Mar 23, 2015, 12:48 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Chicago Weather
Airports:
•Chicago, IL (ORD)
Original Travel Dates: March 23, 2015
Changing to earlier or later flights is allowed.
Final Travel must be completed by: End of Validity of ticket (one year from date of issue)
Flight Changes: Fees for same-day flight changes are waived within 24 hours of original departure.
For all other changes, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply.
Airports:
•Chicago, IL (ORD)
Original Travel Dates: March 23, 2015
Changing to earlier or later flights is allowed.
Final Travel must be completed by: End of Validity of ticket (one year from date of issue)
Flight Changes: Fees for same-day flight changes are waived within 24 hours of original departure.
For all other changes, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply.
WX waiver for ORD -- 23 March 2015
Mar 23, 2015, 9:43 am
#1
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
WX waiver for ORD -- 23 March 2015
Yes, UA has one now (free SDC, basically, like the NE and WAS one for Friday)... but where was this, say, 24 hours in advance? I don't know what conditions are like at ORD, but they're under a ground stop until "at least noon" according to agents, and they knew the weather was coming yesterday...
We checked in for LNK-ORD-IAD, and 5 minutes later, LNK-ORD cancelled due to the ORD ground stop. Had UA put a waiver in place, we'd have been on LNK-DEN or even OMA-DEN and already on the flight home.
Instead, it was a slog to get onto OMA-DEN-IAD, and right now, we have a middle E+ and a middle E- on the DEN-IAD. Had we been able to change sooner (we asked, but were told no given no irrops yet, or could have done a significant upfare via SDC...), we'd be in DEN in plenty of time to catch flights with F seats (we were in F, via upgrade, but still in F, originally).
Sigh.
We checked in for LNK-ORD-IAD, and 5 minutes later, LNK-ORD cancelled due to the ORD ground stop. Had UA put a waiver in place, we'd have been on LNK-DEN or even OMA-DEN and already on the flight home.
Instead, it was a slog to get onto OMA-DEN-IAD, and right now, we have a middle E+ and a middle E- on the DEN-IAD. Had we been able to change sooner (we asked, but were told no given no irrops yet, or could have done a significant upfare via SDC...), we'd be in DEN in plenty of time to catch flights with F seats (we were in F, via upgrade, but still in F, originally).
Sigh.
Mar 23, 2015, 9:48 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Not to defend UA, but it was a little unexpected. The forecast was calling for a "slushy" rush hour this morning because ground temp is warm. I woke up this morning to about 4-5 inches on the ground and it's still going.
Surprised the ground stop is until noon, as it's barely snowing now.
Hope things work out for you today.
Surprised the ground stop is until noon, as it's barely snowing now.
Hope things work out for you today.
Mar 23, 2015, 9:59 am
#3
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
Thanks--good to know the weather has been worse and is in fact bad enough to justify a ground stop. WN pax at OMA are apoplectic over the ground stop right now, FWIW. UA ones have already rebooked via DEN or tomorrow...
What's really annoying is that the same agent who checked us in at LNK is the one who announced the cancellation and asked everyone to return to check-in to be rebooked; I understand she may not have been aware of the ground stop at the time (it really was only 5 minutes later!), but we ended up being at the tail end of a long line and missed getting on the earlier DEN flights ex-LNK and had to drive to OMA because of that. UA's auto-rebooking insanely put us on ORD flights which are now nearly 3 hours delayed...
What's really annoying is that the same agent who checked us in at LNK is the one who announced the cancellation and asked everyone to return to check-in to be rebooked; I understand she may not have been aware of the ground stop at the time (it really was only 5 minutes later!), but we ended up being at the tail end of a long line and missed getting on the earlier DEN flights ex-LNK and had to drive to OMA because of that. UA's auto-rebooking insanely put us on ORD flights which are now nearly 3 hours delayed...
