Never surrender, or a reminder to persist for your mileage award
May 15, 2018, 2:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: United Miles
Posts: 63
Never surrender, or a reminder to persist for your mileage award
Forgive the stupid typos. For some reason the website does not currently want to cooperate with my iPad. A lot of this ended up being typed blind, and nearly impossible to make corrections. Sorry.I just wanted to encourage folks not to throw in the towel when you at booking a mileage award on the website and it is screwed up and won’t process.
After scouring for about 6 hours , I was able to find 2 Acceptable one way flights (LAX-LON and SNN-LAX). as saver (30k mile) fares that worked out with my recently approved cruise with my employer. Although united likes to claim the “changing inventory” line as why awards don!t always work as they should, , it’s pretty clear that more is at play there. I’m an IT and complex database guy and I understand casching and other Issues sometimes come into play, but it’s pretty clear there is a serious deficiency when it comes to award inventory. Even the three types of award calendars, i.e., the two-month view, and the weekly view, and the four week view are out of sync.
I digress. Anyway having finally identified my two flights, I set to book them as a complete itinerary, Along with my legal “excursionist perk” Intra Europe leg (CPH-SNN).
first flight fares correctly at 30 K miles. Excursion is perfealso correctly prices at 0 miles. Excellent! But then my return leg prices out at 70 K miles. Sigh.
After scouring for about 6 hours , I was able to find 2 Acceptable one way flights (LAX-LON and SNN-LAX). as saver (30k mile) fares that worked out with my recently approved cruise with my employer. Although united likes to claim the “changing inventory” line as why awards don!t always work as they should, , it’s pretty clear that more is at play there. I’m an IT and complex database guy and I understand casching and other Issues sometimes come into play, but it’s pretty clear there is a serious deficiency when it comes to award inventory. Even the three types of award calendars, i.e., the two-month view, and the weekly view, and the four week view are out of sync.
I digress. Anyway having finally identified my two flights, I set to book them as a complete itinerary, Along with my legal “excursionist perk” Intra Europe leg (CPH-SNN).
first flight fares correctly at 30 K miles. Excursion is perfealso correctly prices at 0 miles. Excellent! But then my return leg prices out at 70 K miles. Sigh.
After trying different changes, attempt To book without the excursionist perk leg. No difference, the return leg to LAX continues to price at 70 K. Thinking that maybe inventory really did change, I drop everything and simply price the return leg all by itself. You guessed it, priced at 30 K miles.I am a nobody with no status other than the miles I accrue On my united chase card. So I don’t get to call to any fancy support desk, instead I get to spend 30 minutes on hold waiting to talk to an agent.At first I think this is going to be a huge waste of time. First the Agent and tries to tell me the issue has to do with “Irish dollars” quote. Resisting the urge to laugh, I continue to use my charm to state that tht really doesn’t seem to be a likely issue. Fortunately, he keeps going out it, and reaches out to the pricing desk, coming back every 15 minutes to update me. After we’ve been on the call for 90 minutes he asked if I would be willing to modify my return leg, that he believes the problem is with Aer Lingus. I explained to him that I’m pretty restricted in what I can except, but I would be perfectly happy to trade my three flight for the two leg all united metal return flight, but it is priced at 70 K, even as a one-way . After another 15 minutes he returns and says he got approval for an override so at the end of the day I got my return time decreased from 24 to about 12 hours of flight time. A fair trade off for the 90 minutes I spent on the phone , so I give the agent full credit for pursuing that option. But of course, United and the universe have a new surprise for me. One, the itinerary includes a $100 phone reservation fee (family of four). Two, through my fault but after having spent so much time on the original call, I have forgotten to add in the excursion perk free leg.
So I get home, and try to make the change online again. Of course the system won’t allow it. This one wasn’t so shocking since there has been a pricing override. Again wait for an hour for an agent to discuss it with the pricing desk, but the leg gets added. The verdict is though the original telephone booking fee needs to be contested independently.
I am hopeful the original telephone fee will be reversed with too much fuss. I’m hoping they have some indicator that shows how much time was spent on the call.
In the end, I got what I should have, but I’m lucky my employer doesn’t get overly grumpy over my being on the phone for 90 minutes. Frankly wasting that kind of time wasn’t good for me, nor was it for United. But, mostly, all‘s well that ends well.Again, my real point in posting this is to remind folks not to take no for an answer when you know you are correct. Being politely firm sometimes does pay off .
So I get home, and try to make the change online again. Of course the system won’t allow it. This one wasn’t so shocking since there has been a pricing override. Again wait for an hour for an agent to discuss it with the pricing desk, but the leg gets added. The verdict is though the original telephone booking fee needs to be contested independently.
I am hopeful the original telephone fee will be reversed with too much fuss. I’m hoping they have some indicator that shows how much time was spent on the call.
In the end, I got what I should have, but I’m lucky my employer doesn’t get overly grumpy over my being on the phone for 90 minutes. Frankly wasting that kind of time wasn’t good for me, nor was it for United. But, mostly, all‘s well that ends well.Again, my real point in posting this is to remind folks not to take no for an answer when you know you are correct. Being politely firm sometimes does pay off .
May 15, 2018, 5:28 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
For some reason the website does not currently want to cooperate with my iPad. A lot of this ended up being typed blind, and nearly impossible to make corrections.
May 15, 2018, 5:35 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
You are correct that being politely firm can pay off. However, others who read this post should take note of this. You had trouble getting the partner award space. Therefore, you 'inquired politely' about getting United space. United has control over their own space. United DOES NOT have control over partner award availability.
