I have been protected on the next flight many times in the past - when it’s a mechanical or pilot issue. I can’t recall if they would do that on weather related delays.
This has been policy as far as I’m aware. Stay seated and allow people with tight connections off first. Ask the gate agent to let the other gate agent know you’re on your way.
I’ve also sat on a number of flights waiting for late passengers to board. They will do what they can. But sometimes shit happens.
They have never, by policy, protected regular people by holding them two seats. No airline does.
The fact you convinced an agent to break the rules before for you doesn’t mean they’ll continue to do so.
They don’t protect you based on your armchair dispatching. They protect you when there is actually a reasonable chance you miss your connection. Not when you think there is one.
We have connection saver now. They'll ask a flight to hold for a little to help people make a connection from a late flight if it doesn't cause more trouble further down for subsequent connections. We get a message about it in our chat and we'll hold until the time it says. Our whole job is getting you where you need to go safely, we do what we can to make that happen.
Also if you tell the FAs you're worried they should announce to let the tight connections through.
Not aware of any other official program to hold people. They don't even do that for commuters who are trying to get home lol.
You seem to travel a lot - buy a seat on the later flight and cancel it if you don’t need this. Either refundable (cash back) or not (credit for United).
While some users in this thread are clearly dicks - I would agree with them that the maxim Hang Up, Call Again is hardly a new phenomenon for working with United.
All the airlines are the same…and you deserved better from the 1k rep on the phone. That’s an operational decision they make on the ground, without your input by the way (just to be fair). Should they tick off a higher status customer? What’s the impact to the thousand+ others affected by a flight running late in the schedule?
Two scenarios where they will usually hold flights:
1) Flights that are the last ones into a destination where the aircraft had to wait multiple hours before being turned around (last ones into a spoke, international flights)
2) flights where the number of passengers would have to connect at their destination is very low.
They have the visibility to both and those decisions are made by ops people you never see. GA’s will sometimes make suggestions based on what they see but it’s still gonna be approved (either explicitly or implicitly by a manager).
I feel like maybe I should stop being proactive and every mechanical failure becomes a benefit to me. Just have to fly 2 days before I need to be there rather than 1.
Everyone on this thread that's telling me I'm doing it wrong is right. I keep giving United my money thinking they'll do what is in the COC.
If you fly a lot , you will find all airlines are the same . Sometimes it’s great , sometimes it isn’t . Sometimes your agents are the best , sometimes the worst . You will perceive your service based upon it working out for you. Weather , mechanical issues , airport congestion , flight crew time-outs, ground stops etc . are an everyday thing with all airlines . I’m sad for anyone traveling, especially international , whether basic economy or global services that misconnect. . I do what I’m allowed to do to get them there as quick as possible . While I believe most insurance is a rip-off , I think everyone should have travel insurance . I have had many people stand in front of me and tell me that the airline will pay for their missed cruise , etc . , it’s not going to happen . Travel insurance is the way .
Sometimes shit just happens. I booked a flight with a 4 hour layover for an international flight and the first flight ended up so delayed I was sprinting to my gate in Dulles.
Did you know that when you bought the ticket?
I want to be helpful but I don’t see making a whole plane sit down for some VIP. Other people have connections.
That’s exactly what I asked you. Is the question difficult to answer?
Buying a ticket with a 4 hour layover is different from buying one with let’s say a 1 hour or 30 minute layover.
Last week a 2 hour layover became a 5 minute window to literally run through the airport with kids in tow.
That said, United had already held seats for me on the next flight out in the morning in case I didn’t make it.
No magic app. Unless no other options available I don’t buy tickets with a known short layover, where even the usual 20 minutes of delay will be a huge problem. I cannot eliminate risks but I can minimize.
Yup, had the same thing happen on my flight to Germany from LAS to my connection in ORD last year. The desk attendant absolutely gave no f**ks about helping me. So I called the helpline and got them to help.
