Near-miss due to Standby - advice
Jun 20, 2014, 7:05 am
#1
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Near-miss due to Standby - advice
Had a near miss yesterday, and wanted to ask the experts on this forum what I should have done.
Original Itinerary:
CLD -> LAX 5:35 -> 6:20PM
LAX -> IAH 7:25PM -> 12:45AM
I flew standby on the CLD -> LAX leg on their 4:09PM flight and boarded at the last minute. The gate agent printed up my new boarding pass and I got on the plane. I did not scan this boarding pass (mistake #1?)
At around 5:10PM in LAX I got a text from UA saying that my original flight from CLD -> LAX was delayed (I was already in LAX). This was probably clue #2, and I should've double checked.
Went to my gate and lined up, all fairly standard. When the agent scanned my BP, the system could not "find" me. Agent at the counter said he couldn't find my reservation and re-iterated multiple times that the flight was full and I would not be flying on it.
I asked him why my seat was gone - he then asked me when I confirmed the seat. I had selected that seat up to three weeks ago. I told him my best guess was that UA thought I missed my first flight and cancelled the second.
He got on the phone, and after some extended conversation printed up a boarding pass in a middle seat. I happily boarded, and the agent scanning the BP's apologized and mentioned that "the system sometimes gets confused by standby".
My questions are:
1. What should I have done? I tried to SDC the original flight, but was told it was sold out - that's why I flew standby.
2. In an event when I actually did not make it onto the flight for this reason, what is the next course of action?
3. Is this "tribal knowledge" among frequent UA flyers? Would scanning my new BP have ensured I didn't get lost in the system?
Original Itinerary:
CLD -> LAX 5:35 -> 6:20PM
LAX -> IAH 7:25PM -> 12:45AM
I flew standby on the CLD -> LAX leg on their 4:09PM flight and boarded at the last minute. The gate agent printed up my new boarding pass and I got on the plane. I did not scan this boarding pass (mistake #1?)
At around 5:10PM in LAX I got a text from UA saying that my original flight from CLD -> LAX was delayed (I was already in LAX). This was probably clue #2, and I should've double checked.
Went to my gate and lined up, all fairly standard. When the agent scanned my BP, the system could not "find" me. Agent at the counter said he couldn't find my reservation and re-iterated multiple times that the flight was full and I would not be flying on it.
I asked him why my seat was gone - he then asked me when I confirmed the seat. I had selected that seat up to three weeks ago. I told him my best guess was that UA thought I missed my first flight and cancelled the second.
He got on the phone, and after some extended conversation printed up a boarding pass in a middle seat. I happily boarded, and the agent scanning the BP's apologized and mentioned that "the system sometimes gets confused by standby".
My questions are:
1. What should I have done? I tried to SDC the original flight, but was told it was sold out - that's why I flew standby.
2. In an event when I actually did not make it onto the flight for this reason, what is the next course of action?
3. Is this "tribal knowledge" among frequent UA flyers? Would scanning my new BP have ensured I didn't get lost in the system?
Jun 20, 2014, 7:19 am
#2
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You should have scanned the BP and if not the first gate agent should have manually entered you. I think that's the issue more than the standby one.
Jun 20, 2014, 7:19 am
#3
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1) Always make sure to get a BP.
2) Always make sure they scan your BP to cknowledge you've been boarded.
I've had c
lleagues in this situation who were cleared onto an earlier flight and told to just board without a BP. When they insisted on getting one it proved useful down the line after they were marked as no-shows and had the rest of their itineraries canceled.
Oh - and it's the airline's responsibility to scan your BP, not yours! You did nothing wrong here.
2) Always make sure they scan your BP to cknowledge you've been boarded.
I've had c
lleagues in this situation who were cleared onto an earlier flight and told to just board without a BP. When they insisted on getting one it proved useful down the line after they were marked as no-shows and had the rest of their itineraries canceled.Oh - and it's the airline's responsibility to scan your BP, not yours! You did nothing wrong here.
