villox

Ironically, the only time I have ever been stuck overnight was on a BA 747 out of Delhi. And this was at the OLD terminal. Given the 3am departure time, not canceling until about 7am after we'd already taxied out, getting to/from a hotel, and having to go back through the misery of security and immigration a second time, it would take a lot to match that experience for terribleness.

I've only flown on a UA 744 four times, and all four trips had no issues (to SYD no less). Still I will book away from it when they move it back to my much-more-frequented ORD-FRA route.

mgcsinc

Did you ask UA to put you on the other airline?

Putall

United did not take calls that day due to other weather related cancellations. Further the agents at the airport were swamped and I had about 10 minutes to make the alternative booking or miss the flight

russyyz

I agree that we buy non-ref and we should not expect a refund. Airline cancels flight, them's the breaks so to speak. However, as others mention, a good hotel will take care to try and keep your business.

I have had this happen twice. Both times, not hotel's issue, and in fact not an airline issue either. I was sick moments before a transpacific flight and called the hotel in japan to advise that I won't be able to get there 18 hours from now. They were very good about it and just told me to "please get better" and stay with us one day in the future.

Second time, a simple overnight at a La Quinta in Louisiana: as a Canadian I am used to calendars with month-day-year and booked on their site for January 2nd inadvertently. I meant to book for Feb. 1st. I realised my error when I was double-checking the now-non-existent reservation in mid-January and then noticed it was also charged to my credit card. Oh dear. Not a lot of money but I called the hotel and explained the situation. The Manager had no qualms about refunding and then rebooking me. So, she not only lost that night's receipts and messed up her accounting from two weeks previous, but also had only my verbal guarantee that I would stay there in two weeks' time. Kudos to the La Quinta, Slidell.

pinks

For whatever its worth, this happened to me when I got stranded in LAX due to UA mechanical error, causing me to lose one night at a Hilton property in Hawaii. I got my money back from Hilton two minutes after posting a negative comment on twitter (after unsuccessfully trying to get the manager to refund the charge). Granted, my situation was different--I called Hilton from LAX and they claimed they wouldn't charge me for the room, then charged me anyway. But it might be worth a try.

I've never figured out a way to get money back from UA.

arnold_chen

I've had 2 positive experiences with hotels.

3 years ago with Marriott. I missed a connection due to a weather delay and got stranded at LAX. I called Marriott and even though it was way past the 6pm cancellation point, I asked them if I could stay at a Marriott near LAX and shorten my stay by one night at my final destination. They agreed and made the change. I was silver at the time.

A few weeks ago I booked an internet only rate (non-refundable) at the Best Western in Goleta. I had to cancel my trip due to illness so I called the front desk and she cancelled the reservation. I had stayed at that particular hotel 3 times already this year so maybe that had something to do with it.

BearX220

I can't imagine the precedent it would set if UA took responsibility for lost costs/etc. because of flight delays. What if you had concert tickets at your destination? Missed a cruise departure? Would you expect UA to refund those costs too?

With Hilton, in cases like this, I have had luck appealing direct to HHonors. I once had a flight to somewhere in New England go mechanical, and by the time it was cancelled I was just beyond the Hilton property's 300pm ET cancellation deadline. I called the hotel to cancel and they basically said: no. I called HHonors and within 15 minutes someone at corporate rang the hotel and told THEM: no. I wasn't charged. But I will never again book that property.

SKYEG

+1 Hyatt hotels have always cancelled a non refundable rate due to airline cancellations without question. Helps if you have status probably

SceneStealer7

I guess I'm just confused... did United refuse to pay for a hotel night where you were stranded? To me it makes sense that they wouldn't be willing to pay for TWO hotel nights, just as you shouldn't have had to pay for two either. But if you paid for a hotel night and you got a hotel night (albeit in a different city), what is the complaint?

emcampbe

OP did not stay overnight at the origin as far as I can tell. They were booked on the morning flight to LHR which arrives the same night. When it was canceled, they got re-booked later the same day on a flight to LHR, but one of the more common ones which depart at night and arrive the next morning.

OP wants UA to cover the non-refundable cost of the first night of their hotel, since the cancelation meant they were flying that night instead of at a hotel in London.

SceneStealer7

It seems to me that if OP didn't pay any more out of pocket than originally planned, United has no obligation to "refund" them anything. If your assumptions are true, presumably the OP could still check into their original hotel first thing in the morning rather than late afternoon (as if they had booked starting that night). I agree that isn't great value and I personally wouldn't book a hotel for a night just to get early morning arrival, but they didn't have to pay any more than they had originally planned for their trip.

sdix

I've faced this problem a couple of times. I don't call the hotel directly, rather a call to the Hilton Diamond desk who in turn called the hotels directly resulted in no charge/refund for the missed night.

CIT85

I have had luck with Hiltons in Lyon, Paris and Budapest allowing me to use the prepaid reservation for future stays. But not in London. The Hilton Paddington's reply was typical English, what part of "non-refundable" do you not understand.

Often1

1. This is a relatively unique situation and one I've never heard of with a regular business hotel in a major city (as opposed to a resort where people book months in advance). I have never, ever failed to obtain a cancellation-penalty free cancellation when calling as soon as possible and explaining the situation. Although few properties are mistrustful, I always provide the flight # so the property can look it up. But, if a property chooses to stand by the rules, that's just tough.

2. As to UA's responsibility, this is not a question of one hotel or two hotels. Because the cancellation is generally within UA's control, e.g. MX cancellations are within the carrier's control, it is obligated by its own COC to provide food & lodging with some exclusions and limitations. But, the same COC expressly limits damages and this is why those who are concerned carry trip interruption insurance, either as a separate policy or through their employer or as part of a CC.

exerda

I would have snippily replied, "Apparently I understand 'non-refundable' better than you, because I'm not asking for a refund but rather to apply the night to a future date." Then, though, the response would be, "What part of 'no modifications or changes' do you not understand?"