I spoke with the UAL lady last week to find out how the tickets became invalid. The tickets had become invalid because they have been extended by a month beyond the 3 month grace period. When I requested the tickets to be changed in San Diego, I wasn't told that the tickets would become expired by doing so. Neither has it been mentioned to my parents, and they were allowed to board the flight from Omaha without any mention of it. UAL says its too late to check and its all speculation. However, this speculation has remnants and side effects that are very real and has cost us lots of money, time and unnecessary frustrations.
I told UAL that I am tired of all this and I would like to settle this matter, but that I would like to know how much will be refunded for the unused portion of the tickets by sharing the information with the other UAL department that can determine how much can be refunded. She said that she would try her best, and I believe her. I don't think this is an unreasonable request and that UAL should be able to provide me with that information. So, hopefully I would hear from UAL next week or so about this. Whatever little refund I can get from them will be given to the charity I mentioned in a previous blog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Never ever give up! While you may get something, you will probably not get treated fairly for your time and aggravation. Don't relent and say that whatever they offer is good enough just because you are tired.
As you have already done, publicize the living daylights out of this. We should all boycott all domestic US carriers because they all take unfair advantage of us, though clearly United, American, and Northwest are the worst, and Midwest Express seems to be one of the best.
Let the airlines rot in their own jetwash! Drive! Get a boat! Take the train! Or, even, stay home!
Fighting the airlines can be miserable as you've no doubt already concluded. Though I've never heard of a case precisely like this, I suggest you attempt bringing increased pressure on the airline to own up to its obligations. First, the airline accepted payment in exchange for two valid tickets, a fact undisputed even by them. If for any reason the tickets were used in a way or on a date other than originally contemplated, it was with the acknowledgement and consent of the airline. Your parents were not stowaways and boarded only with the airline's knowledge of, and consent to, their passage! To cancel their tickets in midflight over a perceived technicality is not only unreasonable it is an act Draconian in nature which visits a venial fault (if there was in fact any) with oppressive retribution!
If you haven't already tried this, send your story to the action reporters at TV networks who have such reporters or activists on their staff. They can showcase this with intensity, in a light that will make UAL cough up quickly.
If all else fails, have your parents assign to you their right to any claims in connection with the tickets and then sue the airline in small claims court. Depending on certain technical requirements you may have to start a suit for each parent instead of one suit for both. I assure you the judge or arbitrator will be sympathetic. I know because I was one of those arbitrators. However, the roughest part is bringing the suit without your parents being available to testify. Since it is a small claims court which is not bound by the formal rules of evidence try substituting an affidavit signed and sworn to by both parents in lieu of their appearance and testimony. It might work. When you pay a visit to the court to take out the summons, ask the clerk about the use of an affidavit in lieu of testimony or ask him to point you to any written rules govening its use. Before starting the suit be sure your case won't fail if your parents cannot be in court to testify live to the facts they are acquainted with.
The likelihood is that the airline will want to avoid the negative exposure and settle with you. In any event my good wishes are with you and your parents.
Thank you both for the encouraging words and for lifting up my spirits. Thank you for these wonderful ideas, especially coming from a former arbitrator. I will try to work on these suggestions.
Thank you again.
Mahesh
You can continue to be patient and hope something will result through their customer (dis)service department, or you can do something simple that will get results. GO TO THE SMALL CLAIMS CLAIMS COURT OFFICE AT 1819 FARNUM AND GET THE FORMS TO FILE A LAWSUIT. There is also a brochure describing the process. It's really simple and costs about $40 to file (recoverable from UAL if you win). Part of the process is calling the NE Secretary of State in Lincoln to find out who accepts notice in NE for UAL. Just follow the instructions. You are 99% certain to hear from a UAL lawyer with a settlement offer prior to the trial date.
I have just stumbled upon your blog while searching 'united refunds'... and am glad that I am not alone in my frustration with their 'policies' which seem to be constructed at will to serve their own interests. I recently flew with United to Illinois for my grandfather's funeral. I called the airline to confirm my return flight to find they had cancelled my reservation. I was told that I would have to rebook my flight but was no longer able to receive the bereivement fare since I had cancelled that reservation- which I had nothing to do with. They told me I would receive a refund for the cancelled reservation and could rebook my flight for only a few dollars more. Like a fool and out of desperation I believed them. It is now 2 months later and I have still not received my refund. I have called multiple times and have been given different reasons, different refund amounts and different time frames during each call.
I will never fly with United again!
I wish you the best of luck with your battle.
Update?
Any updates? I would like to know how it turns out...
I hate United and never fly with them precisely for problems such as this. Don't waste your time with UAL!
There are always problems with airlines some more than others and it does not even matter what you pay for the flight, business, club,first and even coach it is always the same, I was looking for British Airways Cheap Flights and as a reputable company expected the best, I arrived at the airport to find that the seat had been reclaimed and the only way I could fly then was to pay full price gutted would be what I would use to describle how I felt, however a few weeks later I got a letter from BA and a check for the difference, sometimes they can be nice even after the fact, on saying that I have had some awful experiences with ten or so different airlines around the world.
A united airline is the best for traveling and its services are really good. These are many people traveling by united airlines. They provide to all facilities of their passengers.
Outsourcing Solution in BPO
Very informatics blog !! I am also collecting information about airlines, cheap airline booking services providers and list them on my blog as well as my website too.
Post a Comment