Ska.tm

Hi,

United sent me an email that my direct HNL to EWR ( several weeks in the future ) flight has been changed to an itinerary with a layover in SFO. The direct flight appears to not exist any more. I paid quite a bit more for a direct flight when I bought the ticket. What is my best recourse/ approach to get compensated for this change?

thanks

Mwenenzi

Ska.tm Welcome to FT
Was it a direct or non stop flight? There is a difference
Booked direct with UA or a travel agent?
Have you phoned UA or TA and asked?
You will not be compensated. You can request a full credit and buy a new flight with the airline-route of your choice

This thread will likely get moved to https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...leageplus-681/

garykung

None, as you are entitled for a full refund.

Repooc17

Given Covid, any schedule beyond the current month should be treated as a placeholder, and may be subject to change. Unfortunately, the particular route you had planned to fly (the nonstop flight between EWR and HNL) has not yet resumed, but there are certainly flight connections which would allow you to get there.

Below are your options:

1) If you intend to travel to HNL and on UA, you can switch to the flight UA has suggested for you, or another connection more suited for your travel needs.
2) If you intend to travel nonstop to HNL, you would have to seek a refund from UA, and fly on Hawaiian Airlines; at least through near-term schedules (e.g. February), HA is the only carrier flying without the need for connections.
3) You can place a hold on travel, and as alluded to above, seek a refund from UA to make you whole from what you had paid (no additional compensation). You can also cancel and place it as a flight credit for future uses.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Two choices - 1) cancel or 2) fly. No money is due unless you re-book yourself on cheaper flights.

The first thing I'd do is check current prices for your dates on the routes UA currently has scheduled. If a cheaper trip is available and you still want to fly, cancel your current trip for a refund and re-book the new flights.

If the flights aren't cheaper, you can at least ask for a better routing. Are you traveling in First? If so, I'll assume you're on a lie-flat flight to West Coast and then maybe not a lie-flat to Hawaii? If so, you might consider a routing EWR-ORD-HNL to get more lie-flat time. Another option that was available frequently in the past was a 757 lie-flat to Denver and then wide-body to Honolulu.

Hawkeyefan

Timely thread. I got my entire return itinerary from SJO cancelled on me for Feb travel. No longer return flights on that day. Massive reduction in service. I took the refund and rebooked. It was hard to piece together a legit new ticket.

Repooc17

Agreed. Sometimes it can be even difficult if you have separate tickets on either ends

That said, I like being presented with challenges. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Ska.tm

It was a direct flight. It was a round trip ticket, booked directly with united and I’ve already done the EWR to HNL flight. Now they are saying I have to do an itinerary with a layover on the return flight. Had I chosen this originally, it would have been much cheaper.
Are people who are saying I am entitled to a refund saying the entire ticket would be refunded now and I can rebook the return, with Hawaiian airlines for instance?
i have not reached out to united yet as I wanted to get some advice first.

thanks

IAH-OIL-TRASH

A "non-stop" is a non-stop.
A "direct" flight actually involves a stop (and often even a change of planes), but have only one flight number for the two flights. This is a distinction frequent flying nerds like us tend to know. For example, UA could schedule a EWR-HNL bookable as flight 123 but the details would show a flight 123 from EWR to SFO on a 757 and a flight 123 from SFO to HNL on a 737. That would be considered a direct flight.

EWR-HNL without a stop is referred to as a non-stop, not a direct flight.

Yes, you should be able to get a full refund with the loss of the non-stop.


Edit: missed the part about already having taken the outbound. I'd see if HNL-ORD-EWR is an option - that would be a far better return for sleep than flying to the west coast..

Ska.tm

Ahhh. I see. Yes, it was a non stop flight.

WineCountryUA

A refund of the untaken portion of the ticket. If you have used the outbound (EWR-HNL), you can be refunded for the return -- would have to know more details on the fares in each direction to provide a estimated of the refund. It may be half, it may be more or less. UA agent can compute this for your.

And are the changed times greater than 2 hours from the original booking?

jsloan

It's nearly impossible to change from a nonstop to a one-stop flight without a two-hour difference. Even if it somehow managed to come in right at 2 hours, the extra stop is a valid reason for a refund anyway.

OP: You can ask -- but can't demand; they can say no -- that UA put you onto the Hawaiian Airlines flight at no cost to you. Your other alternatives would be to find a one-stop flight with UA that you preferred, or to ask for a refund of the un-flown segment. As WineCountryUA said, the exact size of the refund is difficult to know without seeing your fare construction. UA can tell you, but be prepared to wait on hold while they contact the rate desk to calculate it.

WineCountryUA

Leave 1:45 early and arriving 1:45 late, allows for nearly 4 hours additional travel time. Some agents may refund a total travel time increase of 2 hours but that is not the policy,

But agree in general adding a stop with trigger the 2 hour but not always. So it is important to understand the rule is a change of 2 hours on departure or arrival. A change from non-stop to 1-stop per se is not sufficient for a refund all the time. Adding a stop allows for a "free" rescheduling.

jsloan

Fair enough. You're right that the policy requires a two hour change on one end or the other in order to get a refund. I suspect that most agents will offer one regardless, but that's clearly beyond the requirements of the policy -- I stand corrected. And, you're right -- adding a stop gives you a free change but not necessarily a refund.

garykung

That may create additional issues, like baggage.

A partial refund may be possible, depending on how much exactly UA is charging for EWR-HNL with stops now.