I have heard that United flights are being cancelled right and left. I have e-tickets for a flight this week. I don't think I can exchange them for paper tickets because they were freebies, although I don't know for sure. Any truth to the rumor? What, if anything, can I do to increase the chance I will actually get a flight? Any ideas?

I read in the paper this morning, the pilots are refusing to work overtime and they are cancelling some flights. I would call United and see if you can get paper tickets.

Don't know if the rumor is true or not, but something's going on with United. Last night my husband's United flight from Kansas City to Denver was delayed
1 1/2 hours for no particular reason. Of course he then missed his connecting flight (the last of the night) and ended up renting a car at 10:30PM and driving three hours home. This has happened too many times to count on the exact same route--think we're pretty done with United until they get their act together (yeah, right). Making the 10-hour drive to KC is much less stressful than dealing with incompetence across the board.

The flights are getting canceled all over the place because when the work slowdown began it devastated their United Express California Routes. They are trying to spread the cancellations throughout their system so Cali doesn't get messed up so bad. I'm getting my e-tickets changed to paper ones tommorrow, just in case. I'm not necessarily concerned about my flight to Chi town, but I am nervous about my return trip.

I was in Chicago O'Hare two nights ago. What a mess. Quite a few flights cancelled. Out of 5 flights that evening to Los Angeles, only ONE left on time. The rest had mechanical difficulties, or NO PILOTS. There was a plane at the gate, with people waiting that they were hoping pilots would show up for.

While it's easier to get a paper ticket endorsed to another airline, my travel agent tells me that United can print out your e-ticket coupon and endorse it over to another airline if push comes to shove. Also, under code 240 (I think that's what it is), if United doesn't take off, and strands you, they MUST put you on another airline (of course, this doesn't count for weather).

I booked all my travel on United for this summer. So far, only one has been delayed. But if I were to have a choice to go with another airline, I would stay clear of United until the pilot issue has been resolved. Although there were quite a few thunderstorms two nights ago, American Airlines did not have the cancellation that United did (so my travel agent tells me.)

Hope that helps.

Is it possible for the people at United to work any slower?

Cindy, This does all appear to be related to the pilot's refusal to fly O.T. according to a few of my travel agt. friends.

They had a bit of a convenient excuse w/ some bad weather in the midwest recently. I had a direct flight from SMF (Sacramento)to ORD (O'Hare-Chi) set top leave at 6:30 a.m., arriving in Chicago at 12:30 p.m..
The day before, they called me to let me know they were cancelling my flight and the next 2 SMF flights to ORD (10:00 a.m. and 1:30? p.m) were grossly overbooked already and it wasn't worth my time to try standby.
I had a choice of driving to Reno for an 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. flight or wait until 2 p.m. and fly from SMF to SFO then on to ORD putting me there at 9:55 p.m., wasting a full day!
I would have made the 2hr drive to Reno but she told me I'd have to pay extra to return to Reno and not SMF..."What about my car?" I asked..."Can't you fly a charter up there?" was the reply!!!!!

I was supposed to fly home out of ORD 6 days later at 3:30 p.m. They said it would be 45 mins late...then an hour...then 2 hrs...then 6:00p.m....the flight pushed away at 6:30 and finally hit the air around 7:00..oh, with only one bathroom! It was that or the pilot said the flight would be cancelled! We were told to "Go now before we leave".
How embarrassing!
It turns out that the plane was there about 1 hr late but the crew that was supposed to fly it was stuck in Iowa somewhere?!?!
I WOULD WALK ACROSS THE USA ON BROKEN GLASS BEFORE I FLY UNITED AGAIN!

BTW, the flight from SFO to ORD was o'booked by about 100+ !?!?
That made for a lot of happy people, too.
So much for an employee owned company being a better run company!
Kal

ps...maybe a should start a "I hate United because...." thread?

Sorry to be so hopeless naive about flight cancellation policies, but exactly how does this work? Specifically, our flight is at about 7:30 heading westbound. Would they have to put us in a hotel if they cancel? Anything else I should know or other tips from veteran fliers? Thanks again, all.

Hey Cindy, I'm not sure what kind of free ticket you're using on United BUT please remember the airline's "responsibilities" are lessened quite a bit compared to a purchased ticket. For instance, United may or may not put you on another airline if they cancel a flight, may or may not give you overnight accommodations, etc.

I've had it work both ways...Continental has been accommodating when I've used OnePass awards and has once paid for my TWA ticket when they cancelled and once put my overnight for a flight misconnect. HOWEVER, Delta told me "tough luck" when they cancelled my flight home a few weeks ago. Since I was using a free ticket that I received by volunteering my seat on earlier DL flights, I was "non revenue" and the Delta attitude was "you get there when you get there." I paid for my hotel in Atlanta.

Cindy:

In regard to your last question, I've never heard of an airline putting up travelers in a hotel when the cancellation occurs at your home airport--that is, the point of origin on the ticket. That would apply no matter what type of ticket it is.

