to say that CX Business is at least on par, if not better, than UA Global F, and is worth the change. If you do cancel the UA mileage ticket, I'd ask them to waive the cancellation fee, as the schedule change mandated you do so. That'll at least take the sting off the change.

farbster

I just got off the phone with United and they said I had to call Monday to talk to Customer Service to get them to open up the seat at a saver rate.

They further said that they would not redeposit my points as the ticket had already begun (they already flew from IAD-BKK).

Am I getting screwed here?

My wife reminded me that Customer care has never returned messages from August regarding a screwup on E+ seats.

Happy

Since UA award can be booked as one-way award, unless you have used up the stopover allowed on a R/T ticket, shouldn't you get back the miles (minus the redeposit fee) on the unused one-way?

You may need to escalate this but do it on Monday since weekend usually no higher up on duty.

Otherwise to save the ticket you can move the travel date to as far out as possible so it can still be used in the future.

farbster

I probably should have posted that the ticket was originally (all points) IAD-BRU-BKK (no stops) and they flew on a paid ticket from BKK-REP and then REP-SIN on another paid one way. The return is (all points) HKG-IAD with a connection in PEK.

I'm going to wait until Monday and try to get a supervisor to let me cancel the ticket. That way I can use fewer AA points and fly on CX and not UA.

If I had known this, I would have booked 2 one ways. The problem now is that they're in the middle of the trip and they moved the flight by 4 hours I believe.

farbster

So I got off the phone with UA this morning and all is well. They got on the 12:30pm flight to SFO and were able to get the last two seats in first. Even though there were no seats available at the saver level, the very nice supervisor in India was able to get it done. They get into IAD at approximately the same time their original flight was supposed to.

UA was very nice and I didn't have to jump up and down or anything.

My travel agent for the cruise said that in HKG when the ship arrives, they make everyone go to the theater and clear customs. No one can get off the ship until the last person clears. He thought that the 11:50 flight on CX would be too rushy for my inlaws. The extra 40 minutes is a good pad.

Thanks again to everyone here on FT!

terpfan101

^ to UA. This makes me more likely to try and make them my new airline of choice for intl travel.