Sep 22, 2022, 4:10 pm
Last edit by: mahasamatman
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [Archive]
And earlier
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2017]
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2016]
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2015]
Policy change? January 2020
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. I think I deserve something from UA -- whom do I contact?
- 1K/GS: Contact UA via the emails on the back of your MP card.
- All others: Customer Care or email [email protected].
Except for a few exceptions (see below), UA is under NO OBLIGATION to provide compensation but may instead provide a goodwill gesture as an appreciation.
2. What is the Customer Appreciation website ?
It is a website dedicated by UA for proactive compensation/goodwill offer.
If you have been:
a. Told inflight to go to this website/Received e-mails from Proactive Recovery Operations Team
b. Received a "We are sorry for the inconvenience" card.
You should go to the website and claim your offer first before contacting Customer Care.
3. What do I get if UA decides to provide me the compensation/goodwill gesture?
UA's compensation/goodwill gesture generally will be provided in a form of ETCs or miles based on your elite status. Currently, the ETCs and miles offered maintain a 2 cpm ratio ($50 ETC =2,500 miles).
4. Should I take miles or ETCs, and which one is better?
It is a personal preference on how you use the miles/ETCs.
Miles don't expire if you have account activity at least once every 18 months or have a qualified Chase UA-branded credit card. ETCs have a 1-year validity from initial issuance and can be used on flights operated by UA or as UA Express ONLY.
Miles are likely to provide greater value than 2 cpm for those booking international premium cabins. ETCs might have greater value for domestic trips. For example, a $100 ETC may be sufficient enough to cover much of the cost of your future trip, its equivalent miles (5,000 miles) does not. And the ETC trip will earn PQDs (no value subtraction), PQM/Ss & RDMs. See Consolidated "Various tips for using an electronic certificate (TCVA & 016)" [Merged] for detail.
For those whose paid travel is usually covered by their employer and their personal travel is via awards, then miles might make more sense.
For those who have paid travel they personally pay for and that travel fits within the restrictions of ETCs, then ETC might make more sense.
For those seeking status, ETCs can be used to fund that travel and earn PQMs, RDMs, and PQDs (ETCs do not reduce the PQDs). Award/mileage travel does not earn mileage.
5. What recourse do I have other than Customer Care?
You should consider everything with Customer Care is final. However, if you want to push further, you can try emailing UA executives (including the CEO). UA is known to respond customers' emails.
UA's Executive Contacts (Credited to Christopher Elliott)
6. What about DOT?
If you believe your issues may fall within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), contact DOT via the Air Travel Complaint - Comment Form.
NOTE - What the DOT does is to refer your complaint to UA and require UA to respond. DOT does not handle complaints unless they involve in violating DOT regulations.
7. What about if I have been "Involuntary Denied Boarding" (IDB) by UA?
See Is this IDB? Am I entitled to IDB compensation? [Consolidated]
8. What if I get downgraded (traveling in a lower cabin then I was booked)?
See Downgraded from First/Business Class on United (Questions, Compensation, etc.) [2016]
9. What about baggage claim?
Contact Baggage Resolution Service Center
10. What about if I have an EC261/2004 claim against UA?
See Best Practices for Filing EU 261 Claims Against United?
11. If you need documentation of delay / cancellation for trip insurance or refunds from hotel / tour / .... operator, try this
And earlier
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2017]
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2016]
United Consolidated Compensation Thread [2015]
Policy change? January 2020
United is no longer proactively offering vouchers to customers on flights delayed fewer than six hours, according to a message sent to employees.
...
Now, for delays between four and six hours, employees will decide what compensation to offer — and they’ll only give it after customers ask for it, according to the memo. United agents can share compensation through a mobile app on their airline-owned iPhones.
...
Now, for delays between four and six hours, employees will decide what compensation to offer — and they’ll only give it after customers ask for it, according to the memo. United agents can share compensation through a mobile app on their airline-owned iPhones.
1. I think I deserve something from UA -- whom do I contact?
- 1K/GS: Contact UA via the emails on the back of your MP card.
- All others: Customer Care or email [email protected].
