Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
There was no VDB
When you accepted an offer to "preempt" (or whatever they said) and book away from United, you gave up the possibility of VDB status. I don't think arriving earlier matters; I've gotten a fair number of VDB credits in the past that got me to my destination earlier, not later. You only get VDB when it comes down to needing victims (an actual oversold situation at flight time), not ahead of time. It would be awesome if otherwise, but that's just not the way the system works. Slick agent there, with that "preempt" move. He may have thought he was doing you a favor, but he certainly knew at the time that it wouldn't involve a VDB (and didn't tell you or expected you to know?).
The rest of the stuff makes my head spin; USAir might owe you something regarding the cancelled flight, but not UA. But UA might give original routing credit, if you explain how things went down.