UAL - My Itineraries - "Schedule Change" - how do I avoid the call center?
 

I book my United flights on line and follow any changes on "My Itineraries". Whenever there is even the slightest schedule change, the flight leg affected is no longer confirmed. I am unable to make changes in seat assignments etc. unless I call United, which is almost always a complete waste of time whether I talk to the automated system or a person. Is there any way to get flights back into "confirmed" mode without calling?

I'd love to know the answer to this question!!! My flts to and from BKK in April have "changed" by only a few minutes, and I had to call the automated number in order to re-check my seat assignment. I'm with you, Craig. How do we avoid this phone call? And especially when out of the country when the "schedule change" happens!!!
Carol

Sorry, can't help you with getting around that friendly system. You can avoid some of the aggravation when you call by saying "representative" when you begin to hear the 1st message, "representative" when you begin to hear the 2nd message, and "international" or "domestic" when you begin begin to hear next message. To increase your chances of getting a US-based phone agent, use 800-225-8900 if you're calling from the U.S.

if you are not Prem Exec or above, dialing the 225-8900 number will NOT get you to a US agent, as you have to input your UAL FF # and it will route you to the indian call center.

One reason UA wants people to call, is that the system doesn't distinguish between a few minutes change and a more substantial change. And with a more substantial change you are entitled to change or cancel your flights so they WANT to talk to you.

What works for me sometimes - there should be a different number to call if you are having a problem with the website - may be not a complete time waste?

it's web support , and you often get india, which can be good or not depending on how knowledgable they are of issues aside from the web site.

I'm sure that "mztery" is a fine source of knowledge, but my claim stands. If you give your FF number as they ask you to do and as "mztery" thinks you have to do, then you'll get the offshore call center. If you do as I suggest, you'll likely get a US agent.

I have yet to speak to a live person when calling to reconfirm a reservation that has a "schedule change." It's just automated responses to your input, that's it. But then, maybe you get to talk to a human being IF your schedule is disrupted enough (as suggested above) that you might want to/need to change flights. That's not happened (yet) in my case.