[Dektora84]

Message to United via feedback website:

Message: My wife and I booked on 6/8/16 the flights for March 10 DFW-IAH-LHR to attend a friend's wedding in the UK. I had not seen this friend in a decade. I checked us in 24 hours prior and saw "See Agent: for our second leg of flights and immediately called United. I talked to "Alma" on the phone and she informed me everything would be fine. We had seats and just needed to see the agent. I talked to our ticketing agent upon arrival in Dallas who also assured me there would be no problem. 2 Additional gate agents in DFW as well. "All will be fine. Don't worry" Upon arrival at IAH, we immediately went to the agent and asked for our seat assignments. They informed us at this moment there were none left.
When is there EVER a situation where a ticket is purchased for a service but the service is not guaranteed?????
"Luckily" a volunteer stepped off the flight. My wife and I were split up and I took the original flight to LHR ALONE - ripped away from my wife with no time to plan for how we could connect once she made it over to the foreign country we were traveling to. we did plan to purchase wifi on our separate flights so we could communicate whilst in the air. She was booked on a flight to Amsterdam (unbeknownst to me until she connected on the $17 per person in-flight wifi with me). This change to our itinerary led to us MISSING the wedding due to the delay of our schedule. This was the ENTIRE reason for our trip. I have called united 4 times whilst overseas and one time waited on hold for an HOUR trying to sort this out before our return flights home when we had hoped United would remedy this awful situation with some sort of response beyond travel vouchers. No Help. We are livid that you ruined this trip for us, caused us to miss a life-event that can never be recreated or experienced again. We will NEVER book another united flight and have advised our friends and family to avoid your airline as well. Also, another leg of our return trip was overbooked!

Flight Number: 880
Flight Date: 3/10/2017

Origin: IAH
Destination: LHR


United's response:

I'm sorry to learn of the disruption in your wife's travel plans and the inconvenience you both experienced while traveling to London.

I regret your disappointment in the travel certificate Ms. Milosch received. However, we are unable to honor your request for additional compensation.

We thank you for your business and hope you will reconsider your decision and allow the opportunity to welcome you both on board a future United flight.

Regards,

Donna Mitchell
Corporate Customer Care
Case ID 11871493



And my response:

Donna,

This is unacceptable. I do expect compensation for the wifi we were required to purchase ($34) for United's sabotage of our travel plans and how we needed a way to communicate reconnecting. Also, any charges incurred on my phone bill from attempting to reach United whilst overseas.

Plus, you fail to recognize that I received no compensation for you kicking my wife off of our flight that we planned to travel together. She received a travel voucher and I received nothing but emotional duress from the incident.

Can you honestly think of no other way to remedy this situation?

Also, I will be spreading this experience far and wide- reaching out to the press and via social media to share our experience if we receive no additional response or compensation.

Make it right. Otherwise we will have no choice but to go public with your lack of customer care or compassion.

Sheryl