Missed upgrades, delayed baggage, and lots of 'n.m.p.' (plus, a few great employees!)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA
Posts: 113
Missed upgrades, delayed baggage, and lots of 'n.m.p.' (plus, a few great employees!)
Hi FTers -
Wanted to share my latest adventure with travelling on UA and also get your input on what, if anything, you think United might do as a, 'Sorry - we should have done better.'.
Here's the bullet point version of the story:
*Requested upgrade using miles/copay in Oct for MEX-IAH-SYD-BNE flight in Jan.
*Not on upgrade list two days before flight.
*Called and placed on upgrade to list: #1 for MEX-IAH, #4 for IAH-SYD.
*Voluntary bumped to new flight. Told I would be re-listed on upgrade list.
*Not relisted despite multiple requests on my side to multiple people in multiple cities / on phone
*Six people upgraded from list
*Baggage delayed - still waiting for it!
(There was a multi-zillion paragraph version of the post - but I have archived that to the, ‘don’t write while extremely jet lagged and highly caffeinated folder... if you would like a copy - it’s 7432 pages long.)
Wanted to share my latest adventure with travelling on UA and also get your input on what, if anything, you think United might do as a, 'Sorry - we should have done better.'.
Here's the bullet point version of the story:
*Requested upgrade using miles/copay in Oct for MEX-IAH-SYD-BNE flight in Jan.
*Not on upgrade list two days before flight.
*Called and placed on upgrade to list: #1 for MEX-IAH, #4 for IAH-SYD.
*Voluntary bumped to new flight. Told I would be re-listed on upgrade list.
*Not relisted despite multiple requests on my side to multiple people in multiple cities / on phone
*Six people upgraded from list
*Baggage delayed - still waiting for it!
(There was a multi-zillion paragraph version of the post - but I have archived that to the, ‘don’t write while extremely jet lagged and highly caffeinated folder... if you would like a copy - it’s 7432 pages long.)
Last edited by seacliffs; Jan 18, 2020 at 9:42 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA
Posts: 113
Thanks!
That’s why I made a bullet point version - for those people who would rather do something else on their weekend. 🤪
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 18, 2020 at 9:32 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
#8
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,759
Other than the bags, don't see anything that is likely to get compensation, suggest skimming
Consolidated UA Lost/Delayed Baggage Issues
A Gold (is that right?) has poor upgrade chances on any of those flights (except maybe the MEX-IAH), so the damage here is speculative -- and 6 GS/1KS/Plats on LAX-SYD waitlist actually sound low.
FYI, the published waitlist issues have been well discussed in this forum, Upgrade waitlist / display / clearing issues since PlusPoints changeover
You might get a small response for the non-bag issue (if anyone reads the novella, a couple of thousand miles, but don't set higher expectations). There is really just one issue here -- delayed bags.
Consolidated UA Lost/Delayed Baggage Issues
A Gold (is that right?) has poor upgrade chances on any of those flights (except maybe the MEX-IAH), so the damage here is speculative -- and 6 GS/1KS/Plats on LAX-SYD waitlist actually sound low.
FYI, the published waitlist issues have been well discussed in this forum, Upgrade waitlist / display / clearing issues since PlusPoints changeover
You might get a small response for the non-bag issue (if anyone reads the novella, a couple of thousand miles, but don't set higher expectations). There is really just one issue here -- delayed bags.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
Hi FTers -
Wanted to share my latest adventure with travelling on UA and also get your input on what, if anything, you think United might do as a, 'Sorry - we should have done better.'.
Here's the bullet point version of the story:
*Requested upgrade using miles/copay in Oct for MEX-IAH-SYD-BNE flight in Jan.
*Not on upgrade list two days before flight.
*Called and placed on upgrade to list: #1 for MEX-IAH, #4 for IAH-SYD.
*Voluntary bumped to new flight. Told I would be re-listed on upgrade list.
*Not relisted despite multiple requests on my side to multiple people in multiple cities / on phone
*Six people upgraded from list
*Baggage delayed - still waiting for it!
(There was a multi-zillion paragraph version of the post - but I have archived that to the, ‘don’t write while extremely jet lagged and highly caffeinated folder... if you would like a copy - it’s 7432 pages long.)
Wanted to share my latest adventure with travelling on UA and also get your input on what, if anything, you think United might do as a, 'Sorry - we should have done better.'.
Here's the bullet point version of the story:
*Requested upgrade using miles/copay in Oct for MEX-IAH-SYD-BNE flight in Jan.
*Not on upgrade list two days before flight.
*Called and placed on upgrade to list: #1 for MEX-IAH, #4 for IAH-SYD.
