Originally Posted by
Often1
UA (and all carriers) report the reasons for delay to DOT. Making a false statement is a felony. If you truly believe that someone at UA is going to commit a felony to save a $35 hotel voucher, you should absolutely file a complaint with DOT.
But, you are almost certainly barking up the wrong tree. There could well have been perfect WX at ORD, your destination and enroute. Yet, the inbound crew was delayed by WX. Presumably the AA flight was not.
If there was a later flight operating and it had space, I'm not sure that it matters that your scheduled flight was delayed. SDC is there and I take it that the "refusal" to rebook was the lack of space.
As to GA's hanging around gates with no active ongoing process, I'm not sure that's necessary anymore, especially at ORD with CS counters, monitors and the like. The GA is functionally reading off the same screen as you are when you walk over to the departures board.
Sorry should have given better detail. Last flight of the day and bags were checked. Wouldn't change us to an earlier flight because we had bags and it was "too tight". Wouldn't change us to AA because it was "just a delay". By the time they canceled there was no other choice that night.
It's sad that airlines have come to this. I'd bet $3500 that they'd commit small felonies to save a plane full of $35 vouchers. Nobody including the DOT could really prove they lied. I can show up late for work every Thursday and tell my boss the garbage truck was blocking me in. He can't prove I'm lying without anything short of a sting operation but that doesn't mean I shouldn't get fired for failing to live up to even basic expecataions!!!
And by that logic they might as well just fire all of their gate agents. You can do everything with the app or website and they have CS counters after all! There's some real savings just staffing the CS counter with 4 people and getting rid of everyone else! Great idea!!!