Jun 20, 2014, 7:53 am
#4
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Thanks for the responses - follow up question:
If I wasn't able to secure a seat, what would the best course of action be? Obviously to find the next available flight, but is there anything beyond that I should be escalating to? Or chalk this up to something that just happens?
Given this... I'll probably need to watch my account to make sure the miles post correctly.
If I wasn't able to secure a seat, what would the best course of action be? Obviously to find the next available flight, but is there anything beyond that I should be escalating to? Or chalk this up to something that just happens?
Given this... I'll probably need to watch my account to make sure the miles post correctly.
Jun 20, 2014, 7:56 am
#5
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Not that OP needs to do anything other than what he is told, but being proactive helps here.
If your BP isn't scanned (or manually entered), you don't appear in the system as having boarded the flight and thus your ticket and any onward segments are cancelled. It's as though you were a no show.
It is in your interest to assure that your BP is scanned or entered in all circumstances. In the immediate case, the GA likely overbooked by one more pax and either hoped that there would be another no show or went to VDB / IDB someone else.
Presuming no other exceptions, had OP been denied boarding, DOT's IDB rules would have applied. Those rules require UA to seek volunteers before actual IDB, thus OP would only be compensated if UA could not obtain a volunteer (including him) and the reroute caused a compensable delay.
If your BP isn't scanned (or manually entered), you don't appear in the system as having boarded the flight and thus your ticket and any onward segments are cancelled. It's as though you were a no show.
It is in your interest to assure that your BP is scanned or entered in all circumstances. In the immediate case, the GA likely overbooked by one more pax and either hoped that there would be another no show or went to VDB / IDB someone else.
Presuming no other exceptions, had OP been denied boarding, DOT's IDB rules would have applied. Those rules require UA to seek volunteers before actual IDB, thus OP would only be compensated if UA could not obtain a volunteer (including him) and the reroute caused a compensable delay.
Jun 20, 2014, 8:04 am
#6
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Not that OP needs to do anything other than what he is told, but being proactive helps here.
If your BP isn't scanned (or manually entered), you don't appear in the system as having boarded the flight and thus your ticket and any onward segments are cancelled. It's as though you were a no show.
It is in your interest to assure that your BP is scanned or entered in all circumstances. In the immediate case, the GA likely overbooked by one more pax and either hoped that there would be another no show or went to VDB / IDB someone else.
Presuming no other exceptions, had OP been denied boarding, DOT's IDB rules would have applied. Those rules require UA to seek volunteers before actual IDB, thus OP would only be compensated if UA could not obtain a volunteer (including him) and the reroute caused a compensable delay.
If your BP isn't scanned (or manually entered), you don't appear in the system as having boarded the flight and thus your ticket and any onward segments are cancelled. It's as though you were a no show.
It is in your interest to assure that your BP is scanned or entered in all circumstances. In the immediate case, the GA likely overbooked by one more pax and either hoped that there would be another no show or went to VDB / IDB someone else.
Presuming no other exceptions, had OP been denied boarding, DOT's IDB rules would have applied. Those rules require UA to seek volunteers before actual IDB, thus OP would only be compensated if UA could not obtain a volunteer (including him) and the reroute caused a compensable delay.
Thanks for the advice - chalk it up to a cheap lesson learned. No foul on the play!
Jun 20, 2014, 8:10 am
#7
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Slightly different situation, but scanning the boarding pass isn't fool proof. I had a tight connection at IAD to BRU last winter. Made it at the last second, but when I landed at BRU, I saw they had assumed I wouldn't make the flight and "protected" me on the flight the next day instead.
But my return flights were all cancelled as it looked like I was a no show on the flight the next day, 24 hours later, even though I had scanned my boarding pass on the original flight.
So I'd add, scan your boarding pass, then check and double check your itinerary, because UA is unlikely to notify you when they change or cancel segments.
But my return flights were all cancelled as it looked like I was a no show on the flight the next day, 24 hours later, even though I had scanned my boarding pass on the original flight.
