OP here .
1. You Should Have Called
Originally Posted by
jsloan
After waiting through this long line, you elected to go back past everybody, then wait for the attention of a UA agent, instead of calling them. The lesson: call. (Did you then wait through the security line again?)
There are some good pointers and tips on this thread, but this one is not. I had no idea how long the call time would take (5 mins or 10 mins or 20 mins). Remember, I was playing a game of minutes at this point. Also, I had no idea if they could help. Maybe the agent says, "Sir, we have no way of pushing some new boarding pass to your phone, are you insane? Go to gate agents." I have a feeling if I wrote this post but told everyone I stood in front of security waiting on hold with United and then missed my flight, I would be equally pilloried. And deservedly so.
Also, FWIW, I went through a regular security line after visiting the ticket counter and it was 1,000X better than the transit mess.
2. They didn't "take away" your boarding pass...they just removed it (or something like that)
Originally Posted by
jpezaris
Any data that appears on your phone is most emphatically NOT yours. You have been granted temporary, conditional access to it, but you do not have ownership.
If you think it is otherwise, then you're not paying close enough attention.
Ok, I don't know the perfect language for everything. But the boarding pass was usable to me on my phone, then it wasn't. And this caused me great problems. So by your logic, is a paper boarding pass also not mine, but merely a piece of paper that I have access to? If they can't physically take away a paper boarding pass at their leisure, then these two boarding passes are not equal. My issue with this is I also don't understand the logic behind it. Is it a bug in the system that they remove old ones, or is it truly a big brother type thing where they "take it away from you." If the latter, then it really makes no sense as you can easily get around it by printing/screenshotting, thereby bypassing their scheming little hands.
3. You should have screenshotted it or have gone to the kiosk
I usually do. I just didn't this time. I don't know. I had hours at SJO in the Amex lounge. Coulda woulda shoulda. Just figured everything was easy and I was at a UA hub and all would be OK.
Side note: I usually take a screenshot because I have found in the event of being late or missing a flight, the airline will do nothing for you at the ticket counter or on the phone, but once you get through security they will be so helpful. So in the past, I had American tell me at the ticket counter it was $500 for the next flight since I missed it, had the phone people say I was SOL, then I thought to scan my screenshotted missed flight bp through security, and went to the service counter inside security where they just printed me a new one for the next flight with a smile. In case that helps anyone!
4. The IAH transit signs (side issue, not my core problem)
Originally Posted by
tods27
The IAH international transfer has signs that indicate for TSA Precheck you need to exit and go to the regular checkpoint and not the transfer checkpoint. The problem is that it isn't very clear and there used to be a precheck line at the transfer security (at least I seem to remember one). Last November when I went through IAH, I almost went up to the transfer checkpoint, but realized that the precheck sign did not point that way. Not sure if that would have really changed the BP problem in any material way, but it's a good thing to remember if connecting in IAH.
Ahah! I indeed saw the signs for precheck off to the side in the main dog sniffing area. I was searching the room and considering leaving to a "regular" security line at that point. BUT, the signs were pointed backwards towards the exit, so I figured there were just moved aside and precheck was not operating at that time. I considered asking someone, but figured they would think I was stupid for asking about signs that appear to be pointing backwards and clearly (to me) not in use. Also, at the upstairs metal detectors after the dog sniffing area, there was some precheck signage off to the side, so it's possible they run it sometimes there.
5. You should have tried to get through security with no boarding pass
Originally Posted by
jsloan
Heck, if the TSA guy would just have let OP through -- "look, I'm clearly on this flight; my phone's just messed up. Here's my earlier boarding pass. Look at that line; don't make me go through again." -- it would have been cleared up.
I am assertive and can be persistent when I need to be. However, in this post-9/11 world this did not seem like a fight worth having. I dont' fault the TSA for not letting me through without a boarding pass.
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I'll email Untied today. Maybe they'll throw me a bone.