Flight morning 9 June 2019 from ATL ... help!
Jun 8, 2019, 10:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Flight morning 9 June 2019 from ATL ... help!
We’re scheduled to leave tomorrow morning out of ATL for IAD, flight 778 at 9:45 am. We are connecting at IAD for a flight to Beijing (flight 807) scheduled to leave at 12:55. We will have an hour and a half between flights. The weather in Atlanta has been turbulent today and likely tomorrow with scattered thunderstorms. Today the same flight from ATL was delayed three hours due to the FAA weather restrictions. If this happens tomorrow we will miss our flight to Beijing. There’s an earlier flight that leaves ATL at 5:25 am but when I called United it would be $1000 to change the flight for my family of four. 😳 There are no travel waivers in effect right now and I don’t know if there will be. 🤷🏻.♀️ Suggestions on what we should do???
Jun 8, 2019, 10:14 am
#2
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
What happened yesterday may or may not be indicative of tomorrow.
If you do have a flight disruption, UA is responsible to get you an alternative routing to PEK. Assuming you are on a single PNR / ticket.
You can try another agent but until UA posts a waiver you are likely to get the same answer. Keep checking for the waiver.
If you do have a flight disruption, UA is responsible to get you an alternative routing to PEK. Assuming you are on a single PNR / ticket.
You can try another agent but until UA posts a waiver you are likely to get the same answer. Keep checking for the waiver.
Jun 8, 2019, 10:25 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1k Million Miler
Posts: 355
You could also do a same day change. Once you are within 24 hours you can do same day change for less or free depending on your status. Load on the 5am flight looks like you should be able to get it as a standby.
Jun 8, 2019, 10:25 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Yes we are all booked on a single ticket that was booked through the airline, not a third party. So at least I did one thing right. 😂
I’m also wondering if there’s any benefit to getting to the airport at 4:00 am in the hopes of them letting us on the early flight?
I’m also wondering if there’s any benefit to getting to the airport at 4:00 am in the hopes of them letting us on the early flight?
Jun 8, 2019, 10:48 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Silver, whatever the Amex plat gets me and somehow still IHG Diamond after 3 years of no nights
Posts: 693
Well the counter doesn't open until 4:30am... so don't go too crazy. Best of luck.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...nters/usa.html
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...nters/usa.html
Last edited by mpw81; Jun 8, 2019 at 10:50 am Reason: removed incorrect info
Jun 8, 2019, 10:53 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
Good luck!
Jun 8, 2019, 10:55 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
UA also has non-stop's to PEK from ORD, EWR, and SFO. There's an 8:00 AM flight to ORD that would work well for the ORD-PEK flight. If weather is bad and flights start getting delayed tomorrow morning, you might want to consider asking about getting switched to the ORD routing.
Last edited by xliioper; Jun 8, 2019 at 11:09 am
Jun 8, 2019, 12:53 pm
#8
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If an agent can't be convinced to just make the change, SDC alone is not good enough as that simply drops the change fee to $75 or less. But, if the fare bucket is not available, the fare difference may be assessed as well.
In addition to the above other routings, I would also consider flying into IAD tonight and spending the night at one of the IAD area hotels. On Saturday evening, there may be better availability in lower fare buckets.
In addition to the above other routings, I would also consider flying into IAD tonight and spending the night at one of the IAD area hotels. On Saturday evening, there may be better availability in lower fare buckets.
Jun 8, 2019, 1:05 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
picking up my wife at ATL this afternoon..weather has been pushing thru quickly... check the weather later tonight for whats in store tomorrow..
I think you will be fine... but I am not a weather man or do I have connections with United... sorry
I think you will be fine... but I am not a weather man or do I have connections with United... sorry
Jun 8, 2019, 1:14 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
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Watch the flight status page and keep checking “where is this aircraft coming from”. Although planes can change, it only had two more hops. It’s in flight to SFO and then does SFO-ORD and overnights there before doing ORD-ATL in the morning. It it departs ORD on time and is showing a planned arrival on tine as well I’d relax a bit. You never know if a storm will roll through, but a plane on the ground at the gate is a good thing.
