United changed final destination and left me stranded with no options
Oct 6, 2014, 10:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 22
United changed final destination and left me stranded with no options
***UPDATE***
United has issued a $225 Certificate for travel. I have been given the contact name for the employees supervisor in Customer Service. I have written to her and informed her of my intent of filing a formal complaint with the DOT. I have submitted a complaint to the DOT as of 3:30 PST.
*************
***UPDATE 2***
The DOT has responded and is escalating this to United to respond to my case. Here is what they wrote.
************
***UPDATE 3***
A United DOT specialist has responded to my DOT claim and has sent me a check in the mail for the full refund of $167.52. This covered all of my UBER ride.
*************
All,
I'm trying to gauge if I'm out of line here. I had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago and United is just not working with me. I'm a Platinum member and usually don't complain too much (delays through Chicago typically, etc). So I'd like to see if you have any other ideas. All I'm trying to do is get a refund for my UBER ride just to get home in the same day. I don't care about the certificate because it still doesn't get my ride home covered from their mistakes. Flyertalk help me out!
tl;dr / Cliffnotes
Original route BOS-IAH-SAN
Changed route BOS-IAH-LAX-???
Had to take an UBER home from LAX to SAN and I am requesting a refund which they are refusing.
The story
I was booked on flight UA1094 from Boston to Houston Friday September 26th, 2014. The plane was running about 30 minutes late, but I figured I could get my connection in Houston to San Diego just fine. When I arrived, I found that my flight (UA223) had been cancelled and the only other flight to San Diego that night was full. So I went into the United Club and a friendly employee helped me, she was able to get me to LAX, but said I would need to see a gate agent to get on standby for a flight down to San Diego. She made it very clear that I will just need to talk to somebody in LAX about getting on standby to San Diego. When I arrived in LAX, I found that not only were all of the flights full to San Diego that night, but also through just about entirely the next day (9/27). Once again, I worked with a friendly employee in the United Club and she told me my ticket no longer existed (as if the previous person in Houston just booked me to LAX and that was my final destination, which it was not). I asked for other options to get home and they did not provide me with any. This is absolutely unacceptable. Flying home the following day almost 24 hours after I was supposed to originally be home is an outrageous expectation on United's behalf. I had to take an Uber at my expense to San Diego just to be home in the same day. Which I am requesting a refund for. As a Platinum member of your program and frequent traveler, this experience is flat out unacceptable. I really do hope you take care of me and your other customers with concerns much bigger than mine. I've attached my receipt from Uber, ticket issued for IAH-LAX, and my original itinerary for your review. The amount was $167.52.
United's First reply
To which I followed up with this.
This was their latest response.
United has issued a $225 Certificate for travel. I have been given the contact name for the employees supervisor in Customer Service. I have written to her and informed her of my intent of filing a formal complaint with the DOT. I have submitted a complaint to the DOT as of 3:30 PST.
*************
***UPDATE 2***
The DOT has responded and is escalating this to United to respond to my case. Here is what they wrote.
Dear Mr. M:
This responds to your communication regarding United Airlines. The U.S. Department of Transportation seeks to ensure that all airline passengers are treated fairly. Complaints from consumers are helpful to us in determining whether the airlines are in compliance with our rules and to track trends or spot areas of concern that warrant further action.
Based on the information you have provided, your complaint appears to fall under the Department's rules. I will forward your complaint to the airline and ask the company to respond directly to you with a copy to me. Airlines are required to acknowledge receipt of a consumer complaint within 30 days and provide a substantive response to the complainant within 60 days. I will review the airline's response. If you need to contact me, please include your name and case number (see above). I will make every effort to reply to your message within one business day.
If our review of your complaint and the response from the company discloses a potential violation of our rules, we may pursue enforcement action. Generally, we pursue enforcement action on the basis of a number of complaints which may indicate a pattern or practice of violating our rules. Your complaint may be among those considered and may lead to appropriate enforcement action including the assessment of civil penalties. However, we have no authority to order compensation for individual complainants.
