ricepaddy2

Filed a refund claim with UA customer care via website. Not satisfied with the offer. Is there a way to escalate to a secondary review level and who would I contact?

Tchiowa

Refund of what based on why required by who? A tad more detail might help.

ricepaddy2

I was flying to PVR but UA had a systems glitch where passengers could not check-in except through the oversized baggage line which created a major backup. Over 25 passengers missed the flight because UA would not hold the plane even though they knew they had a major problem. Got rerouted through Alaska Air but the agent accidently booked me on the flight for the next day. Alaska tried to move the reservation to the same day but was unable to. My only option at that point was to purchase a one way ticket to PVR on Alaska. UA would only refund my unused portion of the ticket which was much less than the one way ticket on Alaska although this entire issue was UAs fault. UA also charged me for baggage check-in although the terms were one free bag per passenger. I think this happened because the original ticket was modified. But again, that was due to UA's initial error.

dank0014

[QUOTE=ricepaddy2;23093327UA would only refund my unused portion of the ticket which was much less than the one way ticket on Alaska although this entire issue was UAs fault. [/QUOTE]

Was the unused portion greater than the 'difference' between your original ticket and the new one way ticket though?

PTahCha

In hindsight, you could have reached out to UA and ask them to rebook you on the same day's flight after you noticed the mistake. This can be done by going back to the counter, or just call.

The most likely solution from UA is in form of travel vouchers to make you whole. Concurrently, you might also want to outline the entire situation instead of just asking for refund on the unused portion. If you received the canned response, you can respond back to the agent assigned to your case and reiterate the situation and ask for more.

Lastly, the baggage fee refund is a separate matter altogether, which you are entitled to receive since you did not fly with UA. Unless, of course, you are referring to your return flight.

Kacee

If UA's response is not satisfactory, you could file a DOT complaint: Air Travel Complaint Form

channa

Let's be realistic here. By the time the OP went back to UA or got through to them, and they made the change, and reissued the ticket, you're looking several minutes. With a departure imminent, that may not have been practical.

PTahCha

Maybe, maybe not. If it's a imminent departure, the AS agent probably couldn't complete the purchase anyway without building a new record, process payment, sign the auditor coupon, make seat selection, and issue boarding pass.

mduell

Eh, I don't really see a DOT complaint here. The OP got a refund of the unflown segment, but didn't get a refund for some self-help they elected to purchase that UA never agreed to.

Kacee

I couldn't follow OPs description of what occurred well enough to determine whether complaint has merit. Just providing options for further follow-up.

spin88

I know your job is to protect UAL from complaints, but you have no basis for what you are saying. It might help if you guys helped folks fix problems... avoided the complaints in the first place....

OP, UA in effect (by being unable to check you in) denied you boarding on this flight. They then failed to correctly code the replacement flight. Under DOT regulations, all ancilary expenses must be born by the airline in the event of an airline mistake causing a delay in travel.

So the new ticket would (should) count. So file a DOT complaint, you will get a quick response from UAL, and they will likely just send you a check for what you are owed.

Address/e-complaint link is here: http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint

Often1

If as described by OP (although details missing or vague) and presuming that the bag fee was from AS, not UA, there is no complaint and OP can escalate to the UA Board of Directors and Secy of Transportation and things won't change.

1. The original UA flight departed apparently as scheduled. Unlikely that UA or any carrier holds an aircraft for any appreciable period of time as that just creates more knock-on delays throughout the day.

2. Yup, it su**s that UA booked for the wrong day, but the time to fix that was by looking at the new itinerary when UA rebooked. While it seems like an eternity and everybody behind you is staring daggers, take the 10 extra seconds to make sure that the rebook is correct before walking away.

3. UA isn't going to pay the difference between the cost of the unused segment and the ticket OP voluntarily chose to buy. UA may toss OP some miles or a cert., but I'm guessing that it won't be for much. OP should look at the miles/cert as a gesture, not as a refund or compensation.

4. However, OP is entitled to a refund of the unused segment to his original form of payment. If he hasn't requested that, he should do it now.

If OP really wants to escalate, just write back saying that the response was inadequate. Maybe another few miles or somesuch.

DOT. Not.

cfischer

+1 It sucks, but UA re-booked (although incorrectly) OAL (which is already admitting they screwed up) and the OP took it on to self-rebook rather than going back to UA to fix. I'd press for some miles, but there is likely nothing the DOT will do here.

mgcsinc

Mduell doesn't work for UA...

spin88

I don't understand you all. Do you all think that the OP was an idiot? Totally knuckle drag'r. Unable to process a simple idea like "gee, I've got all the time in the world, need to walk back over to the UAL desk, have them fix." I seriously doubt that he had the time to do so. He will correct me (and say hey you guys are right, I had all the time in the world, should have thought to walk back over to UAL... ) and then I'll say "gee, I'm wrong again "

But absent my being wrong:

(1) guy had a ticket on UAL
(2) UAL through a system break down, and a DECISSION to leave before it was fixed, denied transportation he had paid for.
(3) UAL then wrote his ticket over to AS (admitting the mistake, and trying to fix it) but
(4) UAL messed it up, failed to do it right, and left it so FUBAR (SHARES anyone?) that AS could not fix it. [And I've had UAL off-line me and mess it up, it happens]
so (5) running out of time his options were (a) self help or (b) miss the AS flight and then - I assume - spend another night in PVR, which he evidently did not want to do (and would UAL have them put him up in a hotel? Fed him?)

Whether UAL intended to and messed it up, or were just messing with the guy, its still UALs fault, and they are responsible for ALL CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Its a DOT issue, DOT regulations are at issue, and DOT needs to know when the airlines are not doing what they need to so they can take administrative actions (as they have done with baggage, bumping, and then updating the bumping rules.)