UA fliers-need some help

[greatam]

I am booked PHX/EWR on Wednesday, Oct 31 (frequent posters-don't ask-I didn't book or pay for the tickets-should be quite the experience sitting in coach for this trip).

 

BUT the real question-due to this possible monster storm approaching the East Coast, has UA put out any kind of "cancel or change" yet? I looked at their website but didn't really see anything. And have no familiarity with anything UA. Think it has been at least 10 years since I have even been on a UA flight.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I don't want to cancel-maybe just change to Thursday instead of Wednesday. But since I didn't pay for the tickets, can I just change the ticket or do I have to go through the payor (who is also going)? And even if I have to pay, can I pay or do I have to go through the purchaser? Any gate/check in offered upgrades to first on UA flights???

[6rugrats]

1. No travel waivers posted yet for the east coast, and but current reports state storm should hit Sunday or Monday - keep checking:

 

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx?v_ctrk=HHLN$0-772-2045-1-1156

 

2. If a waiver is posted, they will tell you the terms of the waiver (if the ticket can be cancelled, or how long you have to rebook it)

 

3. Do you have a separate itinerary from the payor? If so, you should be able to change it, and if there's a waiver, it should be at no charge.

 

4. On a domestic flight you will never see upgrades offered at the gate because UA offers Unlimited Domestic Upgrades (UDU) for its frequent fliers. If you want to upgrade now, go to "Current Reservations" and pull this itinerary up. Under the itinerary will be three blue boxes, "Change Flights", "View/Change Seats", and "Redeem Upgrade".

 

If the Redeem Upgrade box isn't there, you can't upgrade at the moment, but keep checking. If it's there, click on it and it will show you options; you may be offered an upgrade for miles (probably 25,000 to upgrade this itinerary) or an offer to buy up to F for money.

 

Or, you may be offered an upgrade when you check in for your flight. You'll just have to wait and see. If nothing else, try and get an E+ seat on your flight. The exit row (21) is usually very comfortable with lots of legroom. You'll have to pay to get it now, but it's worth it.

 

P.S. I did a quick look at PHX-EWR flights leaving 31 Oct. On the 7:12 am flight, and the 4:12 p.m. flight, there are no seats available for upgrade. If you are on the 11:12 am flight, at the time of this writing, there are three seats available for upgrade, though whether or not you would be offered one for purchase, I don't know.

[greatam]

6rugrats,

 

Thanks for the reply

 

I was very confused when I looked at the info you posted regarding cancellation policy. Of course, what is posted on the UA website now only refers to the Caribbean, so maybe it is different USA??? BUT why can't you get a refund when they include NYC? Their website info seems like a REALLY stupid policy, especially if you are trying to "pre manage" events:

 

"Refunds are permitted only if your flight is cancelled or delayed at least 2 hours."

 

How would you know until your flight time???

 

We are on the 11AM flight. And my customer purchased the tickets all on one itinerary.

 

So guess we are stuck with what we get. I have no UA miles-Starwood that I could probably transfer but it would be pretty unfair for me to upgrade myself and not my customer. And I am not willing to chunk out 40,000 Starpoints to miles for a 4.5 hour flight.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[6rugrats]

6rugrats,

 

 

I was very confused when I looked at the info you posted regarding cancellation policy. Of course, what is posted on the UA website now only refers to the Caribbean, so maybe it is different USA??? BUT why can't you get a refund when they include NYC? Their website info seems like a REALLY stupid policy, especially if you are trying to "pre manage" events:

 

"Refunds are permitted only if your flight is cancelled or delayed at least 2 hours."

 

There has been no travel waiver posted yet for the east coast (NYC); only the Caribbean. You can always call UA and see if you can find an agent who will change your flights at no charge now, but doubt you will be successful.

 

 

So guess we are stuck with what we get. And I am not willing to chunk out 40,000 Starpoints to miles for a 4.5 hour flight.

 

Thanks for all the help.

You are stuck unless UA issues a waiver for your travel dates and destination. I wouldn't pay that to upgrade either; it's not worth it. This is a fairly short flight anyway and it's during the day time.

 

You may find useful information in this flyertalk thread discussing Hurricane Sandy & UA:

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1400771-hurricane-sandy-potential-impact-uas-operations.html

[Fattony]

It's just too early for cancellations or delays. There are forecats, but they can change and airlines won't want to change schedules, incur cots, disrupt passengers, etc. until they know more. Looks like the brunt of the storm won't hit the Northeast until Monday, and more so on Tuesday, and the worst could be over by the time you travel, IF it continuous on its current path, with its projected strength, etc. I'd be surprised if there are announcements before early Sunday, and in the case of Wednesday, not until Tuesday (big fear could be a rippling effect affecting a few days). At this point it looks like a day or two of very heavy rain, and wind, at EWR. Snow inland. One of my wife's nephews is due to fly from Brazil to EWR within a couple of days, and we're avisiting him to keep track of flight schedules and weather reports. Good thing is that if it's mainly rain and not snow at EWR, so the effects may not linger long, in terms of flight disruptions.

 

Southwest's site, as an example, is currently showing this standard advisory: Southwest Airlines is closely monitoring the conditions associated with Hurricane Sandy. At this time, we are operating our scheduled service to/from all our Southwest locations. United's site lists a number of cities which "may" experience dleays at one time or another, and has a rather dire forecast for the Northeast region, though not annnouncement of disruptions yet: Mostly fair conditions dominate but showers move into the eastern Great Lakes late today and Saturday. Significant impacts from Hurricane Sandy expected Sunday night through Tuesday. Sandy will move toward the East Coast Sunday night and Monday. Severe impacts are likely across a wide area including massive power outages and property damage from wind and downed trees, widespread loss of power, major transportation disruptions, flooding and even some inland snow. Significant impacts are also likely inland, perhaps back to the eastern Gt.Lakes. (note "through Tuesday"; your worry could be a rippling effect at UA tries to catch up from cancellations on Monday and Tuesday).