*Voluntary bumped to new flight. Told I would be re-listed on upgrade list.
*Not relisted despite multiple requests on my side to multiple people in multiple cities / on phone
*Six people upgraded from list
*Baggage delayed - still waiting for it!
(There was a multi-zillion paragraph version of the post - but I have archived that to the, ‘don’t write while extremely jet lagged and highly caffeinated folder... if you would like a copy - it’s 7432 pages long.)
Unless the people who were on the upgrade list were also on the standby list, or seats flew empty, you probably wouldn’t have cleared.
That said, if they needed people badly enough, they could have put you directly into J on that flight without requiring an upgrade,. (Or, just cleared it automatically for you).
As for the baggage — you need to follow up with Qantas about that. The carrier that delivers you to your final destination is always responsible for luggage, even if it’s another airline that lost it.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA
Posts: 113
Jsloan - did you read the whole novella?! If so, I have a copy of War and Peace you can have (might be a little short though by comparison).
I thought the same thing about Qantas - but for whatever reason, it’s still United’s problem. Maybe because I was supposed to have physically moved them and rechecked them to Qantas at the border?
At least I know that they are in the country now.
I thought the same thing about Qantas - but for whatever reason, it’s still United’s problem. Maybe because I was supposed to have physically moved them and rechecked them to Qantas at the border?
At least I know that they are in the country now.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
UA isn’t going to charter a flight to deliver your luggage. QF needs to work it out, and if they want to bill UA for the inconvenience, that’s on them. A strict reading of the Montreal Convention would show that you also have a claim against UA, and that they are jointly and severally liable for replacing the contents, but IATA policy is that the last delivering carrier is your primary point of contact, since they are assumed to have local facilities at your destination.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 19, 2020 at 1:42 am Reason: repaired quote
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA
Posts: 113
JSLOAN - how interesting. I definitely didn’t walk by them! Apparently they were offloaded in Houston and then just sat there 24 hours. Given all of what you said - I wonder why United took the claim in Sydney instead of pawning me off to Qantas. (At least with Qantas my amenity kit would have included some pajamas!). Food for future delayed baggage thought.
Have subsequently had several conversations with different baggage people who all say something different. The good news is that the bags have now made their way into a courier’s hands and he has said he hopes to deliver them tomorrow. He said one of the bags looks a little worse for the wear. I hope that is not code for, ‘totally destroyed’.
Have subsequently had several conversations with different baggage people who all say something different. The good news is that the bags have now made their way into a courier’s hands and he has said he hopes to deliver them tomorrow. He said one of the bags looks a little worse for the wear. I hope that is not code for, ‘totally destroyed’.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA
Posts: 113
JSLOAN - I had an idea. Maybe when United redid my itinerary and dropped my Qantas leg - that absolved Qantas of all responsibility? (Even though the bags were originally through-checked with them? And even though I was subsequently added back onto Qantas.)
Who knows?
Who knows?
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
JSLOAN - how interesting. I definitely didn’t walk by them! Apparently they were offloaded in Houston and then just sat there 24 hours. Given all of what you said - I wonder why United took the claim in Sydney instead of pawning me off to Qantas. (At least with Qantas my amenity kit would have included some pajamas!). Food for future delayed baggage thought.
Have subsequently had several conversations with different baggage people who all say something different. The good news is that the bags have now made their way into a courier’s hands and he has said he hopes to deliver them tomorrow. He said one of the bags looks a little worse for the wear. I hope that is not code for, ‘totally destroyed’.
I mean, I assume you’re in BNE, right? Whoever got you to Brisbane would have been responsible to get your luggage to you, no matter what may have happened with the ticket during your volunteer rebooking. If it seems unfair — QF could have to reimburse you for things entirely out of their control — keep in mind that they can follow up behind the scenes if the scales don’t balance at the end of the quarter. Having one well-defined point of contact is supposed to help avoid the endless game of he-said, she-said where each airline blames the other and nobody will help the passenger.
#15
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,189
From what you've posted it sounds like you bought the ticket as a 016 (US-based) ticket, flying UA to IAH and QF from IAH to SYD and SYD to BNE. If you checked your bags through but they sat at IAH for 24 hours, that sounds like an interlining foul-up. Having said that, you do need to pick up your bags at Customs in SYD and then recheck at the domestic terminal for your connection to BNE. IME, you don't have to do this on your way out. Perhaps the UA agent you spoke to aomehow assumed you were on the UA flight IAH-SYD, perhaps they felt it was a UA problem to fix since your bags sat at IAH instead of being transferred to the correct flight. Either way, QF will hvae to deliver them to you in the end but at least they are in country.
Good luck with the rest of your travels!
Good luck with the rest of your travels!