Originally Posted by
planecrashlaw
I’m in the middle of a status match challenge from AA Executive Platinum to 1K.
My TVC market is served by RJs with equal, overlapping frequency between UA and AA. On 2 of 3 trips of my challenge so far, I faced delays of between 8 hours and 2 days, with UA unable to move me to AA, as AA was showing as sold out. These were MX issues leading to crews timing out, compounded by WX on 12/25.
On both occasions, I invoked my AA status (and 3,000,000 worth of experience with the system) and bought tickets on the sold out AA flights and got to my UA connections without further delay. Simply put, AA flew when UA couldn’t, and I got on flights myself that UA could not or would not put me on. In the last instance, my “self-help” mitigation efforts salvaged our Christmas holiday to PLS, as had I accepted UAs “solution” we would have missed 2 + days and simply would have CXL’d.
Here is the issue. UA has given 2 hard “no” responses to my request for reimbursement of $200 and $800 for the money paid to AA. I am not satisfied with this response, which is basically “you should have shut up and taken the pain,” but before I press further, or simply walk away from the challenge completely, is this in fact the correct response, and should I expect any change in their position if I press further? In other words, is “self-help” always going to result in a denied claim? If not, is there a winning argument I should make?
Thanks for helping me manage my expectations.
jsloan hit the nail on the head but just to be clear UA
likely would have put you on AA if you requested it and AA was showing availability. Close to departure unless AA is showing wide availability, generally, UA will be required to call to confirm AA is willing to accept the passenger which AA is under minimal obligation to do (UA FIM to AA with Checked Bags can be painful...but 100% of that pain comes from the AA side. UA has worked some miracles for me
in spite of AA, not because of AA's help). If AA is showing Y0 (as it sounds like they were) UA has no meaningful ability to even ask AA to accept a displaced passenger. It sounds like if you were anyone else (without status), AA wouldn't have even sold you the ticket directly.
Self help is a great "break glass to get the trip done" and sometimes you gotta do it but the tradeoff is the potential financial hit (for some reason the few times I've done it I've somehow managed to come out nearly even or even slightly ahead on refund value vs. new ticket cost)
Every airlines Contract of Carriage can be useful as a sword and shield for both you and the airline; in UA's case it can be found at
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/con...-carriage.html
Rule 24(E)(1)
- Irregular Operations
- Liability - Except to the extent provided in this Rule and the Warsaw and/or Montreal Conventions, UA shall not be liable for any Irregular Operations.
- Delay, Misconnection or Cancellation
- When a Passenger’s ticket is affected because of Irregular Operations caused by UA, UA will take the following measures:
- Transport the Passenger on its own flights, subject to availability, to the Destination, next Stopover point, or transfer point shown on its portion of the Ticket, without Stopover in the same class of service, at no additional cost to the Passenger; or
- At its sole discretion, UA may arrange for the passenger to travel on another carrier. United may also, at its sole discretion, and if acceptable to the passenger, arrange for the passenger to travel via ground transportation.
- In the event a Passenger misses an onward connecting flight on which space is reserved because the Delivering Carrier did not operate its flight due to Irregular Operations or a Schedule Change, the Delivering Carrier is responsible to arrange for carriage of the Passenger or to make a refund.
- If a Passenger is not transported as provided in E) 2) above, the Passenger will be eligible for a refund upon request. See Rule 27 A).
- If space is only available and used on a UA flight(s) of a lower class of service than originally purchased by the passenger, UA will provide a refund of the difference in fare pursuant to Rule 27 C) 5).