My fear is that others read this post and go "United you NEED to open up space on Eva, ANA, Thai" for me. That is not the same as here. United opened up space on their own flights.
As for the phone fee, I don't see why United wouldn't give you a refund
My fear is that others read this post and go "United you NEED to open up space on Eva, ANA, Thai" for me. That is not the same as here. United opened up space on their own flights.
As for the phone fee, I don't see why United wouldn't give you a refund
May 15, 2018, 7:39 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: BWI<MCI< PHL<DEN<SCL<EZE<CHO<PHL<ABE
Programs: UA Silver / FA
Posts: 939
Had this same issue with a UA-LH flight 2 months ago. Persistence and patience is key. It's terrible that this is what we've come to, but glad you got your details... also, probably should merge these threads as I read your other posts.. can just add this one in line as the "hoorrayyy" outcome.
May 15, 2018, 7:43 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Boston MA
Programs: UA 1K/1.5 million miler, SU Gold, JL Sapphire
Posts: 529
I confirm that United will open spaces for certain situations.
Case in point: I booked BOX->ULN/PEK->BOS. All I had for savers (Business) at that time was transiting through Zurich and Vienna on partners, including CA.
Then, a few months' later, lo and behold, CA switches me to a flight 24 hours LATER. Consequence: my connection in Vienna (onto another airline) was blown.
I called United and after figuring it all out, they opened space for me to transit through ORD instead. And because this was united, they reimbursed miles.
They did the right thing, and that is something honestly I like about United - for some things, they will do the right thing. These acts kept me relatively loyal because I know that in case of MX, schedule changes etc, United had my back. Sometimes not perfectly, sometimes by forcing the issue, but most of the time without too much trouble. It is too bad this is not systematic, however, because it would translate into advantages for them too - at equal (or even superior) pricing, people would rather fly them than the competition.
Case in point: I booked BOX->ULN/PEK->BOS. All I had for savers (Business) at that time was transiting through Zurich and Vienna on partners, including CA.
Then, a few months' later, lo and behold, CA switches me to a flight 24 hours LATER. Consequence: my connection in Vienna (onto another airline) was blown.
I called United and after figuring it all out, they opened space for me to transit through ORD instead. And because this was united, they reimbursed miles.
They did the right thing, and that is something honestly I like about United - for some things, they will do the right thing. These acts kept me relatively loyal because I know that in case of MX, schedule changes etc, United had my back. Sometimes not perfectly, sometimes by forcing the issue, but most of the time without too much trouble. It is too bad this is not systematic, however, because it would translate into advantages for them too - at equal (or even superior) pricing, people would rather fly them than the competition.
May 15, 2018, 8:08 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,654
May 15, 2018, 11:56 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: United Miles
Posts: 63
One of the things that worked in my favor was the agents own frustration with the system. He was motivated to go to bat, and really almost invited me to ask, although he didn’t directly offer it, I felt the virtual wink, wink, nudge nudge, to ask.
Literally, he must have apologized nine to ten times for the delays as he kept going back and forth, so I think he was just as anxious to have another option to just get it 'over with'.
I know it’s probabbly spitting in the wind, but I do intend to send a CEO snail mail letter, stressing how bad their IT situation is. It pisses off customers, and it ends up tieing up agents needlessly, literally almost a total of three hours after the second call is factored in this case.
I think I need to get creative here — maybe I’ll send it along with 24 five minute egg timers to make the wasted time point.
Literally, he must have apologized nine to ten times for the delays as he kept going back and forth, so I think he was just as anxious to have another option to just get it 'over with'.
I know it’s probabbly spitting in the wind, but I do intend to send a CEO snail mail letter, stressing how bad their IT situation is. It pisses off customers, and it ends up tieing up agents needlessly, literally almost a total of three hours after the second call is factored in this case.
I think I need to get creative here — maybe I’ll send it along with 24 five minute egg timers to make the wasted time point.
May 15, 2018, 2:10 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,654
One of the things that worked in my favor was the agents own frustration with the system. He was motivated to go to bat, and really almost invited me to ask, although he didn’t directly offer it, I felt the virtual wink, wink, nudge nudge, to ask.
Literally, he must have apologized nine to ten times for the delays as he kept going back and forth, so I think he was just as anxious to have another option to just get it 'over with'.
I know it’s probabbly spitting in the wind, but I do intend to send a CEO snail mail letter, stressing how bad their IT situation is. It pisses off customers, and it ends up tieing up agents needlessly, literally almost a total of three hours after the second call is factored in this case.
I think I need to get creative here — maybe I’ll send it along with 24 five minute egg timers to make the wasted time point.
Literally, he must have apologized nine to ten times for the delays as he kept going back and forth, so I think he was just as anxious to have another option to just get it 'over with'.
I know it’s probabbly spitting in the wind, but I do intend to send a CEO snail mail letter, stressing how bad their IT situation is. It pisses off customers, and it ends up tieing up agents needlessly, literally almost a total of three hours after the second call is factored in this case.
I think I need to get creative here — maybe I’ll send it along with 24 five minute egg timers to make the wasted time point.
May 16, 2018, 5:32 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: United Miles
Posts: 63
Anyway, I actually did order 4 30 minute egg timers........ sooo... guess I am am now committed to following this through. Or I'll have to explain to my wife why I bought 4 egg timers!
d.
May 16, 2018, 6:07 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232