LaserSailor

You might get some comp, along the lines of Super Shuttle fees vs uber fees.

Keep request brief and to point, no ranting.

mkr

Would UA keep some notes in the PAX PNR that a hotel at IAH and flight the next day was offered? Would UA customer care look at the PNR?

channa

Generally ground transportation is provided by the location where the taxi/shuttle is boarded. So LAX would have to cut the voucher anyway, since the local station doesn't know who the local ground transport providers are at LAX.

The checkin agent was just blowing you off to get you out of their hair. I'm sorry about your experience, where they are almost literally are nickel and diming -- what, a $49 IAH hotel room vs. a $55 LAX cab ride? But this is life at UA since the merger.

Also, when you're in the origin station, it's sometimes easier to get an OAL rebook to the final destination (e.g., DCA-SLC-SNA) than taking the first flight and having the connecting flight rebooked. The connection point is usually an airline megahub with fewer alternates.


First, notes in the CO systems are almost impossible to find. They're buried in pages of other junk that the system puts in there, so good luck finding one. The only way I've been able to direct people to notes and have them find stuff is if I actually know the line number of the note I'm looking for.

That said, even with the note, it's a ridiculous note anyway -- saying the customer chose to decline a flight 12 hours later. If it were 30 minutes later, sure, but it wasn't. It was the next day.

I would have asked at LAX for a ground transportation voucher. If LAX even found a note and mentioned it, I would laugh and say some rogue agent in XYZ thought that a flight tomorrow morning was comparable to a flight tonight, and you'd probably end up with the shuttle voucher.


As for the OP's original question, the dollar value in question is so nominal, I might even go so far as to try to frame the complaint not looking as much for reimbursement, rather trying to complain about the poor treatment and try to ding the first agent with that stupid remark. Basically, they're splitting hairs on minor costs, on an issue that was the airline's fault anyway, and her remark indicates that they value your time at zero. Because the LAX solution got you home some 12 hours earlier, they weren't willing to fork over an additional ten bucks to make that happen? That's the real complaint.

Frame it that way, then request the out of pocket ($55) and some additional voucher as a goodwill gesture, and see what happens.

Good luck!

Antonio8069

I had a somewhat similar experience flying IAD-SYR in December. Flight was cancelled due to weather. UA re-booked me IAD-YOW (my home base) at my request. Later, I asked if they would cover the cost of my return to SYR to retrieve my car and UA declined.

Have you considered filing a claim for trip interruption insurance under the credit card you used to book the trip? You may find they will reimburse you for the Uber car and any other out-of-pocket expenses?

cbn42

Thanks for the link. However, I wasn't told to contact customer service for anything... or are you suggesting I lie about it?

This was personal travel, so no expense report.

Thanks for the advice. I didn't even think of asking for anything upon arrival at LAX, but I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Unfortunately this card doesn't have trip interruption insurance, or that would have been a great option.

jclay1212

I'm wondering if EC 261/2004 could be applied to my situation. UA award ticket with first segment from JFK to FRA - no problems. Second segment FRA onward resulted in big issues. UA made a ticketing error so I was denied boarding. UA finally fixed it much later resulting in a 12 hour delay to my final destination. Additionally, I was downgraded.
I'm a little unclear how this would work since it was a partner flight. Any insight would be appreciated. If 261/2004 applies for any reason, would I get both the downgrade and delay entitlements?

Kacee

Doesn't sound like an EU261 situation. Among other things, you don't get EU261 comp unless you were actually ticketed on the flight for which boarding was denied.

It's difficult to provide any meaningful advice about options without more detail about what actually went wrong.

Micp3208

Two weeks ago my relative's were delayed and then cancelled due to flight crew availability, RSW-EWR. They were rebooked for the next evening which was unacceptable to them, and they were offered a flight out of Tampa. That flight was 4 hours late but allowed them to get to work.

The car service charge $547 -- explained to UA that they spent 100,000 miles plus fees for their tickets, to then spend $547 for a car so they could get home, got an apology and a voucher for $50 each.

They have no status, and didn't spend any cash, so I guess that is fair.

jkroncke

Hi all,

I recently had a pretty disastrous experience flying (or not flying) on United. Was booked MKE-SIN for a conference. Got from MKE to ORD for our HKG connection. Then our flight was delayed four hours, and after three hours they cancelled the flight for crew availability. No other flights to take, so put up in hotel for the night. Missed the first day of the conference, they rescheduled us for early the next day.

Next day, new flight to HKG in the early AM. Got up early, washed our clothes in the hotel sink and headed out. Delayed a few hours. Then we actually began to take off and they slammed on the breaks. Never had that happen before. Went back for maintenance and new crew. 4 hours later, boarded and taxied. Drove around airport and parked for two hours on tarmc. Returned to gate. Now they say new crew coming, but had given misinformation at earlier times.

At that point, ETA to SIN is one or two hours before my rescheduled talk, if their best estimates work. 20+ hours flying and the time difference, I decided I can't put my fiancee through it for only a chance miserable day and potentially not making the conference at all. We ask to be taken off the flight. It leaves several hours later and ten hours late in the end. They didn't deplane our bags as they are legally required to for an international flight and we are left in freezing Chicago with our carry on. We get a hotel and try to recoup. Nine days later they return us our bags, which also happened to be missing a few items.

Online they offered us each 40,000 miles or $800. Does this seem reasonable? They basically ruined our trip to SIN and I think this seems overall pretty bad in all my experiences. I'm still shellshocked by it all a bit and this doesn't bode well as my partners first big international trip. Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks for just letting me vent?

lost*in*cyberspace

Your compensation is absolutely reasonable; in fact, that's the most compensation I have ever seen for a flight delay. I would take it.

I assume you also received a ticket refund.

Often1

1. You should receive a refund (not a credit) to your original form of payment for the tickets as this fits UA's delay/cancellation policy. It is also a trip in vain, but you do not need to go there.

2. The $800 is more than generous given that all they owed you was a refund. Thus, this is a customer service gesture, not compensation.

3. The bags are a separate issue. If you are missing anything, you should make a claim for it. Bear in mind that you get fair market value not replacement cost.

4. The whole thing about off-loading bags is irrelevant and has been untue since 2003.

lax2010

Sorry that you missed your scheduled and rescheduled talk at the conference! All this time, did you ever ask if they can put you on a different airline to get you to your destination for your conference or did you just play the game of "I will do what you UA tell me to" without checking for other availabilities?

For example, if I knew that I will misconnect for my Dubai flight, I immediately asked for the EK non-stop and got there earlier than my connecting flights on UA metals...

Tchiowa

^ UA isn't the only airline that can get you to SIN. If the conference was critical I would have approached UA to put me on another airline.

One way to view the compensation ($400+40k) is that if you bought another ticket to go to SIN, this would cover an upgrade one way for both of you.

eegulleye

Two weeks ago delayed a day due to missed connection. Bags took 9 days to catch up to me. Comped 6,250 miles for the initial 8 hour delay and 20,000 miles for the resulting 24 hour delay for me and 9 day delay for bags. I'd say 40,000 miles is pretty good. But you should also make a claim for the missing items.

Kacee

Per Often1, the 40,000 miles or $800 is reasonable compensation assuming UA is also refunding the full ticket price. Because you are absolutely entitled to a full refund.

I'm assuming UA gave you vouchers for hotel; if not, you should submit the hotel bills for reimbursement as well.