United’s crazy computer does wacky automated rebooking
You’d think that when an airline makes a change to your itinerary, the change would make sense. But no! Sometimes it doesn’t.
Later this year, I’m making a quick trip from San Francisco to Tampa. My return flights were as follows:
1. United #1531, departs Tampa at 11:00am, arrives Denver at 1:00pm
2. United #98, departs Denver at 4:30pm, arrives San Francisco at 6:10pm
But today, were told that the flights were automatically rescheduled by United. Apparently, the Tampa-Denver flight was canceled. Here’s what United put me on:
1. United #1581, departs Tampa at 11:20am, arrives Chicago at 2:51pm
2. United #679, departs Chicago at 3:42pm, arrives San Diego at 6:06pm
3. United #746, departs San Diego at 7:00pm, arrives San Francisco at 8:35pm
What type of crazy algorithm is that? Why did United’s automated system route me from Chicago to San Francisco via San Diego? That makes no sense.
A quick call to United straightened it out. The agent said, “Oh, no, that’s not good,” and quickly rebooked me onto:
1. United #1581, departs Tampa at 11:20am, arrives Chicago at 2:51pm
2. United #149, departs Chicago at 3:42pm, arrives San Francisco at 5:46pm
I’m happy: This is an even better itinerary (later departure, earlier arrival) than my original flights via Denver. But what in the world was United thinking?
Perhaps it costs them nothing to put you on an unpopular flight, and then on another unpopular flight.
Conversely, if they put you on a flight expected to be full, they are foregoing the price of another ticket they could have sold to someone.