FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one [Archive]
Old Sep 9, 2017, 11:59 am
  #1537  
jsloan
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Join Date: Oct 2001
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Originally Posted by matthewswitaj
My question is this: What happens to my reward tickets if this happens again and there are no award seats? It does not seem fair if my only option is to find award ticket availability. What if Ethiopian Airlines cancels a segment for the return home when I am in South Africa?
Welcome to FT! Glad to see you were able to find options to repair your outbound.

In general, the only thing you'd have a right to would be a refund -- and even that would be iffy, because UA claims that if you cancel an award return, no miles will be refunded.

In practice, UA's policy is that they will open space as necessary on their own flights. Of course, since UA doesn't fly to South Africa, that may not help you very much; but if you're able to find an award seat to anywhere they do fly, UA will accommodate you from there.

There is also a Star Alliance Liaison at UA, whose job it is to interact with partner airlines to resolve things like this. UA could ask (but not force) partner airlines to open space for you.

All of this applies only to cancellations / disruptions prior to the day of travel. If your flight is delayed or cancelled on the day of travel, it's the carrier who delayed / cancelled that is responsible for rebooking you to your final destination. So, if you get to ADD and find out that the flight to VIE has been cancelled, it'd be the operator of that segment -- presumably ET -- that would be responsible for getting you back to ORD.
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