United Cancels Return Flight

[Nevada Wapati]

My return flight, Johannesburg to Newark on September 14th was cancelled. Apparently they only plan on flying that route every other day. My outgoing flight for the 4th was still good.

I don't know when this change is going into affect or if the outgoing flights are also affected. If you have reservations with United you may wish to see if they are still good.

 

[BnC 04]

Out travel agent informed me on Friday that our return flight was cancelled due to United only operating 5 return flights per week or something along those lines. Originally we flew out on a Thursday but moved it to the next day. Extra day in Africa....don't threaten me with a good time.

 

[CJW]

Me too! Extra hunting day.

 

[Nevada Wapati]

Out travel agent informed me on Friday that our return flight was cancelled due to United only operating 5 return flights per week or something along those lines. Originally we flew out on a Thursday but moved it to the next day. Extra day in Africa....don't threaten me with a good time.

Yep, told the outfitter that he was stuck with me for an extra day.

 

[JimP]

It could turn into trouble for some if the outfitter has another group coming in when you are suppose to be leaving.

 

[Marcus bock]

United wiped out my flight to Johannesburg on Sept 15.

 

[C.W. Richter]

There are some lovely and hospitable African women to shack up with during the short delays

 

[Dakota Hunter]

I had the same thing happen to me and stayed an extra night at African Sky. The change on return flight also shortened the layover to only 1 hour to catch our connector in Newark, which we obviously were not able to clear customs, Homeland Security with my rifle case and back through TSA and ended up sleeping in the airport until they got us on a flight the next morning.

 

[Philip Glass]

My return flight, Johannesburg to Newark on September 14th was cancelled. Apparently they only plan on flying that route every other day. My outgoing flight for the 4th was still good.

I don't know when this change is going into affect or if the outgoing flights are also affected. If you have reservations with United you may wish to see if they are still good.

Delta is selling and then cancelling flights all the way into next summer. This is why we’ve chosen to fly Qatar. It’s simply due to the reliability not to mention the service.
Sorry for your trouble. I guess we have to be flexible when we travel these days.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Thanks for posting. Cross Delta and United off the list.

 

[CJW]

Thanks for posting. Cross Delta and United off the list.

I wouldn't be so quick to rule them out. My experience with them was fantastic.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I wouldn't be so quick to rule them out. My experience with them was fantastic.

That's the trouble, they blow hot and cold. Last flight flying through Frankfurt on United was a cluster***k. I'll take Qatar FAs over Delta's geriatric ward crew too.

YMMV.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I wouldn't be so quick to rule them out. My experience with them was fantastic.

"You can't stay here, but you don't have to go home" (Blues Brothers). "You can't get there and you can't get home". (Delta/United) Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

[CJW]

That's the trouble, they blow hot and cold. Last flight flying through Frankfurt on United was a cluster***k. I'll take Qatar FAs over Delta's geriatric ward crew too. View attachment 437911 YMMV.

And that hasn't been my experience at all with United, domestically or now internationally. I have flown them quite a bit domestically and haven't had a lick of trouble. The only way I would fly Qatar is if I flew business. That flight time in coach is just too long of a trip for me. There are drawbacks to every airline I guess.

 

[CJW]

"You can't stay here, but you don't have to go home" (Blues Brothers). "You can't get there and you can't get home". (Delta/United) Ha! Ha! Ha!

Again, I and I believe others from what I've heard have had many good or great experiences with United. To me, the only reason to avoid United is to avoid JoBurg if you aren't going to RSA. Now that is a cesspool I would avoid next time if possible. You'll also probably go through Newark if flying United and while it was obnoxious it was doable.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Again, I and I believe others from what I've heard have had many good or great experiences with United. To me, the only reason to avoid United is to avoid JoBurg if you aren't going to RSA. Now that is a cesspool I would avoid next time if possible. You'll also probably go through Newark if flying United and while it was obnoxious it was doable.

In all seriousness, I'm sure both Delta and United are good flying experiences internationally if they don't cancel flights at the last minute and require passengers to re book on Qatar or another airline at a premium rate for the traveler. That seemed to be a common theme this year, so hopefully that won't happen next year. But with the Covid Delta variant raging again throughout the world, I wouldn't bet on it?

