Narrow Seat

A friend of mine tells me he has been in a Customer Service Line at Newark (NJ) airline for close to 10 hours so he can rebook and get a hotel voucher. United Airlines. He insists that the UA Phone or webpage can't help him. And the App is not working properly.

He has lots of company with hundreds of other travelers waiting in this line after their flights were canceled or delayed.

I just can't believe one of us FLYERTALK posters (members) would be forced to wait this long. We would find a way to beat the system and get home quickly no matter how dire the situation is.

He needs to get home to California for important meetings. The boss says we have to find a way to his office in Stockton CA by Thursday morning. No excuses. Your ideas on how to get home from Newark to Stockton CA. No flights have seats. The talk is Saturday at the earliest.

EXP100

The boss is a moron. Flights are jammed packed and no one at the airline is going to give a flying fig about someone's meeting. And no I would never stand in line for hours on end for voucher. I guess people that don't have the means to fund a hotel room have no choice.

enviroian

all this x a million

OskiBear

Looks like there are still flights available tonight to Sacramento (SMF) or San Francisco (SFO). Not ideal, but beggars can't be choosers when flying into smaller airports. It'll still get him back to northern California in time to drive to Stockton for a Thursday morning meeting.

And there were probably more options by booking sooner. Best not to wait in a line or at least wait in line while calling and using app at the same time.

enviroian

First thing your friend needs to do is look for a new job when he gets home.

What a moronic boss.

mlbcard

I had this issue over the Christmas time craziness last year. Missed connection at SFO and there was a line of hundreds (if not thousands) with two agents staffing the desk and all phone lines overwhelmed� I said f-this and came back the next morning and got on a flight later that night.

but, yes, lots of people will stay for hours and hours. I missed Christmas with my family, but better than spending Christmas Eve and half of Christmas Day in a line at the airport.


� also, the boss sucks.

Narrow Seat

FYI: Update. He is still at the Newark Airport as of 5 AM Thursday. His boss is angry and he will likely be fired.

When he got to the front of the line- after waiting ten hours- he was told the next flight would be Sunday. He asked about another flight to anywhere in California where a relative would pick him up and take him to Stockton CA. They told him nothing was available and even if there was he would have to pay for a new ticket.

Those people who suggested the United APP, the UA Website, or the phone. Sorry but none of these helped him, that is why everyone was waiting in line.

bhomburg

In situations like this, FT members would go to the lounge and use the agents there to try and rebook.
Wait in a line for ten hours? No way.

mnhusker

If the boss needs him that bad, then the boss should pay for a new ticket on ANY airline to fly him to the meeting.

Try AA or Southwest to Reno and then rental car to Stockton.

I looked at AA, JetBlue, Southwest and Delta to Reno.

Edit: Best You could do is Delta leaving at 0755 this morning arriving Reno 4:49 this afternoon.
$2100+ ticket in F!!!!!

mlbcard

Sounds like the boss wants to lay him off but it’s cheaper to fire people. This isn’t just cause and, if this is the only reason, your friend can easily sue the boss. Save all communications with the boss.

enviroian

if you have lounge access�..

RK23

If my boss was that agro about how "important" this meeting is when the East Coast, particularly NYC-area meltdown has been. Then I would tell my boss he can charter me that private jet because the meeting is sooooo "important". Especially so since sounds like the boss wants to fire your friend already, might as well have some fun with it.

And to answer the question, I would not spend 10 hours waiting in line for any voucher. I would just book a reasonable hotel and have United or attempt to have my card insurance cover it.

Repooc17

Several different issues:

1) the employer (boss) should help, including covering any new flights if the employee's presence is (urgently) needed
2) the employee (passenger) should have sought alternatives from the outset.

3) United, hides behind FAA and weather excuses, is not doing right by customers.

As for the question, FTers would never.

Zeeb

Absolutely not. Especially for a work trip. In your friend's case, if it was so vitally important for them to get across the country by today his employer should have booked him on another airline at as soon as it became clear that United was having a meltdown. If I'm going to have to get their or else I'm fired then you damn well better give me the resources and tools to actually get there.

Zeeb

I thought about it a bit and I can actually think of one situation where I would stand in line for as long as it takes.

• I was on personal travel, not work
• I was in a foreign country where I had language limitations and didn't have a local phone number for the airline to call
• I didn't have any status on the airline
• I didn't feel confident that I'd be able to recover the cost of the tickets or replacement flights if I left the airport

In that isolated case I would probably wait in line for multiple hours and hope for the best.