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Delta1949 - I understand your point of view as you would anticipate more apathy and compassion for the described situation. IMO, FT is straight talk and many of these expert travelers will not feel compassion for the situation & its etc. (age of traveler, difficulty of bags, status at hotel, length of delay) but just the relevant facts - if the airline cares, at fault or not. I do read your post as more victimhood vs. a real inconvenience (as travel in the USA is prone to delays (especially late in the day flights) - I've accumulated 8 hrs of delays in the last 1.5 weeks of travel across 5 flights but who cares) so nothing in this experience sounds horrible or extraordinary. On the flip side, I've learn the arbitrary 3.5 hr rule from this post which is good information to have - so I thank the respondents for sharing the facts. I hope everything worked out for your wife and arrived safely, relaxed nor stressed.
To your post - I agree with others you are not due any compensation. If UA reviews you are frequent high-ticket travelers they will provide a voucher otherwise, anticipate a message safety is most important factor of the airline operation and Sorry!
BTW - I don't know your age or personally but using the this 'old mind' statement doesn't really fly in today's environment as current POTUS of USA is 73. He beat an opponent who is 71. And the competitors to replace him for 2020 are 76 and 77. Unless, you are older than this average - you have a young mind.
