In 12 hrs flying from SCL to IAH landing @ 5 on Mar 9. And then connecting to YYC. May not have access to info on landing issues if any, until boarding time. Please let me know if there are concerns regarding this flight and options to get home. On J award tickets on UA birds.

I wouldn't worry. If your inbound is late due to storms around the airport, your outbound will probably also be late.

And if you miss it, UA and AC have 5 more direct flights after the one you're booked on. Just hope that J isn't booked solid.

Is it possible for the flight to be diverted and if so where would it go?

Think you're over-thinking things a little here.

Yes, it could be diverted. To where depends on what the weather is like at alternate airports and a whole host of other factors.

I was once diverted from IAH to HOU, where we sat on the tarmac for 2+ hours, and missed a connection to BOG. They wouldn't let us off the plane.

I don't know that HOU is an option for a 787 coming from SCL. I imagine DFW or AUS would be the most likely next options.

But I think you're getting ahead of yourself. I think it's pretty rare for the airport to close completely and I imagine a long international flight like yours has high priority for landing.

If you do get diverted, just pull out your phone as soon as you can and start looking for alternatives, but there are so many possible contingencies, I don't think it's worth worrying about now.

Thanks.
I planned a 12 hr layover to see the city. Now with this weather, that option is moot. Any ideas to get home faster rather than sitting at the airport? Checked Aeroplane tool And can not find anything in J . Long day long flight long day after, must have bed-seat or I will have bad time for some time from my parter, lol. Would consider change fee but for J. Comments please.

If the tickets are UA tickets, and the concern is for weather at a UA hub, why is this being asked in an AC forum?

San Antonio is often used wx permitting for AC flights from YYC & YYZ

These are Aeroplan award tickets issued by AC. In anticipation of your frustration, I did make an AP tool reference.

If there's no availability showing now, best option is just to try to SDC when you land in IAH.

But I think you're being alarmist. The storms may not delay your arrival to IAH and you could still go sightseeing for a few hours. What were you planning on doing?

And if not, I'm pretty sure that with a 12-hour layover, you won't miss your connection, so worst-case scenario, you sit around the UA lounge for a few hours instead of seeing the city.

While I appreciate these are Aeroplan issued award tickets as the flight is operated by United this thread has been relocated to the UA forum as ultimately it will be up to UA to determine what if any rerouting or flight changes may be necessary due to adverse weather.

tcook052
AC forum moderator

On a side note, don't feel bad about the shorter layover. There's literally nothing you'd want to see here in Houston unless you like office buildings, bayous, and traffic.

I have still 11 hrs until the last leg of this trip. Any changes to this ticket can only be made by Aeroplan.

Any ideas how to get the shorter layover if land on time?

Go to the UA lounge and ask an agent if you can get on an earlier flight.

I'm glad a Houstonian said it. While I go there often on business and know it well (and don't mind it), I didn't feel it was my place to put the city down

If you can get hold of the UA PNR--record locator (not the one issued by AE)--then you might be able to do a flight change at IAH by using one of the touchscreens they have at the flight assistance desks (I don't recall what they're called precisely now, but you'll see them). Typically for me, on UA flights, once under way I've been able to make changes at the airport that way. There will likely be a fee, however, for SDC. They also have phones that are directly linked to phone agents. I've found them to be very helpful when I've had IROPS and/or needed other changes. They should be able to pull up the UA locator for you and advise you on what can be done.

IAH is not a great airport for the kind of thing you want to do anyhow as the airport is a bit of a trek into the city. Houston does have some lovely museums, which are worth a visit, but I wouldn't consider doing a 12-hour layover for that purpose.