[Silent Bob]

Jim, all this back and forth between you and I still falls back to one thing: The Itinerary. But let me break apart your reply to me shall we.

You havn't got a clue why US Airways didn't help them... so you are now making things up to try and reconcile the illogic of your position.

You're absolutely right Jim! I don't have a clue, you don't have a clue, no one does but the mother and daughter who were actually there. The entire story is based on 3rd person, so there's some detail missing. The itinerary states the flight is a US Airs flight and there's really no reason why they could not assist them, since it's their hub.

You have two contradictory positions and are holding on to them in the face of the evidence. Here they are... from within the same post:

No contradiction, you just took the two comments out of context (as you are prone to do but I forgive ya). the first item you quoted is actually my stance on the entire subject. I've been stating that from the start, which was confirmed when the OP posted the itinerary. The second item was merely a guess as to WHY US Airs didn't help them. How does one item contradict the other? How does my stance contradict my guess??

Except, according to the OP, the flight hadn't gone by then. Why make up this scenario, when the OP has told you different? It only after they had been to US Airways and then got sent back to United by US Airways that they ran out of time. Why make up facts when the OP has given us them?

Ohhhhhh yea you're right.. how did i miss.... oh wait... they were 15 minutes late so that would mean they missed it ya? so how did I make it up? lol wait, wait let's confirm this:

I then spent 30 min on the phone with Sam's and had returned a call to the United counter with a Ticket # provided by Sam's and they still would not allow her to check in. My ex-wife then went to a US air counter and was referred back to the United desk. By this point it was 15 min until the plane was departing and she missed this flight.

and what did Bob say?

First they went to United, probably waited on a Que, got to the counter and Oops, we don't fly there, US Airs does, but by the time they arrived at the US counter their flight was gone.

According to the OP, they were STILL at the United counter trying to check in for a flight operated by US Airs. Why did they miss the flight? Hanging out at the United Counter.

You are right there Bob.. because there is no sense or logic in your position. I was seeking a logical explanation for your position, and your last post confirms what I thought. There isn't one.

You mean my stance that the OP and co didn't follow their itinerary is illogical? So that makes no sense? Ok let's say it in plain english: They screwed up.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

You should write to the DOT. You daughter was effectively denied boarding. You paid for a ticket and they denied boarding, despite you arriving at the airport on time and having paid the appropriate unaccompanied minor fee. The airline cannot refuse to provide the service and then say the ticket is non-refundable. You had a contract that they breached. It is outrageous. Under no circumstances accept a voucher. At the mimimum you are entitled to your money back. I also think you are entitled to a denied boarding compensation. This is definitely one to take to court if they don't respond.

That is not necessarily true. If the ticket was purchased through Continental, than it would have a Continental ticket number, which starts with the numbers 005. If the ticket was purchased through Continental, it means Continental would have first gotten the money, and then responsible for the reservation being sent to United. That apparently never happened. In this case, United would see a reservation, but in the United system, it would not show paid for, and thus, regardless of a printout, they would not be able to check the person in. This really wouldn't fall under "denied boarding", on United's part.

My suggestion is to go talk with Continental over this. If you still have the ticket number, and it starts with "005", than this needs to be taken up with Continental.

[jimworcs]

Bob..

Your twists and turns are remarkable........................but I admire your tenacity.

Phx and mars...
I guess you decided you wanted that debate about capitalism and morality afterall... but is an airline forum the right place for it?

I will say this... to say there is no such thing as a fair or good business in just not true. My local butcher is the third generation butcher to have his shop in the village. He supplies high quality local meat at a good price. On a Saturday morning, there is a queue of over 100m outside his door from 7am to well past 2pm. At Christmas you have to queue for 45 minutes to an hour to pick up your meat order. So established are the Christmas queues that local restaurants sell hot drinks and choirs sing carols to the queues.

Why are people queuing to do business with this butcher when there are at least 7 vast supermarkets within a 5 mile radius of his shop?

Because he sells high quality products, at a fair price. His shop is highly profitable and I am sure that most people would pay more for his meat. He sells his meat for a fair mark up, nearly always cheaper than the supermarket, for superior quality of known provenance.

Is this business evil? Is it a fair or good business? It is possible to make a profit and not be evil mars...

[PHXFlyer]

May I just point out that the title of the thread was, "How United ruined my Thanksiving [sic] 2009" and not, "How Sam's Club ruined my Thanksiving 2009" or, "How Expedia ruined my Thanksiving [sic] 2009" or, "How US Airways ruined my Thanksiving [sic] 2009" or, "How Continental ruined my Thanksiving [sic] 2009." OP pretty clearly laid blame solely with United. Why? Because his daughter and ex-wife wasted so much time standing in the wrong line to check-in with United by the time they got to US Airways things were hopelessly messed up.

