Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one [Archive]
Mar 16, 2015, 2:23 am
#121
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Just had my domestic feeder to a Transatlantic flight changed from mainline 739 to UX E75. Times stayed the same, but will that change allow me to change my whole return to a different flight, including change of connection City (and thus the Transatlantic Segment)?
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings - Dirk
Mar 16, 2015, 7:12 am
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Just had my domestic feeder to a Transatlantic flight changed from mainline 739 to UX E75. Times stayed the same, but will that change allow me to change my whole return to a different flight, including change of connection City (and thus the Transatlantic Segment)?
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings - Dirk
Probably not, unless you refund the ticket and start over.
If you decide to refund, check fares, upgrades, whatever else is important to you before you start.
Mar 16, 2015, 11:06 am
#123
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 126
Might be good to keep a couple things in mind. First, getting saver biz tickets is the holy grail of award tickets. You scored! They're the toughest thing to come by, and, in all likelihood, the chances of the stars and planets lining up again to get you three saver tickets for Seville are slim to none. Second, there are trains leaving every hour to Seville, 2.5 hour trip, and probably reasonable in cost. European train service is not to be confused with what's available in the US; it's generally cheaper, faster, and more-comfortable.
You're going to have an awesome vacation. Don't let any disappointment about your flights not being perfectly-optimal get in the way.
You're going to have an awesome vacation. Don't let any disappointment about your flights not being perfectly-optimal get in the way.
Mar 16, 2015, 2:11 pm
#124
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
So, I had 3 UA bookings for this year. 2 were booked straight with UA and 1 was booked through Aeroplan as a reward ticket.
All 3 got changed lol. The only one I was informed of was the Aeroplan one, and it was a 20 minute change, departing at 6:00 instead of 6:20.
SEA-IAH-IAD-SJU, somewhat of a segment run plus vacation/good price...gets changed to SEA-IAH-EWR-SJU. Not major, but it means if I had any plans at IAD to cancel em, also had to pick new seats cuz of new flights. Also the connections now are 40 minutes and 55 minutes, so they're fairly tight, but I do arrive 2 hours earlier, so it's give and take I suppose. But either way, I was never informed.
SEA-SFO, CRJ7 departing at 6:30am, gets moved to 7:30 and equipment change. I would've preferred the CRJ despite the majority of people's opinions here. Again not informed. I was already dreading the overnight/super early morning drive to SEA. But the original flight ex-YVR was way more expensive, now the price was very fair. But they wanted the fare change $93CAD + 255 cuz it's K class, which was more than the value of the ticket. But wait! They changed the itinerary on me, so I can call and change it, be nice and they'll waive the fee. That's exactly what I did. The later arrival time actually does affect me, so I wasn't lying when I told them it no longer worked for me but I was quite happy not only with the result but the service from the Philippines hotline as well. $93CAD to change it to YVR-SFO-YVR. Sometimes UA's IT works in your favor.
Sidebar, is it their policy to waive the fee anytime they change the itinerary? It's only happened to me twice where the new flight was no good and both times they've waived.
All 3 got changed lol. The only one I was informed of was the Aeroplan one, and it was a 20 minute change, departing at 6:00 instead of 6:20.
SEA-IAH-IAD-SJU, somewhat of a segment run plus vacation/good price...gets changed to SEA-IAH-EWR-SJU. Not major, but it means if I had any plans at IAD to cancel em, also had to pick new seats cuz of new flights. Also the connections now are 40 minutes and 55 minutes, so they're fairly tight, but I do arrive 2 hours earlier, so it's give and take I suppose. But either way, I was never informed.
SEA-SFO, CRJ7 departing at 6:30am, gets moved to 7:30 and equipment change. I would've preferred the CRJ despite the majority of people's opinions here. Again not informed. I was already dreading the overnight/super early morning drive to SEA. But the original flight ex-YVR was way more expensive, now the price was very fair. But they wanted the fare change $93CAD + 255 cuz it's K class, which was more than the value of the ticket. But wait! They changed the itinerary on me, so I can call and change it, be nice and they'll waive the fee. That's exactly what I did. The later arrival time actually does affect me, so I wasn't lying when I told them it no longer worked for me but I was quite happy not only with the result but the service from the Philippines hotline as well. $93CAD to change it to YVR-SFO-YVR. Sometimes UA's IT works in your favor.
Sidebar, is it their policy to waive the fee anytime they change the itinerary? It's only happened to me twice where the new flight was no good and both times they've waived.
