Originally Posted by
Roger Lococco
I find it kind of bizarre that the portals are not real time. I mean for 99% of travelers, when you choose open seats, hit "Purchase Now", see a confirmation number, see that your credit card is billed, and do not see any notice from the airline that the flight is not ticketed ... you're going to assume that you're all set.
That is not how air travel has ever worked. The "portals" may obscure this failure of the industry to adapt to modern consumer expectations.
United's online booking flow makes this quite clear in the email you receive after booking:
Once we've finished processing your reservation, you'll receive a second email containing your eTicket itinerary so that you can request additional receipts, export to your calendar, check in, cancel, upgrade, email or print your itinerary. This may take up to 24 hours.
We're processing your reservation and will send you an eTicket Itinerary and Receipt email once completed. This process usually takes less than an hour, but in rare cases it could take longer. If you don’t receive an eTicket Itinerary and Receipt email within 24 hours, please call the
United Customer Contact Center