CitizenWorld

Would mean the rest of us don't have to hear the whinging.

GadgetFreak

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Because that often has nothing to do with the cancellation?

vincewy

Seconded. Plug in UA and DEN or UA and ORD (the worst of all) or UA and SFO.

I wouldn't even mind if they cancel outright from the beginning, this seems normal from UA while other carriers are operating normally under perfect weather.

For this reason I never connect any international flights with UA domestic despite all the perks and benefits (lounge and extra luggage allowance) as *G. I have been using DL to get to US INT'L gateways (JFK, BOS, LAX, IAD) and it works out pretty well as seperate ticket with long layover (sometimes overnight).

6P&E

I flew BNA-IAD-VIE-GYD in May. OS was the TA carrier and beyond , while UX was domestic from BNA to IAD. Although there was a flight that would have given me a 90 minute connection time in IAD, knowing that UX runs chronically late, I took an earlier flight out of BNA with a 5 hour layover. Having access to the LH Lounge at IAD helped. While in IAD I checked the status of the later UX flight from BNA to IAD (the one I had refused), and sure enough, it was runnning 2 hours late. I would have missed my OS flight to VIE and the connection to GYD. Any rebooking to GYD would have been a challenge.

Badenoch

Really? Almost rioted?

Having faced similar situations more than a few times I've observed that the people around me getting angry and yelling don't get where they want to go faster than those of us take it in stride.

I learned long ago that these things happen, the airline didn't do it to you personally, yelling at the first airline employee you see doesn't help and eventually you will get where you want to be.

GadgetFreak

Yeah. In fact not yelling usually helps a lot.

pinniped

It's not the cancellation itself (well, not entirely...): it's that UX almost never fails to handle it poorly, communicate incompletely, and generally act like they really don't care. UA, for their part, tends to pretend like UX is some sort of unrelated entity out there that it wants nothing to do with.

There seems to be some sort of contentious relationship between UA and its UX operators that is unique to them. It often feels very disjointed and borderline hostile...quite different from US, DL, and AA.

I've actually had mostly okay experiences when long-haul UA flights have been delayed/canceled. Reasonably competent staff, decent rebooking options, etc. It's UX that is the biggest problem for me. Especially in their northeast locations and, to a lesser extent, ORD.

6P&E

It may be that UX staff at hub locations are worse. But a year ago, I was trying to get from BNA to ORD for an LH flight to FRA. Weather was causing delays into ORD. An earlier UX BNA-ORD flight that I was not booked on was running late and had not even left when I checked in. The UX flight from BNA-ORD that I was booked on was supposed to leave in 2 hours, but was delayed indefinitely.

Without my having to ask, the UX agents at check in rebooked me on the earlier flight and really went above and beyond. I was able to clear security and get on the UX flight 40 minutes later. Don't know the status of the later flight, the one I was originally booked on, but thanks to the UX staff at BNA I got out an had plenty of time to make my connection at ORD. Btw- I had no status with UA at the time.

Dadaluma83

I echo the advice of the people right above me. No yelling and taking it in stride really helps.

Just had my first flight cancellation a few weeks ago. Was a US Express flight operated by Mesa, or Skywest I think, can't remember. In any case an 8:30 am flight cancelled, received an email notification that I was rebooked on a 6:30 pm flight. Ok fair enough, I was ok with it.

It was traveling for a work conference and my co worker was rebooked on an American Eagle flight at 5:30, so I call US airways and ask to be put on that one, no problem.

Get to the airport and am told the American eagle flight is delayed, will miss my connection, so they rebook me back on the US express flight I was rebooked on in the first place. Checked my bag in, got boarding passes, all is well. Flight is a little delayed but should still make the connection.

I did some research on my own and saw there was one more PHX to SAN flight that night. Sure enough, the US Express flight is delayed even more so we miss our connection. So I head back to the US ticket counter and ask to be put on that last flight to SAN. I didn't yell, didn't flip out, just gave them the flight number and calmly asked if they could get me and my bag on it.

Turns out they did. Went back into the bag storage in the airport to retag my bag, gave me my new boarding passes, and me and my co worker made it to San Diego at midnight, a full 12 hours after we had planned to arrive, but we made it, and with our luggage. I was prepared to book a room in Phoenix just in case, but luckily that didn't happen and we made it.

So bottom line it does nobody no good to whine and moan about a cancellation. Always look up alternate routings, and have ideas about hotels if necessary. Even before we missed the connection I had that alternate flight in mind just in case. Remember the airline employees have no control over a cancelled or delayed flight, but they do have control over the way you are treated afterward. Make their job pleasant, say please and thank you, and they will be more inclined to help you out.

So I was pleased with my customer service experience with the US contractors at my home airport, and definitely feel great about flying them. Of course my co worker says from now on he will only fly southwest because he has never had that issue with southwest. Because they never cancel flights.

Honestly though if I have a choice of mainline or regional, I pick mainline because they have less issues. There is no such thing as a perfect airline though.

pragakhan

I feel vexed if my flights ever go "perfect". Especially when I book three segments each way, I feel like I am asking for it and it works out I drive slowwww.. lol

dinoscool3

Out stations do often have better UX agents than hubs. The agents in ALB and BGM are pretty great.

cubuffaloes2004

Well the OP said that they were connecting - so they are supposed to fly to DC and then take the Acela?

GadgetFreak

Connections make it more complicated but I understood them to say that IAD-EWR was the last leg before getting home. So it would be pretty easy to go from IAD to Union Station and then to EWR by train. Depending on connection times it could even be quicker although I see the attraction of staying in the airport to some degree. It also depends on where they actually live, is EWR closer or a train station.

IAD is farther from Union Station than is DCA but from DCA I have literally been in long lines for a shuttle flight change and seeing long security lines bolted for the cab line while calling my assistant and telling her to buy me a train ticket for the next Acela which was in 35 or 40 minutes and made that train, getting home as soon or sooner than by plane.

Ber2dca

Luggage is the big wild card here and why few people would take the train as a last leg on an inter-continental itinerary.

GadgetFreak

Yes. I virtually never travel with anything other than carryon though so view it a bit differently I suppose.