Thought I would post the message I am sending to CR in regards to my ticket! I was outrageous and very very unusual! I've never heard of them switching me on so many flights without even getting my approval or telling me that its happening! Thank god I have my son (aka my personal travel agent) who was notifying what was happening and finding flights that would get me home as soon as possible! What kind of compensation do you think a 1P would get for this?
Hello:
Recently I had a business trip from Colorado Springs to Hartford, Connecticut. My flights to BLD were pleasant; however, my return was completely different. Originally the trip had been booked from BLD-ORD-COS. When I arrived at the airport for my return, we were informed there had been an equipment change and I no longer had a seat. I was forced to take a flight on US Airways, an airline I am not very fond of from BLD-CLT-DEN-COS. However upon arriving in CLT I noticed I wouldn’t have much time to make my other flight to Denver. So I had chosen to take a flight out the next evening to Denver. However the next morning, I woke up to an update telling me I was booked on a flight leaving CLT at 2:00pm, it was 11:00pm when I was informed. Not only was I not informed of this unexplained change, the time I was informed at would not allow me to have enough time to get to the airport, which is undergoing renovation which results in unusually long security lines, and make my flight. So I had called and got a very rude agent named Ms. Buttercup in ORD. She had hesitantly put me on a flight later that evening into COS. However, throughout the day, I was receiving constant updates telling me I was scheduled for different flights. I had to have received more than ten or so changes on my ticket that I was not approving. I finally had a flight from CLT to ORD and then ORD to COS that evening. However due to weather in the area, the flight was delayed by three hours in CLT, which resulted in me having a misconnect in ORD. I was forced to be rebooked on a flight the next evening from ORD nonstop to COS. While I was on my flight, however, to ORD, the ticket was, again, unexplainably changed to a flight at 10:00am to LAX and then continuing from LAX-COS. I did not want this flight, so when I landed in ORD, I had my ticket changed back to the flight in the evening I had chosen in the first place. However sometime that night, I was updated that I was on the 10:00am flight the next morning again! I was informed of this when it was already too late for me to have time to get to the airport and just settle for this flight. I called and was switched to a different flight leaving that evening around 6:30pm connecting in Denver. However, once I got off the phone and was confirmed on the 6:30pm flight, I see online that I have been automatically rebooked on a flight at 2:00pm connecting in Dulles International. Again, an unexplained change that I did not approve nor would I be able to make it in time for the flight. I was switched back and forth about 7 or more times within two hours that morning; all the changes were made without my consent and without my knowing. Then all of the sudden I get an update that I’ve been rebooked for a flight departing at 8:00am the next morning, July 18. I was changed back onto the flight I had wanted originally from ORD-COS at 5:56pm. But then a while after, when I check online, I see my entire ticket had been cancelled! I decided to give up and go to the airport in time for the flight that I had planned to be on. Upon my arrival, the ticketing agent insisted I had chosen to make all of the changes to the reservation. No one would ever change their ticket more than 20 times and spend two days stranded in airports for no reason, I definitely did not choose to make the changes. I finally got a boarding pass for the flight from ORD-COS at 5:56, which ended up being slightly delayed. I made it onto the flight which was most uncomfortable. I was forced to sit next to a passenger with a young child who insisted on screaming throughout the entire flight. I have spent about three days trying to get home to COS! I have finally arrived. I understand United is a very professional, and usually reliable airline, however this trip was nothing close. My luggage also went onto COS without me, which was carrying all of my Diabetes medication, so I spent almost three days without my medication as well. I hope you understand my complete frustration I had to deal with on, what was supposed to be a simple, fun business trip.
XXX XXX.
Programs: United 1K, CO Platinum, HH Gold, EwS Scareways Objector
Posts: 624
they once rebooked me like crazy when i was midair- thinking that i'd never make my connections.... though thankfully the just booked me an extra seat on new flights without offloading me on my original (close connection) ones that i eventually did make...
that said, they misbooked me to BOI instead of my hometown airport of BOS. someone at their center either cant type, blind, or has REALLY FAT fingers!
i wrote 1k voice email about the crazy misbooking to BOI... they apologized and gave me $250 ecert. nice of them.
gluck with your complaint email!
__________________ Keep United My UNITED. "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, then what is an empty desk a sign of?" ~Einstein
anyways... how is it that you didn't want to stay in BDL if you didn't want to fly USAIR? and when you got to CLT, why did you "feel" you can't take the flight/have enough time to get to the flight to DEN and wait a day into the next evening for a flight? seems a little odd...
anyways... how is it that you didn't want to stay in BDL if you didn't want to fly USAIR? and when you got to CLT, why did you "feel" you can't take the flight/have enough time to get to the flight to DEN and wait a day into the next evening for a flight? seems a little odd...
hope everything turns out okay.
