A missing reservation on United

Q: I’m really hoping you can help me get this corrected before my trip becomes a disaster. I recently purchased two round-trip tickets from Philadelphia to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on United Airlines’ Web site. All four flight segments have United code-share flight numbers but they are actually on US Airways and Air Canada. After I paid for the tickets, I received a confirmation and everything seemed fine.

But everything was not fine. When I called the US Airways reservations line to get seat assignments, the agent was unable to find me or my wife on the passenger list for either flight. I called United and spoke to a supervisor about the problem. She assured me that United would look into it and that an agent would call me back. A week went by without a call so I called United again. Once again, I got a promise to look into it but nothing has been done yet.

United says we shouldn’t worry about this and to let it go until we check in at US Airways on the day of departure. But I’m really worried that if I just let this go, my wife and I will not be able to take our trip at all.

– Michael Watanabe, Philadelphia

A: You should worry about this. If you’re flying on US Airways, and the airline has no record of your reservation, do you really think they’re going to let you waltz onto the plane? I doubt it. United should have had the courtesy to call you back after two concerned phone calls.

Your case is a cautionary tale about two hot-button issues for air travelers: code sharing and call centers.

Let’s start with code sharing. For readers not familiar with airline-speak, a code-sharing flight is a flight operated by one airline in partnership with another. In your case, it means you bought a United Airlines ticket but would not fly on a United Airlines plane. Instead, two of your flights were booked on Air Canada and the other two were booked on US Airways.

That makes perfect sense for an airline, because it doesn’t have to operate as many flights, and can piggyback on a partner’s plane. But it makes no sense for a passenger. I mean, it’s a lot like ordering a Coke and getting a Pepsi. Code sharing is, as many industry critics have pointed out, fundamentally dishonest. And it also leads to problems like yours.

Which brings me to call centers. Phoning an airline to resolve this kind of problem is a terrible idea. Unless you tape the call (which is time-consuming and impractical) there’s no record of the conversation. A letter or e-mail is far more useful, because you establish a paper trail. A call-center supervisor can promise to call back and get away with never doing it, but if the promise is in writing, you’re much more difficult to blow off.

Call centers are also troublesome because they’re often contracted to outside companies and are often staffed with people for whom English is a second language. Don’t even get me started on that.

While it is impossible to avoid code-sharing partnerships, you can stay away from the phone. Remember: E-mail or letters usually work best when you’ve got a problem with an airline.

I contacted United on your behalf. A representative got in touch with you and explained that there was an “error in the United reservations computer speaking to the US Airways reservations computer” and that they had found your reservation. Have a great trip.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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