vaguba

I've spent enough time flying due to my career to not take it personally when flights are massively delayed or cancelled due to ...... weather. However, your average entitled "journalist" doesn't really understand how major airlines bank flights to their hubs or how bad weather causes ripple effects that result in cancellations and delays. Airlines are better than ever at getting passenger load factors to max capacity on every flight, which translates into lower prices for everyone, but less planes and redundancy overall. If anything, he should be critical of how much regulatory capture exists between airlines and the American transportation system so that for many of us there are no meaningful choices outside of flying.

Often1

He did not have to stand in a CS line for 12 hours. That was 100% self-inflicted. Told he would not receive a hotel voucher and then, based on a third-hand rumor to the contrary, chose to wait in line for 12 hours, only to find out that what UA told him was true.

That said, while UA's phones do get backed up in IRROPS, it doesn't take 12 hours to get through.

bart889

Do the airlines make choices about when they can and cannot take off? I thought that was purely up to ATC and airport operations.

zoned_post_meridiem

The line thing is just painful. This is also when carrying a higher-end CC with trip cancellation/interruption really pays off ... in situations like this, I just book the nearest hotel with a full restaurant/bar, and deal with Chase for reimbursement when things have calmed down. So much easier than the long CS waits and third-rate hotels you MAY be offered in the rare case that IRROPS aren't weather/mx/ATC-related.

Often1

Don't pay a CC fee or a higher interest rate just to get included trip insurance. It can be purchased very cheaply on an annual or per trip basis, all depending on your circumstances.

If you do rely on anything through a CC, read the policy carefully.

Many higher end policies provide a set amount of cash per day and that is generally more than sufficient to cover a nice hotel and passable food. Even nicer than allowing you to pick your location, no wait in line. Go to your hotel, order a meal, call the carrier, put it on mute/speaker and do something productive if there is a long call wait.

onthesam

Yes! Thankfully, the airlines, and pilots, can make this call at their discretion as well.

COMMONC3NTS

I also dont get waiting in line when you can call, use the app, the website, or one of the touch kiosks.
When my flight got canceled 2 months ago, I was immediately able to use the kiosk to choose any alternative flight the next day. It is first come first served, so if I waiting in line instead of using the kiosk 30 ft away, I may not have gotten on the next days flight.

physioprof

Of course air travel is terrible when stuff goes sideways. If the system were overbuilt to ensure that even when stuff goes sideways, no one gets inconvenienced, we'd be paying much higher fares all the time. Suffering inconvenience in unusual circumstances is baked in.

LarryJ

If I read the article correctly, he did call. He didn't like the answer he got on the phone so he waited in line for 12 hours but still got the same answer.

You're right, we've come a long way in the availability of 'self-help' through the app and kiosks. Works great for the frequent flyers who know the system. Many of the infrequent flyers are still lost, though. They line up and wait.

malgudi

It wasn't Thanksgiving ...

Long Zhiren

I'd be happy if UA retaliated by removing Washington Post and NYT from the UA clubs. USA Today can go too. The occasional local papers are much better. The money saved can go to more trail mix.

narvik

I thought they already removed newspapers from the UC? It's been a while since I visited one.

No more local & now no more papers in UC?

symphonicman

Yeah, exactly. No surprise the FFs here are dunking on this guy, but it really makes no sense to say "he chose to wait in line for 12 hours, no sympathy for him" when by definition he wouldn't have to wait in line for 12 hours if many, many other people were not also waiting in line for 12 hours.

There's a reason the GS here always say IRROPS handling is the best part of GS.

BB2220

What line is 12 hours long? Who stands in a line for 12 hours??

uastarflyer

Until recently, Black Friday sales, new iPhone releases, etc