sr_rodgers_burke

Hi All,

After many years of lurking it’s finally time for a posting.

At 11:30 pm last night I boarded the UA 777 from Kuwait to Dulles. The doors were closed and then the pilot announced that a Cargo door had been damaged somewhere in baggage load/unload. At 4am they determined that the door needed major work, the flight would be cancelled and resumed 24 hours after its original time. The gate agent told us there was a major conference in Kuwait, so there were no hotel rooms anywhere. There were also no alternate flights for anyone to take as they had already spent 4 hours checking for us.

Since a Visa is required to visit Kuwait and everyone had already turned theirs in or was in transit like me. We were also told not to leave the airport.
Food would be served across from Gate 2 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After looking at the scrambled eggs in various shades of green, brown, and just old, I settled for a nap and McD’s much later.

We were also told to go to the single person at the Kuwait Airlines Transfer desk, not for rebooking, but for reprinting of our boarding passes. It was my turn about 8:30 am. The one woman agent was very distressed after being screamed at by most everyone previous to me. Without looking up she said I better be nice to her.

I asked about vouchers, upgrades, pass to the lounge, anything. She just got angry. So I shut up and thanked her for my new boarding passes, with seats now worse than what I had. I asked about alternatives through London, Doha, Dubai, and she said that she doesn’t even work for United and was not authorized to make any alterations.

I called my own travel guy, and he did say that it looked like there were few alternatives, like I could only get out earlier by paying 2700 or more.
So here I sit trying to keep comfortable with a blanket and pillow that I grabbed from the plane. After a week away all the clothes in my carry on are not really nice anymore. But I am happy to have my bag. Some others have their bags still on the plane and some of those have little ones.

I have attempted to call the United 800 number in the states, but 888 or 800 numbers out from here seem to be disallowed. I could call home though, where the wife and boys are sad, we were going to hit the museum tomorrow. May be they will go without me.


Thanks for listening and happy travels,

Rob

CommittedLurker

I can imagine how you must feel. I have spent more than 1 night before at ORD, the last time was about 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, traveling to Kuwait does have its risks. They are not exactly tourist friendly.

I would dispute the ticket cost charge with my credit card issuer. It is UA's responsibility to provide accommodation and meals.

This is really bad, even for UA.

bhmlurker

Any UA Mileage Plus status? try finding a real UA agent (or does UA contract all ground service to local airline)?

Sorry to hear about what happened to you. It's standard fare for domestic US travel, but for int'l one would expect a better treatment. I can understand a lack of hotel rooms, but no alternative flights out? Most likely UA unwilling to pay.

Is this flight 981? ualcargo is showing for Jan 16 delay from 00:40 to 23:55 (next day?) due to operations.

VTHokieFlyer

This is one of the reasons why when leaving Saudi Arabia I take a car to Bahrain and fly out of there, having a drink at the airport is another! I usually do BAH-DXB-IAD-ROA with DXB-IAD, IAD-ROA on UA, atleast from Bahrain/Dubai I have the option of Lufthansa and the other Star Alliance carriers...

I feel for ya!

speedster

I hope you're able to get some compensation from UA. This is pretty ridiculous.

Benny8444

Please do e-mail and call UA about this as this is not acceptable. I believe there are some UA agents who work the KWI station. It is also absured that they would not re book you on LH or another airline.

hiflyer66

Unfortunately, Kuwait Airways has a strangle-hold on all services at the airport, and you are at their mercy. I've had some really bad experiences with Kuwait Airways, and you probably did the right thing by remaining stoic. Ugly Americanism doesn't go far in Kuwait. You may want to try a complaint letter to United after the fact; until then, chalk this up as an adventure. I've been there, done that, so I feel for you!!:-:

FightingIlliniUAL

Why does this incident bode poorly for the State of Kuwait? The country or its citizens have nothing to do with this mess. United Airlines is to blame, especially when there are ORD and IAD based UA employees that are staffed at KWI.

i'mlovin'it

Really, the comment could have been made about any airport/country with visa rules and where UA does not have significant operations (DME/SGN come to mind). If something goes wrong, you're stuck.

chariot

Feel sorry for the OP. Transited through this 80s-era airport recently. Had to face the single agent transfer desk which is horribly inefficient to get boarding passes on my connecting flight. I would recommend the airport lounge. You can get in for the fee (well worth it).
I remember reading about Kuwait having a law REQUIRING airlines to put up all airport transit passengers with layovers greater than 4 (or 6?) hours at Safir, the airport hotel, at the airline's expense even in the absence of irrops.
Not sure why this law didn't apply here.
Good luck!

holtju2

What is your definition of a not tourist friendly? Have you been to Kuwait? Immigration and visa on arrival process is far more pleasant than in the land of "free and the brave".

It is unbelievable that UA can just ditch their pax to the terminal expect them to stay there for another 24 hours when the plane might be ready.

For sure there are alternative arrangements via various Middle East gateways to reroute the pax in the morning back to the US. I also doubt that all the hotels are full. Maybe the crappy ones that UA uses to book disserviced pax.

OP should have gone to the transit Visa line (if OP is eligible for a one) and book a hotel for the night. Later when back to the home sort everything out with the WHQ.

snod08

I have been through a similar situation several years ago at BAH.

The carrier was AirLanka (no longer existent, thank God).

Enough said.

OP: Sorry that you are having a rough time. I feel for you.

kenhawk

Welcome to FT - sorry to hear about you getting kicked to the curb by UA! So where did the crew go? Did they find hotels? We they allowed to leave the airport?

Benny8444

I am sure UA was able to find a hotel for the crew or fly them back to the US on LH. But they left the pax in the old smelly airport.

holtju2

In Kuwait City UA crews stay at the new 4P's close to the mall.