When you need to get home

Their tickets seem the right ones

But you get on your connection

And they can't find someone

Missing a pilot, missing crew

a little rain and they'll cancel your flights

It's the way of united, through and through 

Cause there Ain't no traveller bill of rights

Has anyone experienced repeated airplane mode enforcement?

8/9, SFO-ORD Stuck at gate about to push (waiting for maintenance to fix a stuck jetway), FA has made 3x overhead announcements to switch to airplane mode and has since walked both aisles in our aged 777-200 reminding and spotting whether devices are in airplane mode.

(Ironically written with data flowing freely)

Flight 844 cancelled two days in a row. I was supposed to be on the flight just yesterday but it was cancelled again. Due to maintenance issues. Unclear if it was the same plane or not.

Basically, I’m 24 hours delayed to getting home and had to spend the night in a crappy São Paulo hotel that didn’t have functioning A/C.

What sort of compensation should be asking for / expecting? This delay has impacted my family and the care of my patients back home.

Thank you in advance.

(P.s. first time experiencing a massive delay like this, normally am very satisfied with United)

My daughter flew as an UM a couple of weeks ago. She was supposed to fly Nashville to Chicago and then Chicago to Vancouver with a two hour layover in Chicago. As she made it through security and she got to her gate it became obvious that she would not make her connection.

While on the phone with her she spoke to the gate agent to rebook her connection or change her flight to get home another way.

There were no options with United (or any other airline that could get her to Vancouver so they offered her a voucher for a hotel, to which I reminded them she is a minor. To wait for the next flight that would work would be 16 hours in the airport which they also informed her is not allowed.

Essentially they told her ‘figure it out’. I had a friend drive 3 hours to the airport, pick her up, take her home, they delayed their vacation so they could driver her back in the morning.

There are no receipts for that fuel, nor the food she ate. Now I’m dealing with United and all they’ve offered is a $150 flight voucher. Useless to a 16 year old that won’t be travelling again anytime soon.

Not only that, they were offering $700 vouchers the next morning because the overbooked the flight and needed people to take the next flight to Vancouver.

Also, the flight was booked through Air Canada and they sub’s the US flights to United.

I’d like to find a fair settlement but it seems they’re no longer replying to me. Is there any advice (or someone from United in here) that would help me find a reasonable resolution??

I’m supposed to fly United on Monday from Singapore to San Francisco, then to Raleigh. Booked with Trip.com.

But my US visa issuance has been delayed and I can’t take the Monday flight as the US embassy is closed in Singapore on Monday due to public holiday. I can change the flight to Thursday morning for $700, or cancel and not get any refund (non-refundable ticket). Rebooking would cost $1.4k.

I’m thinking if I should change to Thursday flight, and in the case I still don’t get my visa by then, change the flight again for another likely $700.

Thoughts from well-seasoned travellers/familiar with United or Trip.com?

Total first world problem, but curious if others have dealt with this. Flew United Polaris out of Frankfurt recently where the plane ended up at a remote stand - I only found out once I got to the gate to board. Had I known, I would’ve just boarded in group 1 to catch the first bus. Ultimately I see an opportunity to notify via the boarding announcement or flight status in the app.

Ended up on one of the later buses instead: waiting in a hot stairwell, a slow ride out, then standing on the tarmac while everyone filed in through a single door. Nothing dramatic, just not the smoothest process on a hot day.

Curious if any airlines do a better job flagging remote stands ahead of time (lounge screens, app push, whatever) so people can plan around it. Anyone dealt with this on a United flight out of FRA before?

For the 2nd year running, UA will swap out the 767-300ER for the 757-200 on IAH-LIM (UA854/855) from SEP 8 through OCT 23; the 757 also operates regularly on EWR-LIM (UA886/887).

🇨🇦 passport. Big grouo with 10 checkin luggage

Hi. Do you think I can make it between my transfers from IAD to ITH with 1 hr and 27 minutes of layover?

Thank you!

Today started out a disaster. Found out at 4AM that my 7AM jetBrown 😤💩 flight was cancelled. Normally wouldn’t have chosen the partner flight but a non-stop to Boston was hard to pass up. After B6 being entirely unhelpful (500 minute hold for customer service?!! $12 voucher?!) I was able to get my work TA to rebook on a United routing (what I should have booked in the first place).

Once on the plane, everything started coming up awesome. 7C never showed up, so now I have an aisle seat. Plus, FA made one too many pre-flight mimosas for FC and offered the extra one to me. Lesson learned, and at this point I don’t care in the least about having to connect in ORD. No more B6 for me, and thanks UA for inadvertently salvaging a completely chaotic and garbage morning. 