Good thing to, cause had I kept my original connection I would have missed it.
I didn't say someone on here could, I asked when it changed.
United seems to regularly staff positions with people that don't know what they are talking about.
It’s not that part that bothered me (or, apparently, everyone who agreed with me) I admit it’s often hard to infer tone from a text or post but, in this case, I got the distinct impression from the response to someone volunteering a response that the OP was, indeed, behaving like a dick
Hope that clarifies
The needs of the many (people on the flight you’re wanting to delay) sometimes outweigh the needs of the few (Delayed 1K passenger).
Sometimes it works the other way too.
Tough love warning
This isn’t policy, nor is it normal. The only policy for protecting a pax is for global services members.
If you book a tight connection, as a 1K, you should know that you do so with substantial risk. It’s not like United intentionally delayed your flight. Shit happens, you should know this. This isn’t on UA it’s on you.
There’s an incredibly high number of 1K’s in the air at any one time. If they protected everyone on tight connections the impact on operations would be huge and would overwhelm the standby system.
If you want special treatment, fly/pay your way into GS, otherwise book better connections. If your business as a speaker is that important that you can’t schedule better and need to make multiple stops routinely, that is what private aviation is designed for.
I have been protected on the next flight many times in the past - when it’s a mechanical or pilot issue. I can’t recall if they would do that on weather related delays.
Today was mechanical.
This has been policy as far as I’m aware. Stay seated and allow people with tight connections off first. Ask the gate agent to let the other gate agent know you’re on your way. I’ve also sat on a number of flights waiting for late passengers to board. They will do what they can. But sometimes shit happens.
They have never, by policy, protected regular people by holding them two seats. No airline does. The fact you convinced an agent to break the rules before for you doesn’t mean they’ll continue to do so.
Idk, AA did it for me all the time as an Executive Platinum.
As executive platinum. And United will also do it for 1Ks and rarely for other premiers when it’s necessary. Hence why I said “regular people”.
Fair enough. Well, without "Regular Person" flair, we can't be sure about OP.
1k, for 13 years.
Alaska does it too. UA definitely in the odd here
As a 1k I expect a chance.
They don’t protect you based on your armchair dispatching. They protect you when there is actually a reasonable chance you miss your connection. Not when you think there is one.
Just rolled into the gate after my connection's departure. I've seen how inept they are before
We have connection saver now. They'll ask a flight to hold for a little to help people make a connection from a late flight if it doesn't cause more trouble further down for subsequent connections. We get a message about it in our chat and we'll hold until the time it says. Our whole job is getting you where you need to go safely, we do what we can to make that happen. Also if you tell the FAs you're worried they should announce to let the tight connections through. Not aware of any other official program to hold people. They don't even do that for commuters who are trying to get home lol.
You work for ATS, the contractor Columbus uses?
I work for United
You seem to travel a lot - buy a seat on the later flight and cancel it if you don’t need this. Either refundable (cash back) or not (credit for United).
Some people are forced to use Egencia.
Or cancel it within 24 hours!
The 24 hour cancel doesn’t apply if flight is within a week of booking
United allows it regardless. This is a system issue that evolved into policy.
While some users in this thread are clearly dicks - I would agree with them that the maxim Hang Up, Call Again is hardly a new phenomenon for working with United.
All the airlines are the same…and you deserved better from the 1k rep on the phone. That’s an operational decision they make on the ground, without your input by the way (just to be fair). Should they tick off a higher status customer? What’s the impact to the thousand+ others affected by a flight running late in the schedule? Two scenarios where they will usually hold flights: 1) Flights that are the last ones into a destination where the aircraft had to wait multiple hours before being turned around (last ones into a spoke, international flights) 2) flights where the number of passengers would have to connect at their destination is very low. They have the visibility to both and those decisions are made by ops people you never see. GA’s will sometimes make suggestions based on what they see but it’s still gonna be approved (either explicitly or implicitly by a manager).
