Originally Posted by
alleony
I recently made a MR, IAH-EWR-HKG-SGN, SGN-HKG-EWR-IAH.
I purchased W Class and applied for upgrade.
The outbound was confirmed but the inbound got screwed.
Before I boarded SGN-HKG, United App showed that it had at least 4 or 5 Biz Seats open, and I saw those remained unoccupied when it was airborne.
United App showed the biz at HKG-EWR was full. I can't confirm it as I couldn't see all of the business cabin from the coach. I didn't get upgrade for EWR-IAH either.
I complaint it to United, and asked for the the fare difference was about $338 one way I think. The representative said she didn't know about the fare, if I insist a refund, she can make the request to the accounting dept, but it may take about a few weeks. But she could offer either $500 e-cert, or 30K miles. I decided to take 30K miles as the compensate.
Questions:
1) SGN-HKG, and HKG-EWR used the same flight number, UA116. Is it why I didn't get upgrade even for SGN-HKG is empty while HKG-EWR is full?
2) which compensation is better, Cash $328 or E-Cert $500 or 30K miles?
Thanks!
Was the return booked as SGN-EWR with a stop in HKG? If so then the whole SGN-EWR would have to be available to upgrade and it won't do it on individual segments, which is what sounds like happened. As someone above noted, you need to make sure you book each leg separately to be able to upgrade one leg if the other is not available. If this is the case then technically you were not due any compensation at all and got lucky to get 30K miles.
But if you did book them as separate legs then UA screwed up and you should have been offered something, which you were and you accepted.
Edit to add, you would not get the difference in fare back as that is the chance you take with the upgrade lottery.