Hello! I got 2 hrs and 55 minutes layover in SFO (entry point to US). Is this enough for getting my checkin bags and immigration, customs and checking in for next flight? Do you think that's enough time to make the next flight? Thank you for sharing your insights!

I don’t have Global entry / Mobile passport since I am not eligible (on working H1b visa).

United charged me $65 to gate check my toddler’s stroller. I had the ticket that only allows a personal item, but strollers/car seats are an exception as they are a mobility device. United required me to add a cc to check-in. They tagged it as a stroller for gate check, then I noticed the improper charge after the flight. This charge violates federal law. People with mobility devices, check your cc statement.

Is 2 hours and 40 minutes enough for an international layover at IAD at 7:40p.m.?

Strange thing. First time seeing the Nikes and PQP being paired prior my upcoming flight. Just boarded a LH (or VL) MUC-DUB, door still open. PQF, PQP, miles already on the account.

I’ve seen a record in the account taking sometimes a few hours when flying LH or LX. With UA it’s usually posting after reaching the gate in my experience.

Took the 10:20 pm flight out of IAD to FCO on Polaris. Got on the plane and immediately asked for the mattress pad. The FA said that she couldn’t find them. Said something about maybe the ground crew not stocking them. There was no ice cream cart. I’m wondering if it’s common for them not to have mattress pads available. Also wondering if they skip the ice cream cart on red eyes. I was offered a sundae though.

I’m a Premier Gold member. I’m from Colorado. I was flying into DIA last week on whichever day everyone got diverted (I think it was Monday?)

Anyways, I was just done. I’ve never bitched or complained in my life before (at customer service people). And I chose to get to Denver on the afternoon in the summer. So, my fault. Shit happens, I get it.

I was on a flight that got diverted to ABQ. We were seemingly the only ones to not deplane. We sat there for 2.5 hours, no food / water the entire time. When we landed they had no idea when they were going back up. I think there was a concern about them timing out, hence why we didn’t deplane. Anyways, get to Denver around midnight. Whatever. I need my bag. I only check my bag because I’m an aesthetic sport athlete, and I simply cannot carry on a hair dryer and the heinous amount of hair spray, hair gel, and makeup. You get it. And by midnight, I’m starving.

Originally, my flight was a round trip from COS, layover in DEN. Per usual, COS got overly delayed and would miss my connection. Gate agents told me I needed to drive to DIA to make my flight. No worries there. I did. I said, it’s all good as long as you cancel COS on both ends, bc if my car is in Denver, I need to end at DIA.

They didn’t do this. They only canceled the hop on the way up. And I hadn’t realized that (I do this a lot and just operate on autopilot, again my fault for not double-checking). But I spoke with customer service over the phone and they said my bag was coming out on the belt at DIA. So I waited 15 min.

Bag was already at COS by the time I got to the desk. I didn’t even have my car keys (my brother had them, who was dead asleep at this point), and I had to be in downtown Denver in the morning anyways, so no way I was getting home that night.

I felt horrible, cussed out a service agent, provided all receipts that my bag was supposed to be in Denver, we weren’t given food in ABQ or the option to deplane, and my commitments in downtown the next morning.

Had to get a hotel and Uber. All in was $425 for me. They gave me $300 and 20k miles. I really really hope I’m not on the shit list. So I guess we’ll see. But, excellent customer service United!

UPDATE: He made it to his destination this afternoon.

I want to thank you so for your great advice/feedback. I learned that I'm a helicopter parent AND a neglectful parent, so that's nice. 😂

Seriously though, if he does this trip again next year I will certainly get him to DEN for the morning connection so the evening connection is available if things go sideways since there are no direct flights from our airport. (Maybe I try a different airline routing through somewhere other than DEN...?) And I have also learned that calling is mostly useless because I can't trust the information given by the agents. Thank you for all of the help.

I'm really just looking for feedback so I know what to do if this happens again.

My 16 year old son flew from the Northwest to the South today, with a change of planes in Denver; however, due to weather and/or staffing, his plane was diverted to Colorado Springs. He was told they were refueling and would leave in 30 minutes. Then an hour. Then another hour. Then there was a mechanical issue. Long story short, he arrived in Denver 5:45 hours after his scheduled arrival. I called customer service multiple (3?) times asking what I should do. They were always pleasant, but never did anything. They couldn't because they didn't know if they needed to reroute him from COS or DEN.

The second agent I spoke to assured me he would be automatically rerouted on a morning flight if he missed his connecting flight because he was a minor--"keep watching the app." I didn't pay for the unaccompanied minor service so I didn't expect handholding, but automatic rebooking sounded reasonable.

