Award flight on LH cancelled leading to misconnection. What to do? [resolved]

Ash Pot · Dec 9, 12, 1:45 pm

Lufthansa telling me that since this is award ticket, they can't help it. I have to talk to united. Is that true? Or they r just giving me run around?
Now if I try to rebook with United, I may not get any good connections due to busy travel period. Trying to go ATL- Bom on LH.

Please help. TIA

KVS · Dec 9, 12, 1:50 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ash Pot

Lufthansa telling me that since this is award ticket, they can't help it. I have to talk to united. Is that true? Or they r just giving me run around?
Now if I try to rebook with United, I may not get any good connections due to busy travel period. Trying to go ATL- Bom on LH.

LH can (and should) handle this. If they have any issues, then they need to "talk to United" directly.

Welcome to FT!

erik123 · Dec 9, 12, 1:51 pm

It should be under LH control and they need to get you to your destination.

Ash Pot · Dec 9, 12, 1:53 pm

Currently in rebooking line. Phone agent pretty much said sorry, can't help or even touch the ticket. Will find out what ticket agent at airport says. Thanks a lot

What should be my response in case LH says they can't handle it? Should I ask for manager or something?

craz · Dec 9, 12, 1:59 pm

OP in the last 24 hrs did you have any changes made to your Itin , even if it was just to the Return portion?

I ask since when I changed my Return a number of months ago the day of my Outbound, CO had to reissue the tkt and well due to all my changes LH saw apx 12 Different tkt #s, could be CO is still doing this

So if you made any changes and CO didnt reissue the tkt then LH sees it in their computer as a CX. With me LH had to call CO and get them to redo a bunch of things while they were still on the line and in the end I made the flight but left the Check-in counter at T-35. Both flights were pretty empty if yours arent could be LH wont go the extra step to get it all worked out

So although I agree with those who say its LH that has to take care of it, it just maybe like me where it was a UA problem and really UA that has to fix it or offer alternative flights. It all depends on why and who CXed it, if like me UA then LH is sort free and clear of the problem and making good imo

Ash Pot · Dec 9, 12, 2:03 pm

Nope, not in last 24 hrs. I made changes abt 1 month back & it showed up on LH system when I confirmed. That was for return leg though.

MSPeconomist · Dec 9, 12, 2:03 pm

Welcome to FT. It sounds like you don't have any *A status. If it's on the day of travel, it is the responsibility of LH to rebook you. Also, if you are departing from the EU or departing on an EU carrier, the EU 261 regulations apply regarding compensation and rebooking rights for flight cancellations within fourteen days of travel IIRC.

craz · Dec 9, 12, 2:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ash Pot

Nope, not in last 24 hrs. I made changes abt 1 month back & it showed up on LH system when I confirmed. That was for return leg though.

question is did UA reissue the tkt, it does this for both ways and if they CXed but didnt rebook the Outbound LH sees simply a CX on its computer.You need to find out from LH when it was CXed and by whom

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

Welcome to FT. It sounds like you don't have any *A status. If it's on the day of travel, it is the responsibility of LH to rebook you. Also, if you are departing from the EU or departing on an EU carrier, the EU 261 regulations apply regarding compensation and rebooking rights for flight cancellations within fourteen days of travel IIRC.

I will disagree with You, if the OP changed their flights, dates etc and UA in the end didnt reissue the Outbound its NOT LHs fault. Since the PNR may be intact but the Outbound was CXed by UA and never reissued, thusly the OP doesnt have a valid tkt on LH for their Outbound and UA is at fault.Thats only if UA didnt reissue the tkt when the OP made a change to their Inbound

tom911 · Dec 9, 12, 2:08 pm

This sounds very similar to what one of the bloggers experienced when he used UA miles for a Swiss flight in September, with LH check-in agents, originating in MIA, and was not allowed to board. He ended up using AA miles on alternate flights to get out as he could not find anyone that would help him. Looking at his post today, UA still hasn't adequately explained why his award ticket was not honored. Good luck.
http://thepointsguy.com/2012/12/sund...+Points+Guy%29

WineCountryUA · Dec 9, 12, 2:15 pm

just to be clear -- was the flight cancelled or just the OP's ticket for the flight? Everyone seems to be assuming the latter.

MSPeconomist · Dec 9, 12, 2:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by craz

I will disagree with You, if the OP changed their flights, dates etc and UA in the end didnt reissue the Outbound its NOT LHs fault. Since the PNR may be intact but the Outbound was CXed by UA and never reissued, thusly the OP doesnt have a valid tkt on LH for their Outbound and UA is at fault.Thats only if UA didnt reissue the tkt when the OP made a change to their Inbound

This is true if the OP changed their itinerary, but my understanding of the OP is that LH cancelled a flight. However, when I reread the OP, it's a bit unclear whether the change could have been made by the OP, in which case it would be UA's responsibility to reissue the ticket. I also see a later post by the OP that mentions some changes, but this was apparently posted at the same time as my post. I'm confused now.....

tom911 · Dec 9, 12, 2:20 pm

There is a 1745 ATL-FRA that is currently showing a 6 hour delay. Does LH have anything else from there?

Ash Pot · Dec 9, 12, 2:31 pm

Well, I will find out soon. Still have couple of guys in fron in linet. I don't think they have anything till tomorrow on same route.. May get routed little differently. I m ok with that as far as they honor ticket.

gpeso8 · Dec 9, 12, 2:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by craz

OP in the last 24 hrs did you have any changes made to your Itin , even if it was just to the Return portion?

I ask since when I changed my Return a number of months ago the day of my Outbound, CO had to reissue the tkt and well due to all my changes LH saw apx 12 Different tkt #s, could be CO is still doing this

So if you made any changes and CO didnt reissue the tkt then LH sees it in their computer as a CX. With me LH had to call CO and get them to redo a bunch of things while they were still on the line and in the end I made the flight but left the Check-in counter at T-35. Both flights were pretty empty if yours arent could be LH wont go the extra step to get it all worked out

So although I agree with those who say its LH that has to take care of it, it just maybe like me where it was a UA problem and really UA that has to fix it or offer alternative flights. It all depends on why and who CXed it, if like me UA then LH is sort free and clear of the problem and making good imo

A very similar thing happened to me this summer when checking into a flight from LAX-FRA.

LH ended up calling UA and I ended up calling UA at the same time. In the end, i'm not entirely sure what happened but it got sorted out. I was going through security at T-45.

Thunderroad · Dec 9, 12, 2:36 pm

Agree that the OP's post is ambiguous. If LH has simply canceled the flight, then I would think OP is in a much better position of getting some satisfaction from LH in addressing this.

But, if seems slightly more likely to me, the problem is specifically with the OP's award ticket rather than with the flight itself, I tend to agree with craz that this could well be related to a problem on UA's end. As indicated in this thread and elsewhere, there have been many problems with UA awards cashed in for flights on partner airlines. It could well be something as simple as a minor schedule change in the LH flight somehow triggering problems on the UA end, including UA needing to but failing to reissue the ticket and it then showing as canceled for LH. If something like that is the case, OP, stick to your guns because UA will try its best to give you the runaround, claiming mistakes by you, mistakes by LH, that there's nothing it can do, etc.

I hope that no news from the OP is good news and that s/he is on the flight. But FWIW, my advice would be to pursue this with LH if the flight is canceled and with UA if inquiries with LH indicate that the problem is specifically with the OP's ticket.

If none of this works out, at the very least file a complaint with the Department of Transportation. I don't have the link, but am sure you can find it if searching "DOT*" in thread titles here in the UA forum.

Not much solace, I'm sure, but I hope it all works out.