United values my time at…$15.91/hour or if you calculate the final routing I took home after a flight cancellation in San Francisco, $10.29. This is why people harp on a passenger compensation scheme in the USA similar to EU261/2004.
Mechanical Delay Compensation: United Airlines Values My Time At $15.90 Per Hour
Last week, I wrote about not one but two consecutive United 777-200s being pulled out of service due to mechanical issues, ultimately leaving my redeye flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago (ORD) cancelled.
It was after 1:00 am in the morning and all the nonstops to Chicago the following day (except for, ironically, the same 777 redeye) were sold out. The United system auto-rebooked me on a routing via Albuquerque (ABQ) that SFO at 8:20 am, arrived in ABQ at 11:51 am, then connected from ABQ at 12:24 pm to ORD at 4:29 pm, which was about 11 hours after my original scheduled arrival of 5:40 am.
At the same time, I received an auto-generated “apology” email from United saying sorry for the delay and directing me to a website for compensation. My choices were $175 in travel credit or 8,750 United miles.
On the one hand, I appreciate that United proactively offered this compensation and owned up to its mistake. I also realize that this was more than some carriers would do (ahem, American Airlines) and so that is noted. But divide that $175 by the 11 hours and you get less than $16/hour…I mean, that’s really an insult. Does United think our time is worth less than minimum wage in California?
It’s also why a flight delay/cancellation approach similar to EU261/2004 would make a lot of sense in the USA. For all the outcry from anti-consumer advocates or airline apologists who say it would raise ticket prices, I believe that airlines should be held accountable for punctuality and for the privilege of using taxpayer-supported airports and air traffic control systems to operate. Airlines get sloppy with scheduling and maintenance when there are no real repercussions for delaying or cancelling flights. While the “free market” theoretically should push consumers to more reliable carriers (and United, generally, is reliable), consumers should be made whole when operations go awry and are within the control of the airline. I’m not saying the compensation has to be commensurate to my hourly pay, but the paltry compensation (even given in airline credits, not cash) is insulting.
I ultimately rebooked myself to connect in Newark instead of Albuquerque and by so doing scored lie-flat beds on both flights. Of course flying via Newark during summer is always at your own risk and I sat on the tarmac for more than two hours awaiting takeoff, not landing in Chicago until 10:50 pm. If you factor in that match, I was compensated $10.29/hour for my delay.
CONCLUSION
Airlines are not charities, but consumers should not be pushovers who have to endure poor planning and poor maintenance as if our time is worthless. My time is worth more than a $500 voucher as well, but I think that would have been fair considering the length of the delay and that it was fully within United’s control.
What do you think about mandatory delay compensation in the USA? Must we really just be happy that our airlines are safe and stop complaining?
What exactly would you consider adequate compensation for such a mechanical delay?
I said so in the conclusion ($500 voucher).
Ultimately, I think a EU261/2004 approach in the USA is beneficial not just for consumers, but for airlines even if it encourages some additional schedule padding.
Let me say this to you since I quite like you and think you are a good advocate for UA: the second 777 aircraft was ferried over from the hangar even though it had come in with a write-up from the previous flight that the a/c was not operational. That’s just unacceptable…I lost an entire day because of this and it wasn’t because I had to fly on a lie-flat seat via Newark…even the auto-rebook option did not get me home until late afternoon the following day.
You didn’t lose a whole day, you still were able to work with your laptop, still make phone calls with your phone, still enjoy life with your beating heart. You complain a lot.
Well, I actually did, but that’s another story for tomorrow (inoperable Wi-Fi from SFO-EWR-ORD).
But now that only Rich people who fall over each other to goose their PQP’s to ensure their self worth is reinforced why would you think United should or would compensate you anything. You are lucky Kirby lets you fly his premium airline at all. That’s the attitude of Kirby and Bastain.