Overaggressive EasyUpdate
 

I booked a ticket ORD-IAD-GVA. Yesterday morning at 4:45, I got an email from EasyUpdate explaining that the ORD-IAD leg was delayed, and they rebooked me on flights the following day.

I couldn't believe this.

1) The segment that was delayed was BOI-ORD, with a plane change in Chicago. The ORD-IAD flight took off and landed on time. There was never any need to move me.

2) Even if they had to move me, which they didn't, there were dozens of options that would have got me there sooner than tomorrow. Some on all UA or CO metal, one of which I actually took.

3) Once EasyUpdate moved me, the agent was unable at to return me to the original flights because there was no longer availability in my booking class. (A and Z) Eventually, a supervisor was able to undo the mess.

A colleague on the same flights (in coach) got no update, and took his flights as usual.

I've seen some odd behavior from EasyUpdate, but this takes the cake.

Just received an EasyUpdate this morning for a flight today from LAX to SFO. I am not booked on any flight today. I have never purchased tickets for such a flight.

I called UAL and the flight was somehow attached overnight to an old reservation which I've already flown from June. (In my reservations this morning, it listed: June 16th: LAX to JFK, June 18th: JFK to LAX, July 21st: LAX to SFO) So it sounds like UAL computers are having a bad week!

Maybe you could have received mileage credit if it were not corrected!:)

Getting the easy update email doesnt necessarily mean you lose the original flight. I had an 'over aggressive' easy update that rebooked my wife and I on a later flight, but we still took the original one no problem.

Happened on a SFO-ORD-YYZ flight last week. We left SFO one hour late, and had a 1.5 hr layover at ORD. Once we landed the easy update popped up in my email and said we had been rebooked on a flight 5 hours later. We were off the plane in ORD 30mins before the next leg to YYZ left, so we ran down to the gate. Got there while it was boarding, and the GA said that the fact we were rebooked on another flight didnt matter. We still had our seats held on the original flight, and she said since we didnt check in to the easy update flight we were fine.

I guess just make sure not to check in or confirm the easy update flight until you are sure you missed the original.

OP hits on a real problem. I was on a flight from LHR to ORD two months ago that was running slightly late (20 minutes). Landed and got the EastUpdate telling me I'd been rebooked to a four-hour-later flight. Got to the gate of my original flight before boarding had begun and was told the same story as OP. But in my case the couldn't/wouldn't fix it so I added another four ORD hours to my lifetime million. This also happened about two years ago.

Last month the same scenario was shaping up so I was calling 1K and stopping at each UA counter I saw and saying "please don't rebook me". Frustratingly, I was told repeatedly that even if rebooked my original seat would be fine. I didn't argue the point based on actual experience and I did make/keep my original flight. But when things go awry I am very vigilant about unnecessary rebookings.

I was rebooked twice this week with a late arrival. once nonstop to my final destinaation and another with a connection in the same place as my original conx. i was on the phone w/ua saying i'd make my original flight and they didn't know if itd still work. they stayed on the phone w/me as i boarded and the BP was accepted.

of course, then everything went wrong and ended up 3 hrs wx delay so had i missed my flight, i would have taken the rebooked nonstop (1500 miles less) probably could have asked for ORC and gotten home way earlier. too bad i made my original flight.

I got the response. "Here's a $200 cert. Now go away and stop bothering us." More politely of course.

Been pondering this some more. Suppose I showed up at my originally scheduled flights. I'm holding a BP for the flight, but I have been offloaded and moved to the flight on the following day. The plane is full in F, and quite possibly Y.

What is United supposed to do in this case?

People still get EasyUpdate notifications?:p Seems to rarely work for me anymore.

Last fall I had a late inbound and was sure I wouldn't make the connection at ORD for IAD and then my final leg to wherever it was. I wanted to be sure I made my trip as planned since I would hit the last segment needed for 1P. Headed toward the gate and on the way saw the monitors listed the status as departed. But when I got to the gate they were still boarding - but only barely. Made it on no problem.

Then at IAD, where I had a tight connection, I made it on the last flight just fine. All this time, nothing from EasyUpdate. After landing at my final destination I get a zillion texts from EasyUpdate. It had rebooked from ORD on a nonstop flight to my destination (which was the flight upon which my checked bag later arrived). I was surprised that I didn't have an issue boarding at IAD. All worked out - but it was bizarre.

They sure do. My favorite was when I was on a flight that was diverted. When I got to my destination, I had an email from EasyUpdate waiting for me: telling me I had just been diverted!

Got a call this am at 5:30 regarding an mx cancel. (RDU-IAD flt 803), was able to get moved over to a CO flight via CLE and get to PWM within 20 minutes of the original time, 20 minutes early.

Just be thankful that you get them. :)

I'm still trying to get an answer for what happened out of United, but I don't think it is forthcoming. I got the canned "here is a $200 cert" message, and now UA seems to think that ends it - their obligation to explain what happened went away once they tossed a cert at me.

I'd really like to find someone who would actually read what I wrote and think about it, rather than firing barely relevant script emails at me.

Anyway, I am wondering if I should report this as an IDB. It sure has many features of one - I had a ticket on 770, UA told me I wasn't going to get on it, but it flew (on time) anyway.

That has been the case for me. I have got 'over aggressive' easy update to notify me that I was 'rebooked for a later flight' at least 3 times in last 6 months. Each time, I barely made it just slightly before door closes, but my original boarding pass was accepted and I got on.

I've had the same thing too - so long as I make it onto the plane and the original boarding pass accepted, then no problem. From experience they hold your original seat, though it is reasonable for them to give it to someone on standby close to door closing time.

The bigger problem for me is when my wife receives the EasyUpdate saying I'm coming home a day later. She then assumes I've decided to spend an extra day playing instead of coming home. In these cases it'd be nice if it sent another one to say, "oh, he made the original connection after all". That way I don't get the surprise of having to figure out what I've done wrong now :)

Maybe EasyUpdate is sentient and likes to mess with us.