I have entered your complaint in our computerized industry monitoring system, and it will be counted among the number of complaints filed against this airline in our monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. This report allows consumers and air travel companies to compare the complaint records of individual airlines and tour operators. The data in this report also serve as a basis for rulemaking, legislation and research. Consumer information for air travelers, including the Air Travel Consumer Report and our pamphlet Fly-Rights, a Consumer's Guide to Air Travel, can be found on our website: www.dot.gov/airconsumer. Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Sincerely,
B
Aviation Industry Analyst
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
United States Department of Transportation
This responds to your communication regarding United Airlines. The U.S. Department of Transportation seeks to ensure that all airline passengers are treated fairly. Complaints from consumers are helpful to us in determining whether the airlines are in compliance with our rules and to track trends or spot areas of concern that warrant further action.
Based on the information you have provided, your complaint appears to fall under the Department's rules. I will forward your complaint to the airline and ask the company to respond directly to you with a copy to me. Airlines are required to acknowledge receipt of a consumer complaint within 30 days and provide a substantive response to the complainant within 60 days. I will review the airline's response. If you need to contact me, please include your name and case number (see above). I will make every effort to reply to your message within one business day.
If our review of your complaint and the response from the company discloses a potential violation of our rules, we may pursue enforcement action. Generally, we pursue enforcement action on the basis of a number of complaints which may indicate a pattern or practice of violating our rules. Your complaint may be among those considered and may lead to appropriate enforcement action including the assessment of civil penalties. However, we have no authority to order compensation for individual complainants.
I have entered your complaint in our computerized industry monitoring system, and it will be counted among the number of complaints filed against this airline in our monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. This report allows consumers and air travel companies to compare the complaint records of individual airlines and tour operators. The data in this report also serve as a basis for rulemaking, legislation and research. Consumer information for air travelers, including the Air Travel Consumer Report and our pamphlet Fly-Rights, a Consumer's Guide to Air Travel, can be found on our website: www.dot.gov/airconsumer. Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Sincerely,
B
Aviation Industry Analyst
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
United States Department of Transportation
***UPDATE 3***
A United DOT specialist has responded to my DOT claim and has sent me a check in the mail for the full refund of $167.52. This covered all of my UBER ride.
*************
All,
I'm trying to gauge if I'm out of line here. I had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago and United is just not working with me. I'm a Platinum member and usually don't complain too much (delays through Chicago typically, etc). So I'd like to see if you have any other ideas. All I'm trying to do is get a refund for my UBER ride just to get home in the same day. I don't care about the certificate because it still doesn't get my ride home covered from their mistakes. Flyertalk help me out!
tl;dr / Cliffnotes
Original route BOS-IAH-SAN
Changed route BOS-IAH-LAX-???
Had to take an UBER home from LAX to SAN and I am requesting a refund which they are refusing.
The story
I was booked on flight UA1094 from Boston to Houston Friday September 26th, 2014. The plane was running about 30 minutes late, but I figured I could get my connection in Houston to San Diego just fine. When I arrived, I found that my flight (UA223) had been cancelled and the only other flight to San Diego that night was full. So I went into the United Club and a friendly employee helped me, she was able to get me to LAX, but said I would need to see a gate agent to get on standby for a flight down to San Diego. She made it very clear that I will just need to talk to somebody in LAX about getting on standby to San Diego. When I arrived in LAX, I found that not only were all of the flights full to San Diego that night, but also through just about entirely the next day (9/27). Once again, I worked with a friendly employee in the United Club and she told me my ticket no longer existed (as if the previous person in Houston just booked me to LAX and that was my final destination, which it was not). I asked for other options to get home and they did not provide me with any. This is absolutely unacceptable. Flying home the following day almost 24 hours after I was supposed to originally be home is an outrageous expectation on United's behalf. I had to take an Uber at my expense to San Diego just to be home in the same day. Which I am requesting a refund for. As a Platinum member of your program and frequent traveler, this experience is flat out unacceptable. I really do hope you take care of me and your other customers with concerns much bigger than mine. I've attached my receipt from Uber, ticket issued for IAH-LAX, and my original itinerary for your review. The amount was $167.52.
