StingWest

Please report back here, as this information would be very useful!!

It's not just United where this happens (no compensation for downgrade due to misconnect), it happened to me on Virgin America too - I paid for F, "almost" misconnected, and other passengers had been upgraded by the time I got to the gate. No compensation, as the last-minute Y fare was more than I paid. I chose not to argue as it was 10pm...

mduell

I didn't say, or mean to imply, that the downgrade voucher was the exclusive compensation. But if you're booked in first and you fly coach due to the airline, you should get downgrade comp.

FlyWorld

Try the refund approach.

If they don't respond to you or they don't give you a fair refund, then file a complaint here:

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/escomplaint/es.cfm

I don't agree with others who said this is a downgrade. Weather is not UA's fault. If there was no F seat available and you missed the flight because of weather, there's nothing more they can do other than give you a proper refund between what you paid for F and what you would have paid for Y, which is what you flew.

sbm12

I'm not so sure of that. They missed the connection so at that point it is wait for the next F seat or take the Y seat "voluntarily" and fly on. They can go for a refund of the fare difference or a customer service voucher of some sort, but I do not believe the downgrade compensation applies here. Happy to be proven wrong, though.

MisterBeauJangles

I would contest the entire fare on your credit card for purchased services not rendered and see what UA offers. Especially if you have an Amex. If you don't, get one.

seanp7

Innocent question: is it the same folks who complain that "my last minute $1000 Y fare should get me upgraded instead of an MP Silver who cleared yesterday" who put up a fight / refuse to move / demand a refund in situations like this? Just checking. You really can't have it both ways (to state the obvious )

The OP's scenario is a victim of CPU's. I've misconnected in Europe and, in absence of auto upgrades, I've almost always been reaccommodated in biz. These scenarios are to be expected because of the upgrade process here at UA. No biggie.

fastair

I've seen this exact scenerio happen numerous times. It is not pleasant at all for anyone involved. And as a side note, determining what the "lowest coach fare at booking that was available" isn't really all that possible. One can determine what fares the person would have qualified for by looking at a past date tariff, but one cannot determine if inventory was available at that time to qualifiy for that fare. Numerous posters have shown that their discounted F /C seat is cheaper than the Y fare available based on lack of Y inventory at booking, but plenty of discounted premium cabin inventory that costs less than full coach. Past date fares are easy to determine, past date inventory is not as it changes constantly.

Halo117

I had this experience back in September coming in from TLV. We had a medical issue and once we landed in EWR, I misconnected my paid F to IAH. The rules state that a refund in the form of voucher or cash/credit card is given for the difference of the lowest economy class available at time of purchase and the segment you were invol downgraded due to irrop (weather, medical, mechanical). Math is complicated as stated upthread. Now if it was in UAs control, then downgrade compensation is given in addition to refund difference. If it was not in UAs control then refund is only given. Refund is given if they can't accomodate you on the next flight out in F. You can ask CS for a food voucher to use in airport and will be given to you.

Now I understand the rules (agree they are fair), but the issue I had was that no one told me i was allowed to request a refund of the fair difference. I only knew this being an experienced flyer. So I was upset with UA for two reasons. 1. No one at the airport told me I was entiltled to a refund. 2. The process for refund can only be initiated by the passenger, so I had to go online and request all this myself. I did question the phone rep that agents should make people aware of their rights and the refund process should be initiated by the agent so the only question the passenger is asked if they want a voucher or cash. The lack of awareness to the passenger may be what UA and other carriers bank on when this happens so that if a passenger doesn't know about a possible refund then the airline keeps their money.

Sorry for the long explanation, but just wanted to clarify the nuances of the F to Y misconnect senario. BTW the refund wasn't even going to me it was to my Corporate travel card. So I was trying to help the company i work for.

mduell

Ah, I thought their seats were given away, I didn't catch they missed the flight entirely.

FlyWorld

That is not the right approach. UA promised to get the PAX from A to B, and they did so. They would have given OP a seat in F if OP had been willing to wait until the next available flight with an open seat. But, OP wanted to go sooner, so OP took what was available.

When I got a refund for my F->Y difference after being kicked out of F, the amount seemed fair. No way to know for sure what I was entitled to, but based on my vague recollection of flight pricing at time of booking, and a reasonable estimate of how the difference might be split by segment based on distance, I thought my refund felt like the smallest possible amount that could still be deemed reasonable. Based on that data point, it seems they have a method that is good enough.

Shareholder

The downside of UDU for anyone who actually pays for F...and misconnects. Since all elites can get UDU there are generally no open seats in F to accommodate such occurrences.

I suppose one of the problems the OP faced is that a discounted first fare can often sell for less than full Y...and he and his wife were accommodated in Y (E+ at least one would hope) then there is nothing owed them. If it had been a full F fare, then the fare difference between that and full Y would be due.

MisterBeauJangles

WRONG. UA promised to get the pax from A to B in First Class. An upgrader should be downgraded to accommodate the paid-F pax.

rriopel432

This just happened to me last month. I had purchased fare class A, the segment was cancelled and I was rebooked on an RJ without first class. I contacted UA, they credited my CC the fare difference AND gave me a $100 voucher for the trouble.

seanp7

LOL Good luck with that suggestion to management. Can you imagine the uproar?

If a passenger insists on F then United just needs to put them on a later flight that has availability. This idea of downgrading more frequently because of paid vs upgraded is rubbish, IMO.

MisterBeauJangles

Right, because being a "frequent flyer" really means your profitable and a good customer to UA (especially as an upgrader)...

FACT: Paid F is more important than ANY level of Elite, save for Global Services. End. Of. Story.