beanweb24

**Repost from Airlines board**

My parents bought flights from IAD-MIA in June for a flight tomorrow. They have a connection in Charlotte, NC, and then switch to a codeshare flight operated by US Airways.

About 3 weeks ago, there was a schedule change. My parents tried to change their flights due to a very long layover in Charlotte, but no luck.

Fast forward to today when they tried to check in online and failed. United claims they never reissued their eticket after the schedule change and will do so but it may take 6 hours. Further, they are unable to get US Air to reissue that portion of the flight, as US Air claims they're waiting for the reissue from United.

Sigh.

I wouldn't be so worried if the flights from CLT to MIA tomorrow night are sold out. Worst case scenario, they spend the night in CLT and fly out on Sat.

My question: I think the 6 hour wait period for a United eticket reissue is a stalling tactic or something... Does anyone have any magic words for getting an eticket reissued on United? I've had this issue in the past with united on several occassions and they were NEVER able to reissue my ticket over the phone...always had to do it in person at check in. I know this is an option, but with flights already sold out, waiting until tomorrow may be too late.

Andrew

Of course, try the tactic of asking for a supervisor until you get someone who can really help you. You might also check to see if flights are already sold out, making it a moot point. At some point United will have the responsibility of getting your parents from IAD to MIA; it might wind up being easier if they can take another route ahead of time from IAD instead of having to go through Charlotte.

If you are really that worried, check with the pros over at flyertalk.com .

beanweb24

Thanks...I may try flyertalk. My parents are going on a cruise leaving from Miami, so we're all a little concerned at the moment!

Andrew

Call United again and hammer them. If you get a person who seems tentative and unsure of himself/herself, ask for a supervisor who seems to know what he/she is talking about. Remember, the airlines hire temporary overflow CS people this time of year to handle extra load so you aren't going to be guaranteed to get the sharpest knives in the drawer upon the first phone call. It may take a few transfers. Just explain the urgency of your request as calmly, politely, and directly as possible.

Also, a more direct if inconvenient approach might be going down to IAD directly and talking to an agent there, since those people will be the ones dealing with it in the end. And they seem to have more authority to make changes to tickets than the people you talk to on the phone.

I would try to figure out yourself what the alternatives are for getting from IAD to MIA instead of going through Charlotte - even other airlines. And consider FLL as an alternate airport - it's just an extra shuttle ride to MIA. Inconvenient but better than being a day late for a cruise. Figure out the options and have them ready when a United agent tells you it's impossible - even if it's a different airline (not Southwest) because if need be United can put them on a different carrier.

beanweb24

Thank you...I had already suggested to them to get in the car and go to IAD - glad to hear that someone else supports that option!

JetBlue does fly IAD to West Palm Beach and has seats available...just expensive ones. So there are definitely some alternatives, painful as they may be.

I've always wondered what the "eticket reissue" issue is with United and why they fail to do it AND claim that it takes anywhere from 6 hours to an overnight replication.

Andrew

I'm guessing United won't put them on a JetBlue flight, but maybe American or Delta (not their first choice, but they have reciprocal agreements). And again, I would phone again until you get a supervisor who can explain why it takes six hours to re-issue and eTicket. (Could be that it has to interface with USAir and United has no control over it...)

cricket9

My daughter just had a nightmare checkin with United, due to changes in her ticket. The agent was rude & she spent almost 2 hours trying to resolve the problem, almost missing her flight. No one in our family will ever fly United again.

beanweb24

I wish I could say United's service improved after the eticket was finally reissued (required a few hours on the phone and several demands to speak to a supervisor), but it got worse.

My parents' flight on 12/21 was delayed several hours, so my parents went to grab some food. My dad paid attention to his boarding pass and overhead monitor which both said the flight would depart from A21. Well...at some point the flight dropped off the screen completely, and when my dad went to investigate, he discovered that they had changed the gate to A25 and departed earlier than previously announced. My parents were 2 of 25 people who all missed their flight. They then tried to fly standby on a flight much later in the evening, and the flight was full.

My parents went back to Dulles on 12/21 and got a flight to Tampa...which is a 6 hour drive from Miami. United and US Air claimed they couldn't find my parents' baggage, but my parents wisely went to the Miami airport and discovered it sitting there unattended from the previous day.

On 12/23, cruise day, my dad called United to confirm his flight home on 12/30 after the cruise. The ticket agent said the flights had been canceled and that United had not rebooked my parents on any flight. My dad thought he got it all fixed (after another hour on the phone) and we had our 7 day cruise.

The day we got back to the port in Miami and went to checkin at US Air (for the US Air portion of the flight), US Air discovered that my parents had NOT been rebooked on another flight...and, in fact, United had canceled the entire return portion of their flight!

The US Air agent was able to get everything taken care of (required him working with United for about 45 minutes) and my parents were on their way.

We've never received such god awful service from United in our lives.

gail

Many (?all) of United phone people have been outsourced to India - and without getting into yet another discussion that turns racist/ethnist, I have not found that they have full understanding of the system.

That said, if a flight is delayed, I find it is not unusual to have the gate change as necessary for traffic. And if one does not make the first portion of a ticket, the subsequent segments are cancelled. For some reason known only to airlines, they do not "pick up" the remainder of the itinerary if you rebook first for missed flight - you have to redo the whole thing. Yes, the airline should have told you that, but it is good to know.

Andrew

After being treated rudely and poorly by American Airlines last Christmas (2006) I've been trying to fly Southwest Airlines whenever possible. I'm just tired of being treated like dirt by the "major" airlines, because you hear horror stories like these about them all the time. Southwest on the other hand actually seems to care about their customers.

Vote with your dollars. Stop patronizing the airlines that screw you over.

beanweb24

I am fully aware that the airlines will cancel the second leg of a flight if you do not use the first portion. However, United rebooked my parents on a flight from IAD to Tampa, which means that they DID use the first leg of their ticket.

Furthermore, my Dad called United on 12/23 to confirm his flight on 12/30...at which time the agent said the flight had been canceled, but that he could rebook my parents on a different flight. My dad stayed online until he got confirmation of their flights on 12/30.

On 12/30, their whole ticket was canceled.

Given that my parents weren't just a no show for their first flight and that they called repeatedly to confirm the flight home, I fail to see why this would be a case of United canceling a return ticket for the first leg being unused...it wasn't.

5alive

beanweb24, so sorry your family went through all of that. Sad, I used to fly United years ago in college and their service was king back then.

I agree to vote with your dollars. Another option if you fly out west is Alaskan. We have had good experiences with them.

spirobulldog

I had a very smilar experience with United this past 6 weeks. I had spent probably between 8 and 10 hours worth of phone calls to try and get my ticket that I had cancelled reissued on a different flight. I got an email that said confirmed but not guaranteed. I finally drove 2 hours to the airport and it was resolved in less than 15 minutes. I was tired of trying to talk to someone in Bombay.

gail

Somehow if you rebook the first leg, some airlines don't match it up with return portion from the first flight - very similar thing happened to us on Air Tran - and we checked in 3 times to make sure it was all set.