United sells tickets with hidden airport transfers...
Jul 4, 2018, 11:55 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 499
Yes, and if you use the regular internet booking page both choices exist for this trip, are documented when you twizzle down the details window, and there is a warning "Please note your connection involves an airport change." For the app to not show those conditions is outrageous.
Jul 4, 2018, 12:08 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH, YYC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 753
I’m with the OP on this one. It’s clearly misleading.
I think people on FT live a different reality to most of the traveling public. I would expect an average member of FT to dig into this and check every single screen before and after booking. I wouldn’t expect that from the rest of the traveling public. Probably 90% of flyers would have been misled by this, just because we are in the 10% doesn’t make it right.
Your screenshots are very clear. I think you should pursue compensation. Good luck!
I think people on FT live a different reality to most of the traveling public. I would expect an average member of FT to dig into this and check every single screen before and after booking. I wouldn’t expect that from the rest of the traveling public. Probably 90% of flyers would have been misled by this, just because we are in the 10% doesn’t make it right.
Your screenshots are very clear. I think you should pursue compensation. Good luck!
Jul 4, 2018, 12:19 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,536
This sounds like an excellent case to report to the (free) Ombudsman service operated by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. If they choose to investigate it, they can not only shame UA into doing right by the OP, but also alert the magazine's readers (many of whom are probably frequent travelers) of this glitch in UA's app.
Jul 4, 2018, 12:29 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,823
Once again, where is UA Insider? (rhetorical question)
OP should get a bug bounty from United. And an apology.
i would submit the screenshots with a DOT complaint, to “encourage” UA to fix the problem, since there presumably is no better way to get their attention.
OP should get a bug bounty from United. And an apology.
i would submit the screenshots with a DOT complaint, to “encourage” UA to fix the problem, since there presumably is no better way to get their attention.
Jul 4, 2018, 12:39 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,072
When I book reservations there is warnings in red like" This flight arrives IAD and departs DCA or this itinerary has a different connecting airport etc. The OP's friend should have looked over the itinerary before booking it or within the 24 cancellation period.
Jul 4, 2018, 12:46 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,536
Do you book using the United app, as the OP did?
Jul 4, 2018, 1:00 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
There is a difference between bookings on the app vs the website. The OP also mentions booking T-10.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 4, 2018 at 1:36 pm Reason: discuss the issue;not the poster(s)
Jul 4, 2018, 1:22 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
If it didn't call out the extra charge, this is a blatant miss on behalf of United, and they will legally have no leg to stand on in terms of not issuing a refund (or if need be, credit card chargeback) for that fee.
The Uber fee is going to be a harder problem, but if you don't get a response from dealing with them directly then Twitter might be a good option. I doubt you'll get them to pay it, but you might at least get an equivalent number of miles/ETC.
The bug bounty covers Security-related bugs. This is not in any way a security related bug.
Last edited by docbert; Jul 4, 2018 at 5:20 pm Reason: typo
Jul 4, 2018, 2:10 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,823
UA ought to be grateful when customers report bugs - security related or otherwise. This bug clearly caused a significant inconvenience for the customer. United should fix it.
Jul 4, 2018, 3:36 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,198
I would think UA Customer Relations will help if you send them the pics you posted here. That seems like a pretty obvious bug/issue with the mobile app.
Jul 4, 2018, 7:58 pm
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
This all simply points to one of the problems with apps. Not just UA and not just for air ticket bookings. All apps. What is generally shown on a significantly larger screen has to viewable on a typical iPhone/Android device and that means losing something. It also means that the customer has to pay more attention to the details.
If UA refused the reroute, the agent certainly documented it and that will put the boots to the Uber reimbursement.
The bag fee issue brings up the larger issue.
1. OP would have seen both a confirmation and an e-ticket receipt showing the IAD arrival and DCA departure. Even if all of the booking screens were wrong, this is why DOT has a 24-hour cancellation rule (which UA exceeds). As soon as the ticket showed up "wrong" it was easily cancelled.
2. DOT requires that the e-ticket receipt shows the bag fees by sector for 1st and 2nd bags. What does OP's e-ticket receipt show? If it does show 2 fees, DOT will be fine with all of this.
If UA refused the reroute, the agent certainly documented it and that will put the boots to the Uber reimbursement.
The bag fee issue brings up the larger issue.
1. OP would have seen both a confirmation and an e-ticket receipt showing the IAD arrival and DCA departure. Even if all of the booking screens were wrong, this is why DOT has a 24-hour cancellation rule (which UA exceeds). As soon as the ticket showed up "wrong" it was easily cancelled.
2. DOT requires that the e-ticket receipt shows the bag fees by sector for 1st and 2nd bags. What does OP's e-ticket receipt show? If it does show 2 fees, DOT will be fine with all of this.
Jul 5, 2018, 2:59 am
#29
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,879
The OP is due some compensation IMO and definitley a refund on the second bag fee. It’s extremely misleading.
Jul 5, 2018, 3:08 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,370
Because UA is a hub-and-spoke airline and offers vanishingly few spoke-to-spoke flights; fewer still if you consider CLE as a “focus city.” PHL and DCA are both AA hubs; the chance that UA would fly that route is nil. And, yes, the fact that UA operates a hub at IAD makes it even more fishy. I don’t expect a UA Premier to have memorized the route map — heck, I haven’t, so why I would I expect anyone else to have?
— but I do expect a double-take if you see a flight like AUS-LAS (which UA operates seasonally as a “direct” flight via SFO, with a 3 1/2 hour stop there) or AUS-CUN (which UA operates seasonally nonstop on Saturdays).Let me put it this way: if you take out the T-10 aspect, which likely rushed things considerably, I’d expect a veteran UA flier to be intrigued enough by something like that to double-check. Perhaps my expectations are off.