Mar 23, 2015, 11:45 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Yes, UA has one now (free SDC, basically, like the NE and WAS one for Friday)... but where was this, say, 24 hours in advance? I don't know what conditions are like at ORD, but they're under a ground stop until "at least noon" according to agents, and they knew the weather was coming yesterday...
Knowing weather might be coming and knowing what the actual impact will be are two very different things.
Mar 23, 2015, 12:29 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
UA cancelled most of their ORD-YYZ's this morning, "luckily" I was on AC on the 845A which ended up going, but had a creeping 2 hour delay...
The ground ops seemed to be in total disarray, taxiing was incredibly slow, we ended up doing a u-turn through one of the UA alleys, and then going back to the F area, and then out. it was just a mess.
The ground ops seemed to be in total disarray, taxiing was incredibly slow, we ended up doing a u-turn through one of the UA alleys, and then going back to the F area, and then out. it was just a mess.
Mar 23, 2015, 2:13 pm
#7
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
And they were right as far as the impact on remaining ops at LNK for the day, which had all but one flight to ORD cancel.
Mar 23, 2015, 2:26 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium; Hyatt - Globalist; United - 1K
Posts: 74
Going on 10 hours at ORD
just trying to get to IAH!
Initial flight this morning (730a) was delayed / canceled due to a door seal issue noted during de-icing.
took 2.5 hours to cancel the flight (missing the only other flights that went out on-time to IAH today).
^to customer service though. Answered immediately when calling in (avoiding all lines) and United Club (visited 3 of 4 today) agents more than helpful.
Initial flight this morning (730a) was delayed / canceled due to a door seal issue noted during de-icing.
took 2.5 hours to cancel the flight (missing the only other flights that went out on-time to IAH today).
^to customer service though. Answered immediately when calling in (avoiding all lines) and United Club (visited 3 of 4 today) agents more than helpful.
Mar 23, 2015, 2:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat 100
Posts: 619
Not to defend UA, but it was a little unexpected. The forecast was calling for a "slushy" rush hour this morning because ground temp is warm. I woke up this morning to about 4-5 inches on the ground and it's still going.
Surprised the ground stop is until noon, as it's barely snowing now.
Hope things work out for you today.
Surprised the ground stop is until noon, as it's barely snowing now.
Hope things work out for you today.
Mar 23, 2015, 3:44 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
Too Little Too Late - Flights Already Cancelled
I was looking at alternatives from LAX-ORD-RIC, departure 11:37 PM Sunday. Everything had fare differences of over $300 plus $200 change fee.
LAX-ORD flight arrived just before 5 AM. At 7:00 AM, they cancelled my ORD-RIC flight scheduled for 7:30 departure. No more ORD-RIC availability rest of the day.
I managed to get on ORD-IAD flight scheduled for 8:30 AM that went mechanical and ended with change of plane and left ORD at 1:14 PM. I am now waiting for my IAD-RIC flight scheduled for 10:17 PM. If this goes, it'll be 21 hours from LAX-RIC.
Yes, the forecast wasn't that bad. But, airlines live and die by weather and that's why they hire meteorologists to do their own planning.
I could have rerouted LAX-EWR-RIC or LAX-IAD-RIC if UA only permitted the rerouting. So yes I am having a rotten day courtesy of UA not allowing me to change my itinerary.
LAX-ORD flight arrived just before 5 AM. At 7:00 AM, they cancelled my ORD-RIC flight scheduled for 7:30 departure. No more ORD-RIC availability rest of the day.
I managed to get on ORD-IAD flight scheduled for 8:30 AM that went mechanical and ended with change of plane and left ORD at 1:14 PM. I am now waiting for my IAD-RIC flight scheduled for 10:17 PM. If this goes, it'll be 21 hours from LAX-RIC.
Yes, the forecast wasn't that bad. But, airlines live and die by weather and that's why they hire meteorologists to do their own planning.
I could have rerouted LAX-EWR-RIC or LAX-IAD-RIC if UA only permitted the rerouting. So yes I am having a rotten day courtesy of UA not allowing me to change my itinerary.