United has a lot of baggage handler delays also because of union/employee as employer (employee owned) issues. Very complex but because of "bumping" etc.etc. they often do work shut or slow downs. Their seniority people have absolute immunity to many realities of other "service business" issues. Have distant family member in structure and hear the stories more than I want to.
United is my very last choice for any flight. Two years ago I got a free pass from this relative, for myself and my son, to go to Boston. We waited for 10 flights and more than 12 hours to get on. Everything was overbooked, even then. This company "has" the terminals and hub power and can be a beast to navigate. I thanked him for the trip but would rather pay and not be treated like
an annoying detail. Weather can be an
"excuse" when rain is obvious but it can also be a total lie. Just last May I was left high and dry in New York at LaGuardia after being told for 12 hours that it was the rain in the Midwest. It was a part in the cable assembly that I could view being disassembled. In over six hours of that time the other 100 or so passengers were all of the belief that it was the storm. Storm over and guess what- sorry, we can not get the part. Got a free round trip for future but was left in New York with no car, no
available cars to rent, no hotel rooms available, no shuttle to other air ports as it was after 11pm and we had been there almost the whole day already. One middle aged women alone just stood there and cried. We ended up pairing off with
2 others who we just meet and going to
New Jersey with a very kind native who
left us off at a Hertz agency. Rented a
car after 3 more hours and we all DROVE
home to Chicago. This was ATA, but it
is all over the place lately. Don't always expect to get a hotel room in the
bigger cities, even when YOU are paying for it.

Just flew SFO to O'Hare a couple weeks ago. We were one of 3 flights to Chicago which were delayed, overbooked, and ours was the only one not cancelled because we had the good luck of taking a flight that was going on to New York as I recall. UA has a new deal now that even if you have a paper ticket, they may refuse to issue you a seat when you book, telling you that they'll assign you at the airport. This was the case with friends, but when they arrived at the SFO gate they were told the flight was overbooked and most likely they would not have room for them to fly since other flights were being cancelled. Priority was being given to passengers with connections--it's called keep em on UA and don't let them get away. After a 2 hour delay with 3 gate changes we got underway with one of the nastiest, careless crews of flight attendants I've ever experienced and we were in Business! Our return was much the same--nasties at O'Hare and nasties on the plane who disappeared for 1 1/2 hours after dinner, again in Business. United is really deteriorating and now they think they can add USAir?

Cindy, I certainly can't help you with e-ticket/paper ticket or free ticket/paid ticket difference for cancellations, but I can tell you that no airline *ever* has an obligation to put passengers up in a hotel, whether they're at home or elsewhere, whether the cancelation is due to weather, mechanical problems or a strike; when they do this, they do it as a courtesy/mollification. Frankly, United is probably losing so much $$$ right now, I'd be surprised if they're doing much for anyone. I think they're operating on damage control at the minimum level.

If the people at United work any slower the planes will start flying backwards.

Oh boy and I get to fly these clowns for the first time ever next week. Great. At least my flight is DFW to Chicago, a route that is

A: Hard to screw up.
B: Has many other airlines that I could switch to in a pinch.
C: If they really goof it up I can try and see if I can get them to switch me to Midwest Express to Milwaukee, and rent a car to drive to Chicago. I can be really persuasive to these agents. I always have a friendly demeanor and can get them to do almost anything for me. This might be my greatest challenge.

By the by I doubt they're losing $$$$. Their hub system is such that they have a major hub in the east, Dulles, 2 in the Midwest and Mountain West, O'Hare and DIA, and 2 on the west coast, LAX and SFO. There's no escaping them.

United is a public company. They are making more money than ever. Their exact profits are no secret. Their service has never been worse. Notice that they stopped the "Rising" campaign. It was becoming a major embarassment to claim to be rising when every one of your customers knows you're sinking.

Check out the web site..Untied Airlines. I forget the exact url. It is about customer complaints etc. about United. There was even a complaint from a former United flight attendant. It will make you think twice about flying on United.

I do work for UA and yes Cindy we are having a problem with our pilots. They have been working without a contract since April. We along with the passengers(I am a gate agent) are suffering but we do have to get thru it somehow and we do appreciate all of our passengers patience with this matter. Luckily its only about 20% the pilots that are participating in this fiasco but then we have other issues all of our mechanics, ramp and customers service agents have contracts that were up yesterday the 12th. We the cs agents really can't work a slow down we would just be shooting ourselves in the foot. Cindy if your flight is cancelled or delayed it makes no difference if your ticket is free or you paid 2000$ for it we will reissue you the ticket for another airline. That is part of the new passenger bill of rights we are there to help our customers get to their final destination and we hope that since we are there for you in a time of need to get you on another flight that you will choose us again. I do hope that you have no problems with your flight. Good luck.

I hope that I have answered Cindy's questions and put her mind at ease about her flight. I would also like to address a couple of other issues. As for Jeanette I am assuming that the FREE tickets that you recieved were companion passes and am also assuming that the employee did not tell you of the rules of those tickets. Those tickets are a not a right of passage they are standby only. That means that you will get on the plane if there is an empty seat for you behind all other revenue passengers.We have some people that are stuck at the airports for 2 days trying to get out. As for your comment about the "EXCUSE FOR WEATHER" how dare you, remember AA that went down about a year ago due to weather and pilot fatigue. You need to get a grip o life first you damn us for not getting you on a flight that you really had not right to get on and then you attack us by saying that we use excuses to delay and cancel flights. Now why would we do that it creates such a hassle for all including us we do have to deal with unhappy people and that causes some us having to stay later than we would like to deal with these issues so can you give me an answer as to why we would choose to do this you do seem to have all the answers from your distant relative. If we do cancel a flight due to mechanical reasons we are to get you a hotel if yo do have to stay the night. when the cancellation is due to weather we will not accomadate passengers no ailine will. WE do have a heart if there are younger children in a party we will guve hotels or eldery or ill passenegers. It might be nice and suny where you are standing but what about the planes and the crews is it thunderstorming where they are is it snowing are there reserves that we can have work intead of them alot of things play into running a flight. I have been doing this for along time and have seen alot we gain nothing from making our passengers mad they will not return and alot of things are out of our little hands its the guys at the top that do control things even though we are owners we have no say so. For those of you who are loyal to us and understand we say thanks for those oo you who have had bad experiences and are willing to try again thanks for those of you who will not return I am sorry to see you go.