Cancelled Flight AND Overcharged
 

I was planning on flying to Halifax last month, and got a ticket 4 weeks ahead of time for $450. About 4 days before the trip, I had to change the itinerary to leave a day earlier and was charged an additional $1300. Then, my flight on the earlier day was CANCELLED, and I was rescheduled to leave on my original flight day. However, I did not receive any kind of a refund, and customer service basically told me "tough luck." Not only that, but when I found out my flight was cancelled the night before, I called to see if I could be rerouted. I was connected to someone in India, who told me he was putting me on a Delta Flight that would get me to my 2nd connection on time to get to Halifax, but when I showed up at the Airport, it turned out that nothing had been done to change my ticket. I WAS a premier member with united, but I will definitely be shopping around for another carrier.

Yeah, nothing one sided about those airline contracts is there? It was no doubt all in clause 6,887 on your T&Cs. Disgrace

The initial change was voluntary and I'm guessing the $1300 you paid was a combination of the change fee and the additional fare for wanting to leave a day early. When you purchase a ticket in advance and then change the departure date the ticket is re-fared as if you were buying a new ticket. If you no longer have a one or two week advance the fare will almost always increase significantly.

When the flight on the new departure date canceled you had the option of a full refund. Since you obviously still needed to travel to Halifax you opted to re-schedule to the next day which, coincidentally, was your original departure date. My advice would be to pen a concise letter to United detailing what happened and request that the difference in fare that you paid plus the change fee be refunded since you paid a premium fare to depart a day earlier and United did not deliver. If they do not respond favorably there is little you can do as it is within their contract of carriage to charge you the higher fare for a change initiated by you. Your last recourse would be small claims court and you can hope for a default judgment should United fail to appear.

Sadly, I do not think a small claims court would find in your favour on this one, because you had the option (which I would have taken) of accepting a full refund. If you had to change it to a day earlier and pay such a whopping fee, and now you were unable to attend the event you rescheduled for, I would have reconsidered the whole trip. Unfortunately, Halifax is so remote (if you mean Halifax NS), flying to a nearby airport and renting a car probably isn't an option!

Jim - are you getting soft 'round the edges? Here I am recommending small claims and you're recommending to roll over and take the punches. Are you well? LOL

Dare I say it.... but Jim are you getting kickbacks from United now????? Damn you Jim.... but uhhhhhh where do I sign? LOL

Yeah, these kickbacks are really starting to add up... now, how much do you think I can get out of Delta for being nice about them.. bidding would have to start in the millions..