United's First reply
Dear Mr.:
Thank you for contacting us regarding your September 28, 2014
experience on UA2223, from IAH to SAN. On behalf of United Airlines, I
apologize for the inconveniences you encountered.
Mr. M, it appears that your IAH-SAN ticket was exchanged for a
IAH-LAX ticket. There is no documentation that you intended to go on to
SAN. Therefore, while I cannot give you a cash refund for monies paid
to Uber, I have issued an electronic travel certificate in the amount
of $225 as a gesture of goodwill and to help offset the out of pocket
cost. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for it to arrive via separate
e-mail.
Mr. M, as a Premier Platinum member, you are one of our most valued
customers. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to welcoming
you back aboard soon.
Kind Regards,
M
Corporate Customer Care
Thank you for contacting us regarding your September 28, 2014
experience on UA2223, from IAH to SAN. On behalf of United Airlines, I
apologize for the inconveniences you encountered.
Mr. M, it appears that your IAH-SAN ticket was exchanged for a
IAH-LAX ticket. There is no documentation that you intended to go on to
SAN. Therefore, while I cannot give you a cash refund for monies paid
to Uber, I have issued an electronic travel certificate in the amount
of $225 as a gesture of goodwill and to help offset the out of pocket
cost. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for it to arrive via separate
e-mail.
Mr. M, as a Premier Platinum member, you are one of our most valued
customers. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to welcoming
you back aboard soon.
Kind Regards,
M
Corporate Customer Care
M
Thank you for the response. But let me clarify this a little further.
This was solely a mistake from one of your United Club employees - I had no reason to STAY at LAX. My flight to SAN being cancelled was on United's behalf and this was a good gesture that the employee in the United Club was working with me on by trying to reroute me through LAX. This apparently was not done correctly and now I'm stuck covering a $167 UBER ride because United failed to get me to my final destination? Please, look through the documentation I have submitted. I refuse to be held liable on this and will request again that something is done to cover my travel home via UBER since somebody had changed my final destination WITHOUT my consent and/or failed to understand a request and fulfill their job correctly. That makes two strikes in one day (cancelled flight and changing my final destination without my consent).
If this is not taken care of, what would it take to speak to your supervisor?
Thank you
M
Thank you for the response. But let me clarify this a little further.
This was solely a mistake from one of your United Club employees - I had no reason to STAY at LAX. My flight to SAN being cancelled was on United's behalf and this was a good gesture that the employee in the United Club was working with me on by trying to reroute me through LAX. This apparently was not done correctly and now I'm stuck covering a $167 UBER ride because United failed to get me to my final destination? Please, look through the documentation I have submitted. I refuse to be held liable on this and will request again that something is done to cover my travel home via UBER since somebody had changed my final destination WITHOUT my consent and/or failed to understand a request and fulfill their job correctly. That makes two strikes in one day (cancelled flight and changing my final destination without my consent).
If this is not taken care of, what would it take to speak to your supervisor?
Thank you
M
Dear Mr. M:
I regret your disappointment.
As previously stated, without proper documentation, I cannot offer monetary compensation for your ground transportation. However, I have issued goodwill, well above the amount you paid for your UBER ticket.
Your concerns have been documented but I must respectfully decline your request for additional compensation.
Kind Regards,
M
Corporate Customer Care
I regret your disappointment.
As previously stated, without proper documentation, I cannot offer monetary compensation for your ground transportation. However, I have issued goodwill, well above the amount you paid for your UBER ticket.
Your concerns have been documented but I must respectfully decline your request for additional compensation.
Kind Regards,
M
Corporate Customer Care
Last edited by split71; Nov 6, 2014 at 4:47 pm Reason: Removed names per rules
Oct 6, 2014, 10:48 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,629
seems like there is equal blame here. you did accept a ticket change from SAN to LAX, but the agent in IAH didn't fully explain that to you. in reality, the agent should have protected you on a LAX-SAN segment even several days into the future to facilitate an easier SBY process once at LAX. this would have generated the "sufficient documentation".
welcome to the new UA.
welcome to the new UA.