So I'd add, scan your boarding pass, then check and double check your itinerary, because UA is unlikely to notify you when they change or cancel segments.
Jun 20, 2014, 8:54 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 209
I had a similar experience. I was flying SYR-EWR-LHR and SYR-EWR was delayed so that I would probably misconnect. I was rebooked on a later EWR-LHR flight. The agent put me on standby for my original EWR-LHR flight in case we made up time in the air. We didn't make up time, but while I was in the air, I cleared standby for the original EWR-LHR flight, was issued a boarding pass for the original EWR-LHR flight, gate agent marked me as a no show, and the my boarding pass for the later EWR-LHR flight was cancelled. There was exactly 1 no-show so I made it back on the later EWR-LHR flight. Well, and then before we pushed back, flight attendants asked to see my boarding pass 3 separate times because they thought I was in the wrong seat. My guess - the original seat holder showed up late and wanted on the full plane. I'm guessing they didn't qualify for IDB.
That taught me that standby and protected are VERY different things.
That taught me that standby and protected are VERY different things.
Jun 20, 2014, 9:20 am
#10
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Whenever I make a tight connection < 20 minutes, with downstream segments, I always pull up the reservation soon after landing and often have to call in to unscramble the protected segments that could otherwise auto-cancel my ongoing flights.
Jun 20, 2014, 9:22 am
#11
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Good point. I have a 30 minute connection in SFO coming up, I'll use that as an opportunity to test my new-found knowledge of UA's "features"
Jun 20, 2014, 10:52 am
#12
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Whenever there is a change to your itin, or even a delay or possible change to your itin, it's best to be OCD and constantly monitor your itin.
One of the PMUA GAs here described the CO systems as "ruthless" about cancelling space. If you're finicky about your seat and stuff, best to stay on top of it.
I would have scanned the BP in CLD. Then, done a recheckin at LAX or on taxi into LAX. If there are problems, that's a red flag. Also, push back to any GAs when they say stuff that you won't be flying. According to the DOT, you have a confirmed seat on the plane so long as you bought it and did not change it, and even if it's not showing in the airline's computer system. Computers is their problem, they can't cry "computers" and just reroute people (though they try).
If they say you won't be on the flight, ask them how much the denied boarding compensation is. Or point out a DL or AA flight that will work for you after you get your check. They'll get the hint.
The proper procedure in SHARES to resolve an erroneously dropped segment is to oversell the flight and put the customer back on. Sometimes they even have to oversell First for it, to put a customer back in his original cabin.
I've received a handful of VDBs because of how SHARES drops people. The GA will say it's fine then people who up who have been dropped due to IRROPS protection entered incorrectly in their record and such.
I was on last year where they had to oversell F to put a GS paid F ticket back in an full First cabin after he'd been dropped due to SHARES. Y was over, so they were worried, trying to get a F VDB.
One of the PMUA GAs here described the CO systems as "ruthless" about cancelling space. If you're finicky about your seat and stuff, best to stay on top of it.
I would have scanned the BP in CLD. Then, done a recheckin at LAX or on taxi into LAX. If there are problems, that's a red flag. Also, push back to any GAs when they say stuff that you won't be flying. According to the DOT, you have a confirmed seat on the plane so long as you bought it and did not change it, and even if it's not showing in the airline's computer system. Computers is their problem, they can't cry "computers" and just reroute people (though they try).
If they say you won't be on the flight, ask them how much the denied boarding compensation is. Or point out a DL or AA flight that will work for you after you get your check. They'll get the hint.
The proper procedure in SHARES to resolve an erroneously dropped segment is to oversell the flight and put the customer back on. Sometimes they even have to oversell First for it, to put a customer back in his original cabin.
I've received a handful of VDBs because of how SHARES drops people. The GA will say it's fine then people who up who have been dropped due to IRROPS protection entered incorrectly in their record and such.
I was on last year where they had to oversell F to put a GS paid F ticket back in an full First cabin after he'd been dropped due to SHARES. Y was over, so they were worried, trying to get a F VDB.