I've said it before and I'll say it again: UA does not give a crap about non-elites. I keep reading that the big airlines are going to have to raise leisure fares to make up for lower business fares and I wonder how on earth UA is going to get away with charging more for the crappy service they give non-elites.

ClueByFour, you have my sympathy on the death of your friend. And a printed itinerary would indeed have helped you, but the public at large shouldn't have to know to jump through hoops just to be able to check in on time.