UA Christmas 2021 / January 2022 Ops / staffing Issues
Dec 25, 2021, 9:57 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,019
If one has a reservation for a up front seat nowadays, one should be glad UA isn’t doling out upgrades early anymore. Definitely was a beneficiary of the delayed upgrade processing when my journey was re-routed 3am day of my flights.
on the other hand, upgrade chances are a bit lower nowadays with a bunch of reaccomodations. A bunch of SFO- IAD flyers thought they were looking good for upgrades the night before my flights were re-jiggered. A bunch of people headed to LHR from SFO took the seats. Cascade effect: SFO-EWR cancelled for 12/24 with a lot re-routed via EWR. 7:15pm EWR-LHR cancelled, so re-route was re-routed via IAD.
on the other hand, upgrade chances are a bit lower nowadays with a bunch of reaccomodations. A bunch of SFO- IAD flyers thought they were looking good for upgrades the night before my flights were re-jiggered. A bunch of people headed to LHR from SFO took the seats. Cascade effect: SFO-EWR cancelled for 12/24 with a lot re-routed via EWR. 7:15pm EWR-LHR cancelled, so re-route was re-routed via IAD.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Dec 25, 2021 at 10:04 pm
Dec 26, 2021, 1:22 am
#77
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,998
I'm on one of the 763 flights from IAD to IAH tomorrow
They canceled pretty much all of these flights today. What I hate hearing is that people grab their connection and then get stranded - which I'm not in the mood to deal with lol
I'm waiting until tomorrow morning to see what happens but if they cancel I'm just going to grab a car and hoof it for 3 days.
just not going to bother with all this madness
They canceled pretty much all of these flights today. What I hate hearing is that people grab their connection and then get stranded - which I'm not in the mood to deal with lol
I'm waiting until tomorrow morning to see what happens but if they cancel I'm just going to grab a car and hoof it for 3 days.
just not going to bother with all this madness
I'm out in LA, and can do the cross-country drive in 2 days if I push it, but I'll probably take 3. Luckily, I am several days out from my flight home and am still hoping for the best
Last edited by zombietooth; Dec 26, 2021 at 1:30 am
Dec 26, 2021, 1:55 am
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,019
Dec 26, 2021, 6:06 am
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,051
UA is currently at 13 cancels for Monday (DL is at 2). Staffing shortages will likely be far less acute on Monday as they were likely a combination of Covid cases and people simply taking weekend off for Christmas holiday.
Dec 26, 2021, 6:10 am
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
UA2017
UA2110
UA2475
UA568
but clearly either UA has been able to get folks to come to work for extra shifts post holidays or there is a pretty big cancellation wave still in the making
Dec 26, 2021, 10:18 am
#82
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,123
It’s probably the extra duty opportunities kicking into place post-Christmas. I can understand pilots and/or FAs not jumping on those extra trips for Christmas but afterwards they quite likely look more attractive.
Dec 26, 2021, 10:30 am
#83
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 90
I'm not sure why a crew member would lie and say they have a mild cold, so that they could quarantine away from home for 10 days over the holidays.
Once they report in sick they can't fly to commute / commute home either. Completely grounded. In some cases they would need to quarantine away from their families too.
If anything, crews are being overworked (see for example UA's minimum staffing with F/As on flights). There clearly needs to be a lot more reserves if we are going to continue to have testing regimens and ground employees once they have a positive test for 10 days.
Once they report in sick they can't fly to commute / commute home either. Completely grounded. In some cases they would need to quarantine away from their families too.
If anything, crews are being overworked (see for example UA's minimum staffing with F/As on flights). There clearly needs to be a lot more reserves if we are going to continue to have testing regimens and ground employees once they have a positive test for 10 days.
It is nuts to have to quarantine for 10
days because you have a slight cough, all while testing negative. What happened pre-Covid??? Employees made decisions for themselves and called in sick.
United brought this upon themselves.
Dec 26, 2021, 10:58 am
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
Yes, that . . . and they gave me $20 x3 = $60 of meal vouchers to enjoy at EWR during a <4-hour delay. 
You see, in the middle of the night, they cancelled my 12/24 ~6am EWRLAX (in J on a 763) and moved me to an ~8pm via SFO (also in J). They texted me a link that apologized and took me to some meal vouchers and even offered me a hotel (presumably because the delay was over 12 hours). But at the time, I was able to snag the last seat in J on the 8:30 am from JFK to LAX which was on operated on a 752. When I woke up to catch that flight, however, a J seat was open on the 10am EWRLAX (operated on a 781), so I grabbed that, and was again sitting solo and departing from my preferred airport.
I then noticed the link to my meal vouchers was dead when I tried to follow it, but I had already screen shot the vouchers in the middle of the night. So instead of going to the United Club when I got to EWR, I went to Saison and had a nice ~<$40 breakfast compliments of United. Oh, and on my way to the gate, I stopped by a newsstand and grabbed ~<$20 worth of snacks to enjoy in L.A.
You see, in the middle of the night, they cancelled my 12/24 ~6am EWRLAX (in J on a 763) and moved me to an ~8pm via SFO (also in J). They texted me a link that apologized and took me to some meal vouchers and even offered me a hotel (presumably because the delay was over 12 hours). But at the time, I was able to snag the last seat in J on the 8:30 am from JFK to LAX which was on operated on a 752. When I woke up to catch that flight, however, a J seat was open on the 10am EWRLAX (operated on a 781), so I grabbed that, and was again sitting solo and departing from my preferred airport.
