tr3k

Apparently a short local hop on AC got canceled, and this is the best way they could handle the change (rather than book that short hop on UA, for example)
On the phone with Aeroplan now - but unlikely they can help. This ticket is now in neverland.

Wonder if I will be able to cancel it and get a refund at all :/ I mean - it's not a UA ticket now.

21H21J

UA Award: AC have cancelled the DFW-YUL leg of my DFW-YUL-VIE itinerary, and re-routed me DFW-YYZ-YUL arriving 90 minutes after the VIE flight departs. I've reached out via twitter to look at rebooking options and have been told that I have to pay any fare/mileage difference. Is this correct?

cfischer

no it is not, but VIE is tough because there are no UA options. You need to find ways to VIE in I/X on partners from a European gateway (like MUC, FRA, ZRH) and then UA will get you there on UA metal w/o any additional mileage.

Best is to call and come prepared with options.

SFO_FT

Or ask UA to get you DFW to ORD or EWR or IAD on UA, and then onwards to YUL on AC, connnecting to your YULVIE flight.

cfischer

that only works if YUL-VIE is still available.

Kacee

Not true. UA can hold the space and rebook the connection.

cfischer

On AC? I have had some luck with LH-group airlines, but not with AC. Might work, just hasn't worked for me.

dkc192

I think OP's YUL-VIE (the one they're trying to keep) is on OS. AC doesn't fly YUL-VIE IIRC.

stevendorechester

Keep in mind though that under Canadian law both Air Canada and United are required to get you to your destination on a flight departing no more than nine hours later.

The problem is that airlines don't care. They will simply tell you to go pound sand as they are not subject to any penalties. Air Canada is well aware of the law, this is just how they operate.

Your only option is to keep pushing or making your own arrangements and then sue the in a Canadian court. Most people will not do that. That's what airlines are counting on.

I know what I am talking about. As part of my job I have have friends who work at YUL for a U S. airline. They know the law and in case of cancelation will rebook on any air airline, same alliance or not.


Good luck!

wanderlustFL

Agreed. In 2019, I flew LX on a UAL award B0S-->ZRH-->BDS (Brindisi). LX dropped the ZRH-->BDS segment due to a schedule change and new flight number. When I called into fix, the first and second and third (supervisor the third time) agents all said the same thing "Sorry we don't have control over partner awards and we can only rebook if the entire new itinerary has award space". Of course the BOS-ZRH segment had no new space so the agents claimed there was nothing they could do to fix the dropped segment. I knew that this wasn't true but hit a brick wall. I got the name of the United VP of customer service from Elliott.org and emailed them directly. In my email I said that as a ticketed passenger I have the same rights as anyone else booked on LX metal: that is, United should request that LX book me on the new flight. The VP responded within 24 hours apologizing for the initial response and promised to contact LX and fix the problem immediately. Sure enough, within the next day I was reinstated on the new connecting flight.

Now, in the OP's case it is trickier as AC may no longer have a n/s flight that day connecting in time for the OS flight. I suggest investigating any/all options on AC or UAL metal that will get them there in time for the OS flight as scheduled. Unfortunately, this may include an extra overnight in some intermediate AC or UAL hub. I have accepted this alternative a number of times when there was no other available option. But it is important for the OP to have at the ready their prioritized list of alternatives. Unfortunately in the time of COVID this is a common occurrence. Last year I had 5 (!) last minute schedule changes on an international award within 4 weeks of travel. I don't see it going away anytime soon.

I might add that I suggest you focus on your preferred outcome. That is it is simply to get from your point of original to VIE as close to the original arrival time as possible using the most efficient routing? Or, do you really want to preserve the transoceanic segment on OS because you want to fly them? I say this because when my flights kept on changing last year, in the in final instance I was flying Scandinavian via CPH to Croatia (Split). And, I really did not care how I crossed the pond. So I had at the ready connection points in Europe that got me to Split with reasonable connection times from many U.S. originating flights AND had available award space. United opened up space on their metal to get to Europe and after I fed them flights that worked from that point of entry, I built a new itinerary. If, for whatever reason, you really want to fly OS, I would be very surprised if OS would open up (or United would be even willing to ask for) new space on the YUL or any other VIE bound flight on your day of travel if existing award space was not already available. After all, it is an AC schedule update that triggered the issue. From my experience this is the hard truth of award travel. If you were on a paid ticket, and especially if it was on a star alliance airline ticket stock, then my guess is you would be accommodated readily on any OS flight from the US that worked from your point of origin. I say this because that is exactly what happened to me recently. I am on a UAL code share but flying LH for part of the journey. And a LH schedule change triggered a problem with the itinerary. UAL accommodated me on my choice of new LH flight, no questions asked. I doubt I would have been so lucky if it was an award ticket.

cfischer

Ah, I thought they did (or used to) ... then it might actually work

21H21J

Managed to sort via twitter, but took several attempts as various responses were given with incorrect information: no flights for the whole week, no flights on route with partners, cannot rebook unless same award level available, can rebook but have to pay fare difference.

Rerouted as DFW-IAD-FRA-VIE which was a better outcome than UA just cancelling the ticket.

JONEZY00

Some quick guidance. I have a business class saver award on ANA. ANA has postponed the re-launch of the route (SJC-HND) so that segment had been cancelled.

I called United and asked if I could be put on the SFO-HND United flight. She stated there was no save space and I asked if she could open space to re-book me. She ended the call by stating that nobody can open saver space.

Is this a HUCA situation or am I out of luck

findark

Definitely HUCA, although the technical change of origin could lower your odds.

bigshooter

I wish I had found this thread 5 years ago… I was in the same situation as OP, but in reverse. Realized while I was in Siem Reap that my flight to PEK and from their back to US was gone. Had to take bus to Phnom Penh and spend NYE there, spend a memorable day and a half in Narita town and then go home. Was delayed a few days but had a good time. UA was able to open award space in first on ANA for me as long as I got myself to Phnom Penh first.

much better than their first idea of sticking me in Economy and flying all over the place to get home.