Oct 6, 2014, 10:50 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,844
If you are promised something a bit unusual and are standing in front of a UA employee, have them type in the promise into the historical remarks of your record and get a print out of it. This gives a UA agent that pulls up the record later to confirm the promise. Otherwise, with nothing in the record, it looks like you just decided to get "close enough" to your destination and were on your own to figure out the rest. It will be difficult to get any cash out of them with nothing in the record.
Oct 6, 2014, 10:57 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 22
If you are promised something a bit unusual and are standing in front of a UA employee, have them type in the promise into the historical remarks of your record and get a print out of it. This gives a UA agent that pulls up the record later to confirm the promise. Otherwise, with nothing in the record, it looks like you just decided to get "close enough" to your destination and were on your own to figure out the rest. It will be difficult to get any cash out of them with nothing in the record.
Oct 6, 2014, 11:04 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,892
I gotta ask, did you use the Uber link from the United app to arrange your $167 trip? You could plausible argue that you thought this was the way UA wanted you to get home 
Oct 6, 2014, 11:09 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,373
Part of the problem may have been that the agent would have needed to reissue your ticket in shares with one more flight coupon for LAX-SAN. This is apparently difficult for some UA employees. Your lounge agent might have not been aware that ending your ticket at LAX would cause problems for you, including if you had tried to go standby fo the last leg.
Oct 6, 2014, 11:13 am
#8
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 6,016
An alternative would have been asking for a taxi voucher at LAX.
You may want to consider filing a DOT complaint just to add to the airline's complaint statistics, but it won't get any cash back since UA will standby the voucher it has provided.
Lastly, did UA auto-rebook you, and what was the routing?
You may want to consider filing a DOT complaint just to add to the airline's complaint statistics, but it won't get any cash back since UA will standby the voucher it has provided.
Lastly, did UA auto-rebook you, and what was the routing?
Oct 6, 2014, 11:16 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
No. You were stranded because all LAX-SAN flights were sold out for the next two days. Even if the UA employee had not made a mistake, you would still have been stranded. Presuming that standing by flight-by-flight for 2 days was not an option and that you would have grabbed an Uber even if the segment for the micro-hop had been created.
Neither UA nor any domestic carrier I know will reimburse for something such as an Uber unless they have committed in advance to the expense. But, UA has, as a customer service gesture, provided that + a "top up" over that.
While it's certainly your choice whether you fly UA again or jump ship and find out that this stuff happens elsewhere too, it's your choice to use the $225 to defray the Uber cost and have a little in your pocket for the inconvenience or not.
Neither UA nor any domestic carrier I know will reimburse for something such as an Uber unless they have committed in advance to the expense. But, UA has, as a customer service gesture, provided that + a "top up" over that.
While it's certainly your choice whether you fly UA again or jump ship and find out that this stuff happens elsewhere too, it's your choice to use the $225 to defray the Uber cost and have a little in your pocket for the inconvenience or not.
Oct 6, 2014, 11:17 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
To be honest, I'd take the $225 voucher and call it even and let it go, rather than spend all the time it would require to pursue this. Your time and sanity is worth more than that...
Even if you don't plan on using it for yourself, you can always use it for somebody else...
Even if you don't plan on using it for yourself, you can always use it for somebody else...
Oct 6, 2014, 11:17 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Oct 6, 2014, 11:30 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
No. You were stranded because all LAX-SAN flights were sold out for the next two days. Even if the UA employee had not made a mistake, you would still have been stranded. Presuming that standing by flight-by-flight for 2 days was not an option and that you would have grabbed an Uber even if the segment for the micro-hop had been created.
Your options at that point were to (a) wait in Houston until the next day, or (b) get closer to home (LAX) and roll the dice there. Once you were in LAX, the fact that your ticket went under wasn't really relevant, since there was no space on a flight on which to put you. You still would have been SOL, just SOL in the right time zone, and at that point your options would have been exactly what they became -- take uber/taxi/train/walk/whatever to get home that night, or wait until United could fly you there.
