ninethreer

I bought a full-fare 1st class ticket and United cancelled my flight three hours beforehand for "maintenance" issues. They rebooked me in Economy because there were no seats remaining on any other flights to my destination in First.

I was told by two customer service reps at two airports that I could complain online and get a fare difference.

I complained and asked not only for a fare difference, but also for the difference in PQMs that I was due to earn on my 1st class segment that I didn't because I flew economy.

They refused both and sent me a voucher for $75.

What can I do?

I cannot believe they can treat me like this. I am Premier member, too.

Thanks

zrs70

First, why is "maintenance" in ""? Was the flight cancelled for a different reason?

I can't speak to why they only sent you $75. If you were in full fare, you certainly should get the fare difference. I would escalate.

I would also contact MP. They are good at crediting miles in these cases.

bmwe92fan

+1 This. Call MP. Explain simply and calmly what happened. Tell them what you were told and what you expect. And don't give up....

ninethreer

Thanks.

It's in quotes because I find it unbelievable -- it was a 12:30am flight from SFO to ORD that was probably not full enough, so they decided to cancel it for a BS reason and move poor suckers like me onto different flights.

How do I contact MP separately?

zrs70

It's naive to think that because a flight doesn't look full, that they will cancel. The plane needs to be at the destination for the onward flight. There is cargo. The pilots and crew need to be somewhere. Etc.

halls120

When an airline has a shortage of airframes at a given location because one or more have gone MX, they will look around at the departing flights and decide to sacrifice the flight with the lightest load so that they have an aircraft available for a flight with a heavier load. Because that happens.

kevanyalowitz

If you ask UA they will tell you that you didn't buy full fare first. Rather, you selected first on united.com and, with out telling you, it sold you a coach fair with a 'free' upgrade to First.

I'd dispute the charge on your credit card and let your CC company advocate for you.

philfna

Yes if there is an MX and a lack of available equipment they will look for a light load flight to cancel. The issue of the fare difference should be sent to UA, and 75 seems like it isn't much of an offering.


Was it an F fare or A or P?

zrs70

True.. ops works hard at this, and swaps happen all the time! Forgot to mention this.

harryhv

+! for the creditcard dispute but...

Send them an E mail entitled "Credit Card dispute re booking ref xxxxxx", that will get their attention. Set out exactly what you expect, say $300 voucher and however many points, and say if not settled within 7 days you will raise a CC dispute.

ccyao

+1 this is probably the best way to solve this.

CLEContinental

I might be way off here, but isn't this a classic DOT complaint (e.g., selling someone "FLY IN FIRST FOR ONLY $XXX", but sticking them in coach?) How can UA consistently get away with advertising a First Class fare, but only providing someone a "in fine print this is a coach ticket with a free upgrade to 1st"?

Boo_Radley

This should be merged with the downgrade compensation thread, which has the answers to all of OPs questions as well. Basically, you're due the fare diff plus a "CS gesture" amount that depends on the length of the flight; IIRC it's more than $75 for ORD-SFO. The fare difference part is even part of the CoC. You should be fine as long as you don't call up and start going off the rails.

EDIT: I was wrong about the CS gesture; it's not due.

matrixwalker2012

UA can call the underlying fare whatever they want, the truth of the matter is the customer went to United's website, search for flights, selected First Class, and paid for a ticket that results in the passenger sitting in First Class. If it looks like a First Class ticket, smells like a First Class ticket, then by golly, it's a FIRST CLASS TICKET! And look at the fare code that the customer sees, the customer sees A/P, and if you go to the PQM earning tables, where does A/P fall under for domestic? That's right, Two-Cabin First! If it looks like a horse, it smells like a horse, then by golly, it's a horse! For UA's internal accounting, they can call it a pig for all we care, but under no circumstance should UA use their internal reasonings to justify external shortcomings. Maybe airlines should be investigated a bit for false advertising? It's one thing to sell what's clearly a coach ticket, where the customer even has to go and select a coach seat, pay for the coach seat, and then after the transaction, upgrade the customer and let them select a new seat in First Class. It's another thing to sell a First Class seat directly and then when unable to deliver, claim that the customer never bought a First Class ticket.

mahasamatman

So you were personally with the OP when he booked?

I love how everyone assumes* that it was an -UP fare. Based on what we've been told, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was the case. Didn't anybody read the OP? United didn't put the OP in Y because it was an -UP fare, but because F was full on all other flights.

* Remember what happens when you assume...