UNITED959

Here goes: I'm booked to Vegas this weekend with two friends. ORD-LAX-LAS; LAS-SFO-ORD on the return. All segments were confirmed in F/C with the exception of LAX-LAS (no big deal).

I check the web today to find that I need to call UA for a "schedule change." It turns out SFO-ORD 777 is now 757. Guess what happens when a plane with ~60 premium spaces goes to something with only 24? You get booted in the back. And no upgrades at all to be had on the original flights.

The hour-later flight SFO-ORD has upgrades--all three. UA WILL NOT change--no exceptions. A very nice CSR informed me a supervisor even put a note in my PNR, and I was never at any point irate, irritable, or inconsiderate.

What's the point here? How difficult is it to place me on the next flight (fees are waived in this case, I understand, as a result of schedule change)? Make me a happy customer by exercising a practice that is, TMK, completely legal. Instead, some reservation supervisor is on a power trip out to get me.

I'm just 1P, but why shy away a dwindling customer base? Is general business sense (read: common sense) that difficult to employ?

A CR call is taking place first thing Monday a.m.

UNITED959

And an add-on...I do have the original fax from UA that states United Confirmed First/Business. Does that help me any?

Axey

Uh, United should cease operations because YOUR upgrade was cancelled due to an equipment change?

Two words: Head. Clouds.

OttoGraham

Another typically snotty and trite reply from Axey. [Sigh.]

959, FWIW, your experience is showing that UA is making it awfully easy for folks to abandon them for other airlines. Of course you can send in a polite complaint letter, but we all know they are getting a lot of those just now.

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-Otto

UNITED959

Thanks, Otto, for an insightful reply.

It's not so much the upgrade was taken away (although that's part of the mix), but the inflexibility and "punishment" I'm receiving from UA is simply not good business practice. It could drive business away. UA doesn't need that right now.

channa

If there was even a one-minute change in schedule, they can modify your flights at no charge. Did the 757 alter the flight times at all?

JeffS

It's unfortunate that an equipment change resulted in the loss of an upgrade. Given the # of possible upgrades for your original equipment flight you're not likely the only one affected. BTW, an equipment change is not a schedule change so I doubt you have any recourse in that regard.

SEA_Tigger

Very sad on United's part. In the past, even with 2P (and once with *no* status), when United has done a schedule change, they have allowed me to book just about *any* replacement itinerary I wanted, regardless of fare difference.

Once I was SEA-ORD-BHM. They made a change that would get me in on the last plane from ORD-BHM with like six hours layover at ORD.

So I had them rebook me SEA-SFO-IAD-BHM-IAD-SFO-SEA so I could get the 777 both ways between SFO and IAD *and* they let me use miles to upgrade to F on the SEA-SFO legs and Business on the SFI-IAD legs. The CTO agent had to do all these gymnastics because the new itinerary I wanted was priced *hundreds* of dollars more.

Another time, I was doing SEA-ORD-GSO with no MP status. They had to cancel the afternoon ORD-GSO flight so they rebooked me SEA-ORD-MSP-ORD-GSO arriving at 11pm. I asked them to do the overnight SEA-IAD flight in First (I was on an S fare) and then take the morning IAD-GSO plane. They did it, no questions asked.

kv99

I find that it's such a crapshoot with this sort of stuff -- and this is what I hate most about United. It's all about who picks up the phone when you call if they'll go the extra mile to keep customers happy or not do a damn thing (or in this case, actively spite you). I think other carriers are much more consistent about how they handle these things, generally in the customer's favor.

I feel your pain.

I go out of my way to book specific connections and equipment to get on that int'l 767 or 777 or 747: it's very disappointing when the plans are foiled.

UNITED959

After a day of surfing united.com, FT, and making numerous phone calls to res, Premier res, and PremEx res, I have *some* good news.

The good: After I explained that I have a faxed confirmation from UA which indicates I have upgraded First and Business seats, I think somebody with a decent head on their shoulders contacted yield management to free up 3 F seats on the 1:00pm 757.

The bad: The change, however, resulted in losing 2 F seats from LAS-SFO. Why...I don't know!?!? I have 1 F seat and 2 Y-. I tried to change my seat to an E+ (and give my upgraded seat to one of my friends w/o status), but I risk losing the upgrade. Again, I was in confirmed first on this flight as well before the whole debacle began.

Fortunately, the long trips are upgraded. Though it would be nice to have the whole thing done, especially when it was setup this way to begin with. I still plan on calling CR--don't know if it will accomplish much--but it's worth a shot.

Thanks for the advice here...especially the 1-minute rule channa. An agent told me a white lie saying that the time change of the flights have to be at least 90 minutes for them to make modifications. I told her about the 1-minute term and told her I'd happily comply if she could provide me documention which states the "90 minute rule."

Axey

As one could argue that your reply was even less useful than mine. Sending a complaint letter? I'm sure the original poster didn't think of that! Oh wait...

chitownflyer

United959,

When you get an uncooperative agent you nedd to do the following politely say thanks and hang up. Then Call, Call Call, again until you get a good agent.

ozstamps

This does greatly surprise me that they would not allow you to route on the 1 hour later flight so as the upgrade was protected IF the reaon for doing that was a significant equipment downgrade totally outside your control.

Makes no sense to me, and I am sure an email will rectify it. I know if it had been me, I'd be asking nicely for the later flight, and not paying a change fee.

United 959 YGM.



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~ Glen ~

Come and visit the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

ozstamps

Axey ... not sure if you realise/remember, but United959 was the FT'er who discovered the $50 + tax Biz Class R/T fares to Mexico last year.

HUNDREDS of us on FT (me included) owe him a large debt for finding that little glitch, and anything I can do to assist him in this matter I certainly will do.

Hope the upgrade on later flight clears United959. And phoning any more is sadly a complete waste of time now IMO, as supervisor has noted your pnr it seems, and all ohers phone rez staff will refer to that AND worse still further note your pnr that they too have advised you of this.




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~ Glen ~

Come and visit the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

Axey

Sure do. However, comments about shutting down an airline because of an equipment change and the agent following published rules are ridiculous and make those reading at WHQ think we all have a few bolts loose. Let me be clear that I empathise with 959, but...

If FT wants to be taken seriously on serious issues (SWUs come to mind...), then comments like these need to stop.