To be honest, it seems that you've lived a fairly charmed life if you're a plat-level flyer and this is the first time a trip has gone south (or not South, in this case) for you. As a gold-level flyer, there have been times for me when *nothing* has gone right. Normally I can get there the same day, thanks to the higher standby priority we get as elites, but one of the risks of a later flight is that your options are significantly reduced if something does go wrong.
just out of curiosity, do you know why your original flight was canceled? I'm guessing it wasn't weather, since it seems like UA has done more than just say, "weather -- not our problem"...
Dan
Oct 6, 2014, 11:31 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,992
Your Title Is False.
You changed the destination voluntarily. You can request further compensation all you want, but UA didn't force you to go to LAX, so that argument is moot.
I have done this many times myself in the interests of getting to my destination, and I believe that UA has treated you fairly. UA was willing to work with you and got you close, and then offered reasonable compensation for your additional costs---try going before Judge Judy with this one and see what happens.
I have done this many times myself in the interests of getting to my destination, and I believe that UA has treated you fairly. UA was willing to work with you and got you close, and then offered reasonable compensation for your additional costs---try going before Judge Judy with this one and see what happens.
Oct 6, 2014, 11:33 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Houston / Philadelphia
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 276
Did you ask the agent if another airline could of accomodated you to SD from LAX or from IAH? If UA cannot accomodate you they are suppossed to check other airlines.
The UA comp is more than you paid cash so its worth it if you are going to fly UA again. If you arent (honestly have no plans to use UA again), then I would try one more time to the CS agent and tell them you don't wish to have the credit as will never fly UA again. You have to keep in mind though, the CS agent can only go with what is on her system screen which is a ticket to LAX. It is not her fault the gate agent did not properly document the actual incident.
Moral of the story, trust but verify. Next time any gate agent tells you something, verify everything beforehand. If they promise you can get a flight or basically get taken care of in LAX, ensure your reservation still says to SD and as others have said, ensure the agent writes in the notes that you need to be taken to SD.
You can remind the CS agent to keep in mind that if you did in fact change your itinerary to LAX as she said she sees, but there is no change fee or an actual change in your reservation, obviously the change is not a regular change in the ticket. They can and you should have in your email the original reservation.
Sorry to hear of your troubles. You should let UA Insider know of this incident.
The UA comp is more than you paid cash so its worth it if you are going to fly UA again. If you arent (honestly have no plans to use UA again), then I would try one more time to the CS agent and tell them you don't wish to have the credit as will never fly UA again. You have to keep in mind though, the CS agent can only go with what is on her system screen which is a ticket to LAX. It is not her fault the gate agent did not properly document the actual incident.
Moral of the story, trust but verify. Next time any gate agent tells you something, verify everything beforehand. If they promise you can get a flight or basically get taken care of in LAX, ensure your reservation still says to SD and as others have said, ensure the agent writes in the notes that you need to be taken to SD.
You can remind the CS agent to keep in mind that if you did in fact change your itinerary to LAX as she said she sees, but there is no change fee or an actual change in your reservation, obviously the change is not a regular change in the ticket. They can and you should have in your email the original reservation.
Sorry to hear of your troubles. You should let UA Insider know of this incident.
Oct 6, 2014, 11:36 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,629
No. You were stranded because all LAX-SAN flights were sold out for the next two days. Even if the UA employee had not made a mistake, you would still have been stranded. Presuming that standing by flight-by-flight for 2 days was not an option and that you would have grabbed an Uber even if the segment for the micro-hop had been created.
if the UC agent would have done the record properly and coded in a confirmed placeholder protection for a LAX-SAN segment, even several days in the future, the OP may have been able to negotiate a re-routing onto DL or AA for transport from LAX to SAN. but, since the agent mucked up the record by telling the OP to deal with SBY on arrival at LAX and not coding it into his/her record, so the OAL option basically went out the window.
that being said, i do agree that the OP shares some of the blame here by not being explicit with the agent to ensure at least some sort of protection to SAN to better substantiate his claim for compensation.