UA rebooking options

[gozalim]

sorry for the n00b question:

a family is/was booked for tonight EWR-MIA on UA (award, if that matters)
weather cancellation now.
online showing no options today, a few standby tomorrow, and nothing confirmed before Wednesday.
2hr+ line at desk to talk to an agent.

what else can they do? can they get interlined on another carrier tonight? anything the agent will be able to help with? anything that can be done online?

my apologies if this belongs in another thread, please point me to it

[yelped]

They can rebook on Delta or AA if there are available seats and you get an agent willing to do so.

[gozalim]

is a lounge desk more likely to be able/willing to help?

[shapsam]

is a lounge desk more likely to be able/willing to help?

Yes

[yossig]

Had an issue with missed flight and desk agent offered for 4 days later, then I got a phone agent to confirm for the next day (5 ppl)

[gozalim]

Had an issue with missed flight and desk agent offered for 4 days later, then I got a phone agent to confirm for the next day (5 ppl)

fair to say that's the exception rather than the rule?

[aarony]

Seats will be constantly opening up and getting nabbed as people reposition after the cancellations.

[KSMH]

Seats will be constantly opening up and getting nabbed as people reposition after the cancellations.

Yups, it changes by the minute some times.

[shimino1]

I have a feeling that the rebooking agents purposely don't offer direct flights or the best connections if there are not many seats left. The agent knows that the pax usually has no way of knowing what flight options are available so they offer mediocre connections that the pax will agree to and save the good seats for elites/paying customers.

I have had plenty of cases where my clients were rebooked automatically or by an airport agent and when I checked, I was able to find much better connections or even space on direct flights which the airport agents never offered.