UAs Official Response to HKG Ticketing/IT Error: Redeem @ Correct Amount or Redeposit
Jul 19, 2012, 12:39 pm
#1486
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: TUL
Posts: 93
oh and i think ive had 5 or 6 automated calls from random numbers that turn out to be just reminders and notifications. I kept dreading getting a voicemail from someone real about to spoil my fun. But boarding passes in hand to continue on for tomorrow. Time to enjoy tonight on uniteds tab!
Reason being, when the flight cancelled it auto rebooked me in economy on some insane routing. She couldnt access the award inventory to rebook me back in F.
there was a few times where they would say something like "hmmm...." or "let me check with supervisor" or "let me call my help line" but not once did they mention 4 miles. Only issue was with first agent she tried booking me all in economy since that was what i was auto rebooked to. She eventually saw that i was in F tho, and right when we were about to finish the call dropped. (thanks att) Called back and got another agent who saw all the fragments she had, and was able to piece it all back together and ticket me back in F the whole way with new dates. I got a new email confirmation showing the same service fee, and 4 mile quote.
One can dream.........hah
everytime they put me on hold and would come back and say something like "ok well i looked at your ticket and......." longest hold/first sentence heart stopping moment hah!
Reason being, when the flight cancelled it auto rebooked me in economy on some insane routing. She couldnt access the award inventory to rebook me back in F.
One can dream.........hah
everytime they put me on hold and would come back and say something like "ok well i looked at your ticket and......." longest hold/first sentence heart stopping moment hah!
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Jul 19, 2012 at 1:02 pm Reason: 4x multi-quote
Jul 19, 2012, 12:43 pm
#1487
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
Glad it worked out for you.
Jul 19, 2012, 12:48 pm
#1489
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,393
Actually, I would guess that there are a couple people in this thread who didn't figure out how to do that, and are now mad that they missed the deal! LOL.
Jul 19, 2012, 12:55 pm
#1490
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,606
A certain FlyerTalker is now in the Air somewhere over the Pacific. I'm sorry but I can't reveal details as to departure city and destination. But trust me, this is not a drill. The FT will post on this thread once on or over American soil.
Sorry for not mentioning the name of this FT. But we have one of us already in the air!
PS: Seems like United is serving a 2006 Champagne on that flight in F... Yeah, no krug/Dom but better than a California sparkling wine!
Sorry for not mentioning the name of this FT. But we have one of us already in the air!
PS: Seems like United is serving a 2006 Champagne on that flight in F... Yeah, no krug/Dom but better than a California sparkling wine!
Originally Posted by FTer
Guys, and gals this deal is still holding up for the time being. I have just gotten off either a Global First or Business First flight.
I am currently waiting for my connection on American or American territory soil.
Will report back in a couple hours when I'm at my final destination with a Full TR with all the details and pics.
Thanks for your understanding
I am currently waiting for my connection on American or American territory soil.
Will report back in a couple hours when I'm at my final destination with a Full TR with all the details and pics.
Thanks for your understanding
Jul 19, 2012, 12:59 pm
#1491
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,740
As time goes on, it seems more and more likely that the deal will be upheld on United's end.
Which can only lead me to one conclusion: I wish that I would have booked a ticket!
Which can only lead me to one conclusion: I wish that I would have booked a ticket!
Jul 19, 2012, 1:02 pm
#1492
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SEA & RDM
Programs: UA - 1MM, DL Diamond, AS MVP75, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 8,037
I know I am probably going to get slammed for saying this...but does anyone else feel like this is akin to being given too much change at the store and keeping it or having something ring up as clearly the wrong price but buying it anyway?
Jul 19, 2012, 1:03 pm
#1493
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,393
Jul 19, 2012, 1:06 pm
#1494
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: TUL
Posts: 93
I used to work while in college at a grocery store as a front end supervisor, and anytime there was a price discrepancy, whether it was old sale tags, mispriced weight for steaks, we honored it. Even if it meant a warehouse pack of T bone steaks for .05. I always congratulated the customer if i saw he found a mispriced pack of meat. The store messed up and mispriced it, but was honored every time.
Jul 19, 2012, 1:06 pm
#1495
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1MM/1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 6,832
I wouldn't be so sure. Hobo's Theorem notwithstanding, I am not reading that much into this delay, strange as it may seem to us. UA can come back at any time to dash our dreams if they feel the cost savings of doing so outweighs the negative press. In any event, UA has a lot of fish to fry at the moment, so it's not inconceivable the HKG debacle is being put on the back burner.
