ozstamps

I never knew that.

Flying back from SeaDoo4 we had a SEA-LAX that departed 7.30am and arrived LAX 10.06pm, connecting real nicely to the LAX-SYD flight at 10.40pm. So I assume a "legal" connection at LAX must be now just over 30 minutes?

They just changed that flight to now be a 7.40pm-10.16pm, leaving only a 24 minute connection, domestic to It'l at LAX. Of course bags would be checked at SEA and BP issued, so both being on time *should* mean we make it.

7.40 flight was a 757, the earlier 6.30pm flight is a 737. Urrgghh. First Class seats available on both so no big deal with upgrades. I dislike 737 if there is a choice. As do most here I guess?

I said to agent yesterday: 'what a shame, would have preferred the 7.40pm, but I guess that is an illegal connection." Agent agreed but said if we wanted she could book it - the proviso being if we missed it, UA would offer no hotel overnight etc.

I did book the 7.40pm and they faxed the confirmation. I am rather surprised they allowed it - my understanding was that the computer generally precluded them finalising a booking when there was a short illegal connection?

Joh today chewed me out about maybe losing our row #15 747 seats that night (there is only one flight a day to SYD) and she made me change it back to the 6.30pm, which is a wiser move I agree, as we connect with tons of time.

However the fact the first fax was sent seems to show UA will allow VERY tight connections if you take the risk. Do others do this with success, or do you miss more flights than you make?

------------------
~ Glen ~

auh2o

Glen,

I force UA to do this all the time with the LAX-SNA connection. Sometimes I leave as little as 11 minutes. They just put a note in the PNR that says I accepted the connection (which by the way no one bothers to read if you do miss the flight and need to be re-accomidated). But I don't think I would do it for LAX-SYD.

ozstamps

auh2o. Well if you would not do it to SYD, I am guided!

UA 815 is pretty much last big flight on the night I think out of LAX (?) so they like to get it boarded and out as fast as they can to go home, so they take no prisoners if you arrive late.

And we'd miss the RCC delights of course too. All that Krug, and hot meals, and showers and stuff.

------------------
~ Glen ~

iluv2fly

I would ALWAYS listen to Joh. 'Nuff said!!

MatthewClement

Oh dear. Glen's let his BA experience go to his head.

A few more trips on KL should beat it out of you.

B747-437B

When did SEA-LAX become a 14.5 hr flight?????

ozstamps

Nice catch B747-437B. (Although our LAX-SYD is 14.5 hours.)

It had been UA #1573 - a 757 leaving 7.30 PM, and they changed flight number just now to #1245, also a 757 leaving now 7.40 PM, making us "illegal". Wonder why they'd change flight numbers if equipment and route was unchanged?

*HighFlyah*

Flight numbers are a mystery to me now. The only thing that seems to make sense are that many LAX-ORD routes are still UA 10X and we still have all Pacific routes UA 8XX including their domestic continuations. And Transatlantic/South America is still UA 9XX.

However, I did notice that a few years ago, when I was in college and travelled BOS-ORD-BOS often, they were all named UA 5XX and were likely UA 526, 526, 528 etc. Now there seems to be no predictable order!



------------------
When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!

1P

My experience on ual.com the past two days is that after seeing "Please wait while we find better-priced itineraries", what then comes up are admittedly cheaper itineraries, but in a number of cases only an 8 minute connection between segments. Anyone know how this can happen? The prices are great, but the schedule would be impossible. Or is it just to discourage people like us from using multi-segmented itineraries in order to rack up the miles instead of direct flights ?

Bear96

Hi ozstamps,

I hope all the other Flyertalkers here will forgive me for one post as I go off-topic...

I have read your posts for some time here, and on another DB in the past, and have always been amazed by the amount of travelling you do with UAL. Not sure how... not sure why... but...

THANK YOU, from a UAL employee, for your business. This may sound trite. But you certainly get all over the world, and seem to be pretty understanding about our occassional (though still too common) mess-ups, and still stick by us through thick and thin. I am flattered and very appreciative, and hope that some day this crazy business will quiet down enough again so that we may consistently provide the type of service that loyal customers like you deserve.

Again thanks, and I am sure that other UAL employees here are thinking the same thing that I am.

Lurker

Lurker


[This message has been edited by Lurker (edited 06-26-2002).]

auh2o

More than $100,000 YTD!

braslvr

I don't know why it happens, but usually when you actually try to buy it, it won't let you.
In the past I have bought trips on the website that had slightly illegal connection times, and almost always got a fax, e-mail, or phone call soon after.

ozstamps

No THANK YOU Bear96. I guess I consider that we are "all in this together". The folks that fly on UA and enjoy that experience means UA can use those revenues to employ nice folks like you to help achieve just that. We are actually all on the same side here! FAs like yourself, flight deck crew, res agents, the whole gambit. If we all realise that the experience will be more pleasant for all of us. Some of these boards tend to have a little of the "us and them" attitude, and I personally do not enjoy seeing that at all. (And on the other BB you refer to it was the same but most were staff of course so it certainly works both ways!)

The superb info that you, Liz, basenji, Jana, MarkRogers, GGPillow, UAX@UAL etc all add to this Forum is not possible to obtain for us any other way. I sure appreciate it, and I know most here do too.

I am just a humble leisure traveller who enjoys seeing the world, all on my own dime, for 120,000 miles a year, and choose to give most of my business to UA simply as they look after Joh and I wonderfully as 1Ks. It is folks like you that take pride in their job and their company that I count on to achieve that. To compare our experiences with KLM and FD this year as a top elite with those of United has been a fascinating experience this year.