Originally Posted by
j2simpso
Uhh, fellow FTers can correct me if I'm out of step here but I think hotel voucher/compensation is given to anyone in your situation (even a General Member) since the
*A airline manual states that when you have a intercontinental journey (which this one clearly is) and it gets cancelled for reasons within their control (i.e. goes mechanical) then everyone is entitled to this:
And this is the difference between theory and practice.
In theory, UA is on the hook for a hotel for every passenger who needs one.
In practice, UA will often neglect to mention that fact (whether intentionally or as an oversight), which is why it's good to be prepared.
OP: If you had called up UA and asked to be sent home a day early, I'm sure they would have obliged, but I wouldn't have expected them to offer that proactively. It's relatively rare for people to be flexible enough to get to the airport on short notice for an intercontinental trip. One day's delay is usually less of a disruption than leaving a day earlier.