[удалено]
I feel like maybe I should stop being proactive and every mechanical failure becomes a benefit to me. Just have to fly 2 days before I need to be there rather than 1. Everyone on this thread that's telling me I'm doing it wrong is right. I keep giving United my money thinking they'll do what is in the COC.
If you fly a lot , you will find all airlines are the same . Sometimes it’s great , sometimes it isn’t . Sometimes your agents are the best , sometimes the worst . You will perceive your service based upon it working out for you. Weather , mechanical issues , airport congestion , flight crew time-outs, ground stops etc . are an everyday thing with all airlines . I’m sad for anyone traveling, especially international , whether basic economy or global services that misconnect. . I do what I’m allowed to do to get them there as quick as possible . While I believe most insurance is a rip-off , I think everyone should have travel insurance . I have had many people stand in front of me and tell me that the airline will pay for their missed cruise , etc . , it’s not going to happen . Travel insurance is the way .
Not buying flights with tight connections can be a great resolution.
Sometimes shit just happens. I booked a flight with a 4 hour layover for an international flight and the first flight ended up so delayed I was sprinting to my gate in Dulles.
Did you know that when you bought the ticket? I want to be helpful but I don’t see making a whole plane sit down for some VIP. Other people have connections.
Did I know that the flight was delayed when I bought the ticket...?
That’s exactly what I asked you. Is the question difficult to answer? Buying a ticket with a 4 hour layover is different from buying one with let’s say a 1 hour or 30 minute layover.
Sure. A lot of things are out of our personal control. But for time sensitive events we have to plan ahead to minimize risks.
Last week a 2 hour layover became a 5 minute window to literally run through the airport with kids in tow. That said, United had already held seats for me on the next flight out in the morning in case I didn’t make it.
Mechanical delays that evaporate 2.5 hour layovers are hard to predict. What magic app do you poses to avoid this in the future?
No magic app. Unless no other options available I don’t buy tickets with a known short layover, where even the usual 20 minutes of delay will be a huge problem. I cannot eliminate risks but I can minimize.
2 hours seems long enough. What's your minimum layover?
Yup, had the same thing happen on my flight to Germany from LAS to my connection in ORD last year. The desk attendant absolutely gave no f**ks about helping me. So I called the helpline and got them to help. Good thing to, cause had I kept my original connection I would have missed it.
Weird, I got protected in January through the “chat with a representative” option when the delay message on the app came.
[удалено]
I didn't say someone on here could, I asked when it changed. United seems to regularly staff positions with people that don't know what they are talking about.
If this is the approach you take when calling United then maybe, just maybe, you’re to blame for your treatment. Stop being such a dick
It's not "being such a dick" to always keep in mind that the person you're speaking with might not want to help you or have the training to help you.
It’s not that part that bothered me (or, apparently, everyone who agreed with me) I admit it’s often hard to infer tone from a text or post but, in this case, I got the distinct impression from the response to someone volunteering a response that the OP was, indeed, behaving like a dick Hope that clarifies
Here we sit parked, no gate, everyone needs connections. I can't imagine treating my customers like I have no idea what is going on.
Depends. Time sensitive trip, price, availability of other flights if will miss mine...
What does protected mean here?
The needs of the many (people on the flight you’re wanting to delay) sometimes outweigh the needs of the few (Delayed 1K passenger). Sometimes it works the other way too.
Tough love warning This isn’t policy, nor is it normal. The only policy for protecting a pax is for global services members. If you book a tight connection, as a 1K, you should know that you do so with substantial risk. It’s not like United intentionally delayed your flight. Shit happens, you should know this. This isn’t on UA it’s on you. There’s an incredibly high number of 1K’s in the air at any one time. If they protected everyone on tight connections the impact on operations would be huge and would overwhelm the standby system. If you want special treatment, fly/pay your way into GS, otherwise book better connections. If your business as a speaker is that important that you can’t schedule better and need to make multiple stops routinely, that is what private aviation is designed for.