Scropsey

We’ve had such a terrible experience this week. Our family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids) had tickets (cash) in J Polaris BNA-EWR-JNB for Friday June 2, returning June 11th for a long anticipated safari trip. On June 2nd we made it from BNA to EWR but the 8:45 pm flight to JNB kept getting delayed by 30 min increments (plane had arrived many hrs ago but not cleaned and at correct gate). Finally we boarded the plane around 10:40 pm. We got situated, dinner selections made etc. They said we were waiting for the plane to finish being fueled. At 11:45 they turned on the lights and announced the flight was cancelled due to a 11:30 pm max departure time/curfew enforced by South Africa and had us deplane. After hrs on the phone with agents (no agents available at airport to help and took over an hr to get an agent on the phone), scrambling to find an available hotel for 5 at 12 am, the very soonest they could rebook and get us to JNB (on any flight including all other airlines) was yesterday June 5th (same 8:45 EWR-JNB flight, Polaris seats). We missed the first 3 days of our safari at one location but we figured we would still try to go and at least get to go on the last 3 days at our 2nd safari location. After our 1st night at a not so great EWR airport hotel, we spent the next 2 nights in NYC with the kids ($$ for hotel for 5) before our rebooked flight today, trying to make the best of the situation and doing some sightseeing with the kids. We get to the airport yesterday and after a few small delays are about to board at 8:30 (agents are literally starting to scan tickets for preboarders) when they came on and announced they realized were short one pilot but one was driving in from Washington DC and that we wouldn’t board until at least 10:00 pm at the earliest now now and to leave the gate area. It was confusing because at the same time we got a text saying new departure time 9:30 so the math didn’t add up. We decided to hang by the gate and 15 min later they said good news, we actually found a different pilot and now everyone can board and come back to the gate (after everyone else had just left). We all board around 9:00 and settle in. Drinks are given out, menu orders taken etc. 9:45 second drinks given out in Polaris (seems like a bad sign). 10:00, the new pilot gets on the plane and everyone cheers. Around 10:30 captain says we are good to go, about to leave just waiting on the tug to finish attaching. Tug pulls us out a few feet and we stop. They dim the lights and play the safety video and again say we are leaving any minute. 20 min later he comes on and says there has been a mistake that nobody had realized until now and one of the pilots actually can’t fly because of his hours. They bring the plane back to the gate and say they have another pilot coming that is already here at the airport. Around 11:30 they come on and say now 3 more crew have timed out and flight is cancelled and to deplane. Once again trying to find a hotel at 12 am with 3 kids in tow. And now we can’t proceed with the trip because we will miss the 2nd safari. What am I entitled to ask for in compensation from United? We spent a lot of $$ on this flight have of course now missed our entire trip and will fly home early to BNA tomorrow. They were only able to get us in economy back to BNA (not a big deal but of course our original tickets were paid for in first class). Obviously our Safari costs we will have to claim travel insurance but what does United owe us for refunding our flights and our hotel/food costs? I will be calling them to discuss when we get home but I am trying to have a little knowledge to know what to ask for. From what I understand and what an agent on the phone told me, they won’t reimburse for the leg we already took BNA-EWR but will compensate us to the EWR-JNB and return that we missed due to their cancellation. And of course our flight back to BNA we are downgraded from our original fare class. I would honestly like a refund for the ENTIRE fare, including the leg that we flew and back to BNA because we didn’t buy a flight to end up stuck in Newark/NY for 72 hrs ($$ for hotel and food we hadn’t planned on) and then go home in a downgraded fare. Not to mention ruining our entire trip. Is that fair to ask for? I’ve been so disappointed with our experience with United. I’d love any advice, thank you!

paperwastage

See wiki Hotels? for 1K irrops (WX, MX, ...)? [Consolidated Q&A 2015-forward].

Under star alliance irrops, intercontinental journeys in business (or star gold), united is supposed to reimburse overnight hotel/food costs for both controllable (2nd night staffing issue) and uncontrollable (1st night ATC?)

You should be declaring trip-in-vain to get the flight costs back

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...-irrops-6.html.



Moral #2 , leave more buffer room for important stuff (eg flying to cruise/safari)

halls120

This. 15+ years ago, good friends of ours were going on their first ever cruise out of Southampton, UK, departing from Dulles on UA. They had scheduled their arrival at LHR on the same day as the cruise departed. Bad idea, thanks to horrid weather passing through the DC area, and the spent the night sleeping on the floor at the airport. Flight was cancelled and they missed sailing, but the cruise company said they could join at the next port of call. They made that port call, but their luggage didn't.

Nowadays, they plan their arrivals at the cruise departure port at least two days in advance. When we were traveling to Europe for my son's wedding, we also arrived 3 days early.

sannmann

Given you had paid Business class tickets, I’m disappointed that United didn’t reroute you via Europe on LH or one of the other Star Alliance carriers after the first cancellation. A three day delay due to one cancelled flight is unacceptable.

escapefromphl

When your June 2 flight was cancelled they really couldn’t get you on anything that worked for you for 3 days? That seems a long time. When I had a similar interruption a few years ago they rebooked me on BA Club world to arrive into CPT a few hours later…

jp12687

my guess is finding five seats up front last second on another carrier would have been difficult. Prob would have been at least some of them downgraded.

I’ve fine by both Swiss and Turkish before and the flight out of EWR was always packed up front

restlessinRNO

While leaving early is certainly good advice in general, it does not seem to be too successful attempting to fly on UA’s EWR-JNB service, as documented by the OP’s horrible experience above. 😳

zrs70

Oh my, what a mess. I feel so bad for you and your family.

To those offering advice about leaving earlier for a trip….. A humble word to the wise: Tell the op that later, not in the face of stress. It really doesn’t help!

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Welcome to FT. When IRROPS happen the best course of action is to start making alternate plans yourself. Do not wait for the airline to help as they will only do the minimum. For instance, be willing to be down graded, look for alternate routings through Europe (more flights) as you might have able to lose only a day.

As noted above claim a trip in vain and ask for a full refund of all tickets. At the same time send the hotel bill and other expenses to United for a refund while working with your travel insurance. Good luck sorting out the mess. Not any fun and very disappointing.

restlessinRNO

Scropsey - Welcome to FlyerTalk. Sorry your first post had to be this UA EWR-JNB disaster. This just does not seem to be a reliable service.

pseudoswede

If I have to fly to Europe or Turkey in Y instead of J in order to take a "long anticipated safari trip" due to IRROPS, I'm doing it. I'll deal with the downgrade compensation later.

JimInOhio

What were they supposed to do? Leave a week ahead of time? Even if their safari started two or three days later than it did, they still would have missed it.

wrp96

I suspect requiring five seats is part of the problem. For example, someone above mentioned being rerouted on BA. BA currently has a shortage of widebody planes and is having to juggle its own flight schedules, leading to cancellations of some flights, requiring rerouting of its own passengers. Depending on the flight cancelled, some people have reported having trouble finding comparable reroutes for one to two people, much less five. Being able to split up might've helped find alternatives, but depending on the ages of the kids that probably wasn't possible for the OP.

Seph87

OP, was being downgraded offered as an option to get you there earlier? What about alternate routings? Finding five last minute J seats on a relatively niche route, especially during peak safari season, seems like it would be difficult.

jp12687

I tend to agree. But don’t know what was offered or what was asked for.

would they have accepted being split up in economy on two different flights? There are usually ways to get places sooner when things go wrong if you are very flexible