But. I just checked the weather forecast. It is very stormy for tomorrow.
If IAD goes south on you, the best option seems to be a 10:45 departure connecting in ORD. There are later options but they all arrive on the 11th, not the 10th. There is a Delta non-stop at 2:02, but UA won’t do that willingly.
Bottom line. Watch that ORD-ATL flights status in the morning and if that starts to slip be proactive and call UA with your concern. Don’t wait for them to contact you.
But. I just checked the weather forecast. It is very stormy for tomorrow.
If IAD goes south on you, the best option seems to be a 10:45 departure connecting in ORD. There are later options but they all arrive on the 11th, not the 10th. There is a Delta non-stop at 2:02, but UA won’t do that willingly.
Bottom line. Watch that ORD-ATL flights status in the morning and if that starts to slip be proactive and call UA with your concern. Don’t wait for them to contact you.
Jun 8, 2019, 2:12 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
OP, United is responsible for getting you to Beijing. I would start now looking at alternatives and being prepared to discuss specific rebookings in case things go south. (e.g. connecting in ORD, SFO, two stops...) One option that they may not think about immediately is Air Canada. If they can't get you there Monday and need to get you there Tuesday, Lufthansa might be the better option. But decide what you are willing to do ahead of time.
Jun 8, 2019, 3:12 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
What status are you? I think that is important to determining what is feasible. If there is a chance for potential weather troubles, do the change (if you can). Granted, I was traveling midweek for business, but I saw that Houston was forecasted to have bad weather - so I switched my STL-IAH-MEM to STL-DEN-MEM, even though it made little sense geographically and I had to wake up 2 hours earlier than planned. As a 1K, it was a piece of cake, even if the phone agent told me I was doing a 'custom routing' (sure wasn't the case with Google Flights). Do what you can to make sure you get to your destination on time.
That said, have fun in Beijing in the summer
That said, have fun in Beijing in the summer
Jun 8, 2019, 3:26 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,357
If an agent can't be convinced to just make the change, SDC alone is not good enough as that simply drops the change fee to $75 or less. But, if the fare bucket is not available, the fare difference may be assessed as well.
In addition to the above other routings, I would also consider flying into IAD tonight and spending the night at one of the IAD area hotels. On Saturday evening, there may be better availability in lower fare buckets.
In addition to the above other routings, I would also consider flying into IAD tonight and spending the night at one of the IAD area hotels. On Saturday evening, there may be better availability in lower fare buckets.
Jun 8, 2019, 3:26 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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If this link works, here are all the *alliance flights tomorrow. I limited to *. The flights that say +2 don’t arrive until Tuesday.
Several options are around your original time, very few much later so the quicker you can act if you need to the better. I’ve had my best luck when prepared with options I can feed to the agent .”... I see a flight on AC via Toronto, can you check that...” and if all else fails suggest the 2:02 Delta. Never hurts to ask.
https://www.google.com/flights#flt=A...;sd:1;t:f;tt:o
Several options are around your original time, very few much later so the quicker you can act if you need to the better. I’ve had my best luck when prepared with options I can feed to the agent .”... I see a flight on AC via Toronto, can you check that...” and if all else fails suggest the 2:02 Delta. Never hurts to ask.
https://www.google.com/flights#flt=A...;sd:1;t:f;tt:o
Jun 8, 2019, 3:30 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
I have no status ... rarely need to fly. So unfortunately that won’t help me here.
What status are you? I think that is important to determining what is feasible. If there is a chance for potential weather troubles, do the change (if you can). Granted, I was traveling midweek for business, but I saw that Houston was forecasted to have bad weather - so I switched my STL-IAH-MEM to STL-DEN-MEM, even though it made little sense geographically and I had to wake up 2 hours earlier than planned. As a 1K, it was a piece of cake, even if the phone agent told me I was doing a 'custom routing' (sure wasn't the case with Google Flights). Do what you can to make sure you get to your destination on time.
That said, have fun in Beijing in the summer
That said, have fun in Beijing in the summer
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 8, 2019 at 5:39 pm Reason: repaired quote