 

[CJW]

In all seriousness, I'm sure both Delta and United are good flying experiences internationally if they don't cancel flights at the last minute and require passengers to re book on Qatar or another airline at a premium rate for the traveler.

I can't say I recall hearing of that extreme. My TA contacted me and an hour later my new flight was confirmed. I even still got the seat I wanted. If you aren't using a TA and aren't keeping tabs, I guess I can see an extreme case but that's why TA's are highly recommended. They do the actual work.

All airlines have had to make changes and even Qatar is no exception. If I'm not mistaken, they used to fly into Windhoek but due to low demand they had to nix the route until further notice.

Uncertainty and flexibility are the theme for the forseeable future.

 

[fourfive8]

Who knows? I would trust neither Delta nor United after the last couple of years. Have scheduled then had to cancel trips to Africa three times since beginning of 2020 before finally throwing in the towel… maybe for good to Africa! I’ve no sympathy for either airline. Delta cost me serious money this last time… so nope- no quarter, understanding nor sympathy. In the past, United has really shown poor service on certain domestic flights I’ve been unfortunate enough to experience. Each got HUGE amounts of tax payer covid “bail out” funding and still jack around with getting to the business of reliable transportation.

Sad to say, but I’ve become pretty un-patriotic about US based airlines over the last few years. Couldn’t care less if any of them, for due cause, go the way of TWA. PanAm or the passenger pigeon. I’ve become pretty much mercenary these days on such things. I really don’t care if a product or service comes from or is based in Ethiopia, Qatar, China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Turkey, Bolivia or French Guiana… if it is or does what I pay for or want- so be it!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Who knows? I would trust neither Delta nor United after the last couple of years. Have scheduled then had to cancel trips to Africa three times since beginning of 2020 before finally throwing in the towel… maybe for good to Africa! I’ve no sympathy for either airline. Delta cost me serious money this last time… so nope- no quarter, understanding nor sympathy. In the past, United has really shown poor service on certain domestic flights I’ve been unfortunate enough to experience. Each got HUGE amounts of tax payer covid “bail out” funding and still jack around with getting to the business of reliable transportation.

Sad to say, but I’ve become pretty un-patriotic about US based airlines over the last few years. Couldn’t care less if any of them, for due cause, go the way of TWA. PanAm or the passenger pigeon. I’ve become pretty much mercenary these days on such things. I really don’t care if a product or service comes from or is based in Ethiopia, Qatar, China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Turkey, Bolivia or French Guiana… if it is or does what I pay for or want- so be it!

I was going to expound on the "HUGE" taxpayer bailouts of the airline industry in my earlier post, but you guys get me on tirades with these issues, so I backed off. BUT, since you brought it up, the fact of the matter is, WE'VE bailed out the airline industry THREE times (at least) sine 9/11. After 9/11 we bailed them out, due to nobody flying. After the housing collapse and subsequent Great Recession, we the taxpayers GAVE them some $18 billion dollars, which was supposed to be a loan, but somehow morphed into a FREE bailout. Oh, and now the Covid bailouts. They NEVER end and it's piss poor business as usual for the airlines in this country. They've consolidated and monopolized airline travel by buying out smaller airlines, continue to increase add on fees for everything from carry on and checked baggage, assigned seating, to a traveler requesting a blanket/pillow. And now it's cancelled flights due to Covid or the fact that their employees don't want to work and are protected by the airline unions from being fired. It's no way to run a business that has been bailed out multiple times by billions of taxpayer dollars. I say let em all fail and see what emerges from the ashes!

 

[Hogpatrol]

Cutting to the chase here, the reason for cancellations is NO PILOTS! The U.S carriers screwed them over so many times through mergers and bankruptcies, with twenty and thirty year pilots losing pensions and seniority, there isn't the desire to take up that career path like there used to be. The FAA mandatory retirement age uptick from 60 to 65 was a bandaid for the shortage but that'll soon end once all the boomers are retired. From this chair, there'll be a time when we'll be lucky to see a U.S. plane making once a week trips to African destinations. Welcome to the wonderful world of government control of a commercial enterprise.