Bad news: I was so sick last week that I had to cancel out on a long-planned trip to visit Knitting Daughter at college. (I don’t even want to talk about it. Still so sad.)
Good news: United Airlines said, “No problem. We’ll credit you that $270 for a future flight.”
Bad news: And then they said, “There will also be a $180 re-ticketing fee at the time that you use the credit.”
Good news: I’m never flying United again. Southwest all the way, even if United has better flight times for certain flights.
Bad news: I sat sick and unmoving on the couch for 3 days.
Good news: I did manage to knit. Look at all of the fun springy Palindrome scarves I whipped up:
Bad news: Just kidding. (Thanks, Photoshop.)
Sheri feelingmuchbetternow,thanksforyourwellwisheslastweek
Glad you are feeling much better! So sorry you missed out on your trip!
Glad you are feeling better.
United – when will they realise they have to tell us: Sorry we can reimburse only this or that percent of the ticket you were unable to use period!
We all should follow you and not use a company that does this ever again!
I’m glad that you are feeling better. Your photoshopped scarves are hilarious!
For various reasons, I have not flown United in a long time. Your experience only confirms my opinion of that company!
Glad you’re feeling better!
Are you sure you didn’t whip up all those scarves??
I’m so sorry you missed your trip but I’m glad you’re feeling better. Your scarves tricked me – I totally thought that you’d whipped up a set of Easter-colored scarves for a few seconds! “Wow, that pattern *does* go fast,” I was thinking. 🙂
I’m so sorry about your trip! My husband was sick over the holidays which meant that we had to cancel a trip to visit family as well. I missed a lot of fun activities and my first niece’s first Christmas. I’m still sad about it, so I know it’s super stinky. Dumb germs!
Until I read the last line of your post I was very impressed with your scarf folding consistency!!
United is HORRIBLE. I have horror stories about flying them.
I try to fly American whenever possible – I’ve always had good luck with them.
Nice job with Photoshop – if you hadn’t fessed up, I wouldn’t have guessed!
United says that about the reticketing fee, but they’ve never actually charged me if I use the same flights/destinations. So don’t give up on that ticket yet!
Sorry to hear you were sick. And such a bummer about United. Southwest is fantastic – hubby was to sick for his trip a few weeks ago and they said we will just cancel the flight and you have the full amount of credit when you want to book your next flight. (plus the 2 checked bags for free makes them even more awesome).
LOL!! You had me there with the scarves too – glad you are feeling better & thanks for the laugh! 🙂
I gave up flying United years ago when I was mistreated on their airline, then given a certificate to use on another flight, but told I had to pay a fee to use it because I could not use it online. Nobody in management seemed to care. So I stopped flying on their airline. Southwest is such a great airline. Sadly, they don’t fly out of my closest airport. But I use them whenever I can.
Gees, you sure did impress me with your Palindrome scarves! I think I was most impressed that you managed to stack each scarf up just so to make it match the others! You are so funny!
Glad you are feeling better.
LOL That was a neat trick you played on us Sherri!!! I literally said OMG out loud when I saw that post and then scrolled down and LOL – literally out loud – 🙂
glad to hear you’re feeling better though. 🙂
Hope you feel better soon if not sooner. What’s been going around has been going around our home for the past week or so. Stinks about the airlines. Just how many people do they have to pay to re-ticket a ticket? Our family won’t use American ever again since they bumped my then 6 month pregnant daughter from FIVE flights in one day – they claim she missed her flight – but her luggage made it to PHL from DFW just fine – they claimed there were enough extra seats on her flight so that employees grabbed them up – interesting. I had to get the local news in Dallas involved to get her on a flight. Imagine a pregnant woman with no luggage in a strange airport. Funny how when you get the media involved all of a sudden seats on flights turn up (sarcastic). My boss an his wife use Southwest all the time – say they get better service. Your scarf is beautiful in any color!!!!!!!!!
It’s a little early for April Fool’s, don’t ya think? Sorry about the illness thing. I was sick with the worst cold in a very long time. Too sick to knit! Hope your and your needles a clicking on all cylinders again soon.
I’m glad you’re feeling better!! And I’m so jealous of your photoshop skills!! I need to play with that some more!
Take care of you!!
Contact your local Better Business Bureau about your airline ticket and check with the FAA. I remember some rules changes in the last 6 months that might apply to your case.
Feel better soon.
Feel better soon!
LOL!! I was thinking, “Holy cow, how did she get all those scarves to lay exactly the same..!! WAIT A MINUTE…” Sorry you were sick. Stupid airlines!!
Glad you are feeling better. I have the horrible crud myself right now, and am just miserable. I saw your “new palindromes” and thought to myself, “wow, Sheri can knit when she feels this bad?” Then I saw the photoshop comment! Ha!
