At United, we make safety a priority in everything we do. Sometimes that commitment to safety means that we aren't able to operate a flight as scheduled, and in these instances your travel may be impacted. If flights are canceled, diverted to a location other than the intended destination, or delayed to the point that travelers miss connecting flights, we consider it an “irregular operations” situation.
Causes of travel disruptions
Most causes of travel disruptions are outside of United's control, with inclement weather and air traffic congestion being the most common. Events such as medical emergencies and airport closures may also result in travel disruptions. Causes considered to be within United's control are typically related to addressing a mechanical concern with the aircraft in order to ensure safe operation of the flight.
Plan ahead to reduce inconvenience
Although most United flights operate on time, delays and cancellations can occur. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) web site offers real-time reports on airports affected by delays. If your departure, arrival and/or connecting airports are experiencing delays, there is an increased chance that ”irregular operations” might affect your flight. In these cases you may want to keep a close eye out for travel waiver announcements and flight information updates. You can also register for United's EasyUpdate notification service to help us contact you directly with the information you need.
It is also important to understand that you might incur some extra expenses in the event of travel disruptions. A delay in travel might mean that you may need to buy or carry with you food or any medications or amenities that you would need in the event of a delay. In the case of some overnight delays, hotel expenses might also be incurred.
How United handles travel disruptions
Notifications
The best way to receive information about your United flights is with our EasyUpdate service, which offers notifications via phone, text or email. United also provides prompt updates to flight information on airport displays, at united.com, in our reservations system and through announcements by our gate agents. Please note that given the nature of some delays and cancellations, updated information may not be available in advance of a flight's scheduled departure.
Rebooking
In most cases, if your flight is canceled or a delay has caused you to miss your connecting flight, we will proactively confirm you for travel on the next United flight with available seating to your destination. You can visit EasyCheck-in Online® or My Itineraries on united.com to see if you are confirmed on another flight. If you are at the airport and do not have Internet access, you can use an EasyCheck-in® unit.
Standby (space-available) travel
While we rebook customers on the next flight with an available seat, at busy times and on busy routings, there may be flights departing before the flight on which you've been confirmed. When this happens, you can stand by to fly on a space-available basis on an earlier flight, while retaining your confirmed seat on the later flight. You can elect the standby option through EasyCheck-in Online® at united.com or at an EasyCheck-in® unit at the airport.
Standby lists allow us to manage situations where there are more customers waiting to be accommodated than there are open seats on the next flight. When boarding has opened for the flight, all confirmed passengers will board first. About 15 minutes before departure, if seats are available, Customer Service Representatives will begin to call standby passengers.
After the last standby passenger boards the plane and the door is closed, agents need 5-10 minutes to complete their work for the current flight, and then all standby customers who could not be accommodated will be transferred to the standby list for the next flight. The agent will make an announcement about that flight's gate number and scheduled departure time.
Overnight accommodations
When circumstances within United's control cause a travel disruption that results in an unplanned overnight stay, United will provide a hotel room and a meal voucher to partially defray expenses related to this inconvenience. Hotels are usually near the airport, and transportation is generally provided by the hotel's shuttle service. If shuttle service is not available, United will provide transportation to the hotel and back to the airport for your rebooked flight.
You should be prepared for the fact that, in some cases, you may be required to bear the expense of an unplanned overnight stay. In the event of overnight travel delays resulting from circumstances beyond our control, such as weather or air traffic control delays, United will provide information to help you book discounted rates (at your expense) at local hotels.
Luggage handling
When you are rebooked for a later flight due to a travel disruption, your luggage will be forwarded to your original destination. If you are delayed, in many situations we cannot retrieve your luggage. Instead we will hold it for the next flight to your scheduled destination. If travel disruptions cause you to have an unplanned overnight stay and we are unable to retrieve your luggage, we will provide you with an overnight amenity kit.
Canceling or changing itineraries due to travel disruptions
Waivers
When bad weather is expected to cause large-scale travel disruptions in a particular city or region, United will often issue a travel waiver in advance of the arrival of the storm system. Travel waivers allow our customers to make changes to their ticketed itineraries in advance, without incurring the fees that would otherwise apply, in order to avoid the possibility of encountering long delays.
Travel waivers are publicized in press releases and posted at united.com/travelwaiver, and details are provided about any conditions or restrictions that may apply. In the event of a waiver, you can make itinerary changes through My Itineraries at united.com, over the phone with United Reservations at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331), or with the web site or agency that originally booked your ticket.
Rescheduling and refunds
During a delay, cancellation, or diversion, our staff is focused on helping as many customers as possible to complete their travel with as little disruption as possible. If the flight cancellation or delay you experience results in your decision to cancel or reschedule your trip instead of continuing travel, our phone representatives at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) will be best able to help you. If you want to cancel your travel, you are eligible for a refund of any unused portion of your ticket in the event of:
- a flight cancellation for any reason; or
- a United-controllable delay or schedule change of more than 2 hours.
If you have checked baggage and choose to cancel, you must see a United Representative at the airport. If you are a registered Mileage Plus® member and would like to request a refund, please log in and complete an online E-Ticket refund request. If you are not a registered Mileage Plus member, please submit a refund request form online for processing by a United representative.
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