There was a snow storm today. Not much of a surprise that many of the morning flights were canceled. However, a little more surprisingly, was that my sister and my flight to Galveston, not scheduled to take off until 6pm, was canceled. Luckily, I received an email at 4am letting me know that the flight was canceled and that they were going to rebook us on a flight that would have us arrive in Houston on Monday. Mind you, the marathon is Sunday and we already have non-refundable hotel and car rentals for Friday through Tuesday. So, I called this morning and was put on hold for(no exaggeration) three hours. Luckily the majority of my patients had canceled due to the weather, so it was pretty much just me doing notes with elevator music playing in the background.
Finally after several hours, I actually spoke to a real live person who, after much cajoling, was able to book me and my sister on a flight leaving tomorrow arriving in Houston in the afternoon. Okay- so we lost a night's hotel but at least we could still do the race and still have a fun vacation.
Not so fast! After watching "Runner, Runner" a JT and Ben Affleck movie supposedly taking place in Costa Rica but clearly filmed in Puerto Rico(I am so thrilled with myself that I can actually spot the difference:) ), I serendipitously check our flight status.
You guessed it. Flight canceled. Again. So Now I have been up, way past my bed time, awaiting a second phone call. After two hours of no response from United, I decided to utilize their automated system, Alex. I have captured below our correspondence. It certainly makes me want to drive to all my races from now on.
Alex and Danny
Alex: Hi, I'm Alex, your automated united.com guide. I've been designed to make your time on our website as fast and efficient as possible. Just type in a question, keyword or phrase below and I'll take you to the information you're looking for.
You Asked: Hi Alex, It appears my flight from Charlotte to Houston was just canceled. I JUST made this reservation this morning after my reservation was canceled once already. Just want to see what I can do .
Alex: If your flight has been canceled due to weather or another uncontrollable event, our system will have attempted to rebook you on the next available United flight. You can view the changes by selecting the View existing reservations link below. If the changes are satisfactory, no further action is required. If you would like to make changes, select the How do I change my ticket link below. For additional options and information, see this Web page. Flight Delays and Cancellations
You Asked: Okay. I just checked and they referred me to the phone line which I have been on hold with for over 2 hours now. Is there any other way I can reschedule my flight?
Alex: If your flight has not departed and you would like to change your reservation, select the Change Flights option to search for alternate flights. You will be able to review all related costs before finalizing your changes. Manage Reservations
You Asked: Thank you, I tried to do that. However it referred me once again to that phone number. Any other suggestions?
Alex: I can answer many questions about United, but you can find additional contact information on this Web page. Click the plus sign next to one of the categories provided, such as Flight Reservations, to view phone numbers. Contact Info
You Asked: Alex, is there a possibility that I can talk with someone else?
Alex: I can answer many questions about United, but you can find additional contact information on this Web page. Click the plus sign next to one of the categories provided, such as Flight Reservations, to view phone numbers. Contact Info
You Asked: That link doesn't help me much since, once again, you have referred me to the same phone line which I have already been put on hold for over 2 hours now.
Alex: Due to high call volumes, your wait time may be a bit longer. However, you can try asking your question below.
You Asked: Is two hours " a bit longer"?
Alex: I am not positive that I understand what you are asking, please try rewording your question.
You Asked: I was just asking what was an expected wait time to hear from a representative. Who are you representing?
Alex: I'm not sure how to answer that. I understand simple questions best, can you try asking that in a different way?
You Asked: I think it's unusual that airlines cannot anticipate weather and make appropriate calls on whether(oh, pun is intended) it is appropriate to reschedule a flight only to then cancel it
Alex: If your flight has been canceled due to weather or another uncontrollable event, our system will have attempted to rebook you on the next available United flight. You can view the changes by selecting the View existing reservations link below. If the changes are satisfactory, no further action is required. If you would like to make changes, select the How do I change my ticket link below. For additional options and information, see this Web page. Flight Delays and Cancellations
You Asked: Alex, I think you have done it again. Last night when my flight today was canceled you rebooked me to fly into Newark tonight, then I was to fend for myself until Monday(mind you after my marathon)
Alex: In some cases where severe weather or other uncontrollable events are impacting our operations, flights may be delayed or canceled. For more information on exception policies, see this Web page.
If your flight has been canceled or delayed, the system may have already attempted to rebook you on the next available United flight. You can view the changes by selecting the View Existing Reservations link below. For more information, select the How Do I Change My Ticket link below.Flight Delays and Cancellations
If your flight has been canceled or delayed, the system may have already attempted to rebook you on the next available United flight. You can view the changes by selecting the View Existing Reservations link below. For more information, select the How Do I Change My Ticket link below.Flight Delays and Cancellations
You Asked: IN addition to the annoyance of you poor ineffectual answers, the character count for this problem is very frustrating
Alex: I'm not sure how to answer that. I understand simple questions best, can you try asking that in a different way?
You Asked: I'm sure there are hundreds of ways to reword my frustration and complaints but as a lowly pleb, I doubt my concerns impact you much
Alex: If you would like to provide feedback on a recent travel experience, use the form on this Web page. If you would like to contact United regarding future flight reservations, select the Contact Us link below. Contact United Customer Care
You Asked: Thank you. I will probably do exactly that. As well as encourage anyone I speak with to avoid flying on United.
Alex: You're welcome. Let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.
You Asked: My point exactly
Alex: MileagePlus is United's award-winning loyalty program. Members can earn award miles by flying United, United Express, Copa Airlines or any Star Alliance member and MileagePlus partner airlines, and by purchasing products and services from a wide variety of MileagePlus partners worldwide. Members can also use award miles for flights and a variety of everyday purchases and activities. MileagePlus Overview
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| The bane of my existence |
So I'm not sure whether we will actually make it to Galveston or not, but it is looking less and less likely as we are now in the third hour of phone elevator music(which if you're counting, brings me up to almost six hours for the day!). Yes, I agree, there are very few trips worth this kind of effort, and I'm sure Galveston is not one of them
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