I tell you, I have worked on nothing but sock yarn blankie squares for 2 days. I can’t concentrate on anything more!
Ok, different point of view here. Some airline ticketes are sold as “non-refundable” and are clearly marked that way when you purchase them. Canceling a flight and expecting all of your money back is not always reasonable. Don’t know if this was the case here or not. All of my flights recently have been packed full. An empty seat makes them no money, so they would possibly have to raise the rates for the rest of us to cover this. Look at it this way, if I don’t go to a concert and no one uses my seat, I don’t expect a refund. I can however transfer a concert ticket, no security risk there.
I’ve done a lot of standby flying and know about the bumping game. If you miss a flight you might be listed on several flights before you get on one that has empty seats and gate agents sometimes don’t know this until the last call they make for any stragglers. Previously booked customers always get on ahead of reschedules. Then they try to rebook again and the process repeats itself. If you’re not at the gate during the boarding calls, you will likely miss the flight. Your luggage probably was in process well before you get to the gate, there’s no calling it back. Crews are pressed pretty hard these days to push back from the gate on time.
I know it’s frustrating, but have seen some really bad behavior from passengers who had been asking agents to do impossible things. They can’t manufacture seats out of no where and if there’s an empty one they will surely put you on the plane. I’ve also seen them go out of their way to reroute folks to get them to where they need to be. A little patience and polite behavior goes a long way.
Sorry for the long rant and yes, I do know someone who works for an airline.
I hope you feel better. It seems to be a bad year for colds/flu/bugs etc. I’ve been sick for over 3 weeks – cold, Bronchitis-dr visit 1 last week, now some other strange pains-dr visit 2 today-they have no idea what it could be now.
So glad you are feeling better. Although I must say, I love having a good excuse to just sit on the couch and knit ALL weekend!
Sorry you were so sick and had to miss that trip to see your daughter, and then to have UAL make it even worse! On another note, you had me bowing down in awe at the photos of the three gorgeous scarves you managed to whip out while you were ill. I was feeling a little sick myself until I got to your final sentence! Glad you’re feeling better.
I wish it were that easy to multiply finished objects (thanks photoshop), but hope you are feeling better now. Let’s see, I think I have another 5+ weeks to finish this challenge ….
Hope you are feeling better!!
Had same problem with United years ago when we were evacuated during a federal disaster – the whole mountain was evacuated for 3 1/2 weeks during 2003 due to the Old Fire. My husband’s trip was in the middle of this – and since we’d left in a hurry and didn’t think we’d be gone so long, we didn’t pack his suits and materials, even if we’d had room while stuffing cars with valaubles, nor did I really want him to be out of town while our house burned down on TV (lucky it did not).
I do understand airlines need to make a profit – but they are even inflexible in the face of a national disaster.
Glad you are feeling better and I’m so sorry you didn’t get to visit your daughter! I know how special a visit can be! We are currently in Mississippi cheering our two college DDs on in their conference swim meet. It is the last one for the oldest as she is a senior. Hope you get to see your daughter soon Hugs!
Sheri, thank you for blogging and posting the new things even when you felt so sad and so ill. THAT is true dedication, professionalism and it is just plain hard when you feel so awful and your heart is heavy. Hope that you get to catch up with your daughter soon.
Thinking feel better thoughts for you and I am sorry you missed going to see your daughter. Stay indoors out of those high winds!
Sheri,
Hope you feel better soon. You had me going with the scarves until the end. The fact that you even finished one is amazing, you must be a very fast knitter.
Melissa
So sorry you missed your trip. Must get well for your birthday!
Take care.
I’m so sorry that you missed a trip to visit your daughter.
I take great delight in boycotting big companies that offend me because, really, lost income is all they care about.
Oh my goodness – you are nuts about that scarf pattern! I’m sorry you missed your trip too, but I hope you’re feeling better.
ROFL okay you had my jaw dropping. I really thought you knit that fast LOL.
Hugs!
Cats
So sorry you were sick and couldn’t visit your daughter…it’s heart-breaking, I know.
A couple weeks ago I went to CA on a much needed visit to my parents. On the flight home, I had a brief layover in Salt Lake City to change planes. My son goes to college in SLC but I wasn’t able to see him!! It wasn’t in my budget to stayover and pay for a hotel room & rental car, plus he had school and I wasn’t sure if I would see him anyway. I did call him, but it wasn’t enough. 🙁
Flying sucketh . Tsa sucketh , sickness sucks too .. Thank God for knitting …. A way to bring order to chaos …. Be well .. Preth on inspite of the bastids…