I then noticed the link to my meal vouchers was dead when I tried to follow it, but I had already screen shot the vouchers in the middle of the night. So instead of going to the United Club when I got to EWR, I went to Saison and had a nice ~<$40 breakfast compliments of United. Oh, and on my way to the gate, I stopped by a newsstand and grabbed ~<$20 worth of snacks to enjoy in L.A.
Dec 26, 2021, 11:08 am
#85
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
Why do they have to be away from home to report symptoms? If I wanted to stay at home with my family and got booked on a flight at an inconvenient time it would be extremely easy for me to report “symptoms” a day or two before my flight so I could stay home with my family over the holidays. It’s naive to think no one is doing that, and United is welcoming it.
It is nuts to have to quarantine for 10
days because you have a slight cough, all while testing negative. What happened pre-Covid??? Employees made decisions for themselves and called in sick.
United brought this upon themselves.
It is nuts to have to quarantine for 10
days because you have a slight cough, all while testing negative. What happened pre-Covid??? Employees made decisions for themselves and called in sick.
United brought this upon themselves.
Dec 26, 2021, 3:58 pm
#86
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DCA, IAD (not BWI if I can help it)
Programs: UA 1MM 1K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist, status-free on AA, AS, B6, DL, WN, Amtrak, etc.
Posts: 1,481
UA 1954, the SFO-DCA nonstop, canceled because of COVID crew-availability problems Sunday and Monday. The three of us are booked on that flight Thursday, and until a few minutes ago we were on two PNRs: Back in September, when UA only had two seats left in cheapest fare bucket, I decided to pay cash for my ticket and Mini DCA writer's, then book Mrs. DCA writer on miles. I didn't want to have deal with getting separate reservations reworked if this flight cancels too, so I took advantage of the airfare now costing about 25% less (a post-Christmas miracle!) to cancel both reservations and then rebook the exact same itinerary for the three of us.
Dec 27, 2021, 4:31 am
#87
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,665
Was in PRG 12-24 with LH PRG-MUC, MUC-IAD (ua), and IAD-AUS home. Rolling cancels and got auto rebooked UA MUC-EWR, then home. Then the LH start got delayed Christmas eve and UA didn't know about it so would have missed connection in MUC. Called from PRG and a Christmas miracle happened on the *A Silver line. A 10 minute hold. Got an agent, who had to call LH liaison, and un check us in. Then got LH MUC-EWR, then UA home. Truly a miracle. Also, besides UA being better than BA or AA about auto rebooking based upon this experience, we turned into *A Gold over the Atlantic. And got home.
Dec 27, 2021, 11:40 am
#88
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Programs: AS MVP 100K, UA PremEx-MM
Posts: 3,335
Just my quick story:
Was booked (in P, discounted F) 12/25 LAX-DEN at 4:11 p.m. (last nonstop of the day, Christmas is already a reduced schedule). Got a text about 4 a.m. on 12/25 that my flight was cancelled (it was an A319, not a 737) and that I'd been rebooked for 12/26 LAX-RNO-DEN at 6:25 a.m. (on an E175, still in first).
I immediately checked other flights on the app and found a nonstop for 12/25 at 1:05 p.m. (a 737-900) I grabbed it but couldn't select a seat; got 1B (I prefer a non-bulkhead window) but was happy to be on the flight. Went back a few minutes later and found several empty seats in F so I grabbed 3F. I'm glad I checked out the situation when I did because the flight quickly filled up and went out full.
Went back to sleep, had Christmas festivities very early and hit the road for LAX (from Santa Barbara County) at 9 a.m. Made great time despite the rain, visited the Star Alliance Lounge at TBIT and enjoyed my flight (very short with tailwinds), which had a VERY young crew. Thanks, kids! Arrived in Denver very early and got home for Christmas II.
It worked out OK for me but UA's staffing model does not seem ideal.
Was booked (in P, discounted F) 12/25 LAX-DEN at 4:11 p.m. (last nonstop of the day, Christmas is already a reduced schedule). Got a text about 4 a.m. on 12/25 that my flight was cancelled (it was an A319, not a 737) and that I'd been rebooked for 12/26 LAX-RNO-DEN at 6:25 a.m. (on an E175, still in first).
I immediately checked other flights on the app and found a nonstop for 12/25 at 1:05 p.m. (a 737-900) I grabbed it but couldn't select a seat; got 1B (I prefer a non-bulkhead window) but was happy to be on the flight. Went back a few minutes later and found several empty seats in F so I grabbed 3F. I'm glad I checked out the situation when I did because the flight quickly filled up and went out full.
Went back to sleep, had Christmas festivities very early and hit the road for LAX (from Santa Barbara County) at 9 a.m. Made great time despite the rain, visited the Star Alliance Lounge at TBIT and enjoyed my flight (very short with tailwinds), which had a VERY young crew. Thanks, kids! Arrived in Denver very early and got home for Christmas II.
It worked out OK for me but UA's staffing model does not seem ideal.
Dec 27, 2021, 11:46 am
#89
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NYC / MIA / AMS
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 500
Two for two, after getting my 12/24 DEN-EWR flight Canned last friday. Just got my 12/28 EWR-MIA flight cancelled. Website/app currently impossible to use for searching for alternatives. Guessing they are still working through cancellations.