Travel Troubleshooter: Refund from United flight falls short
Refund from United flight falls short
While I was visiting Los Angeles recently with my husband, I received an email from United Airlines saying that our flight back to Cleveland in two days was canceled because of “severe weather conditions in (its) route network.”
Because I had booked online at United.com and had no travel agent, I spent nearly four hours on the phone, much of it on hold, trying to get our original flight.
[...] frustration occurred because my husband is claustrophobic on planes, so we always pay for seat upgrades to get more legroom.
No one seemed able to guarantee that — except on the red-eye, getting us in only an hour and a half before Monday classes we had to teach.
At that point, out of curiosity, I checked United.com to find that not only was the original flight still scheduled, but our very seats were available.
[...] we paid $1,273 to book it and get back what United had canceled and to get home as we had planned, thinking it couldn’t be that hard to get a refund.
[...] given that United still operated your original flight as scheduled, I think your confusion was justified.
[...] the airline may “substitute alternate carriers or aircraft, delay or cancel flights, and alter or omit stopping places or connections shown on the ticket at any time.”
Because it says it can, that’s why.
There are various factors involved in pricing an airline ticket, such as fare class purchased and taxes.
United also sent you two $200 vouchers as a “goodwill gesture,” which will more than make up for the lost money.