Jul 19, 2012, 1:10 pm
#1496
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Titantium Elite
Posts: 144
I used to work while in college at a grocery store as a front end supervisor, and anytime there was a price discrepancy, whether it was old sale tags, mispriced weight for steaks, we honored it. Even if it meant a warehouse pack of T bone steaks for .05. I always congratulated the customer if i saw he found a mispriced pack of meat. The store messed up and mispriced it, but was honored every time.
Again, big difference between a few dollars, and tens of thousands of dollars - and that's just ONE customer. These correlations about price mistake policies in retail stores need to stop - it isn't anywhere close to the same scenario that happened.
If a car dealer misprints the price of an automobile for one penny, they aren't going to honor it. A bag of T-Bone steaks at a grocery store? Yeah, they'll honor it.
Jul 19, 2012, 1:13 pm
#1497
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,393
We should just compile a list of the arguments, and then maybe the FT web jockey's can integrate them like the emoticons so that posters can just select the moral argument they want to make!
Jul 19, 2012, 1:18 pm
#1498
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Do you totally miss the point that what UA cares about is revenue and that most of the 4-mile flyers didn't even have enough miles in their account to have the correct amount deducted? If you haven't earned significant miles on UA, you haven't given them much revenue and thus, you are not a valuable customer.
Jul 19, 2012, 1:18 pm
#1499
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Sorta sticky with all the facts
Since a thread is not allowed, I will try to keep all facts in this message and continue to update it to reflect further information:
What is known: (FACTS)
On late Saturday and Sunday morning / early afternoon, July 14 2012, it was possible to book award tickets for 4 miles in all classes, regular and saver awards, as long as the itineraries started / ended in or had a stopover in some Chinese airports. HKG was most commonly booked, but according to some reports PKG and others were also possible.
This was clearly an IT mistake, and the normal multiple thousand-miles cost for the award tickets was shown throughout, except for the last screen, where only 4 miles / ticket was quoted. Upon booking, this minimal amount was then sometimes deducted from MP accounts that had insufficient miles for the normal award miles required, although there are many reports of MP accounts that did not have any miles debited at all, though taxes & fees were charged.
On monday, UA insider posted this message:
However, no-one seems to have been contacted about this personally via phone / email or snailmail.
Since Tuesday, the story has gained traction in the MSM (for example wsj report), suggesting that there is a dialog going on between DOT and UA, although nothing conclusive has come out of that.
In the meantime, there are several report that folks have flown on 4 mile tickets, indicating that for the time-being at least, tickets are being honored.
What is known: (FACTS)
On late Saturday and Sunday morning / early afternoon, July 14 2012, it was possible to book award tickets for 4 miles in all classes, regular and saver awards, as long as the itineraries started / ended in or had a stopover in some Chinese airports. HKG was most commonly booked, but according to some reports PKG and others were also possible.
This was clearly an IT mistake, and the normal multiple thousand-miles cost for the award tickets was shown throughout, except for the last screen, where only 4 miles / ticket was quoted. Upon booking, this minimal amount was then sometimes deducted from MP accounts that had insufficient miles for the normal award miles required, although there are many reports of MP accounts that did not have any miles debited at all, though taxes & fees were charged.
On monday, UA insider posted this message:
Information regarding award pricing error
Hi Everyone, over the weekend, we discovered a united.com programming error that allowed customers to obtain Mileage Plus travel awards to and from Hong Kong for as little as four miles roundtrip per person, substantially below published levels, which we disclose to customers. We have since corrected the error and will be in contact with customers who have tickets issued at the incorrect award amounts. Customers will be given the choice to redeem at the correct mileage amount or re-deposit their award with all fees waived. We regret any inconvenience this has caused you, and appreciate your understanding.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Hi Everyone, over the weekend, we discovered a united.com programming error that allowed customers to obtain Mileage Plus travel awards to and from Hong Kong for as little as four miles roundtrip per person, substantially below published levels, which we disclose to customers. We have since corrected the error and will be in contact with customers who have tickets issued at the incorrect award amounts. Customers will be given the choice to redeem at the correct mileage amount or re-deposit their award with all fees waived. We regret any inconvenience this has caused you, and appreciate your understanding.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Since Tuesday, the story has gained traction in the MSM (for example wsj report), suggesting that there is a dialog going on between DOT and UA, although nothing conclusive has come out of that.
In the meantime, there are several report that folks have flown on 4 mile tickets, indicating that for the time-being at least, tickets are being honored.
Jul 19, 2012, 1:18 pm
#1500
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: PC Pl, UA 1K, CC Gl
Posts: 2,235
the "problem" with ua award tickets is that even i got rebooked in full y or f I have never received any miles. It seems that not like aa or dl they give miles based on ticket # and its noted somewhere that this is an award. But with merger and 4 mile mistake it might change?