Except for a few exceptions (see below), UA is under NO OBLIGATION to provide compensation but may instead provide a goodwill gesture as an appreciation.
2. What is the Customer Appreciation website ?
It is a website dedicated by UA for proactive compensation/goodwill offer.
If you have been:
a. Told inflight to go to this website/Received e-mails from Proactive Recovery Operations Team
b. Received a "We are sorry for the inconvenience" card.
You should go to the website and claim your offer first before contacting Customer Care.
3. What do I get if UA decides to provide me the compensation/goodwill gesture?
UA's compensation/goodwill gesture generally will be provided in a form of ETCs or miles based on your elite status. Currently, the ETCs and miles offered maintain a 2 cpm ratio ($50 ETC =2,500 miles).
4. Should I take miles or ETCs, and which one is better?
It is a personal preference on how you use the miles/ETCs.
Miles don't expire if you have account activity at least once every 18 months or have a qualified Chase UA-branded credit card. ETCs have a 1-year validity from initial issuance and can be used on flights operated by UA or as UA Express ONLY.
Miles are likely to provide greater value than 2 cpm for those booking international premium cabins. ETCs might have greater value for domestic trips. For example, a $100 ETC may be sufficient enough to cover much of the cost of your future trip, its equivalent miles (5,000 miles) does not. And the ETC trip will earn PQDs (no value subtraction), PQM/Ss & RDMs. See Consolidated "Various tips for using an electronic certificate (TCVA & 016)" [Merged] for detail.
For those whose paid travel is usually covered by their employer and their personal travel is via awards, then miles might make more sense.
For those who have paid travel they personally pay for and that travel fits within the restrictions of ETCs, then ETC might make more sense.
For those seeking status, ETCs can be used to fund that travel and earn PQMs, RDMs, and PQDs (ETCs do not reduce the PQDs). Award/mileage travel does not earn mileage.
5. What recourse do I have other than Customer Care?
You should consider everything with Customer Care is final. However, if you want to push further, you can try emailing UA executives (including the CEO). UA is known to respond customers' emails.
UA's Executive Contacts (Credited to Christopher Elliott)
6. What about DOT?
If you believe your issues may fall within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), contact DOT via the Air Travel Complaint - Comment Form.
NOTE - What the DOT does is to refer your complaint to UA and require UA to respond. DOT does not handle complaints unless they involve in violating DOT regulations.
7. What about if I have been "Involuntary Denied Boarding" (IDB) by UA?
See Is this IDB? Am I entitled to IDB compensation? [Consolidated]
8. What if I get downgraded (traveling in a lower cabin then I was booked)?
See Downgraded from First/Business Class on United (Questions, Compensation, etc.) [2016]
9. What about baggage claim?
Contact Baggage Resolution Service Center
10. What about if I have an EC261/2004 claim against UA?
See Best Practices for Filing EU 261 Claims Against United?
11. If you need documentation of delay / cancellation for trip insurance or refunds from hotel / tour / .... operator, try this
Verification letters
Upon request, we can provide a statement of proof that a United flight was delayed or canceled. You may email your request to [email protected]. Be sure to include the names of all customers in your party, confirmation number, flight numbers and dates of travel, phone contact and the email address or mailing address where you would like it sent. Please allow 5-10 business days for processing.
Upon request, we can provide a statement of proof that a United flight was delayed or canceled. You may email your request to [email protected]. Be sure to include the names of all customers in your party, confirmation number, flight numbers and dates of travel, phone contact and the email address or mailing address where you would like it sent. Please allow 5-10 business days for processing.
United Consolidated Compensation Thread
Jan 26, 2023, 3:25 pm
#46
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,547
If $200 is standard, I probably won't waste my time trying to get more - after all the long hours on the phone with customer service, I'm not sure it's worth the cost in elevated blood pressure at this point! Thanks for weighing in.
Jan 26, 2023, 3:29 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Worse case scenario is they say no.
Jan 26, 2023, 3:47 pm
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,010
Back in December, my flight to Munich was first delayed due to a mechanical issue, then cancelled at around 2 am for lack of crew. It took an additional 3 hours of waiting at the airport to get rebooked, and the only flight available was one several days from then. Ultimately I lost more than two full days of my trip, lost the $500 I'd paid for hotels for those nights.........