Mar 16, 2015, 2:43 pm
#125
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,830
Mar 16, 2015, 5:46 pm
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
it will cost you more miles unless your original ticket already included partner flight.
Mar 24, 2015, 12:31 pm
#127
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Planet Earth
Programs: SPG, AA, B6. No longer "still CO to me" with account spent down. RIP CO.
Posts: 653
I rarely fly UA (due to a change in my travel patterns, not because I'm deliberately avoiding them) after having had status as recently as 2013. I have to LOL this year. 5 UA segments, changes on four.
Just got "disconnected" after 35 minutes on hold and 10 maddening minutes with a UA agent where I variously got: "no, 35 minutes is a legal connection at O'Hare" (I don't care if it's legal, it's way too tight on a holiday weekend); "you can't change to that one, only a Standard Award is available" (I have roughly double the required points); and "Can you call back later, that's complicated". Um, it shouldn't be that complicated. You're only making it so.
I'll call back later, but still. Bleh.
{update}
So lesson learned, sometimes 11:30 EST customer service > 3PM EST. She called it the hat trick of schedule changes but I got a much saner flight with legal/comfortable connections. Still don't love transiting in ORD, but I can live with it for the schedule.
Just got "disconnected" after 35 minutes on hold and 10 maddening minutes with a UA agent where I variously got: "no, 35 minutes is a legal connection at O'Hare" (I don't care if it's legal, it's way too tight on a holiday weekend); "you can't change to that one, only a Standard Award is available" (I have roughly double the required points); and "Can you call back later, that's complicated". Um, it shouldn't be that complicated. You're only making it so.
I'll call back later, but still. Bleh.
{update}
So lesson learned, sometimes 11:30 EST customer service > 3PM EST. She called it the hat trick of schedule changes but I got a much saner flight with legal/comfortable connections. Still don't love transiting in ORD, but I can live with it for the schedule.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 28, 2015 at 11:52 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Mar 24, 2015, 6:54 pm
#128
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: KOA
Programs: DL Gold/MM, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 2,280
I have an award booked on an Air China flight that just changed the arrival time to 1 hour 40 minutes later. How long after my original arrival time does the schedule change have be in order for me to be able to cancel and redeposit the miles without paying a fee (I have no status)?
Mar 24, 2015, 6:57 pm
#129
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: IAH / HOU
Programs: UA GS, DL-Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Somethingist, Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 2,853
I have an award booked on an Air China flight that just changed the arrival time to 1 hour 40 minutes later. How long after my original arrival time does the schedule change have be in order for me to be able to cancel and redeposit the miles without paying a fee (I have no status)?
Mar 25, 2015, 5:32 pm
#130
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: KOA
Programs: DL Gold/MM, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 2,280
Mar 28, 2015, 9:53 am
#131
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
TATL 788 in June LHR-EWR changed to a crappy PMUA 763 
Mar 28, 2015, 10:53 am
#132
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
My ORD-MUC TATL was also downgauged to a 763 this weekend, but in my case it was from a 777. I actually prefer the 763 to the 777 in J. I've not flown the 788 yet, but I might prefer the 763's 2-3-2 Y cabin to the 3-3-3.
Mar 28, 2015, 11:02 am
#133
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Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Couple of tasty ones today:
Booked SFO-LAX-NRT-NGO for the R space, computer changed it to SFO-LAX-SFO-NRT in R and dropped NRT-NGO. Looks like I'll get the desired SFO-NRT after all, and not have to fly the 787. ^
AUA-IAH-SJC changed to AUA-ORD-IAH (negative connection) IAH-SJC.
Booked SFO-LAX-NRT-NGO for the R space, computer changed it to SFO-LAX-SFO-NRT in R and dropped NRT-NGO. Looks like I'll get the desired SFO-NRT after all, and not have to fly the 787. ^
AUA-IAH-SJC changed to AUA-ORD-IAH (negative connection) IAH-SJC.
Mar 28, 2015, 11:31 am
#134
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Mar 28, 2015, 11:51 am
#135
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
If in C, sure, but not so certain the Y experience in a 788 is superior to Y in a 763. Narrower seats on the 788, and no window-aisle pairs.
I understand the attraction to higher cabin pressurization, but that attraction hasn't translated to a real benefit the three times I've taken long flight on them (788s).
I understand the attraction to higher cabin pressurization, but that attraction hasn't translated to a real benefit the three times I've taken long flight on them (788s).