TravelGuy1965

Hi,

About 6 months back we booked & ticketed award tickets to Europe on UA.com.
A couple months ago they emailed of a schedule change and offered a mileage refund due to no other flights available.
It was quick and easy to find availability and spent ~3 hours to get through and walk the person through available options - success rebooked to business.

Yesterday another email. This time just saying your "The schedule for your reservation XXX has changed"
The segment to connect in the US and for the international segment from US to Europe are in economy. Only the short hop for the final connection in Europe is in Business.

There are options both paid and awards at much higher mileage requirements online in business.

Any suggestions on what to do? It just feels wrong... United keeps backing out of a ticketed business class award ticked....
Obviously, I'll call again but any inputs on what to say if they say, sorry - no, we will refund you for the mile different between coach and business which would be tiny...

All my best, Craig

Kacee

Call. You're entitled to be rebooked in business class with no price increase. Suggest you research available options and know your preferred alternative before you call. Note that UA can only open award space on its own metal, so you will likely be limited to UA operated flights. If the agent resists opening award space on UA flights, politely end the call and call again.

It's a mistake to take it personally. All airlines, including UA, have been changing schedules frequently due to covid-related circumstances. It's not at all uncommon these days to go through two or three schedule changes for a flight booked far in advance.

CIT85

Sometimes a schedule change allows you to rebook into a more preferred routing. As Kacee suggested, research route options and look for UA TATL flights that best suit your needs. Then call and ask to be rebooked.

WineCountryUA

A caveat , if the changes were partner flights thinks get a little more complicate. UA can not open award space on partners but will do a UA routing (in business) to as close as possible to the destination This will take a supervisor to open award space but it is standard to do,

Some look at a schedule change as an opportunity to get the best possible routing / non-stops on UA at no increase cost

O62

Yep, it's a blessing and a curse. I had flights from SVG to SFO via Warsaw on LOT. WAW-SFO got changed so it opened up the ability to fly UA in Polaris to SFO from Europe which is a better product. The hard part was finding good partner availability from SVG to a UA served airport at a good schedule. Sometimes it means paying for your own transit (train, plane, car) to that gateway airport to maintain the business class flight. For example, if you are traveling to Seville you might have to get to Madrid or Lisbon to get on a UA flight. I found this site very handy in finding possible departure points: https://www.flightconnections.com/ro...ed-airlines-ua

MatthewLAX

Pick out the schedule you want in business class on Untied metal (partner only if it has available award space) and regardless of current pricing, an agent should be able to put you on it. Ask nicely and be specific.

The other day, I was flying LAX-ORD-PIT and LAX-ORD cancelled.

I researched options and asked to be put on LAX-EWR-PIT (upgraded with PlusPoints) even though LAX-EWR was Y0, O0, J1. Agent + supervisor conferred and put me in J via Newark. Your case is even easier since you did not "upgrade" but booked directly into business (with points).

If the first agent denies you (it does happen), don't argue. Hang up and call again. Don't ever agree to anything less than being placed back in business class for your transatlantic flight.