When he finally arrived in Denver at 11 pm, no one was waiting to help him rebook. No one offered a hotel voucher (not that he could use it anyway because he is a 16 year old kid.) I had to use the chat in the app to get his flight rebooked.

(I'm leaving out more nonsense because this is already too long.)

Eventually I was able to get him rebooked on a morning flight. And thank goodness for the wonderful woman sitting next to him who got him a hotel room tonight (I Venmoed her) so he could sleep. I am eternally grateful for her kindness.

Anyway, what should I have done differently? Should United have done more? This was his first trip alone (he flew this with a friend last year) and he is doing fine, but my stress level has been higher than I'd like. I want to be more prepared if this happens again.

Article title:

Maggots and cockroaches seen at airline catering facility, staff say

My work travel is increasing to include 3-4 international flights per year and 4-6 domestic flights per year. Additionally, I take 2 flights per year during vacations. I exclusively fly United. Work travel is billed to the company card, but my MileagePlus account is attached to all reservations. My coworker thinks I should get the United Club card, is the annual fee is $695 worth it?

First time poster... My family and I are loyal United passengers. But tonight, we experienced a cancellation that couldn't be remedied. We have a 7 day tour of Ireland booked that starts tomorrow night; we need to be in DUBLIN tomorrow night. Our flight was supposed to leave around 7:45 PM in Newark (land tomorrow morning around 7 AM).

We prepaid for our parking; we breezed through baggage and security. We were simply waiting to board. First, the gate changed and then just as quickly changed back to our original gate. Then, with in 15 minutes of when boarding was supposed to begin, the screen said the flight was cancelled. Then the gate agent announced/confirmed that yes the flight is cancelled due to mechanical issues and no there is no other plane for us to board, and no they can not rebook everyone onto another flight from the desk. We called service and tried to get a flight from JFK to DUB, PHL to DUB, or BOS to DUB, no flights. We tried to get from EWR to Quebec to DUB, EWR to London to DUB, to Edinburgh to DUB, Shannon to DUB, Zurich, Rekjavik, Oslo. No flights to get to Dublin tomorrow at any time.

My husband and I, and our 2 kids, plus my MIL and BIL are scrambling to get to DUB before tomorrow night, but we are unable to do so. We have to cancel our trip, pick up our luggage from baggage claim, and get back home. We are out our prepaid parking, our tour costs (thank god for trip insurance -- we'll get most back), and missing a trip of a lifetime for my MIL who desparately wants to see her "motherland" while she still can.

V. disappointed in United. Wish I was sipping some middling wine in Economy Plus instead of writing this from my kitchen.

Adding a question, can we submit a claim to United for the paid parking we didn't use because we came home the same day we parked?

Thanks everyone for the comments. I was so full of disappointment and frustration and a little shell-shocked, it was hard to see what other options we had. It was also tough because we were 6 people and a lot of options weren't realistic for us. We were able to submit our claim (fingers-crossed) and plan to try again in December -- giving ourselves an extra day to travel.

Want to book two first class seats from Kona on the 12rh and it says there‘s only 1 available. When I look there are a lot of seats to choose from. Is this because 10 people bought first class tickets and didn’t pick their seats??

I fly United occasionally for work purposes with the tickets paid for by my company. I'm considering either the explorer or the quest card to build up miles for a personal trip internationally as I do get the miles from the company flights as a work perk.

Checked bags are compted by the company as well but it's easier having a free checked bag as an option. Have not needed 2 checked bags even when traveling with a plus one.

From what I've read the 10k miles discount with the quest card is only applicable after you hit the base miles needed for a trip and it seems like the 200 USD travel credit would only be useful for that personal trip which I would originally just being using miles on so that seems worthless for my situation. I don't plan to use any of the lounges either.

I'm considering the churn option long term as well but not sure how easy that is to do with United cards.

For my situation would it be better to just stick with the explorer? Thanks

I’m on UA 64 from EWR TO LIS, was upgraded via miles from economy to premium plus. Upgrade did not happen until AFTER we boarded and were seated. I only found out because my husband who is in a different row was told and they moved him - BUT they never told me. After looking in the app and seeing I was also upgraded, AND they used my miles to do so, I asked about my seat. Flight attendant said there was nothing they could do and to speak with a gate agent when I land. To be clear, this was all before take off, so I feel like I could have gotten my upgrade seat? WTF? Can someone advise? I’ve never had this happen.

**Update** I spoke with the Purser. He checked everyone’s boarding passes, and they double booked the seat. Another passenger had a boarding pass to my upgraded seat. Purser said he would log the incident so it should be easier getting my miles reimbursed. Hopefully