Jan 26, 2023, 4:08 pm
#49
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,547
You're right though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask again. I already spent over 60 minutes on the phone just trying to get my miles from the trip credited, so what's another hour or two listening to their delightful hold music?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 26, 2023 at 5:53 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Jan 26, 2023, 4:34 pm
#50
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,617
I actually included my hotel receipts in my original request but was told that they do not cover any sort of expenses. Which I understand and didn't actually expect them to reimburse me for my hotel. I mostly just wanted them to take into account that their failure to staff their flights adequately cost me a lot, both in terms of stress and inconvenience as well as monetarily, and that I hoped this might be reflected somehow in the compensation they offered.
You're right though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask again. I already spent over 60 minutes on the phone just trying to get my miles from the trip credited, so what's another hour or two listening to their delightful hold music?
You're right though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask again. I already spent over 60 minutes on the phone just trying to get my miles from the trip credited, so what's another hour or two listening to their delightful hold music?
Jan 26, 2023, 5:32 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
It doesn't. It's a customer service gesture designed to get you to continue to give them business. Status is a (very) rough proxy for how important your business is to UA, and certainly a better one than the "do you know much I paid for these tickets?" canard that gets trotted out occasionally. Hence, compensation offers vary by status.
Jan 27, 2023, 7:28 am
#52
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA GS 2MM
Posts: 947
Umm, airfares in Europe are often much cheaper than the US thanks to Ryan Air, EasyJet and competition from the rail system. Having to compensate passengers for heinous service isn't the bad thing you might think it is.
Jan 30, 2023, 1:59 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
I suspect you'd get a wide range of answers - 3 weeks does not seem reasonable, I'd write a follow-up.
Feb 6, 2023, 9:06 am
#56
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,622
Flew IAH-SCL a few weeks ago. No status, booked with UA miles in economy class.
Flight was delayed 1 hour in boarding, and then we got to runway and went back to gate due to damaged fuel pump. Finally took off and arrived in Santiago 3.5 hours late.
I wrote to customer care and asked for 10,000 points. They gave me a $75 voucher.
Flight was delayed 1 hour in boarding, and then we got to runway and went back to gate due to damaged fuel pump. Finally took off and arrived in Santiago 3.5 hours late.
I wrote to customer care and asked for 10,000 points. They gave me a $75 voucher.
Feb 6, 2023, 11:59 am
#57
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: HPN, LAX, HNL, or somewhere in between
Programs: UA 1K, JetBlue Mosaic
Posts: 435
Flew EWR-SFO-HNL on Saturday. SFO-HNL ended up being delayed 4 hours and the aircraft had inop WiFi/Device Entertainment. Got a proactive email to fill out the United Cares page.
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
Feb 6, 2023, 2:59 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
Flew EWR-SFO-HNL on Saturday. SFO-HNL ended up being delayed 4 hours and the aircraft had inop WiFi/Device Entertainment. Got a proactive email to fill out the United Cares page.
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
Not sure how they will calculate for delay + inop wifi/IFE. Last time I had plane with inop IFE (NRT-SFO), the unitedcares site gave $150 ETC, which was satisfactory for me.
Feb 6, 2023, 4:40 pm
#59
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 31
Flew EWR-SFO-HNL on Saturday. SFO-HNL ended up being delayed 4 hours and the aircraft had inop WiFi/Device Entertainment. Got a proactive email to fill out the United Cares page.
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
In a case like this, is it better to go to 1K Voice and have them handle everything or just fill out the standard United Cares form?
Feb 6, 2023, 5:37 pm
#60
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: HPN, LAX, HNL, or somewhere in between
Programs: UA 1K, JetBlue Mosaic
Posts: 435
Had the same issues on Saturday with the wifi / IFE, on the same route, though we were generally on time, (UA1509). Had the same wifi issues on ORD-SFO earlier in the day, though it doesn't seem like the crew wrote it up like the SFO-HNL crew did, since I received the automatic Cares message for a $50 e-cert or 2500 miles.
My United email didn't have have a credit listed though, let me fill out the form now.