Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
The OP said that the travel agent told them that visas weren't needed. I interpreted this to imply that they had either personal contact with a bricks and mortar travel agent or phone contact with an agent at a travel agency such as AmEx. However, the routing and region do suggest consolidator tickets so that one could not expect much customer service from the travel agent. Even so, a phone call to the travel agent should have been possible in time for the OP to catch some flight to SFO to make the TPAC flight.
Correct the OP did speak with the TA, and even consolidators know when and where to the most part that a Visa will be needed
But @ 5am in PHX if the TA was US based I wouldnt expect to reach them even , and depending where if in the US the TA is will determine what time you can reach someone that will be able to do anything. If the TA was MNL based they probably closed up for the night But if the TA was PHX based, then they wouldnt speak to them till 9am+ at best = not being able to get to SFO in time
But Im very
like you why the OP didnt get in contact with their TA once they got home as they had plenty of time to still get them to SFO in time for the PEK flight or to find some other routes
* personally Im not saying the OP was at fault, and believe UA blew it. Just that the OP had options that it seems they didnt explore and it seems resided to the fact they werent going to end up in Cebu, when there were still options that could have been used, even for a non-Elite I dont understand why they simply gave up w/o trying anything and everything