Six-leg ticket on 016 stock. Made one time change to an AC-operated flight leg.

To finalize this change:

• 5 calls
• 3.5 hours on the phone
• Educating UA agents on the fact that just because UA's reservation system shows a reservation, partners (a) do not have this reservation populated into their reservation system, or (b) ticket numbers attached to a reservation

Bonus 1: Having UA charge my CC five times for the same transaction.

Bonus 2: Having what must have been a former CO reservation agent tell me half a dozen times that she has no idea what my problem is. Her advice: Call Air Canada and fix it yourself (er, no, because I cannot technically connect reservations and ticket numbers, that is UA's job).

The merger has been bungled on an IT integration level to a degree I would not have expected - and should not have been.

But the attitude of the new COua towards solving problems it foists on its customers is something to behold.

I can all but guarantee that multiple business school case studies are already being worked on this issue. I am not sure if Jeff will like what they will say...