Unfair System for Prioritizing Standby
 

Our flight was delayed due to mechanical problems in Boston and we were stranded in Houston due to missed connection to Salt Lake. We were booked on a flight for 36 hrs later and told we could try standby. So we did and observed 6 people being compensated to leave the first oversold flight and in addition given a confirmed seat 2 hrs later on Delta to SLC. This despite letting the agents know our situation which by the way is a family emergency with a confused elderly woman looking after her husband in intensive care following emergency surgery. (My parents). There should be some/any system to fairly prioritize stranded passengers. What has happened to us may even be illegal and I'm going to lodge as many complaints as possible.

You clearly don't understand the system. Better to learn it first then make your complaint, cuz then, there wouldn't be one.

Thanks for reply. That's why I started here. I'll look for a summary of the system and try to learn it well enough to be dangerous next time

The pertinent clause from United's Contract of Carriage:

"At the Passenger’s request, provided that the tariff covering the original transportation permits routing via the carrier which will transport the Passenger, UA will re-accommodate the Passenger in the same class of service on the next available flight on another carrier, or combination of carriers, if the length of the delay to the Passenger’s destination exceeds two hours. "

To push United's button we would have had to specifically request they put us on the other carrier instead of expecting them to do it automatically.

Sorry to have to say this but airlines are there to make money, totally lack any compassion and the priority lists show that. The scale goes something like this..... Full fare First Class passengers, then the declining levels of frequent flyer and the decreasing fare classes, finishing up with where you probably fall. I suspect an infrequent flyer, coach class, and a heavily discounted ticket. That puts you right at the end.....