United Airlines changed our flight, and now we can’t make our connection

By Christopher Elliott | Travel Troubleshooter

Q: My family and I booked flights from Berlin to Seattle on Lufthansa using United Airlines miles. Our initial itinerary had us flying from Berlin to Munich to Seattle. Lufthansa canceled the Munich to Seattle flight, rebooking us on a flight from Berlin to Frankfurt to Seattle, with a stopover in Frankfurt of only 1 hour and 25 minutes. 

My daughter requires a powered wheelchair and a ventilator. This connection time was not enough time to make our flight.

I contacted United, and they rebooked us on a flight from Berlin to Frankfurt, with an overnight stay in Frankfurt to ensure we had enough time for our connecting flight from Frankfurt to Seattle. 

But then United Airlines changed the flight, this time booking us with connecting flights from Frankfurt to Washington Dulles to Seattle. This is a much longer flight duration — at least 5 hours longer than the direct flight — and adds an extra connection, which will be very difficult for my daughter.

When I contacted United to complain, an agent who had rebooked our flights had mistakenly canceled the Lufthansa direct flight, and because there were no more award seats available, United rebooked us on the connecting flights. When I asked United to fix the problem, the airline only offered us a $75 voucher per person, which is unacceptable. 

We need United to either book us on the direct Lufthansa flight or provide us with adequate compensation for this mistake. — Brian Landmann, Woodinville, Wash.

A: When an airline makes a mistake, the airline must fix it, not you. And this was quite a mistake, and an insensitive one at that. I can’t even make an international connection in Frankfurt in less than 1 ½ hours — at least I couldn’t the last time I tried. How do they expect someone in a wheelchair to make it?

Your case raises several questions. For example, are you considered a second-class citizen if you are redeeming miles for your flight? You probably felt that way. But actually, the opposite should be true. Your airline should be treating you better because of your loyalty. Someone should have ensured that you were booked on flights with reasonable connection times — after all, you’re one of United’s best customers.

Another question: Should United have gone the extra mile for a passenger with a disability? Clearly, yes. United has a dedicated department for special-needs passengers that should have been able to help. I didn’t see any correspondence with that department in your paper trail, but that might have been a shortcut to a solution.

You might have also tried reaching out to one of the United Airlines executives. I publish their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Ultimately, when I look at your itinerary, I might have gone with an Icelandair flight with one stop in Reykjavik that would have gotten you to Seattle in about 12 hours. You could have saved your points for another flight.

I contacted United Airlines on your behalf. After reviewing your case, the airline agreed to rebook you on a flight from Berlin to Newark with a two-night layover in Newark, followed by a direct flight from Newark to Seattle. This new itinerary allows enough time for your daughter to comfortably transfer between flights. The airline also issued you a $350 voucher per person as compensation for the inconvenience caused by the changes to your itinerary.

While the new itinerary may not be perfect, it allows your family to travel comfortably and safely.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.