[6rugrats]

Travel Waiver now posted on UA's page:

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx?v_ctrk=HHLN$0-772-2045-1-1156

[greatam]

Travel Waiver now posted on UA's page:

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx?v_ctrk=HHLN$0-772-2045-1-1156

 

Thanks for the heads up. Trying to get in touch with my customer who has all the info. All I have is a cut and paste with the flight times and numbers. I am going to call UA if she doesn't get back to me within a couple hours and hope they can and will help. Want to move those flights to Thursday.

 

Thanks again.

[6rugrats]

Thanks for the heads up. Trying to get in touch with my customer who has all the info. All I have is a cut and paste with the flight times and numbers. I am going to call UA if she doesn't get back to me within a couple hours and hope they can and will help. Want to move those flights to Thursday.

 

Thanks again.

Calling may be difficult. I bet the call centers are being hammered right now. If you have the PNR and last names, you can make these changes online. Just pull up the itinerary and under "Flight Details" will be a box that says, "Change Flights". Click on that and hopefully, you will find acceptable alternatives without calling.

[greatam]

Calling may be difficult. I bet the call centers are being hammered right now. If you have the PNR and last names, you can make these changes online. Just pull up the itinerary and under "Flight Details" will be a box that says, "Change Flights". Click on that and hopefully, you will find acceptable alternatives without calling.

 

You are right-call center hold time over 60 minutes. BUT I can't reach my customer and I don't have the PNR. Last names I have and got into the phone queue using flight number and last name. Got a suggestion how to get the PNR WITHOUT talking to my customer?

[Shak]

I am under the same dilemma about changing my 31st UA flight to EWR. So far I haven't changed it.

 

Shak

[6rugrats]

You are right-call center hold time over 60 minutes. BUT I can't reach my customer and I don't have the PNR. Last names I have and got into the phone queue using flight number and last name. Got a suggestion how to get the PNR WITHOUT talking to my customer?

Without calling, the only way I know to do this is if you had a Mileage Plus account, and this reservation had been added your account. You could pull it up by logging into your account, but I am guessing this wasn't done.

 

If it was made through a TA you could ask them, but other than that, I don't know of anyway to find it.

[FlyerTalker]

You are right-call center hold time over 60 minutes.

Which is why God created speakerphones. :)

 

Just let it run on hold while you do other things. When they finally answer, you've multitasked your hour productively.

 

Or you've watched reruns of Jersey Shore.

[greatam]

Which is why God created speakerphones. :)

 

Just let it run on hold while you do other things. When they finally answer, you've multitasked your hour productively.

 

Or you've watched reruns of Jersey Shore.

 

Maybe them d*** speakerphones work for you but they sure don't work for me. Too much crap and noise in all of my offices to make them effective. You have to remember, this is trucking company with forklifts, drivers, semi trucks and people running in and out of the office all the time. Even if I lock myself in the back office (with the fancy showers in all three offices), I still have a large overflow of NOISE from the warehouse. I am now on hold with United. D**, I won't let another customer book flights, ever, ever again. This is going to COST me for a freebie business trip. I can see it now.

 

Now I am in a REAL quandary. My customer (who booked the tickets and probably flies twice a year-once for business and once for fun) told UA to change the tickets to THE EXACT SAME FLIGHTS that were originally booked on Oct 31 and Nov 5, just a day later. She got the Oct 31 changed to the SAME EXACT flight on Nov 1. BUT the return from EWR to PHX is now booked at NOON, Nov. 6. So that means Tuesday is a TOTALLY wasted day. By the time we get out of NYC to EWR, return the rental car, the entire day is SHOT other than getting on the plane for home.

 

UA says they want $150 per person to change the flights according to my customer.

 

Hope United is accommodating on this one. It is sooooo nice to just call the EXP desk at AA and ask for what I want.

 

Where in the h*** does UA outsource their customer service???? I got what I wanted FINALLY but now have to go pick seats AGAIN. This was DEFINITELY an outsourced foreign contact.

 

One more reason to stick to ONE airline.

[6rugrats]

.

 

 

Hope United is accommodating on this one. It is sooooo nice to just call the EXP desk at AA and ask for what I want.

 

Where in the h*** does UA outsource their customer service???? I got what I wanted FINALLY but now have to go pick seats AGAIN. This was DEFINITELY an outsourced foreign contact.

 

One more reason to stick to ONE airline.

Yes, if you had status with UA, you'd be transferred to another desk that hopefully, would have helped you more quickly. UA has many call centers, Chicago, India, Philippines, Honolulu, etc.

 

The agent with whom you spoke should have been able to help you with seat selection.

[greatam]

Yes, if you had status with UA, you'd be transferred to another desk that hopefully, would have helped you more quickly. UA has many call centers, Chicago, India, Philippines, Honolulu, etc.

 

The agent with whom you spoke should have been able to help you with seat selection.

 

Thanks for all your help. UA offered to status match my AA status if I send in all the paperwork.

 

Probably isn't going to happen for this flight because there are not upgrades available. Their nonstop to EWR may be more appealing in the future than the US JFK redeye with a stop for last minute trips. But I will still opt for the AA nonstop out of LAX to JFK with the free upgrade to business because the distance between PHX and LAX from my office is only less than an hour difference. Don't get sleeper beds on either UA or US.

 

But they bent over backwards to rectify the problem my customer caused by not knowing how to work the system. And for that I am thankful.

 

Thanks again.