Your first question doesn't really make sense... When in CLT I realized my son lives in South Carolina about 45 mins from CLT who I hadn't seen in 10 years! He was supposed to come and see me in the airport for the connection but the ga said she would give me the flight for the next evening. I wanted the noon flight but it was overbooked by 7 people!!
Programs: United Mileage Plus, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Posts: 1,997
I would have taken the offer of ORD-LAX-COS...way more EQMs than the standard ORD-COS or via DEN. The rebook was probably in Y which would have helped with the UDU chances and you could avoid the long CR7 flight from ORD-COS.
I would have taken the offer of ORD-LAX-COS...way more EQMs than the standard ORD-COS or via DEN. The rebook was probably in Y which would have helped with the UDU chances and you could avoid the long CR7 flight from ORD-COS.
Had I been aware of the change in time I would have taken it, I did get confirmed in F with UDU! But by the time I found out about the change it was too late, I wouldnt have time to get to the airport. And it was rebooked in Y.
Your first question doesn't really make sense... When in CLT I realized my son lives in South Carolina about 45 mins from CLT who I hadn't seen in 10 years! He was supposed to come and see me in the airport for the connection but the ga said she would give me the flight for the next evening. I wanted the noon flight but it was overbooked by 7 people!!
hmmmm.....
I was making a point that you chose to stay overnight in CLT, whether it is to see you son or what not (granted the GA might have booked you on something that you wanted, in your case, the following evening)
and with all due respect to your situation with diabetes medication, isn't that something that should be carried on to the plane?
Overall, you frustration is reasonable, but a little cluttered with other information of no consequence for complaint purposes. Should be straight to the point.... Delayed flight, random flight changes, major reroute.
hmmmm.....
I was making a point that you chose to stay overnight in CLT, whether it is to see you son or what not (granted the GA might have booked you on something that you wanted, in your case, the following evening)
and with all due respect to your situation with diabetes medication, isn't that something that should be carried on to the plane?
Overall, you frustration is reasonable, but a little cluttered with other information of no consequence for complaint purposes. Should be straight to the point.... Delayed flight, random flight changes, major reroute.
again, hope you hear something back soon.
You are correct, but the only reason the ga changed me was because ua had messed up my original flight. But that is no excuse for all the nonsense that was going on with the ticket, I mean that is a lot of changes in a matter of hours! Regardless, I should have been confirmed on that evening flight and that be the end of it, no issue really, just the equip. change which isn't call for comp. because everyone knows UA and there's never a guarantee of a certain equip!
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 6,981
Quote:
Originally Posted by PDXPremier
I would have taken the offer of ORD-LAX-COS...way more EQMs than the standard ORD-COS or via DEN. The rebook was probably in Y which would have helped with the UDU chances and you could avoid the long CR7 flight from ORD-COS.
UDU? Nowhere is there any statement of qualifications for that.
Also, UA doesn't have any reservation agents in ORD. Ms Buttercup was wither in Chicago Res (which is very close to ORD) which calling ORD would be a stretch, or somewhere not even in Illinois.
My question to the OP, for informational purposes. What were these flights originally booked thru, a) UA reservations, b) united.com, c) united at an airport, d) another carrier, e) a travel agent, or f), an ITA (internet travel agency, such as Orbitz, Travalicity, Expedia, Hotwire, Cheaptickets.com...)
Not blaming you, but the outlet booked thru could have something to do with your communications. If when you refer to your son as "your personal travel agent" you actually used him as your agent, the same question applies, how did he book you, thru one of the above methods, or directly at his own brick and mortar agency. The "agent" or agency is responsible for communication about all schedule changes prior to dptr. Many of the subsequent ones along the way sounds like the system "backing you up" on insurance routings. The system doesn't cncl your previous, nor uncheck you in, just does it as insurance when there is a high probability of misconnecting. I am wondering when the equipment change happened. If it was in advance, your agent should have informed you, if it was done within on the day of dptr, that is something they would have no help on.
Never, never, never, check things such as medication, passports, keys, or anything you cannot afford to lose. Even gate checking, always remove the things you may need, especially things that your life may depend on.
It sounds to me like the system was trying to reconcile what you were flying, double booking you on some things, cncling out redundant stuff on the others. The agents along the way should have cncld the unused space once those flights were no longer an option, as the system was most likely rebookig flights that you weren't even taking (i.e choosing to go visit your son, to make the most of the situation, vs taking the 1st available flight, which it seems you don't like being delayed, yet you added delays on it yourself.)
Man, sounds crazy. I would hate to look at your PNR and try to figure out what happened, when it happened, and why. Most likely it would be gibberish to me.
I should note that I havent sent the email yet. Thank you for pointing that out, I was waiting for feedback before I sent it. Obviously you understand that I meant to put "it" right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fastair
UDU? Nowhere is there any statement of qualifications for that.
