[rlapczuk]

Dear United Airlines, it's 10:00 A.M. CST January 1, 2011, and my wife and I are sitting at home watching the Rose Parade. While this sounds like a nice thing to be doing, it wasn't by choice.

My wife and I had reservations on your flight number 6831 from SAT to LAX on December 30. For some reason this flight from canceled some 10 hours before it was due to depart. Never were we ever given a reason as to why this flight was canceled. I immediately called Customer Service and could tell from the start we were in trouble. Instead of offering us an alternative, the agent immediately told us nothing else was available. I was stunned.And gave the phone to my wife so I could look for alternate flights on my laptop.

While the United agent was on the phone with my wife, I looked for available flights. Let me point out, the agent acted like she wanted to get off the phone and help disappoint others without helping us. After working for over an hour to find a flight, I found an American flight, 427, non-stop to LAX out of Austin, Texas, departing on December 31. After coaxing the agent into calling American and seeing if seats were still available. We told yes, seats were available. The agent assured us she had secured us two seats on this flight and gave us the confirmation number.

On the morning of the 31, I went to the American site to look things over and re-confirm for myself everything was in order. Much to my dismay I found our flight reservations had been canceled. Immediately I called American Customer Service, and was told yes the reservation made the night was canceled. The American agent informed us the reservation was canceled due to United not following through with the necessary paperwork.

A phone call back to United. This agent, after a lengthy discussion, told me the reservation was still confirmed and all I needed to do was show up at the airport and two seats would be given to us because the gate agents always hold back some seats. Or I could call American and they could issue seats over the phone.

One more call more back to American. Their apologetic agent informed me that even though we had a confirmation number, that unless United had an actual ticket number for us, we had no seats since none were left. She suggested I call United back and get a ticket number.

Now a fourth phone call to United. The agent could not give me a ticket number, and asked me to hold while she called American. She came back on line to inform us that yes, there were no ore seats left on this flight. But, she would be glad to book us on a flight leaving out on today,January 1. No apologies, no I'm sorry, nothing.

After six phones and countless hours spent on trying to save our trip to California for the Rose Parade. We sit here holding purchased tickets and not being able to use them.

Hopefully our money spent for the tickets, some 3 months ago, will be refunded. At this point I don't have much confidence in anything I've been told by an United agent. Besides this isn't much of a condolence since this should be standard practice. Also hopefully the money spent on purchasing Premier Travel will be refunded as well.

It would be good customer relations and goodwill to receive compensation for the United agent's error and lack of competence in following up to ensure our flight on American was secured.. As well, the frustration and time spent having to cancel car rental, hotel reservations, Spago's reservations, etc. In addition, the loss of money and opportunity to attend the Rose Parade.

This is not the first time United has ruined or disrupted flight plans of ours.

Oh well back to watching the parade on TV.