Sorry for the long, unedited, and Faulkner-like post:

Last week, going from PDX to DCA via ORD departing at 1104pm. All day the day of the flight, I checked where flights were coming from to ensure planes were on time, analyzed weather, and everything looked great. All flights on time and no WX issues. Had I noticed an issue or had UA updated, would have SDC to SFO, for example, and avoided ORD with many other possibilities.

Turns out crew for my flight was coming from a IAD flight that would be 4+ hours late for my flight (7 hours late from original IAD flight). SO, UA knew that they had no crew to staff the PDX to ORD flight and never updated. In fact, I learned that GAs knew by 6pm local time (T-5h) that they had no crew for flight. Nothing was posted until 24 min before my flight was to leave, i.e., 1040pm.

We were told that we would get crew from another incoming flight (since IAD flight would not arrive until 3-4am and I suspect be timed out). Realizing I had an issue since I had to make a meeting in DCA, the reason for my trip, I immediately went to GA. She spent a lot of time with me (huge line behind me) and there were only good choices of bad options, even though my ORD flight was posted as delayed by 20min. I thought about aborting right there on the spot and figured I should at least try.

We were now scheduled to leave at 1230am. At 1140pm, I saw the crew and thought, this is doable. They came and left to the gate beside ours. I went up to a GA and asked if that last crew was my crew. She affirmed but said they needed to go through that different gate. That was a baldfaced lie.

Saw another set of crew. They came and left. Then around 1155pm, saw another crew that was escorted directly to my gate. From a distance, they all looked pissed and all immediately reached for cell phones as the pilot, who had been standing around for a while, watched. I actually stood up and went to podium thinking I would abort. For some reason, I thought again, I've made it this far, I should at least try. So I sat back down waiting to board.

That crew stood around for about 20-25min. We finally boarded and left at 1257am and I knew I needed a lengthier delay in ORD to make it. We arrived at 620. I knew I would miss my flight.

Sitting in F, I spoke with the FAs, and they were tired and upset yet friendly. They told me they weren't told until they arrived in PDX; they didn't want to do it. They confirmed that the PDX GAs had known by 6pm of the lack of crew. And they confirmed that there were two other crew that could have staffed the plane, that it would have been cheaper for UA to do that (not sure why), but for some reason, the others were turned away. My pilots, who were there, saw it all unfold and shared his perspectives.

Bottom line: I arrived in ORD and turned around and went back to PDX (and had excellent service both from CS in ORD and FA in F). Still, despite one of the better breakfasts I have ever had on UA, a comfortable A320 seat and a good pax sitting next to me, I have a bitter taste in my mouth since I could have SDC had UA updated when they learned of the lack of crew. Also, had the crew not spent 25 min waiting to board (wasn't their fault, but UAs), I would have made my flight in ORD. Missing my meeting was huge.

I've sounded off. Now, I'm curious to hear you sound off. Knowing this is FT, I suspect at least one or two (hundred!) will tell me it's my fault for flying through ORD in the winter time. Or flying UA at all...