Also, UA doesn't have any reservation agents in ORD. Ms Buttercup was wither in Chicago Res (which is very close to ORD) which calling ORD would be a stretch, or somewhere not even in Illinois.
My question to the OP, for informational purposes. What were these flights originally booked thru, a) UA reservations, b) united.com, c) united at an airport, d) another carrier, e) a travel agent, or f), an ITA (internet travel agency, such as Orbitz, Travalicity, Expedia, Hotwire, Cheaptickets.com...)
Not blaming you, but the outlet booked thru could have something to do with your communications. If when you refer to your son as "your personal travel agent" you actually used him as your agent, the same question applies, how did he book you, thru one of the above methods, or directly at his own brick and mortar agency. The "agent" or agency is responsible for communication about all schedule changes prior to dptr. Many of the subsequent ones along the way sounds like the system "backing you up" on insurance routings. The system doesn't cncl your previous, nor uncheck you in, just does it as insurance when there is a high probability of misconnecting. I am wondering when the equipment change happened. If it was in advance, your agent should have informed you, if it was done within on the day of dptr, that is something they would have no help on.
Never, never, never, check things such as medication, passports, keys, or anything you cannot afford to lose. Even gate checking, always remove the things you may need, especially things that your life may depend on.
It sounds to me like the system was trying to reconcile what you were flying, double booking you on some things, cncling out redundant stuff on the others. The agents along the way should have cncld the unused space once those flights were no longer an option, as the system was most likely rebookig flights that you weren't even taking (i.e choosing to go visit your son, to make the most of the situation, vs taking the 1st available flight, which it seems you don't like being delayed, yet you added delays on it yourself.)
Man, sounds crazy. I would hate to look at your PNR and try to figure out what happened, when it happened, and why. Most likely it would be gibberish to me.
Flights were booked using the company card through ual.com. When I refer to my son as my travel agent, I mean I considered him as one, he seemed to be more helpful than the agents! He found alternative flights that I could take after the whole equip change and all the confusion. I was confirmed on a flight leaving CLT the next evening, nothing should have happened afterward however I woke up to an auto update I have a flight leaving in two hours through IAD. Then I call my son, see what happened to the flight I originally had, turns out nothing was wrong, it had room, at the time he checked it was on time, everything was in order, so why did I get bumped off of it? I call UA and got Ms. Buttercup, wherever the hell she was, and she put me back on the flight I had and then just all throughout the day, auto-changed to this, call back and get changed back just back and forth all day. Then the flight ended up being delayed which caused a misconnect for the last flight out of ORD so I had to go the next day. then the same thing happened, back and forth back and forth.
I didn't really think something this crazy would happen so I thought I might as well check it than deal with the hassle at security.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Jul 18, 10 at 10:46 am..
Reason: multi-quote
if you were getting easy updates, i suspect you were getting confused because i know when i've been rerouted multiple times, i get easy updates for all my original flights even though i'm not on them anymore. your ticket was probably fine, but the emails may have just confused you.
if you were getting easy updates, i suspect you were getting confused because i know when i've been rerouted multiple times, i get easy updates for all my original flights even though i'm not on them anymore. your ticket was probably fine, but the emails may have just confused you.
Well when I got an easy update for a random flight, I would check online and sure enough, I was actually somehow confirmed on it!
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 6,981
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnitedPatron
Well when I got an easy update for a random flight, I would check online and sure enough, I was actually somehow confirmed on it!
Exactly...this is why I said the agents should have cncld out space you weren't going to use. The extra space is what causes the computer to a) update you, and b) rebook you if any of those flights look like a possible misconnect.
The system was very confused. It is an algorithm, not an artificial intelligence. It seems misconnects on flights out of cities you aren't even in, it rebooks you, without cncling the original space. Somewhere along the line, an agents should have "cleaned up" your PNR to only leave segments you took, cncld, or were planning on taking. All of the duplicate space was causing more space to be booked. A terrible use of UA (and US's) inventory, a great way to confuse you, and a great way to confuse any agent that attempted to assist by looking at your PNR. Never cncl space you took, never cncl space you are on, never cncl space you plan on taking, and never cncl space that caused a misconnect/cncl. Cncl everything else, as it has zero purpose and only complicates things. (The reason you don't cncl space on previous flights that may have impacted your current situation, is our voucher system is set up to "account" things to "offending" flights. If they are removed, the fraud protection systems prevent us from accounting expenses to those flights, and indirectly, prevent us from issuing vouchers.
However the next morning, I woke up to an update telling me I was booked on a flight leaving CLT at 2:00pm, it was 11:00pm when I was informed.
You indicate that you haven't sent the email yet therefore I have a couple of suggestions:
* In the above, I note that the times seem incorrect. Did you mean to say 11:00 AM?
* As has been commented already, the email needs to stay on topic. I believe it would help if you broke it out by time rather than having it as a long paragraph. It is a very difficult story to follow right now.
