2012 Thanksgiving/Christmas Schedule Cutbacks on United
Aug 18, 2012, 11:11 pm
#47
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Aug 19, 2012, 1:28 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: HKG
Programs: Priority Club Plat
Posts: 12,311
CO had been doing this for years. Cutting flights on certain days to Europe during Thanksgiving and Christmas, and to China/HK during Christmas and Chinese New Year. Since the merger (even more 3/3), they have started doing the same for sUA flights.
Aug 19, 2012, 2:23 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
ORD-EWR/SFO-HKG
ORD-IAD/EWR/IAH/SFO/LAX-NRT-HKG
For partners, you can go through YVR/YYZ/SFO/PEK/NRT...lot of choices.
The real issue - inventory.
Aug 19, 2012, 5:16 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,158
I recall UA reducing schedule over Holiday last year as well, but not this drastic of a reduction.
Everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed that there is no significant weather event just before Thanksgiving or Christmas. Appears that there will be no seats in the air to recover from irrops.
At least there are not a lot of people planning to travel during the holidays....
Everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed that there is no significant weather event just before Thanksgiving or Christmas. Appears that there will be no seats in the air to recover from irrops.
At least there are not a lot of people planning to travel during the holidays....
Aug 19, 2012, 6:18 am
#51
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 466
Inventory is what is killing me - No one is willing to open up an F revenue seat. They can get me there, but with legs in BF (actually coach from ORD to EWR). Going to try again today.
Aug 19, 2012, 7:00 am
#52
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA PremExec
Posts: 732
But if UA knows demand on these days is low and they commonly end up cancelling these flights (as some posters indicated was done last year), why did they schedule them at all? On the hope that for some reason this year will be different? So they just sell people seats on flights they have good reason to think will not actually fly?
Aug 19, 2012, 7:41 am
#53
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Independent! But mostly BKK, BCN, SFO, PDX, SEA...
Programs: Lawl COVID
Posts: 1,060
Now why in the world would you want to go to a crazy place like Phuket when you could easily go to South Padre? You'll get to enjoy all that Houston Intercontinental has to offer and save miles by flying in one of their wonderful ERJ-145 jets!
*ducks, runs*
*ducks, runs*
Last edited by FiveMileFinal; Aug 19, 2012 at 7:51 am
Aug 19, 2012, 7:43 am
#54
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,187
There is nothing wrong with BF. You do know that the vast majority fly in economy, with a goodly number of these people in center seats?
Aug 19, 2012, 7:47 am
#55
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: United Mileage Plus Premier Executive, AmericanAdvantage Gold
Posts: 180
Those people in economy are getting what they pay for. When I pay a premium I want a decent seat and BF is light years behind a true first class seat especially when stuck in the window. The service is also lacking especially when they charge the same as global first at times.
Aug 19, 2012, 7:55 am
#56
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
Actually, Hua Hin is where I'd go and it's about a 2 hour drive south of BKK. Much easier to get to and not requiring another carrier (award) to get a ticket to HKT, especially over the holidays. You're competing with half of Europe for seats especially German's over Christmas. Sometimes one needs to be flexible, and/or just keep searching. Hollerin' and seeking sympathy from fellow FTer's or res agent supervisors gets you nothing but a headache, in the end. BTW, after continual calls to res, a guy has a very good chance of getting his itin flagged with notes & comments that usually ends any future hope of getting help.
Aug 19, 2012, 8:01 am
#57
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,187
We had 3 GlobalFirst award seats ORD-HKT over the Christmas/New Years time frame.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
If you cannot get to your preferred destination on your preferred dates, that's life. UA has given you four months to figure alternative plans.
Aug 19, 2012, 8:08 am
#58
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 58
There's nothing wrong with economy but....four months out when i had 2 F seats confirmed ORD-HKG with a CX on TG I was expecting them to stay that way. I too am desperately trying to play award seat/TG 747 roulette to fix my once good trip!
Aug 19, 2012, 8:14 am
#59
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: UA 1K, DL Gold, HH Gold, and SPG Gold
Posts: 408
what happens in reservation stays in reservation. I have tried contacting customer relations about the frustration I experienced with reservation: most of the time, the moment they heard the keyword "reservation," they transfer my call to United reservation even without asking me. For the rest, they told me one of the two things (1) you have traveled, which means you have accepted the change (2) you haven't traveled, what are you complaining about? why don't you just call reservations back and try to get the things fixed?
I hope my experience can save you some time.
I hope my experience can save you some time.
We had 3 GlobalFirst award seats ORD-HKT over the Christmas/New Years time frame.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
Overnight UA canceled a lot of the ORD TPAC flights for Dec 24 and 25.
I have spent several hours on the phone with UA CSRs. I have to say all have tried to do their best, but there is no availability that will allow us to travel any time remotely close to our original travel dates.
The last supervisor I worked with indicated that I should contact UA Customer Relations about this. I suspect that will get me nowhere.
Any advice on how to either get this fixed, if it is fixable? If we have to cancel, I want to make sure I get maximum compensation for this. It was pretty hard to explain to my family that we are now not going on a much anticipated tropical vacation.
Aug 19, 2012, 10:04 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 466
There is something wrong with BF when I've "paid" (using miles) for an F ticket. If I booked BF or economy (as I normally do), of course BF or economy would be fine. However, that is not what booked and, therefore, isn't fine.