While my experience here can’t quite make the list of “not greatest hits” by UA it was nonetheless a pretty frustrating travel experience in which UA dropped the ball multiple times. I should have seen the writing on the wall when the February schedule was loaded and I was forced to make flight changes including a swap to a CR2 and E145 instead of E175 legs. Not quite the trip from hell, but a trip from heck.

2/13
UA1108 TPA-DEN
UA4710 DEN-ABQ

It began when I was on UA1108 on 2/13 from TPA to DEN. We arrived 9 minutes late into gate B45. I headed off to the UC for a quick drink before heading down to gate B59 just as boarding was about to start. When I got to B59 they informed us that the flight to ABQ, UA4710 was not only delayed but was now going out of gate A75. “Not to worry” they said as UA would hold the flight for all of us that now have to get over to concourse A. After hanging around A75 for a bit the GA informs us they are waiting on an air cart due to the low temps outside (it was about 1 Fahrenheit). Another round of delay and we finally start boarding leaving at 12:14 (40 minutes late) and arriving in ABQ at 13:37 (44 mins late.) I immediately get a text upon turning my phone on that one of my bags did not make it. I assumed it was the skis and headed down to baggage claim to get my other two bags. The bags go on the carousel, are retrieved by their owners, and guess what never shows up? My other two bags. I head to the baggage office and after waiting behind a few other people the agent confirms that yes, all of my bags are in Denver. I was informed they would be put on the next flight which gets in at 21:39 but that I shouldn’t expect them until the next day. I am in a bit of a rush to not miss my bus (I was meeting a group in ABQ) so I fill out the paperwork and zip on out.

I finally get all 3 bags the next day around 16:00 MST. Just about 24 hours from when I originally should have gotten them. I missed an entire day of skiing and had to eat the cost of the lift ticket for that day as they were not refundable.

2/20
UA4353 ABQ-IAH
UA1444 IAH-TPA

The return proved to be even more “exciting.” Waiting in ABQ I get the first text that UA4353 is delayed, initially by 20 minutes. Then another pushing it out another 20 minutes. Another pax at the gate overhears my conversation and informs me that she is on the same IAH-TPA flight and is concerned about her connection in IAH as well. We finally leave at 13:13 MST, 43 minutes late. En route several customers ask the F/A about making tight connections in IAH. The F/A tries to calm everyone’s fears but isn’t really able to do all that much, especially with no wifi on the E145. When we get to the gate, for the first time in the COVID era they asked those that had adequate connection time to remain seated while those of us on tight connections deplaned. We arrived at 16:28 CST, 50 minutes late into gate B15. As I take my phone out of airplane mode I get the text from UA that I have been re-booked onto UA330 leaving at 09:15 the next day. When I get into the terminal I look at the departure board and see that 1444 is still listed as boarding so I proceed to run full speed through IAH towards C15, my work backpack flailing around wildly, I am sure it was quite the scene. When I get to C15 at about 16:45 CST (at least the gates were near each other, not) the plane had already pulled away from the jetway. The GA was fairly apologetic but ultimately sent me to one of the customer service counters over by C3.

Thoroughly winded in my KN95 and now sweating I get in line for the lone customer service agent. The pax in front of me was nice enough to let me go ahead of her but I still had to wait for the agent to finish up with the previous customer. I take the few minutes to look at the various options: flying OAL, renting a car, seeing what hotels have availability etc. When I get up to the agent she confirms they rebooked me and that they aren’t any other routings that would get me home that night. I told her that AA had a flight through DFW which left at 17:55 which would give me roughly an hour and requested to be put on that flight. She said they would not do that since it was less than 24 hours but they would give me a hotel voucher and meal voucher.

Between the boil water notice in Houston, COVID, the airport Marriott not having any availability, and my superfluous amount of luggage I declined their offer to spend the night in Houston. I then asked the agent if I buy the AA ticket, how I get my bags as I wouldn’t have adequate time to retrieve and re-check them in IAH? After a brief phone call she tells me that they can’t reroute but I can just put in a claim once I get to TPA. Whatever, I book the AA ticket and head over to the A concourse.

My AA experience was largely uneventful and they managed to get me home a few minutes ahead of their schedule. I don’t like their hard product or the numerous credit card pitches but I appreciated getting home safely.

For the record UA1444 left at 16:38, 7 minutes early. Per the seat map from .bomb there were only 50/166 occupied for a whopping 30% load factor. The plane itself (N76532) didn’t have a turn and instead was on the ground in TPA until today (2/23). Hard to imagine the crew would have timed out and if they had waited 20 minutes the plane still would have arrived in TPA on-time.

I am going to be reaching out to UA in the next few days to let them know my displeasure with the whole experience. In addition to a complete lack of empathy among their employees at no point did I feel that I was given any type of extra care for being a 1K on a paid F ticket. UA has been keen to trumpet about their “Connection Saver” and holding UA1444 would have allowed at least 2 pax to make that connection.

I’m not sure what exactly I expect from UA in return. The trip delay benefit of my CSR should cover the AA ticket and the baggage delay benefit from the CSR should also cover the incidentals I had to pick up upon arrival in both ABQ and TPA.

I found special amusement in the obligatory priority and rush tags on my outbound flight.