Nov 11, 2018, 9:43 pm
Last edit by: Ocn Vw 1K
Updated waiver as of >14 Nov. 2018: Note added cities and extended dates:
November 9, 2018 - November 23, 2018
Flight changes: The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before December 2, 2018, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
Earlier waivers for this incident:
older waiver
- Burbank, CA (BUR)
- Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
- Sacramento, CA (SMF)
- San Francisco, CA (SFO)
- Santa Rosa, CA (STS)
November 9, 2018 - November 23, 2018
Flight changes: The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before December 2, 2018, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
Earlier waivers for this incident:
older waiver
Travel Waiver California Wildfires 9-23 November 2018
Nov 9, 2018, 7:04 pm
#3
Moderator: United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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email
Important update on your upcoming flight
California Wildfires
United is offering complimentary options to change your flight because of the wildfires in California. Please visit united.com/importantnotices for details.
If you would like to change your flight, please use the United app, united.com or a self-service kiosk at the airport. If you need any additional assistance, please contact us at 1-800-United1 (800-864-8331) within the U.S. and Canada.
If you would still like to travel, please be sure to check your flight status on the United app or at united.com/flightstatus before arriving at the airport. We also recommend opting into push notifications on the United app in the event of any changes to your flight.
Thank you for choosing United.
California Wildfires
United is offering complimentary options to change your flight because of the wildfires in California. Please visit united.com/importantnotices for details.
If you would like to change your flight, please use the United app, united.com or a self-service kiosk at the airport. If you need any additional assistance, please contact us at 1-800-United1 (800-864-8331) within the U.S. and Canada.
If you would still like to travel, please be sure to check your flight status on the United app or at united.com/flightstatus before arriving at the airport. We also recommend opting into push notifications on the United app in the event of any changes to your flight.
Thank you for choosing United.
Nov 9, 2018, 7:04 pm
#4
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I got a text message from UA (I'm flying BWI-SFO on Sunday but have now pushed it out to Wednesday)
"United is offering complimentary options to change your flight because of the wildfires in California. united.com/importantnotices"
Hey, it'll eventually be true, given plate tectonics...
"United is offering complimentary options to change your flight because of the wildfires in California. united.com/importantnotices"
Hey, it'll eventually be true, given plate tectonics...
Last edited by Zorak; Nov 9, 2018 at 10:05 pm
Nov 9, 2018, 9:37 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
Last I read, no change through the weekend, so bad on Sunday (which would explain the waiver dates).
Nov 10, 2018, 12:02 am
#6
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I got both texts and emails about this. (I'm flying from SAN to SFO on Sunday.) I figure I'll check early Sunday morning to see how bad the delays are and if needed, see if I can go on an earlier flight.
Nov 10, 2018, 7:47 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
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Posts: 2,883
Woke up to multiple texts and emails this morning re my flight to AKL tomorrow via a 6 hour layover in SFO on P fare. So I should be able to change to one of the NZ flights via IAH or LAX? BUT according to EF it's nearly zeroed out.
I JUST woke up after a late night and have the SF news, United.com, EF, Seatguru all on my screen and UA on the phone (been on hold). Trying to pound down some coffee to become human again but I could use some advice!
What do you experts think? Should I try to change or do you think everything will be cleared up by tomorrow? How's it look?
Edit to add: Well color me impressed. UA was able to open up a seat for me on the IAH flight even though it's J0.
I JUST woke up after a late night and have the SF news, United.com, EF, Seatguru all on my screen and UA on the phone (been on hold). Trying to pound down some coffee to become human again but I could use some advice!
What do you experts think? Should I try to change or do you think everything will be cleared up by tomorrow? How's it look?
Edit to add: Well color me impressed. UA was able to open up a seat for me on the IAH flight even though it's J0.
Last edited by chavala; Nov 10, 2018 at 8:50 am
Nov 10, 2018, 8:52 am
#9
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SFO sometimes
Programs: UA 1K, AA gold, A3 gold
Posts: 1,634
Impacts on LH connecting segment
Getting the runaround from UA on this... I have an intra-EU segment so XXX-FRA-SFO. They moved me to an earlier FRA-SFO but the only intra-Europe XXX-FRA available at the time had me with a 5 hour layover. Agent said keep checking if a later XXX-FRA opens up - it now has but only the LH flight number not UA flight number. I’m told it has to be the UA flight number only for the waiver. Is that accurate?
side note - I’m also being spun the intra-EU segment was incorrectly waived earlier as a “courtesy” and shouldn’t have been. So by that logic if I move my FRA-SFO to a week later on Nov 18th under the waiver they won’t move the xxx-FRA and I would be in FRA for a week?
side note - I’m also being spun the intra-EU segment was incorrectly waived earlier as a “courtesy” and shouldn’t have been. So by that logic if I move my FRA-SFO to a week later on Nov 18th under the waiver they won’t move the xxx-FRA and I would be in FRA for a week?
Nov 10, 2018, 9:31 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
Here’s current conditions (0831 local time) looking at T3 and the United maintenance hangar from G96 in the intl terminal. So far looks like departures are on time (as expected) but 20% or so of incoming flights are already posting delays, and I expect it to get worse as the day progresses. On most days, you’d see the South San Francisco Hills in the background, and, on a really clear day, the edge of SF downtown.
Nov 10, 2018, 9:57 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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Are you changing because you're worried about the smoke causing delays, or just because you want to get in earlier? The odds of FRA-SFO being delayed any more than a few minutes by the smoke are close to zero. In fact, all of todays FRA-SFO flights (2xUA, 1xLH) are scheduled to arrive around an hour early.
Nov 10, 2018, 11:03 am
#12
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I’m also watching like a hawk. We don’t fly til Tuesday ORD-SFO-PPT. We do have a 3.5 hour layever from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Options to PPT aren’t many, and if we don’t get there somehow by Thursday noon our vacation will be ruined. Any weird routes anyone can think of? If we reroute on the Thursday SFO-PPT that’s too late.
Nov 10, 2018, 11:23 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
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Posts: 2,589
I’m also watching like a hawk. We don’t fly til Tuesday ORD-SFO-PPT. We do have a 3.5 hour layever from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Options to PPT aren’t many, and if we don’t get there somehow by Thursday noon our vacation will be ruined. Any weird routes anyone can think of? If we reroute on the Thursday SFO-PPT that’s too late.
Call in and plead your case, maybe flying in on the night before and stay in a hotel (Hotel at your expense)
Air Tahiti Nui, I think only flies to LAX - not that that would even be an option for you with a UA ticket
Your options are extremely limited as you well know
Nov 10, 2018, 11:49 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
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Posts: 2,883
Or at least change to a much earlier flight from ORD.
Nov 10, 2018, 12:59 pm
#15
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ORD-SFO night before or the 6am flight would give a 5.5 hour layover.
Is SJC as affected? I would be a very short 1:15 connection via Uber, I think not. There is a SJC connection via IAH but for that we may just as well take the 6am nonstop to SFO.
If delayed it would work to fly down to LAX for the 10:55pm Air Tahiti Nui, there should be enough time.
The outlier is is to fly to NRT Japan Air has a flight that could work.
ANZ would work but you can’t get to Auckland without going through SFO or LAX.
Theonly other choice if stuck in SFO is to cool our heels in SFO for 2 nights and then get to our outer island somehow. There does seem to be a flight from PPT, but I can’t make a dummy booking.