What most likely happened when the flight closed for check-in and the daughter wasn't at the US Airways counter in time to do so US Airways canceled her reservation. Because Continental issued the ticket and they had a return segment on Continental the canceled US Airways flight was transmitted to Continental who in turn canceled their return flight which locked the ticket from being accessed or changed by either United or US Airways. Even though the ticket was purchased through Sam's Club/Expedia because they were at the airport they should have gone to a Continental ticket counter (which Continental operates out of Terminal A @EWR as well) to get things sorted out.

My question to the OP is this. Any agent would have been able to tell you that the flight was actually a US Airways flight and not United and that the ticket was issued by Continental. Could your ex-wife be lying to you? Was this simply a veiled attempt to keep your daughter for herself over the holiday? You must consider that possibility as well because I can't believe that between United, US Airways, and Continental there was not a single agent able to help get your daughter on a flight to Charlotte that day. It's just a theory and I'm probably completely wrong but all possibilities must be explored.

[jimworcs]

Last night I recieved an email from United that states after the ticket was issued and paid for a revoke status was put on it with no explaination. The only party who could have done this was Continental.

Don't think so Phx... why would United have emailed him with an explanation if his wife was making it up as a conspiracy to deny him access? Besides, he was on the phone with Sam's Club/Expedia at the time who were also trying to sort it out...

When it comes to "**** up" or "conspiracy" it is nearly always a **** up.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

Don't think so Phx... why would United have emailed him with an explanation if his wife was making it up as a conspiracy to deny him access? Besides, he was on the phone with Sam's Club/Expedia at the time who were also trying to sort it out...

When it comes to "**** up" or "conspiracy" it is nearly always a **** up.

I'm wondering why United e-mailed him as well since they had absolutely nothing to do with this entire transaction other than the fact that their flight number was placed on the US Airways operated flight. But the fact they were able to tell him the ticket was revoked by Continental seems to support my theory that they did not make it to the US Airways counter in time to check in so US Airways canceled their segment which led to Continental canceling the entire itinerary and ticket.

[Jgruntfest]

Originally Posted by Silent Bob

Ultimately Jim, you're not gonna get the answers you seek, because the mother (who all this mess happened to) is not here to tell her side; this whole tale of woe is from a 3rd person perspective. I stand by my words.

First they went to United, probably waited on a Que, got to the counter and Oops, we don't fly there, US Airs does, but by the time they arrived at the US counter their flight was gone.

Now I'll give you this much, why didn't US airs help them? Maybe because it was a Continental ticket? that would be my guess. The OP did the right thing to call Expedia, but why not ask the big question Jim: Why didn't Expedia help him when he called?



But ULTIMATELY had they gone to US airs, where their itinerary told them to go IN THE FIRST PLACE, they would not be in this mess. But the blame lies with them and Expedia.

THEY STARTED AT US AIR> Were turned away becasue the computer communication was screwed up. They went to United for additional help and were turned back to US Air. Continental stated "Because my daughter is 12 and the unaccompanied minor fee was not payed someone at Continental void the seat. When I booked she was to fly with my Father. Plans changed and my ex was preparde to pay the additional fee at the counter which we have done before. NO ONE AT US AIR OR UNITED recognized this and that's why she didn't get through the check in.

[PHXFlyer]

Still doesn't make sense, however;

Originally Posted by Jgruntfest

THEY STARTED AT US AIR> Were turned away becasue the computer communication was screwed up. They went to United for additional help and were turned back to US Air. Continental stated "Because my daughter is 12 and the unaccompanied minor fee was not payed someone at Continental void the seat. When I booked she was to fly with my Father. Plans changed and my ex was preparde to pay the additional fee at the counter which we have done before. NO ONE AT US AIR OR UNITED recognized this and that's why she didn't get through the check in.

That was a mistake right there. Had they known their ticket was issued by Continental they could have gone to the Continental counters for assistance. United, as I stated before, had absolutely nothing to do with the ticket other than their flight number was placed on a US Airways operated flight.

[Silent Bob]

jgrunt, she didn't get through check in with United because - they don't fly to charlotte, nuff said there. Also Continental wouldn't void the seat because the unaccompanied minor wasn't paid, you wouldn't have to pay them anyway, only US Airs. If you needed to pay Continental, it would be for the return and that could have been paid at the counter.