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Just been contacted by an elderly friend of mine in the US (not a frequent traveller) who had just booked, and immediately cancelled a flight to the UK (incurring a cancellation penalty).
Reason is that after booking she was presented with the following screen https://ibb.co/KKTnCC8 and panicked at the thought of paying £2000 and being quarantined for 2 weeks.
I’m absolutely appalled that one of the biggest airlines in the world is supplying information to passengers that is 2.5 years out of date. I submitted a complaint but is there anything else I can do?
That seems quite dubious.
United, like all US airlines, allow flights to be cancelled for free for any reason in the first 24 hours for a full refund.
If after 24 hours, United doesn’t have any cancellation fees, you can refund any flight and you either get a full refund or the full amount you paid as flight credit.No idea on the detail, as I said she’s elderly and I’ve just had a chat with her on whatsapp. But not really my point, why are they showing 2.5 year old information and how can I get them to fix it
@davefl you have no power as a single consumer to force a major US airline to change its website. I tried getting the Courtyard Luton Airport to update its incorrect breakfast times on the Marriott website but it’s still wrong.
Focus instead on two things.
First, the refund of the ticket price. As per comment above, free cancellation within 24 hrs is the law for all US airlines. If the ticket was cancelled during that period, don’t submit a complaint on customer service. Focus solely on contacting payment queries team or such like re an incomplete refund amount.
Second thing, it sounds like this lady was internet savvy enough to buy a flight ticket online herself, and to do some online research on the now extinct UK hotel quarantine system. So she can navigate online ok; but like many her age she instinctiveky expects everything she reads online to be accurate and up to date. So perhaps as a reassurance, encourage her to tell others before she’s about to make a significant online purchase. She can double check her info with someone else, and also flag any alarming info to before doing anything rash like cancelling a flight.
Personally I would love to see governments spend some of the tax take wisely on information veracity skills for older people (not internet skills per se). But I have little hope of that happening sadly.
@Blair Waldorf Salad honestly she isn’t really. I think she has a knackered old iphone 8 and that’s about it. She may have cancelled after 24 hours, I’m really light on detail from her.
She messaged me an hour ago saying she’s rebooked the ticket and is coming regardless of our conversation last night about the risks of covid (sitting in a room ‘breathing’ for 5 hours a day) where she was adamant it was a silly idea to come over. She’s somewhat of a hippy chick and the sole purpose of her visit it to go to a 4 day “breathe” workshop/retreat with some guru.
Waiting on a reply to my complaint to United (estimate is 14 days) and I fully expect them to do nothing. Maybe a complain to the FAA next?
First reply to complaint:
“Thank You For Contacting United Customer Care.
While I appreciate that this may be disappointing and stressful, after all, it has been for the last 2.5 years, but according to airline policy and passenger safety, we must follow the rules and regulations. I hope you understand.”Clearly doesn’t understand plain English, my complaint was that the regulations had not been in place for 2.5 years.
I asked for it to be escalated to someone who could understand what I’d written.
I don’t really know what you are complaining about.
The website does indeed seem outdated but it also says you should check some other link for more info (that link takes you to a place with up to date info).
Your friend while elderly basically:
– booked the flight
– saw the notice
– still went ahead with the purchase (this message shows BEFORE paying)
– then regretted and cancelled
– but waited more than 24hrs to do so
– then decided she wanted to fly regardless so went ahead and rebooked
– all to see a breathing guru here in the UKIf you want to fight something, focus on getting the money back if she indeed cancelled on the first 24hrs. The rest is just screaming at a cloud.
@Blair Waldorf Salad
“Personally I would love to see governments spend some of the tax take wisely on information veracity skills for older people”
It’s not just older people. Too many people of all ages accept without question everything they see on line. And on TV.
I would have thought life experience would make older people more sceptical.
@yonasl I’d have thought it was bloody obvious.
During the pandemic I appreciate that it was difficult for organisations and particularly airlines to keep up with the constantly changing rules and the at times incomprehensible changes of policy by certain governments.
What is completely unnacceptable is for an airline the size of United to be telling their customers that PLAs and quarrantine hotels are required 2.5 years after they were abolished.
As far as I am aware there are no countries anywhere in the world with such covid measures still in place.
@davefl unfortunately there’s no legal protection or dispute resolution framework for you, me, or anybody else in case of annoyance or finding something “completely unacceptable”.
I’ll tell you how your complaint to the FAA would go.
1. It would be politely kicked to the long grass due to you not exhausting United’s own complaints/ resolution process. Of which there will be at least 3 layers if not 4 or 5. Likely it’d be accompanied by a nicely worded explanation that they are a Federal Agency with a clearly defined charter. Acting as a government level complaints arbitor for single person/ party issues not being within their remit. Over simplifying somewhat. The consumer aspect of their activities being focused on entire consumer base issues and/or introducing legislative amendments or ratification by the executive branch.
2. If for some bizarre reason someone read your complaint, happened to be in a brilliant mode and felt like involving themselves in something outside their charter then they’d probably write back saying how frustrating it must’ve been but after talking to United they’ve assured that despite that notice appearing on the screen due to a technical error the system would never have taken any additional fees therefore your elderly friend was never at risk of being overcharged or incorrectly billed. United were also kind enough to provide evidence of the multiple locations and the sales flow incidences where they sign post end users towards the ability to cancel any booking within 24 hours without penalty.If a consumer does not avail themselves of their rights & protections effective at the point of sale & the company can demonstrate it’s provision of a copy of these in a compliant manner then they are not responsible for said consumers own error or failure to act in a timely manner as highlighted to them.
@C2K77 Thank you for that ramble, but I’m not complaining about any fee or anything to do with my friend’s situation.
United should not be teliing customers that UK pandemic regulations are still in effect. I’ve asked for escalation to someone who can understand english as the 1st line complaint handler clearly couldn’t.
Why is it that you and all the other posters as usual have made assumptions about my complaint. Nowhere have i said that I’ve complained to United about the charge/refund, only that I’ve made a complaint about the incorrect information that is being supplied to passengers every day.
It gets really boring on here when people make assumptions/answer a different question to those asked based on incorrect assumptions and just go off on a ramble like pretty much everyone above has done.
Ummm… I was shown a page with covid requirements last week when in MMB for the ex-European return half of a ticket I was using up. Ticket booked 8 months ago, the outward flown 7 months ago. Shown the covid requiremrnts by the BA site more than once when checking the booking around 1 week before the return.
I’d suspect a few airlines hsve not fully eliminated old routings through covid requirement pages on their websites not just BA and UA.
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