2012 Thanksgiving/Christmas Schedule Cutbacks on United
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
2012 Thanksgiving/Christmas Schedule Cutbacks on United
We had 3 GlobalFirst award seats ORD-HKT over the Christmas/New Years time frame.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: MKE
Programs: DL-MM-Diamond HH-Diamond
Posts: 3,218
It's with a lot of advance notice, I don't think you would get comp for this. They would refund the miles.
However, they shoulda be able to open up inventory for you since you had confirmed seats,
However, they shoulda be able to open up inventory for you since you had confirmed seats,
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
The thing that really frosts me is there was no notification. I found it because I check my itineraries daily. There was available space EWR-HKG (not award space) in BF but they cancelled the HKG-HKT segments and that availability is now long gone.
Last edited by cheltzel; Aug 18, 2012 at 10:41 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: RSW
Programs: UA 1k, LT Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, AA 1MM
Posts: 245
"We had 3 GlobalFirst award seats ORD-HKT over the Christmas/New Years time frame."
Cheltzel - have you looked at going the other way, TATL vs TPAC? We are traveling over Christmas and New years to Singapore and Phuket. I was able to do this through Frankfurt.
Last night I was looking and it seems they have awards in the higher levels going through London and Germany. See if they would be able to slip you into these slots.
Cheltzel - have you looked at going the other way, TATL vs TPAC? We are traveling over Christmas and New years to Singapore and Phuket. I was able to do this through Frankfurt.
Last night I was looking and it seems they have awards in the higher levels going through London and Germany. See if they would be able to slip you into these slots.
#7
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,185
Well, the airline cancelled the flight months in advance. If you still want to go, coach might be the only option. Or keep calling and talking until someone can possibly open up seats in GF on a different flight.
And they canceled it with months to go so I think compensation is not warranted, IMO. They SHOULD get you another GF flight though.
And they canceled it with months to go so I think compensation is not warranted, IMO. They SHOULD get you another GF flight though.
#8
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#9
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 296
I would keep trying and escalating.
I don't know the exact policy, but as they still serve your UA destination from other hubs on their metal (assume you were via HKG), and you had a ticket, I would think that they still need to get you there.
Quick search turned up sporadic O/ON and I/IN inventory via PEK, NRT, HKG (and then via BKK in most cases) with domestic US connections in Y (ORD-PEK shows ON4 on the 23rd, for example).
I don't know the exact policy, but as they still serve your UA destination from other hubs on their metal (assume you were via HKG), and you had a ticket, I would think that they still need to get you there.
Quick search turned up sporadic O/ON and I/IN inventory via PEK, NRT, HKG (and then via BKK in most cases) with domestic US connections in Y (ORD-PEK shows ON4 on the 23rd, for example).
#10
formerly known as 2lovelife
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: ORF : UA_Premier_Gold4Life, Bonvoy_titanium, Accor_Plat
Posts: 6,952
Agreed.
Get your flights rebooked. In First or Biz. If in Biz, make sure you get the appropriate miles back.
BE POLITE
BE PATIENT
BE PERSISTENT
Remember, they will keep some type of notes on your calls. As long as you're polite and persistent, they can't toss your case in the inbox without it coming back on them.
Be prepared to talk to dozens of agents over periods of days or months. Call at different times of the day, to get call centers in different areas. Get those seats back. Don't take no for an answer.
Make them want to help you.
They can do it. If THEY want to. Give them a reason for WANTING to help you. Being a nice person is sometimes all it takes. Guilt trips & sob stories don't.
Get your flights rebooked. In First or Biz. If in Biz, make sure you get the appropriate miles back.
BE POLITE
BE PATIENT
BE PERSISTENT
Remember, they will keep some type of notes on your calls. As long as you're polite and persistent, they can't toss your case in the inbox without it coming back on them.
Be prepared to talk to dozens of agents over periods of days or months. Call at different times of the day, to get call centers in different areas. Get those seats back. Don't take no for an answer.
Make them want to help you.
They can do it. If THEY want to. Give them a reason for WANTING to help you. Being a nice person is sometimes all it takes. Guilt trips & sob stories don't.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
I would keep trying and escalating.
I don't know the exact policy, but as they still serve your UA destination from other hubs on their metal (assume you were via HKG), and you had a ticket, I would think that they still need to get you there.
Quick search turned up sporadic O/ON and I/IN inventory via PEK, NRT, HKG (and then via BKK in most cases) with domestic US connections in Y (ORD-PEK shows ON4 on the 23rd, for example).
I don't know the exact policy, but as they still serve your UA destination from other hubs on their metal (assume you were via HKG), and you had a ticket, I would think that they still need to get you there.
Quick search turned up sporadic O/ON and I/IN inventory via PEK, NRT, HKG (and then via BKK in most cases) with domestic US connections in Y (ORD-PEK shows ON4 on the 23rd, for example).
I can get TPAC from ORD. The issue is award availability from an Asian gateway city to HKT. This is their peak season and there isn't availability.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
Cheltzel - have you looked at going the other way, TATL vs TPAC? We are traveling over Christmas and New years to Singapore and Phuket. I was able to do this through Frankfurt.
Last night I was looking and it seems they have awards in the higher levels going through London and Germany. See if they would be able to slip you into these slots.
Last night I was looking and it seems they have awards in the higher levels going through London and Germany. See if they would be able to slip you into these slots.
None of the supervisors were willing to open up standard award availability.
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The COC to which OP agreed (whether award or paid cash) specifies that UA may, at its option, rebook on UA, rebook on another carrier (usually *A) or refund to original form of payment (in this case redeposit miles).
If OP wants positive advice:
1. In all your dealings with UA, remain polite and non-confrontational. Not only may UA cancel and refund, leaving you with zippo, but what you don't want is CSR's noting the record as you work the system. Once one has said "no" getting others to say "yes" will be hard.
2. Do the proactive work. How close can UA get you and what would short-haul tickets cost to purchase? It's the TPAC where premium cabin matters.
3. Can you split up? Finding 3 award seats in a tiny cabin during a season when flights have been cancelled, will be hard. Can 2 go on one route and the third on another?
4. What about C?
5. What about TATL via any European *A connection?
Unfortunately this is a labor intensive effort and may well need to be repeated as all carriers are reducing capacity in general and especially over holidays when there's little business demand (which is what keeps the aircraft flying).
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,074
The easy solution was to move my outbound flight one day; then I'd have a reasonable layover at LHR. However, I could see via ExpertFlyer that there was no saver availability in F the next day for SFO-LHR. Fortunately I had a nice agent on the Premier line (I still have that number from years ago when I was a 2P) who moved my outbound to the following day, keeping me in F despite how there was no saver availability on that flight.
So, I agree with the advice above about calling back several times if necessary. Be nice and get the agent on your side. They alone or maybe with an immediate supervisor's approval can move you if they want to do so.
Good luck!
#15
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz PC, Avis 1st
Posts: 313
This thread got me paranoid so I checked an upcoming award res in GF. Apparently United is no longer serving IAD-GVA directly and my flights have been totally messed up. Currently on hold but things aren't looking great right now.
Got a great agent to open up O inventory on the direct EWR-GVA flight and got me to EWR from MSY with only an 8hr layover...
Got a great agent to open up O inventory on the direct EWR-GVA flight and got me to EWR from MSY with only an 8hr layover...
Last edited by iahkid2014; Aug 18, 2012 at 11:33 am Reason: ETA Resolution